So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)(41)

Anger sizzled through her, then she stiffened with a sudden realization. Goddesses help her. She was jealous.

And that could only mean she was attracted to him. A sorcerer pirate with a hoard of treasured secrets. And she’d only met him the day before.

With a heavy heart, she watched him climb the ladder, then stroll down the pier, surrounded by fawning women. She’d been a fool to think she could be special to him.

Her destiny could not be linked to him after all.





Chapter Ten

“The mayor wishes to thank you,” a pretty redhead announced as she blocked Rupert’s progress down the pier.

The minute he slowed down, two women latched on to his arms and even more surrounded him. He watched in dismay as Stefan and Tucker kept going, leaving him to deal with the women alone.

The redhead grazed her fingertips down his chest. “I’d like to thank you, too.”

It was interesting, Rupert thought, that three women had their hands on him, but none of them appeared ready to faint. So why did Brigitta react so badly whenever she touched him? And why was he not reacting? All these women were vying for his attention, but he felt nothing but slight annoyance that they were in the way.

And how many times had these women pestered him over the years? But none of them had ever figured out that his plaited hair was fake. They fawned over him, because they considered him a hero with magical powers, but they never really saw him. Not like Brigitta had.

The blonde to his right leaned close enough to press the side of her breasts against his arm. “I want to thank you, too. You wouldn’t believe how grateful I am.”

“Not half as grateful as I,” the brunette on his left boasted.

“No one is more grateful than me,” the redhead announced. “I think it’s amazing how you blew those nasty pirates ashore.”

The blonde giggled. “You can blow my skirt up anytime you like.”

He winced inwardly. Somehow, these women always made him feel like the prize at a county fair.

“If you have a few minutes, I think you would really enjoy how grateful I can be,” the brunette said.

“Minutes?” The redhead scoffed. “I could be grateful for hours!”

The blonde released his arm to glare at the other women. “I could be grateful all night long!”

The argument escalated, and soon all the women were yelling at one another. Rupert slipped through the crowd and hurried to catch up with his companions.

“Rupert!” the women wailed.

Damn. He’d almost completed his escape. He glanced back and gave them an apologetic smile. “Perhaps another day.”

The redhead huffed. “That’s what you said last time.”

He ran to join Stefan and Tucker at the entrance of the pier. “Dammit, don’t leave me alone like that.”

Stefan snorted. “Are the ladies too scary for you?”

He arched a brow. “Is a bloody nose too scary for you?”

When Tucker snickered, Stefan shot the junior officer a wry look. “Make yourself useful.” He shoved a small bag of gold and a list into Tucker’s arms. “Do the shopping.”

“Aye, Captain.” Tucker saluted, then strode toward the market square.

The mayor approached them with a beaming smile. “We owe you thanks once again.”

Stefan shook his hand. “We were glad to help.”

“I beached the pirates a few miles south of here,” Rupert explained, “but I was worried that the survivors might come here and cause trouble.”

“Some of them did,” the mayor admitted. “But a troop of Eberoni soldiers captured them.”

Rupert stiffened. For a fleeting moment, his old fear gripped him.

“Don’t worry,” the mayor quickly added. “The soldiers are gone. They left at dawn to take the prisoners to Ebton. You’re perfectly safe now.”

Rupert nodded. “Thank you.” Most people assumed he was worried about being captured because he was a pirate. They didn’t realize that his true identity was even more dangerous.

He’d been a few months short of the age of seven when he’d been forced to live with the possibility of being caught and killed. Fortunately, now that he had learned how to harness the wind, he was much better equipped to protect himself and his companions. Even so, the only time he truly felt safe was when he was at sea or on his secret island. And the only people he trusted completely were Stefan and his cousin Ansel. They were the only ones who knew his true identity.

He glanced at the stone tower on the highest bluff above the village. A green flag was waving there. That was the mayor’s signal to him that it was safe to come ashore. A red flag meant the Eberoni army was nearby hunting for him. So far, the mayor had proven loyal. But Rupert knew most men had a price, and he could be in deep shit if the Eberoni army ever offered the mayor a larger amount of gold.

“We appreciate your efforts to keep us safe, Your Honor,” Stefan said.

“It’s the least we can do,” the mayor insisted. “We appreciate your business and your protection. We know that as long as you’re safe, we’ll be safe from other pirates.”

“We’ll do our best,” Rupert assured him.

The mayor stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I received a message from your associate. He’ll be waiting for you upstairs at the Salty Pelican.”