Burning for Love by Evangeline Anderson
33
“The baby? What baby?” James looked at the Princess blankly.
Ka’rissa was shaking and crying, the sobs being torn from her throat were painful to hear. All he wanted to do was gather her to him and comfort her, but first he had to get to the bottom of what she was saying.
“What baby?” he asked again.
“The one…the one growing inside me—in my belly.” She put a hand to her stomach and burst into fresh sobs.
James shook his head.
“Are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant?”
“Y-yes.” She nodded her head, tears spilling from her lovely eyes. “I…I must be. My Moon Blood didn’t come last night and I’m never late with my female cycle.”
James shook his head, trying to understand.
“So…you think you’re pregnant just because your menstrual cycle is off?”
“No, not just because of that.” Ka’rissa swiped at her eyes, which were red with weeping. “Because…because…” She shook her head. “Oh James, please don’t make me tell you! You’ll hate and despise me if I tell you.”
Again, he had that feeling of a cruel hand squeezing his heart. Her pain—gods, it was so hard to watch! And yet, he didn’t want to get away from it—all he wanted to do was hold her close and comfort her.
“Sweetheart,” he murmured, reaching up to stroke one hot, flushed cheek. “Nothing you could tell me would make me despise you.”
“This would,” she insisted, tears still leaking down her cheeks. “Oh, James—I’m so ashamed! But you must know, I never asked for it! He did it before I could stop him.”
Concern and the desire to comfort her turned to Rage is a split second. A red curtain fell over his vision, making everything look bloody and dim. At the same time, James felt an animalistic growl rise in his chest. He had heard other warriors talk about going into Rage when their female was threatened, but he had never expected to have anything like that happen to him.
It’s not supposed to happen, because I’m not supposed to be having all these emotions! he thought. But it didn’t seem to matter to his body that he shouldn’t be going into Rage—the red curtain had dropped and the fury he felt filled and encompassed him unlike any emotion he had yet felt.
“Was it the Duke?” he demanded, his hands squeezing into fists. “Did he force you last night? Is that why you didn’t want to let me give you a bath and sleep beside you? Because you were afraid I would find out?”
“Y-yes…” She hung her head, tears dripping down her cheeks to patter onto the white lace morning gown she was wearing. “He…he forced me, James. I know I’m ruined anyway, but I don’t want to have his baby! But I can’t help it now—he…he stuck his tongue right in my mouth! And now I know I’m pregnant because my Moon Blood didn’t come.”
It was difficult to think past the Rage which had suddenly consumed him…but something in her words struck him as odd.
“He…stuck his tongue in your mouth?” James demanded, struggling to think past the all-consuming, protective wrath that had gripped him.
“Y-yes.” She nodded her head, her breath hitching in her throat.
“And that’s how you know your pregnant?” he repeated.
She nodded again. “Y-yes. He pushed me against the pillar and…and gave me a deep kiss and f-forced his tongue into my mouth. So now I must be pregnant.”
James shook his head, still trying to grasp the situation. He still wanted to go find the Duke and rip his fucking head off for causing the female he cared for so much pain and distress. But first he had to help the Princess, who seemed to be laboring under a grave misapprehension.
“Princess,” he said carefully, taking a deep breath to try and dispel the Rage. “Did the Duke…did he put his shaft inside you? Inside your pussy?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes.
“Put his what in my pussy?”
“His shaft,” James said patiently. “The, er, pole of flesh that all males have between their legs.”
Her eyes got even wider.
“Men have a pole between their legs? Do you have one?”
“Well…yes,” James said, frowning. “But we’re getting off the point. What I need to know is if the Duke put his pole—his shaft—between your legs, into your pussy.”
Ka’rissa shook her head, looking bewildered.
“How would he get to my pussy? I had on my pantalettes and chemise and goodness knows how many flounces and shirrs in my skirts.”
“So…he only kissed you?” James persisted. He thought he was beginning to understand what was going on here, but he wanted to be sure.
“What do you mean only?” Ka’rissa demanded with an indignant sniff. “He kissed me on the lips and stuck his tongue in my mouth! That’s how babies are made! And he made one in me!”
“No he didn’t and no they aren’t.” The Rage dissipated completely and for a moment, James had a strong urge to laugh with relief. He pushed the odd emotion away and tried to remain serious. “Princess,” he said quietly. “I think you have some very wrong ideas in your head about the process of biological procreation. Let’s have a talk.”
