Lair of the Lion

back toward the line of men, and his horse responded to the silent signal, trotting to him instantly.
    His hands spanned her waist and lifted her easily onto the saddle. "What happened here, Rolando?" he asked, and that strange growl rumbled, a distinct threat, deep in his throat.
    Isabella shivered and snuggled deeper into the heavy cloak. It was no wonder the don occasionally looked like a lion, with his long hair and shaggy cloak. It was made of the pelt of a lion. The don's mount smelled the beasts surrounding them, but it was steady, not in the least nervous. Isabella wondered if it was used to the wild scent because of the cloak.
    "The pass was guarded, Don DeMarco," the captain explained. He stared past the don, not quite meeting his eyes. "We turned back, and this one attacked us. A rogue, no doubt."
    He indicated the lifeless lion in the blood-soaked snow. "In the blinding snow, we could have made a terrible mistake, Nicolai."
    Isabella had no idea what he meant, but the captain's voice shook with emotion.
    Nicolai DeMarco easily swung onto the back of the horse, settling Isabella close to his chest, his arms sliding around her while he grasped the reins. "Would it have been so terrible, my friend?" He turned the animal back toward the castello, obviously not wanting an answer. Isabella stirred in his arms, a restless movement that brought her body right into his.
    She tilted her head and looked into his eyes. "You're going the wrong way." Her tone was every bit Vernaducci, as haughty as the expression on her face. "My sense of direction is quite good, and the pass is in the opposite direction."
    He stared down into her face for so long she didn't think he would answer. She became aware of the movement of the horse as it rocked their bodies together. There was strength in his arms, and his hair brushed her face like silk. She wanted to tangle her fingers in the mass, but, instead, she curled her hands into two fists to prevent such folly. His mouth, beautifully sculpted and sinfully inviting, drew her gaze. She decided it was a mistake to look at him, but she was already caught in the heat of his stare and couldn't look away.
    Nicolai touched her face gently, but Isabella felt the stroke through her entire body. "I'm sorry, Isabella. I found I'm not nearly as noble as I would like to think. I cannot give you up."
    "Well, I just want you to know that I've completely changed my opinion of you." She ducked beneath the thick cloak to get out of the biting wind. "And it isn't for the good."
    His laughter was soft, almost too low for her to catch. "I will have to do my best to change it back."
    When she looked up at him, there was no sign of humor in his face. He looked sad and weighted down. Lines were etched into the angles and planes, and he appeared older than she had first thought. Isabella couldn't prevent her hand from creeping upward to touch his face, to brush gently at the harsh lines. "I'm sorry about the lion. I know you have some connection to them, and you felt the loss greatly."
    "It is my duty to control them," he answered without inflection.
    Her eyebrows shot up. "How can you possibly be responsible for controlling wild animals?"
    "Suffice to say, I can and I do," he said tersely, dismissing the subject.
    Isabella's teeth came together in protest. Was she going to have to get used to being summarily ignored? In her home she had done much as she pleased, taken part in heated discussions, even political ones. Now her life had changed not once, but twice, on the whim of the same man. It would have been far easier if he hadn't been so attractive to her.
    Beneath her long lashes, her eyes flashed at him, a flare of temper she struggled to control.
    "You aren't getting off to a very good start, Signor DeMarco, if changing my opinion of you is your intent."
    He looked startled for a moment, as if no one had ever voiced displeasure with him before. Captain Bartolmei, riding close to his don, turned his head away, but not before Nicolai caught the sudden grin. Sergio, on the other side, went into a spasm of coughing.
    The don swung his head in the soldier's direction, and the chortling sound immediately ceased. Nicolai tightened his arms around Isabella.
    Isabella was drifting, safe and secure in the warmth of the don's arms. But she became aware of tension among the three men. Truly, it was more than the three men. It extended to the columns of men, as if they were all waiting for something to happen.