Threads of Destiny (Tapestries, Boook Four)

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An Excerpt From: THREADS OF DESTINY

Copyright ? N.J. WALTERS, 2009

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Marc closed his eyes against the pain and
emptiness that threatened to engulf him. He knew that both Jarek and
Christina were worried about him. He?d shared their bed in the early days
of their marriage, claiming his one night a week, as was his right as
Jarek?s brother. But in the past few years, those times had gotten farther
and farther apart. It had been almost a year since he?d sought them out.
They were so happy together that he always felt as if he were intruding.

Jarek and Christina had grown much closer since
he?d stepped away from their relationship. Marc was happy for them, even as
his loneliness increased with each passing season.

He wanted what they had.

He wanted a woman of his own. A woman he didn?t have
to share. But given the laws and reality of their world, that wasn?t going
to happen. Marc had resigned himself to a life alone as there was no way he
could go back to sharing their bed once a week, as was custom.

Opening his eyes, he glanced around the great
hall in Castle Garen. Many of their neighbors had come to celebrate the
birth and naming ceremony of the new child. All four Bakra brothers were
there with their wives. He watched them carefully, sensing no strife or
unease amongst the couples. They all seemed happy in their lives, sharing
one woman between two brothers.

In fact, all the people around him seemed happy.
And he was happy too. This was a joyous occasion but, underlying it all, he
felt as if something in his life was lacking. Amidst the crowd of people,
he felt utterly alone.

Shaking off the mood, he gripped the ale-filled
chalice in his hand and rose. ?To Jarek and Christina and their new girl
child, Allina. May health and happiness be with them always.?

The crowd cheered and raised their glasses in a
toast. Christina smiled at him before returning her attention to the baby.
Jarek stared hard at him, as if sensing his unsettled thoughts.

Lowering his cup to the table, he turned and
strode from the room, unable to stand the happy throng any longer. His long
legs ate up the distance as he headed up the stone staircase that led to
the family quarters. When he reached his room, he shoved open the door and
strode inside, kicking it closed with his booted foot.

?What is wrong with me?? He raked his fingers
though his hair as he paced back and forth. The fireplace was empty but he
felt no need to strike a flint and light the waiting logs. No amount of
heat could melt the icy numbness that filled him more each day.

The only time relief came was when he slept. He
stopped at the window and peered out at the stars that were just beginning
to wink into view as darkness claimed the land. He?d been dreaming of a
woman for the past two nights now. His fingers wrapped around the hilt of
the sword strapped to his waist and tightened. In the dream, the woman was
his. She was in danger and he was unable to protect her. To a warrior, that
was unacceptable.

But there were other moments in his dreams. Hot,
tender moments. He whirled away from the window and stalked to a large
wooden chair which sat in front of the fireplace. Throwing himself into it,
he tilted back his head and closed his eyes, trying to recapture the vision
of this woman.

She was tall, with long, slender legs that
seemed to go on forever. He grunted and adjusted his pants to relieve his
growing erection. It didn?t help. Her hair was the color of fire and she
seemed to favor keeping it confined at her nape. Marc longed to sift his
fingers through her hair to see if was as soft as it appeared.

Her face was heart-shaped and her nose was
slender and feminine. Her skin was flawless except for six freckles, which
dotted her otherwise pale complexion?three on either side of her nose.
Stubbornness showed in the slight upward tilt of her angular chin. She?d be
a handful and then some.

Sighing,
he clasped his hands over his stomach and willed sleep to come. Maybe she
would come to him in his dreams again and fill the lonely places in his
heart.