The Amazon's Curse Read online

  "I thought I was going to have to burst into that tent and give Zane a stern talking to," Delilah said, pulling back and grinning. "But the moans were of pleasure rather than rebuke, so Layel was able to hold me back."

  Nola's cheeks heated.

  So did Zane's, she noticed. And for some reason, that eased her own embarrassment.

  Layel slapped him on the back. Zane stiffened for a moment, then relaxed against Nola. "Good man," the king said with a laugh. "Doing our people proud."

  "Well, shall we go home?" Delilah asked. She rubbed her belly, which Nola suddenly realized was not quite as flat as she remembered. "As protector of this little hellion, I am not the soldier I once was and prefer the comfort of my own bed."

  A baby. Nola again glanced at Zane. He offered a soft smile--one that promised they, too, would one day experience such a joy. "Congratulations, Delilah. I am so happy for you."

  Delilah beamed. "Thank you."

  The warrioress and her husband shared a tender smile before Layel escorted her a few feet away, to where the horses were chewing on grass. "Zane? Will you be joining us?"

  "We will try," he said, but didn't explain further.

  Whether the king understood or not, he merely nodded. "Back to the palace, men," he called.

  Zane helped Nola atop his horse, then swooped up behind her. Nervousness skidded through her when they started forward. First Layel and Delilah disappeared beyond the trees, then the vampire troops. Soon their turn would come...soon she would know if she was still bound to the camp.

  "Zane," she said, unable to keep the tremor from her voice.

  He didn't say a word, just urged the horse into a quicker pace. And then they were past the trees, just like everyone else. They were in the forest, heading away from their captivity.

  "We did it! We're free!"

  "As I knew we would be." He kissed the top of her head. "The gods are not the cruel monsters I imagined. How can they be, when they paired us together?"

  Thank you, she mouthed to the top of the dome. Not once did she look back. There was too much to look forward to. "I love you, Zane."

  "And I love you. It will be my pleasure to prove it to you, over and over again."

  "Even when mating season ends?" she teased.

  He squeezed her tight. "I have a feeling our mating season will last for eternity, sweet."

  If you liked this story by New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, you'll love her other titles, available now from www.ebooks.eharlequin.com and wherever eBooks are sold:

  Jewel of Atlantis (book one of the Atlantis series) Heart of the Dragon (book two of the Atlantis series) The Nymph King (book three of the Atlantis series) The Vampire's Bride (book four of the Atlantis series) The Darkest Fire (prequel to The Lords of the Underworld) The Darkest Night (book one of The Lords of the Underworld) The Darkest Kiss (book two of The Lords of the Underworld) The Darkest Pleasure (book three of The Lords of the Underworld) Animal Instincts

  Catch A Mate

  The Gena Showalter Bundle (includes Heart of the Dragon, The Stone Prince, The Pleasure Slave)

  For more information on Gena Showalter and her books, visit

  Her website:

  https://members.cox.net/genashowalter/

  Her blog:

  https://genashowalter.blogspot.com/

  Her MySpace page:

  https://www.myspace.com/genashowalter

  Her eHarlequin podcast:

  https://www.eharlequin.com/images/splash/podcasts/GenaShowalter.html

  Her Author Talk video:

  https://authortalk.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/gena-showalter-author-talk-1/

  eHarlequin's Favorite Author newsletter:

  https://www.eharlequin.com/newsletter.html?cid=392

  Join the conversation about Gena Showalter's titles, and more on paranormal romance, at www.paranormalromanceblog.com and in our community discussions at eHarlequin.com (https://community.eharlequin.com).

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3331-1

  The Amazon's Curse

  Copyright (c) 2009 by Gena Showalter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  (r) and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with (r) are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  www.eHarlequin.com