Free Untouchable Lover by Rosalie Redd

blew through the Keep, chilling the air.
    Demir! Melissa breathed fast. The air pumping into her lungs echoed loud in her ears. The room spun and constricted down to a pinpoint of light. She fought for consciousness, but the harder she tried the more it eluded her, so she gave in, and the spot of light blinked out.

Chapter Ten

    As Melissa regained consciousness, she felt comfortable and relaxed while strong arms encircled her in a soft embrace. She seemed safe and protected. How long had it been since she’d encountered such a pleasant feeling? Not since William was alive. She stiffened. Her breath caught in her throat. She bolted out of those strong, warm arms and peered around the room.
    The Grand Hall was in shambles. Shards of shattered plates and bent forks were strewn across the floor. An overturned chair with its leg broken lay close by. A slight sulfur smell filled the air. Bet sat on the ground a few yards away. Her hair stood out from her round face, as if she’d been caught in a windstorm.  
    Everyone spoke at once, the cacophony of voices loud in Melissa’s ears. She glimpsed behind her to see who had held her so tenderly. Noeh crouched on the ground, his hands still open from their embrace. His body rigid, his gaze locked onto her.
    “Are you ok?” He stood and raised his hand as if to touch her, but instead, placed it at his side. “You fainted when Veromé left. Good thing I was close enough to catch you.” His intense eyes and furrowed brow revealed his concern.
    She stood and brushed off her clothes. “I’m fine, I must have…I don’t know…I—I need time to think.”  
    She backed up and ran into a little guy who jumped from one foot to another in excitement. He wasn’t much over three feet tall and had short, curly red hair. While her hair was a dark auburn, the small male’s was a vibrant orange. His blue eyes accentuated his round nose and cherub lips. A scar ran through his right eyebrow, separating the hair into two halves. Suspenders held up his pants over a thin frame. His long-sleeved shirt had an emblem of the letter ‘T’ stitched along the pocket.
    “Is it true? Did you really have a child? Can you have another?” The little male’s curiosity was etched in his wide stare and open mouth. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Noeh. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear the sound of a child’s laughter again? Don’t you think so, Your Majesty?”
    With that question, the room became quiet. Everyone turned to watch Melissa and Noeh.  
    Noeh spoke, his voice low and controlled. “Yes, Jax, the day we hear a babe’s voice in the Keep will be a great day indeed.”  
    Melissa’s chest rattled along with his voice, and need welled inside her, a raw craving for more. Of what, she wasn’t sure. Her teeth threatened to elongate, and she bit the inside of her lip.
    Clearing his throat, Noeh glanced at Melissa. He grimaced. “Melissa, this is Jax, my personal attendant. Please forgive his forwardness.”
    Melissa’s mouth went dry. She didn’t know what to say. Hope and longing were evident in Jax’s too-wide smile. Glancing around the room, she observed that same look reflected in the eyes of an older female, one with a patch of gray in the hair at her temple. Melissa didn’t know whether to laugh or run screaming.
    She exhaled with a slight sigh. “Yes, I did have a child, and will likely go into heat again. I just don’t know when.”  
    An uncomfortable silence emanated from Noeh as he stood next to her. His body was rigid, unmoving. When he spoke, his loud voice commanded authority. “A reminder to all the males—Melissa is under my protection. Keep your distance. Treat her with the utmost respect.”  
      “Well, now, that was a lot of testosterone. Good thing there is still some estrogen here in the Keep.” A tall blond female sauntered up to Noeh. Like all the Stiyaha, she had broad shoulders and a muscular build. The edges of her short skirt flipped