Free The Savage King by Michelle M. Pillow Page B

long time and the nightmares that plagued him since his father's death were gone. He felt great!
    His hand met with the empty expanse of sheets causing the smile to fade from his features. Frowning, one dark eye opened to follow his hand. He rolled on his side to search the bedroom for Ulyssa. She was gone.
    "Lyssa," he murmured lightly, sitting up. His voice was hoarse from sleep and he cleared his throat, only to call louder, "Lyssa?"
    Kirill's body was ready for her, as was evident by the heavy protrusion beneath the sheet. A growl grew steadily in his throat as he leapt out of bed. He frantically checked his closet and balcony, then his home. She had truly left him.
    Scratching his naked stomach, he looked down at his erection in disappointment. The knot of stress again came to his shoulders, settling all the way down his spine. His eyes darkened as he strode into the closet. The last thing he needed was his mistress, a woman marked by his very potent scent, roaming alone about the palace declaring that she is unattached. For Kirill had no doubt Ulyssa would insist on trying to leave him. Such scandal wouldn't bode well for his reign. The Var prided themselves in many things, not the least of which was being able to please a woman in bed. If a King--a man of supposed great power and even greater wisdom--couldn't keep a woman happy longer than one night.… Well, it would be disastrous.
    Kirill didn't want to think about it. He hurriedly dressed in a light tunic and pants. He then slid leather boots over his feet. They reached up his calves. Pulling the shirt laces tight, he walked out of his home.
    Once in the hallway, he looked in both directions only to find them empty. "Siren, find Lyssa ... uh, make that Ulyssa."
    He only had to wait for a brief moment, before the castle's mainframe answered in a sultry female voice that dripped of seduction, "No record of an Ulyssa, my lord."
    Kirill grimaced. He wasn't sure there would be, but it'd been worth a try. Her DNA had yet to be programmed into the castle's central computer, so it was impossible to track her exact location electronically.
    He started to walk away, only to stop. Going back to his home, he rushed to his bedroom and scanned the sheets. He found a strand of red blonde on the pillow and took it. Going back to the hall, he pressed a series of tiles on the circular pattern in the wall. The tiles didn't move as he touched them. But, as he finished and pulled his hand away, the whole center circle pulled into the wall to reveal a screen.
    Pressing a button, he lightly set Ulyssa's hair into the tray that slid out. Smiling, he said, "Siren, meet Lyssa."
    "Lyssa recorded, my lord," the computer answered in a tone that dripped honey and almost sounded like a pout. "Security clearance?"
    Kirill thought of that and finally said, "Ten."
    "Prisoner class, my lord? Would you like me to notify the guards that she is not in her cell?"
    "Ah, no, Siren, better make that a ... uh ... eight clearance." Kirill grimaced slightly. She'd have freedom to roam the palace but wouldn't be able to make it outside the building without him being notified.
    "Very good, my lord, Lyssa stored."
    "Now, Siren, find Lyssa for me," Kirill stated again, pressing a button to retract the computer and replace the wall to normal.
    "Lyssa is outside the royal office, my lord, and does not appear to be moving on. Door sensors are picking up a vibration. The lock is being picked. The palace guards have been notified and are en route."
    Kirill took off running in the direction of the royal office before Siren finished. Her voice followed him as he moved down the hall. He frowned. Why would Ulyssa try to go there? Was it possible the woman was a Draig spy? After what King Attor had done to the Draig royal family, he wouldn't blame them for taking the defensive. But, even if he understood, he couldn't allow it. He had a duty to protect his people, even if that meant fighting in a war he didn't personally