A Warrior's Choice

By Xander Tracy

Will a warrior choose to give his heart to the beautiful enemy he has captured?

Rafek Morroson is a warrior known for his bravery and strength. While alone in the forest, he encounters a man he believes to be an outlander spy from a rival hold. The man's name is Shoro, and he has the look of a male concubine: pretty, delicate, and lean. Capturing Shoro when he's bathing in the river unaware is an easy matter, but things grow complicated when Rafek learns the man he has taken is neither a spy nor a concubine. Shoro is an artist—a sculptor who carves beautiful statues from marble—and he would rather rot away in the dungeon than return home. Rafek has no use for artists. He has even less use for men as small and soft as women. He prefers his lovers to be as strong and virile as he is. Only he can't get the pretty little artist out of his mind or deny how his hands ache to touch Shoro and his lips to taste him. But Shoro is running from demons of his own, and no promise from Rafek may be enough to make him feel safe.

Shoro Bardell barely managed to flee with his life from an abusive noble patron. He has lived for years under the control of Korodon, a brutal lord who believes he owns Shoro, body and soul. Desperate not to be sent back to Korodon, he agrees to sculpt a statue for Rafek's brother, the lord of Earvek, and satisfy the man's huge ego. But Rafek is a different man than his brother. He might be far from handsome, but he is strong, powerful, honorable...and when Shoro is with him, he feels safe for the first time in his life. He never thought he would find a good man to love, but perhaps the gods are finally taking pity on him. But when Korodon comes searching for Shoro, all his talent and all Rafek's strength might not be enough to keep them safe from lies and betrayal...

Reader note: contains m/m fantasy romance themes including male male love and intense emotional elements. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wolf Hill Publishing
• Release date: Aug 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201510046

Book preview

Table of Contents

Cover

Table of Contents

Look for these titles from Xander Tracy

Title Page

Copyright Warning

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

About the Author

Also by Xander Tracy

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A Warrior’s Choice

A Warrior’s Choice

Xander Tracy

Copyright Warning

EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published By

Wolf Hill Publishing

1643 Warwick Ave., #124

Warwick, RI 02889

A Warrior’s Choice

Copyright © 2019 by Xander Tracy

ISBN: 978-1-949719-20-8

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Etopia Press electronic publication: March 2019

~ DEDICATION ~

A sincere thank you to JNL.

CHAPTER ONE

Rafek was bathing naked in the river when he heard the sounds of breaking twigs and rustling leaves approaching him. He froze, his eyes narrowing as he listened closely. Whatever it was, it sounded large. It was headed straight toward him.

If it was a deer or an elk, there was nothing to worry about. But if it was a wolf, he was in trouble. His sword and clothing were sitting on the river bank out of reach. And if it was another man, that might be even worse than a wolf. He might be facing an enemy while unarmed and naked.

He would fight naked if he had to, but he definitely needed his blade.

As quietly as he could, he moved through the cold water toward the river bank. It was hard to move quickly and quietly and not stumble on the river rocks below the surface. He stared in the direction of the approaching sounds. They were definitely headed his way. Whatever was making the sounds wasn’t concerned about drawing attention with all the noise.

When Rafek reached the river bank, he hurried from the water and snatched up his sword. With his other hand, he grabbed his pile of clothing. There was nothing he could do about his footprints in the soft earth or his scent if he was being hunted by a predator. He faded into the bushes and trees, ignoring the branches that scraped at his bare skin.

He waited and watched, gripping his sword tightly.

The sound of rustling leaves and breaking twigs was louder than ever. Rafek could not retreat farther into the trees without making noise himself.

Water dripped down from his taut and toned warrior body. Long, hard hours at training had given him a physique as perfect and stunning as a statue of Garmesh, the god of battle, but right now he was only interested in the power his muscles would give him if the noises in the underbrush turned out to be a savage ragvek wolf or an enemy.

But he could hear more clearly now and dismissed the possibility of an animal predator. The rustlings in the underbrush were made by a human, one that had little skill for quiet in the woods. He kept very still and watched, for the first time spotting the shape of a man moving through the trees.

The man was lean and smaller than Rafek, bigger than a woman but only just so. He wasn’t wearing chainmail or leather armor. He carried no weapon. His clothing was too fine for walking off the deer trails and through the brush. It was the expensive clothing of some minor noble or rich merchant.

Was the man fleeing robbers? Why else would he be fleeing through the forest?

The man found the clearing and stepped out of the trees. He was sweating, his short, dark hair sticking to his head. He wiped a hand across his brow. Then he smiled.

Rafek felt a jolt inside at the sight of that smile. It was a sweet, happy smile. The man was young too. He couldn’t have seen more than twenty or so years. He had graceful, delicate features and the biggest, darkest eyes Rafek had ever seen on a man.

He was quite striking, even beautiful, if Rafek could use that word for another male. Rafek watched with narrowed eyes as the man passed his hiding place without seeing him. The fool didn’t even glance at the tracks and fresh signs on the ground that would’ve told him someone had been here recently. The other man had to be some thoughtless, unconcerned son of a noble lord if he had no idea how to track and hunt or keep himself safe in the forest.

The man with the delicate features walked to the riverbank. Then he followed the water southward toward an outcropping of rocks that jutted out over the wide river.

Silently, Rafek stalked him, keeping him in view. He was curious now. The man was no threat. He was no warrior, and he carried no blade. But something about him was compelling. He had hooked Rafek’s attention and held it fast. Besides, the man’s clothing made him uneasy. They weren’t the style popular in Earvek right now. That meant the man was likely an outlander, possibly even an enemy from Gallan.

The man climbed the rocks to stand on the big boulder that jutted farthest over the river. It was a place Rafek used to dry off in the sun after swimming. He felt a surge of jealousy that this stranger was walking on his rock.

Slowly, Rafek followed the stranger. He did not shiver. Even though he was in the shade and his body was still soaked, with rivulets of water coursing down his naked skin, he forced his body to obey his will just as any highly trained warrior would.

He slipped closer, moving from the trees and across the clearing without being seen by the stranger. The other man had no idea he was there. The stranger’s head was tipped back as if he were a flower drinking in the sunlight.

Without warning, the stranger began to undress. He undid the laces of his slashed doublet and pulled it off. Then he took off a linen undershirt. Carelessly, he dumped both on the rock beside him. His eyes were still closed, and he was still smiling as if welcoming the rays of the sun on his bare, pale skin.

Rafek halted, his heart suddenly beating fast again, as fast as it had pounded when he’d feared there might be a ragvek wolf or a bandit moving in on him. The stranger’s chest was milky white and very lean, not covered in thick slabs of muscle as Rafek’s chest was. But it was not a badly proportioned chest, and the sight of those two small, dusky pink nipples sent a surprising twinge down to Rafek’s cock.

Annoyed, he pushed the unexpected feeling away. This wealthy little noble was as a thin and delicate as a woman. Rafek liked to fuck other men who were near as strong as he was. A tumble between the bed sheets with this soft, pale stranger would be unsatisfying. He would be too afraid of harming the man to truly let himself go…

Why was he having these thoughts? And why right now? He was holding a sword and watching a stranger unseen. It was almost as if he were hunting the other man. Now was not the time for silly distractions.

The stranger was not done undressing. He unlaced his shoes—too fancy for a hike in the woods where boots would serve him better—and fastidiously set them aside. Satisfied with that, he undid the buckle of his belt and let his fine-woven breeches fall, then slid down his undergarments as well.

Rafek’s flash of desire grew even stronger, stealing his breath. He would never admit it aloud, but his cock was already thickening, stiffening. That beast had a mind of its own. Right now, it surprised him that his arousal was tightening within him, even as his manhood jutted upward. He cursed it, but his cock would not listen and lie still. What in the name of the gods was wrong with him today?

He had no answer to that question. His eyes were drawn back to the stranger. The other man had long, coltish legs, lean but well-shaped, with a fine down of hair on them. The stranger turned a little to look down the river and gave Rafek a thrilling view of his ass. Rafek had to bite back a groan of need. Those pert, pale buttocks he was staring at right now fairly begged for a caress. A squeeze. A tight slap. A teasing bite. And then…

Then nothing, you fool, he scolded himself. The unexpected stranger had ruined Rafek’s bathing in the river, so it would be best to withdraw without being noticed. He would head to the tavern in Riverton and order some hot food to satisfy at least one of his hungers.

But his fingers itched to slide their way up the stranger’s thighs while his other hand tangled in the stranger’s short, dark hair, pulling his head back even as he bent the man forward, positioning him for—

Again he wondered why his lust was so sharp, so powerful. It was true that it had been some time since he’d lain with another man. Four months almost to the day. But his cock had known the pleasure of his hand not long ago. He should not be this aroused by a stranger. Certainly not this stranger, so small and pale and delicate. Soft. The other man was soft. Rafek told himself he had no interest in soft.

Clearly, the beast between his legs thought differently.

The stranger, naked as the day he was born, stepped boldly onto the edge of the rock. The boulder was perhaps a dozen or so feet to the river surface. But jumping from it could be hazardous. The river flowed deep, but there were more rocks below the surface that could not be seen.

Rafek moved closer, trying not to be distracted by the sight of the stranger’s cock. It was flaccid, dangling from a thatch of dark hair. The stranger’s manhood was smaller than Rafek’s own, part of him was pleased to note. Although it did have a rather pleasing shape to it—

Again, he shoved those carnal desires aside. This stranger was clearly dangerous he now realized. Although he bore no weapon, the sight of him was still a threat to Rafek. It was a threat because it was a worrying and persistent distraction.

Besides, he did not recognize the man. He was certain of it now that he was closer. The stranger had the look of someone from Gallan. Rafek had no idea why someone from Gallan would be in the lands of Earvek or so close to Earvekhold, the stone keep that kept these lands safe in the name of the high king. There had been bad blood between Earvek and Gallan for generations, even though the same king ruled them. There had been skirmishes over vineyards and borders. There was no trust on either side.

So what would a Gallan nobleman be doing in Earvek alone? Why was he in the forest? It was suspicious. Any messenger or merchant would have stayed on the King’s Road, leagues north of here. That road led to Tralasa, the capital city of the kingdom and the seat of High King Arivon.

Rafek knew he couldn’t leave this outlander to wander free. He needed to know why this stranger was in his brother’s lands. Was he a spy for Gallanhold?

As quietly as falling snow, Rafek crept along the riverbank, angling so that the stranger could not see him easily. The other man never looked around. He stood there naked and oblivious as if drinking in the bright, warm midday sun. His eyes stayed closed. Those delicate, graceful features were at peace.

Until Rafek’s sword blade lifted to touch cold steel against the stranger’s throat.

One move and this sword will taste your blood, Rafek growled.

The stranger stiffened in fear but did not otherwise move. His large, dark eyes flew open, but