“Damn that woman.”
*****
Kael studied the ground as he led his stallion toward the forest. Anya had apparently been aware he would follow and had ridden her horse hard into a gallop. Although it gave her a far better lead on him, it only assisted in giving him a clear trail to track. It was easy for him to follow the deep hoof impressions made into the soft earth.
Here and there, he had to stop and study the area to pick up her path. She had done well in the patterning, cutting this way and that, an obvious ruse in an attempt to fool him. But she sorely underestimated his abilities.
Before long he spotted her, now guiding her horse along at a slow and easy pace. He kept his distance, though his sharp eyes never left her. It was difficult to visually track her for her cloak blended her entire form with the surrounding trees, but he did not want his presence to be known to her.
Kael knew Anya’s adventurous spirit well—that part of her had never changed. And he did not want to trample it. Although it frustrated him to no end that she would not heed his warnings, he loved this part of her—the part that felt the need to come out here no matter what anyone said, the part that felt the pull to explore and be free.
He also knew it would be useless to make his presence known now. Unless he physically forced her, he would not be able to make her return to the castle. She would rebel simply out of pride and stubbornness—common sense would have no part in it. When she was back within the protective walls of the kingdom, he would pretend to give her hell since it is what she would expect.
Let her think she won, he decided, or she will only continue to fight me.
Anya came upon a shallow pond and slipped off her horse. With a quick glance around, she eased closer to the water. Her ears perked at the slightest rustle, a noise not too far off in the distance, but far enough to know she was in no immediate danger.
Crouching down, she dipped her fingers into the warm water and trailed them back and forth as she closed her eyes. The liquid calmed her, and the soothing motion cleared her mind so she could focus on everything surrounding her.
With controlled deep breaths, she took in the air around her, holding it a moment before whispering it back out. She could smell the dinginess of the horse, the sweetness of the flowers, the bitterness of the sappy trees, and the alluring scent of Kael.
So he is here, she thought, both excited and annoyed with the knowledge.
He always had his own scent, one that tugged at her heart and seduced her senses. For far too long she had blocked it out, not allowing it to consume her. And now, experiencing it fully, she was nearly overtaken with its power over her.
A light gasp later had her breathing through her mouth only, once again blocking his scent and focusing on sound only. As her fingers continued cutting through the surface of the pond, she heard the leaves rustling above her. Straining with her ears, she then heard a bird’s wings as they flapped in the air, the brittle snap of a twig being stepped on, and the crunch of dead foliage being settled upon.
Of the many things her father had taught her after Kael’s departure, this was the one she had thought there would never be a use for. To focus her senses, to hone in on the slightest of changes in her environment as she filtered through them one by one.
Opening her eyes she looked straight ahead, unblinking as she stared. Shifting her gaze a measure to the side, she repeated the process. Again and again she intently studied the woods around her, until the barest of movements—amplified by her intense concentration—pinpointed Kael’s location.
There you are, Kael, she thought, keeping the smile from her face as she quickly averted her gaze.
She continued her survey of the forest so it would not be obvious he had been spotted. And once she was done, she nodded her head once as if assuring herself she was secure in her surroundings.
“Come to me, Taj,” she murmured, leaning against a boulder near the water’s edge.
The white tiger arrived at once, butting his massive head against her hip as he nuzzled at her waist. Laughing, she wrapped her arm around his neck and snuggled in.
“Kael is watching us,” she whispered into his ear, “but he does not know I see him. We are going to play a little game, Taj.” She stroked his fur as his tail whipped wildly from side to side. “You just warn me if anyone else approaches.” He leaned into her in a sign of agreement, and she released him before turning toward the water. “What do you think, Taj?” she asked, quiet enough for it to be considered a normal tone, but loud enough for Kael to hear. “Should we go for a swim?”
The cat yowled at her as he circled away.
“Very well, only me then.”
Anya looked around as if seeking verification she was truly alone, and caught a slight glimpse of Kael concealed well in the distance. Appearing satisfied, she lifted each foot and removed her shoes. She reached up to her neck and untied her traveling cloak. Layer by layer, her clothes peeled off until she was a bare as a babe.
With a toss of her hair, she tested the water with her toe, then stepped further in. Turning to ensure Kael’s view, she slipped her cupped hands under the surface and yanked them out, splashing water across her firm breasts. Stroking her hands up her sides, Anya arched back to dip her hair under, and then slowly brought herself back up.
“Mmm. Come on, Taj. The water is wonderful.” She waved her hand at the tiger and he obeyed her command, leaping and splashing as he dived in.
Giggling wildly, Anya and Tajvek played, tossing up water and wrestling around. She jumped, she sprung, she ducked, and she plunged. And every movement was like an arrow through Kael’s gut, stabbing at the heat throbbing within.
Desire coursed through his veins, passion flushed his skin, and wanton lust made his heart hammer. He wanted her in his arms, had to feel her heat pressed against his, needed to be inside her again. And he wondered just how long he would be able to restrain himself. He was only a man, after all, and could only take so much.
Holding his position, painfully so, he watched as her play turned to relaxation, and she drifted lazily across the surface, soaking up the calming atmosphere as the water flirted with the curves and lines of her glorious body. Teeth grinding and with a primal growl, Kael gripped a branch to anchor himself, his body trembling with the raw urges she stirred up.
No. He would not be able to restrain himself for long. She tested his limits with everything she did, every breath she took, and every word she spoke. Sooner or later he would lose control, and may the gods help her when that time came.
Chapter 35
Kael was distracted, for obvious reasons—seduced by Anya’s capricious play, enticed by the sights and sounds of her display. Under normal circumstances he would have been aware of the men’s creeping approach long before Tajvek’s alert. But, as it was, he was nearly too late.
Tajvek leapt out of the water, shoulders hunched and teeth bared as he let loose a great roar. His icy blue gaze fell in line with Kael and he immediately became hyper-aware of his surroundings.
Pulling a dagger from the sheath at his waist, he swung in a crouch and struck the sword-wielding man in the arm. The weapon fell from the man’s limp hand as Kael’s fist shot out, landing solidly against his jaw, knocking him flat on his back.
His companions barely had time to register the short confrontation before they found themselves staring Kael down, now armed with his sword and stalking toward them with fierce determination.
Anya watched the brief battle and ensuing confrontation in horror as she scrambled from the water and hastily got dressed. “Taj. Help him. Go!” Unable to deny her will, he bounded toward Kael.
The two men facing Kael glanced over his shoulder to see a tiger racing toward them. Angling to the side, the larger man pulled the smaller one behind him. “Get the girl. Let us be done with this,” he murmured. “I will handle these two.”
Striding forward to battle the tiger and soldier, the thick man squared off his shoulders and mustered all cou
rage he had, drawing his two swords and expertly swinging them into position.
Kael, concerned by his obviously skilled opponent, had no time to worry about the scrawny man scrambling up the hill and around a boulder, certain he must have lost his nerve in the face of true danger.
The two men came at each other hard, each with measured defenses and superior proficiency. But Kael was better. In no time at all, the attacker had been bested by strategic strikes to his shoulder, bicep and thigh—enough to hobble him but not enough to kill him. The man would do Kael no good dead—he wanted answers.
“Guard him,” he commanded to Tajvek as he turned toward the pond.
Anya watched Kael with wide, stunned eyes as he approached, her skin still wet and her dress sticking to the moisture, giving it a rumpled appearance. Her hair was stringy and dripping water down her face, but she barely noticed. The only thing she could focus on was Kael, making his way to her.
She wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him, to verify he was unharmed. But she was frozen, shocked from the suddenness of the fight, and the very real display of the danger he had warned her of since the day she had arrived in Decessus.
Anya looked so fragile to Kael in that moment, her eyes tracking his every move as her entire frame trembled. A scared bunny was what she reminded him of, wary of every movement and tensed for an abrupt escape.
That very position may have saved her life.
Kael had only halved the distance when he noticed the brush next to her waver as someone pushed through. Between the jostled leaves, he caught the unmistakable gleam of polished metal. “Run!” The word burned out his throat as he broke into a sprint, startling Anya into action.
Anya did not think to wonder about his demand—she simply reacted, darting to the side just as she saw the swipe of steel split the air where she had stood only a moment before. The slender man that had missed his mark gave Kael a fleeting consideration before he turned his attention fully to Anya. And then she ran, pumping every ounce of energy she could gather into her legs, actually pulling away from the man chasing her. She did not dare glance back to measure the distance between her and her attacker, or to gauge Kael’s position in the chase, for any extraneous motions could cost her precious time. Keeping her head down, she ran for all she was worth.
The forest grew thicker around her, the trees and brush reaching for her with sharp claw-like branches. They scratched at her skin, and hooked and pulled at her dress, but she pushed through without mercy. Her breath ripped out of her chest, and her muscles burned and quivered as she sought any advantage she could. Spying a rock pile at the bottom of a steep hill, she cut to the side and started a quick and careless descent, grasping onto saplings along the way to keep her balance.
Anya heard her pursuer stomping through the dead foliage behind her, cursing under his breath as he lost his footing. Dirt broke free under her feet, pulling her balance with it before firming up once more, the ground becoming softer the further she went. Again and again it gave way, jarring loose rocks and debris, skidding her feet out from under her. Her only assurance was that her attacker had to struggle along the same path.
A surprised yell behind her was the only warning Anya had before the earth disappeared into a freefall of dirt, rocks, leaves and undergrowth. She tumbled down the hill, sliding amongst the debris as it battered her body. She flopped like a broken doll at the bottom, smacking her temple against a rock.
She tried to lift her head, but dropped it as stars danced in her vision. A groan to her left drew her wavering attention as she fought for consciousness. The man that had fallen with her had already picked himself up, nimbly making his way over the mounds of rock and dirt, only slightly beat up himself.
“No,” she whispered as she pushed to her elbows, digging her heels in an attempt to crawl away.
“My apologies, Milady,” he stated quietly, stopping a few feet away from her.
Tears welled up in Anya’s eyes. “Why?”
“You are to marry Lord Merivic. We cannot allow the union, and for that, I truly regret what I must do. You seem like a nice lady, and I am sure you hold no fault in this.” He shook his head as he took a hesitant step forward, his voice trembling slightly as he raised his weapon. “Perhaps I will be doing us both a service.”
“Anya!” Kael hollered as he skidded at the top of the drop-off. Running along the ledge, looking for a way down, he commanded, “Stay away from her!”
The man took another step forward and Kael froze. “No!”
The attacker slowly turned his head toward Kael until he locked eyes with him.
“I will end you.” It was all Kael said, but the calm ferociousness of the threat caused the man to hesitate.
A fierce growl abruptly echoed through the air as Tajvek appeared in a spectral state, caught in a leap in mid-air, and becoming fully corporeal by the time he slammed into his target. The man did not even have time to scream before massive jaws clamped over his neck and snapped it with ease.
Anya slumped down again, her eyes closing.
“No! Anya! You hold on!” Kael scrambled across the edge, knowing it was a fruitless search and there was no way he could get to her quickly. “Taj, help her! Anya, grab onto his neck, climb onto his back!”
Tajvek walked up to her, nudging her with his nose and lolling her head to the side.
“Anya! Wake up!”
Anya’s eyelids fluttered as she fought back the dizziness, her head throbbing and the world spinning. With lead-weighted arms, she reached up only to let them flop down again.
“Anya!”
She tried again, this time getting a weak hold on the scruff of Tajvek’s neck.
“Pull yourself up! You are almost there!”
With the last tiny bit of strength she had in reserve, she hauled herself up onto Tajvek’s back.
“There you go. Now hold on!”
Kael knew Anya had lost the battle to stay awake when her arms fell to either side of Tajvek’s muscled shoulders, her head dropping against his furry neck.
The tiger looked up to Kael as if seeking instructions, and he found himself torn. He wanted her with him, right then and there, to have her safe in his arms. But it was too risky for Tajvek to navigate the steep grade with her unable to hold on. Not only that, but he did not know how badly she was hurt, though assumed her wounds required immediate attention.
He felt like it would kill him to issue the only option they had. “Take her, Tajvek. Take her back to the castle. I will meet you there.”
Defeat washed over him as he watched Tajvek sulk into the shadows of the forest, his beloved Anya lying draped helplessly across the tiger’s back.
Chapter 36
Merivic’s entire frame trembled as his eyes blazed red.
“You cannot see anyone in your condition,” Malik stated, calmly.
“She almost died, you imbecile.” His voice was low and controlled to avoid drawing attention—a direct contradiction to his appearance.
“I realize that, but the point being, she did not. She is safe within the castle walls with a small garrison outside her door. Everyone is alert and ready.” The lord’s eyes faded back to hazel, fired back to crimson, and then shifted again. “Sire, you have a façade to maintain. You must control yourself.”
“He nearly got her killed.”
“He saved her life, as I have foretold he would. She was never destined to die in those woods. Kaelestis was always meant to ensure her survival until the blessing.”
“And now he will die.”
“No, My Lord,” Malik hissed. “We are not to the blessing yet. Who knows what other dangers lay in wait. He must live, for now.” Tapping a long finger on his chin, Malik turned thoughtful. “But he cannot disrupt the promising.”
Merivic visibly forced himself to calm, releasing the tension in his body. “I will see to that.”
“We need to move forward with the ceremony, My Lord. It must be tonight.”
“Yes
, I know, Malik.” Merivic glanced at the doorway to the great hall and lowered his voice. “It will be done. This attack on Anya may have hindered our reconciliation, but I still have her right where I want her.”
“And what of him?” Malik gestured vaguely toward the doorway. “Does he continue to ask after her?”
“He does. Just as she asks for him.” Merivic shook his head. “I cannot allow them to see each other. I do not know for certain all that occurred—only that he saved her life. And I cannot have her gratitude clouding her judgment.”
“Do you believe she would change her mind about your union?”
“Certainly not. But it may delay the promising further.”
“We cannot afford a delay,” Malik said, stepping closer.
“As well I know. But do not fret. I will attend to this.” Merivic put a hand on Malik’s boney shoulder. “Remember what we have conspired to do. Watch for me, and come to Anya’s room shortly thereafter.”
Malik’s eyes gleamed as a sneer curled his lip. “Very well, My Lord.”
*****
Kael shot out of his chair the moment Merivic set foot into the great hall. “Is she well?”
Merivic held up a hand as he approached. “She is resting. She has many wounds, but nothing that cannot be healed.”
Kael’s chest lifted with a sigh of relief. “I must see her.”
“I am afraid I cannot allow it.”
“And why not?” he demanded, surprising Merivic with his forwardness.
To best control the conversation and his reactions, Merivic ignored Kael’s tone and replied calmly, “She does not wish to see you.”
“Why would—”
“She told me as much. Anya blames you for the attack, for not properly protecting her as you had sworn to do. She no longer feels she can trust you to keep her safe.”
“I saved her life,” Kael spat through clenched teeth.
“And I pointed that out to her. However, her concerns remain, and she expressed she does not wish to see you at this time.”
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