Earth Borne Read Free

wasn’t convinced, but he nonetheless released her from his arms.
    She sprinted out of the hall, too stunned to process her situation.
    “Oh, this is wonderful, Melita! I knew he was alive, that he would return to us.” Seeming in great spirits, the silver-haired centauress kissed both her cheeks once she’d closed the doors to her chamber. “I told you everything would work out. The gods have chosen this fate for you. Come, we must hurry.” She beamed as she helped Melita out of her dress and into the steaming bath. “Milord has returned, and he believes you to be his wife, and—”
    “Enough, this is not great news.” She groaned. “Now, I’m not merely deceiving villagers and servants, but a centaur Lord . One who knew Kalliste.” She dropped her head into her hands. My half-sister. Six years ago, they’d journeyed from their homeland in the Vale of Tempe, along the Peneios River, to their destination—the Meteora of Westgard Castle.
    Kalliste was Thereus’s bride. Not me. No, Melita was but the illegitimate daughter of the Lapith King, Pirithous III. Abandoned by her nymph mother, she’d been raised amongst the King’s servants. Both Kalliste and her half-brother, Philaeus, spurned her as surely as her father. As a half-nymph, she unwillingly exuded a sensuality that attracted far too much masculine attention. When Kalliste became betrothed, she gratefully followed her to Westgard for a chance at a new life. Her sister’s unkindness was nothing compared to the cruelty of Philaeus.
    From the moment her feet touched the earth on Lord Thereus’s lands, she’d felt at home. Safe. Protected. The ancient woods surrounding the village below had become a true home to her. While others might question the castle’s almost haphazard appearance, she deciphered the secrets of its beauty. The far east wall that appeared crumbled was in actuality one of the most secure, fortified with ancient wards. The atrium, with its rugged overgrowth of plants, contained elaborate pathways and some of the rarest plants on Earth. Melita tended it herself. A wildness, an untamed charm lay in Westgard, one that called to her. It was here, five years ago, that she first saw Lord Thereus, and her heart had never recovered.
    Though a servant here, she’d never been abused or mistreated. Even Kalliste had begun to see her as a confidante. So much had her circumstances changed that she now mourned her sister’s death each and every day. She owed so much to the woman she’d never be able to repay.
    Melita drew in a deep breath. Soon she would be joining her sister. “Even if he’s not guessed it yet, he’ll soon figure out I’m not his wife. I have to tell him.” A sigh puffed from her lips. “Yes, I must tell him.” Though she spoke the words firmly, she wasn’t as convinced as she sounded.
    “Oh, no, Melita. You cannot. Not yet, at least.” With a sly grin, Alkippe answered Melita’s questioning stare as she helped her from the tub and into her dress. “What you don’t understand is, just as that fateful night so long ago, milord’s horse wishes to bond with you .”
    She snorted a denial and sank onto the seat in front of her dressing table and mirror. She didn’t believe in this mated centaur bond. Most likely, it was a tale centaur wives told themselves, dismissing their husbands’ infidelity. Everything in her experience taught her that men had wandering eyes, and hands, and… No. Bonded males did not exist.
    “There.” The centauress tied the last green ribbon in Melita’s braid. “March yourself out there, use your nymph talents to seduce him, and let milord perform the bonding ceremony.”
    “I will not.” The image of seducing Thereus flashed in her mind, far too tempting. She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip while the nymph in her admired the coveted image of Thereus. His horse half consisted of an enormous black stallion, rugged yet graceful. His human half burst with strength—a frame