His Captive Mate Read Free

She had run as fast as she could. The only thing she could do was handle whatever happened with a dignity and grace that would make her sisters proud.
    “Come on, back off!” the same voice shot through the air, mixed with the sounds of a scuffle.
    “What’s going on here?”
    Another dry silence settled on the group as the deepest voice yet asked the question.
    “Did you hear me, soldier? What the hell is going on here?”
    “Sir, we were just discussing how to transport the prisoner back to…”
    “Like hell you were!” the deep voice roared. “I see something like that happen again, you’ll be licking your dinner off the latrine floor for the next month, do you understand me?”
    Daz balked at the overwhelming sense of command the voice had, whoever it was. Footsteps.
    “I said do you understand me, solider?” repeated the same voice. Through clenched teeth.
    “Sir, yes, sir!” a man barked. His voice echoed through the woods. More silence.
    “Get that blindfold off,” commanded the deeper voice, but this time it sounded calmer.
    Daz felt fingers at the back of her head fumbling with the knot there. The pressure around her eyes eased, and she blinked to let the light of day flood in again and looked around. The five men who had been chasing her were standing around her in a close circle. Just behind them was a sixth—probably the one who’d been barking orders. The man in front of him stepped away.
    The strangest feeling she’d ever felt filled Daz at the sight of the man. As a Sister of Tranquility she was kept far away from the men below decks. Though she had known they were there before the hunt, she hadn’t spent a lot of time wondering why, but the sight of this man made her wonder what she’d been missing.
    He was taller than the others, with thick black hair and blue eyes that seemed to burn right through her. His chest looked like it had been cut out of stone, his arms much the same. Daz looked up and down his body, taking in her first sight of a man so close. One not behind a cage. One who could walk right over and touch her if he wanted. Something stirred inside her. She tried to push it away. She needed to stay focused in case she got a chance to escape.
    The man began to move toward her. When he reached the spot where she was on her knees, he crouched down, put a finger under her chin, and made her look into his eyes. Daz felt a shiver run through her at his touch. She wondered if this would make her unclean.
    “What’s your name, sunshine?” the man asked, his voice low and oddly comforting. Daz straightened as best she could and tried to take a pose befitting a sister.
    “Dazea Gwel,” she said proudly. The man nodded.
    “Okay, Dazea, can you walk?”
    “Of course I can. I almost outran you all,” Daz replied, annoyed at the question. Who was this man and how dare he ask her questions of this sort? Didn’t he know his place?
    “Get her up. Untie her hands and ankles. Let’s get moving.”
    Daz felt herself being lifted to her feet and the rope that bound her hands and ankles being untied. She wondered if she should try to run again now. But her legs were still burning with exhaustion from the sprint in the forest. Probably best to save some energy. There would surely be an opportunity later. It seemed like these… men weren’t going to hurt her. For now.
     
    * * *
     
    Zaer Gwel stared out the window overlooking the sparkling lights of the city far below, the two massive crystal spires on the horizon framing her view. In moments like this, moments of great chaos, it was always her way to look out over the land and steady her breathing, calm her thoughts, and remind herself why she was there. For her people.
    “Ma’am?” the scared voice said again from behind her. Zaer breathed deeply again, reminding herself not to lose her temper with the messenger.
    “Yes, young one,” she said, turning around slowly to face the young woman.
    “Ma’am, do you have any orders? About