LycanPrince Read Free Page B

suggesting."
    Malek shrugged. "Do you blame me?"
    Vasilis thought about the woman sleeping thirty strides behind him. Yes, he conceded. She did possess qualities he told Malek would make her his ideal woman, but Malek was forgetting one thing.
    Alexandra had a daughter and that meant she had a husband somewhere and husbands were an attribute Vasilis did not find appealing in any woman.
    * * * *
    Alex opened her eyes and stared up at an old woman applying a cool solvent on her cheek. Her body was stiff all over and she wished she remained in the oblivion of sleep. She tried to move, but the pain in her leg made her groan.
    "Be still," the old woman hovering over her said. "We have to remove your garments so I can see if you have any other bruises."
    " We will do nothing of the kind. Who are you?"
    "I am Hesta, the healer. I have been ordered to take care of you."
    Alex didn't doubt by whom. She recalled the warrior with the dark frown who was in her wagon when a thought struck her. "Where's Ariel? Where's my--"
    "Your daughter is safe, Milady. She is having lunch with Malek."
    Alex relaxed. Malek was the man the ruthless looking warrior had told her looked after her sister. She wondered how long she'd slept, if she could call it sleep. She had been plagued with nightmares, pain and discomfort the whole time. The pain and discomfort she could live with. Lord knew she had plenty of practice living with her stepmother. Alex scowled, her lips tensing into a thin line. Her hand automatically went for her dagger, but it wasn't on her waistband where she usually kept it tucked safely from sight.
    "Aye, Milady. Gone. All your weapons are. The master said it was best to keep all sharp objects away from you," the old woman offered, cackling. "T'was such a sight. I have never seen so many warriors turn white at the same time." She cast Alex a shrewd gaze. "What a sight you beheld, standing up to a fleet of the best warriors of the land. Only a witch could have that power. Are you a witch, Milady?"
    Alex would have laughed if the pain in her jaw allowed her. "If I were a witch, I wouldn't be lying down, unable to move, would I?"
    The healer nodded. "Aye. As I believed. Now let me help you up so I can remove your shirt and undergarments. "
    Alex recoiled. "No. I have no wish being naked in front of a caravan full of warriors."
    "Stubborn as well as a good marksman," came the dry, deep voice behind the healer.
    Alex's stomach jolted at the deep, sulphuric tone. It was him-- the giant with the smouldering, dark gaze and the sensual mouth. She lifted her head slightly and peered over Hesta's shoulder. He was in the far right of the wagon, leaning against a pile of crates, his arms folded across his massive chest. He looked every bit as big and alarming as she remembered.
    "Where are we going?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves.
    "Back to my home."
    Irritation lined her brow. "And where is your home, sir?"
    "On the other side of the mountains, past bandit territory." He cast a thorough look up and down her slim form, lying amidst tarp and covers. "You are with us for the duration."
    Alex thought about the Royal Contest and made some quick calculations in her head. "Tend to my horses. Make sure they're ready for me by nightfall." King Drago's kingdom was also on the other side of the mountains and she knew she would make better time if she journeyed with Ariel alone.
    He raised a dark brow. "Going anywhere?"
    "Yes and I haven't a moment to spare."
    "You cannot go anywhere until you are healed. A half day's ride will leave you flat on your back."
    "I will take my chances."
    "Headstrong, too," he commented dryly. The healer cackled with mirth and he tossed her a warning look before he redirected his gaze back to Alex. "Why put your daughter at risk? This is bandit territory and you're in no position physically to protect her."
    Irritated with his logic, she pursed her lips. There was something about this man that rankled her