Renegade (The Captive Series Book 2) Read Free

been lying about the
fact that he could only see when he was around her. He had been
completely blind for over a hundred years, until he had seen her
standing on stage being auctioned off as a blood slave. The fact
that he could see her was the reason that he had claimed her, the
first blood slave that he had ever owned. No, Max did not know
about that, and as far as she was concerned no one ever would, not
even Jack, the prince’s brother. That was one secret that would
stay completely between the two of them. It was the one thing that
she clung to, the one thing that made her believe that it had not
all been a lie. The one thing that helped to ease her self disgust
just a little.
    For although she knew she would never
see him again, never feel him again, and even though he had hurt
her so badly, she needed to believe that he had cared for her, at
least a little bit. That she had not been a complete and utter
idiot. It probably wasn’t the best idea for her to cling to that,
not when she needed to let him go, but she couldn’t help it. Right
now it was the only thing that was getting her through the awful
pain that clung to her every day.
    “I don’t think so Max,” she said
softly.
    “I do,” he replied with more confidence
than she had. “And one day you will realize it too. You just need
time for his psychological games to wear off, and when they do,
I’ll be here.”
    Aria shook her head. “No
Max…”
    Her words broke off as he clasped hold
of her chin, turning her so that she had to face him. He wiped the
tears gently from her face. Tears she had not even known she was
crying. “Yes Aria.”
    Before she could react, he was leaning
forward and kissing her. Aria started slightly in surprise, she
didn’t know what to do, how to react, but before she could do
anything he was already pulling away from her. She stared at him in
wide eyed surprise, he smiled wanly back at her. “Just thought it
was time for our second kiss.”
    She couldn’t have disagreed more, but
she didn’t say so. She was being selfish by not telling him that,
she knew, but she had already lost so much in the past couple of
months, she couldn’t bear to lose Max’s friendship as well. Yet she
knew that once he realized who she truly was, how little she
deserved his love, he would turn swiftly against her. “We should be
going,” she managed to choke out.
    He nodded, climbing swiftly to his
feet; he wiped the moss and dirt from the river bank off of his
pants. Holding out his hand, he helped her to her feet. Aria
followed him back through the forest, her forest, listening
silently to the sounds of the animals surrounding them. She had
always taken solace, and refuge within these thick woods, but she
hadn’t been able to find either of those things as of
late.

    ***

    Aria leaned against the wall of the
cave, staring out the entrance at the dark night. In the shadows of
the evening, she could just barely make out the figures of a few
guards, but she only saw them because she knew that they were
there. If she had not known, she never would have been able to see
them amongst their strategic hiding spots. The caves were good
shelter, but without fair warning that an attack was coming, it was
easy to get trapped within the thick walls. There were many escape
routes throughout the underground system, but there were just as
many dead ends.
    She glanced behind her, but the cave
was dark. The fires were lit much further beneath the earth, where
they could not be seen from the woods. She did not fool herself
into thinking that she was alone out here; her father had people
watching her like a hawk since she had been taken, but at least she
had a little sense of peace and quiet. Well, that was until she
felt William coming.
    She turned as her twin emerged from the
dark of the caves. She would know him anywhere and often felt him
coming long before he arrived. He leaned against the wall opposite
her, his arms folded over his chest as he gazed at