Viking's Love Read Free Page A

staying quiet. Where is your mother?” Joran saw her small chin
raise and a look of amusement crossed her arresting face.
    “ She was sent to safety hours ago by
me, Viking!” Allisande gave an arrogant toss of her head, making
the blue-black ringlets that hung to her waist unfurl and fall
across her shoulders in a blanket of silk. “She is safe from
you!”
    Joran gazed at the baron’s beautiful daughter
in silent admiration, seeing how she held her ground among them,
not shrinking away as she should. Her heavily-lashed, violet-hued
eyes drew his notice. They were filled with loathing as they met
his. “Why should I believe you, Allisande of Lockwraithe?”
    “ Why should you not? I have no cause to
lie, unlike you, Viking scum!”
    “ You will mind your tongue, Lady
Allisande. I know you would say whatever you had to in order to
protect your lady mother and we both know it. How do you come to
know our language?” Joran was outraged by her continued insults.
Did the woman have a death wish? Already his men grumbled to hear a
woman talk to their leader thusly.
    “ My mother thought it important I be
able to be understood when I insult you, Viking! Did you not say I
wouldn’t be harmed?” She gave a scornful laugh at his angry
expression as she turned his words around on him. “Do you lie about
that? Am I in danger now?”
    “ I have lied about nothing!” Joran’s
eyes narrowed as she gestured to the burning village behind them in
the distance and laughed mockingly at his words, her violet eyes
bright with unshed tears.
    “ My father paid Ivar Ragnorsson tribute
for years to avoid this, Viking! It doesn’t appear that you have
honored that promise today.”
    Joran knew at once the baron’s daughter
didn’t know the real connection between Ivar and her father. She
believed the baron paid tribute to keep the Vikings from invading
their lands. She had no inkling her father was in collusion with
the Vikings, setting up his own neighbors to be raided, and sharing
in the stolen wealth.
    He reverted to English suddenly, seeing
Wulfstan’s rapt expression as he listened to their words. Joran
knew the least the girl knew the better. Learning her father was a
traitor here, before her own people, was not something he wished
for. Judging from the proud tilt of her chin, he knew the news
would not go over well.
    “ We will speak of it later, Allisande
of Lockwraithe. We sail within the hour, Lady. You will accompany
us to Norway.”
    Allisande looked shocked, all color draining
from her face. “What do you mean? You said I would not be harmed?”
She began backing away, looking at him like a hunted animal.
    Joran folded his arms over his massive chest
and gazed at the girl with an irritated expression. She would not
go willingly, it appeared, but go she would. He gestured to Hagar
and Danik absently, who gaped appreciatively at the English
beauty.
    “ Tie her with the others.” Joran
avoided gazing directly at the girl, unnerved by the way her lovely
eyes filled with fury and disbelief.
    Danik and Hagar stepped closer to the girl.
Everything happened too quickly. Joran was slow to react, not
thinking the Lockwraithe girl was armed until it was too late. Her
hand snaked out of the folds of her cloak.
    A small sword appeared in a flash before she
drove the weapon deep into Hagar’s chest. The man went down first,
his eyes filled with surprise and pain.
    Allisande yanked the weapon free of Hagar’s
chest. With a practiced stroke of her supple wrist the sword swung
wide and severed open Danik’s neck, sending a blood spray that
rained upon his companions. The man toppled holding his throat. He
was dead before he hit the ground. The girl backed away, sword
outstretched. She flung off the cloak around her shoulders. She
wore chain mail and a suit of male attire beneath.
    Joran swore viciously as she backed away from
the group of women grimly, eyeing the five Vikings on the
drawbridge with hate spewing from her