Read His Captive Princess for Free Online

his voice at a whisper, he said, “If you won’t answer my questions, methinks I’ll address them to him.”
    Eleri’s hand clutched his arm and squeezed. “You can’t join them. They want nothing more than to watch you die.” Her face was a hand’s breadth away from his, her golden eyes luminous and her lips drawn with concern.
    “To die now would be a mercy. Living as a slave…”
    He made to stand, but she pulled him back.
    “They would see you suffer!” Her fingers gripped him with all their might.
    He covered her hand with his and enjoyed the reaction on her expression—a shifting blend of horror and a glimmer in her eyes from something altogether different. A chord of excitement ran through him.
    “An answer for an answer, Princess. Who is he?”
    “Your timing is poor. They’ll hear!” she rasped.
    Warren unfolded, but the woman tugged furiously at his arm as the men below continued to talk amongst themselves. He eased down again, closer than before so he could feel the warmth of her body. He inhaled the now-familiar scent of wildflowers in her hair.
    She frowned. “All right! Lord Vaughn is… was my husband’s cousin. He would also like to claim Dinefwr from Prince Lew, my brother-in-law. Now you.” Her gaze flicked worriedly between the men below and him. “Why did you come here?”
    Warren peered down. Armed and strong, these rebels would be difficult to overpower. The princess and her two attendants might be good with bows, but on foot or horse, he would wager on the newcomers.
    “It no longer matters why I came to your country. You’ve killed all five of my men. Stephen of Blois…er, the king will retaliate.”
    “Five men?” she chirped, then covered her mouth in surprise. The wind rustled through the trees around them, carrying the sounds of their words away. In a lower voice, she continued, “You said this before, but there were four men. And you, of course.”
    Warren’s stomach lurched. One of the soldiers was alive?
    “What did you do with the bodies?” he demanded.
    She winced, then regarded him gravely. “As was his duty, Lew ordered for them to be burned. We could hardly leave their corpses to be discovered by more invaders. Even though we are enemies, I am sorry we could not give them a Christian burial.”
    Her sympathy mattered not. They were six men against a Deheubarth army. “I wish you had not done so. Our conroi dispersed when you ambushed us. I cannot tell their families how or where—”
    “Shhh…” One of the men below held up a hand, hushing the others. “Did you hear that?”
    Eleri eased her bow off her shoulder and took an arrow from her quiver. Her arm formed a perfect line of sleek, appealing muscle as she aimed her barb at the lordling’s back. Her eyes narrowed as she held her breath. Silent and unseen, she was as lethal as any knight Warren had ever seen in combat.
    Nay, he’d been wrong before. He would wager on Eleri against these fools.
    But if one of his men had lived and escaped, that changed everything.
    He leaned forward, then pressed his lips against her ear. She trembled, causing him another dark thrill. “You may as well point that at me,” he murmured. Her aim slipped minutely from her target while her muscles shook as she fought for control. “Tell me why you’d risk your neck to keep me from falling into this man’s grasp or I’ll cry out. Why should I care who rules your camp? Your Prince Lew slaughtered my men unfoundedly.”
    “’Twasn’t Lew’s fault,” she hissed, “but I cannot explain. Not now!”
    Taunting her, Warren hung over the side as if to yell, trying not to think of the height while keeping his gaze fixed on Eleri. Her eyes were no longer on her quarry but on him, reflecting venom and fear.
    “Stop!” she whispered, relaxing her bow as she placed a soft hand over his mouth. Her eyes pleaded.
    He peeled her fingers away and gripped her hand. Anger filled his chest. “Stop? For what price? You hope to beg