Prince of Love (4 page)

“I need to go look for Amelia,” Sorin said as he turned to leave.
 

“Sit,” Beatrice ordered, one brow lifted as if daring him to say anything else.
 

Sorin’s brows went up at the aunt’s tone. She reminded him of his mother. “Someone must look for Amelia.”
 

“And they will,” Beatrice said, brooking no argument. “I’ll send one of the stable lads. You’re wounded, lad, and need to be cared for. Now sit,” she said and motioned to the chair near Katrina.
 

Sorin thought over all he knew of the Tnarg.
 
It only attacked those the Sinclairs had claimed for their own.
 
It knew Katrina was his mate.
 
If he went out there now to search for Amelia, the creature could attack the house and kill Katrina.
 
The odds of the beast attacking a stable lad who went looking for a maid was slim.
 

As much as he didn’t want to put anyone at risk, he couldn’t leave Katrina alone.
 
Not after so close a call.

He looked over at her.
 
Katrina gave him a small nod, as if she knew what he was thinking.
 
Sorin reluctantly took the seat while Beatrice had someone sent for the maid. His gaze returned to Katrina to find her staring at the floor.
 

“We can’t thank you enough,” Beatrice said as she unwrapped the bandage Katrina had tied. “Had you not been there, there’s no telling what might have happened to our Katrina. My brother would never have forgiven me if any harm befell her. She’s all he has left.”
 

Sorin nodded, a knot of apprehension developing in his stomach as he heard of Katrina’s father. By the time Aunt Beatrice finished cleaning and bandaging his wound, food and ale had been brought in. Color was slowly returning to Katrina’s face, though Beatrice’s had gone white as Katrina told her of the attack.
 

He had been surprised when Katrina left out the Tnarg, instead recounting the attack as a couple of men bent on raping and stealing.
 

“My poor darling,” Aunt Beatrice said as she wrapped an arm around Katrina. Her sharp gaze caught Sorin’s. “What kind of weapons did they have to leave four wounds on your arm?”

“They struck him multiple times,” Katrina hastily lied.

Beatrice patted Katrina’s hand and looked at him.
 
“Of course.
 
I don’t know what I was thinking.
 
You must stay for dinner. I know Katrina invited you already, but this will be a family affair now.”
 

After that announcement, Beatrice rose and left the solar. Sorin smiled after the plump woman, missing his mother more than ever.
 

“You’re very fortunate to have her.”
 

“I know,” said Katrina with a small smile. “My family is wonderful. We’re very close.”
 

Sorin knew in that instant that convincing Katrina to leave her family and never see them again would be near hopeless. Just when he thought he had conquered one hurdle, another jumped in front of him.
 

Yet his lust burned too brightly to ignore his destiny. His cock hungered to feel her hot, wet sex envelope him, and short of death, nothing could stop him from achieving what he had come to do.
 

“She’ll leave us alone for awhile as she sees to things,” Katrina said. “It would be a good time to hear your explanation.”
 

Sorin leaned back in the chair, trying to ignore the lust that road him and the cause of it sitting so near. “I doona know if now is a good time, but, regardless, you need to know. You need to be prepared for everything.
 
It’s all going to sound far fetched.”
 

“Tell me.”
 

“A verra long time ago, one of my ancestors did the unthinkable. He angered a Fae princess.”
 

“Fae?” she questioned, her brows furrowed in disbelief. “They don’t exist.”
 

“And neither do magical monsters sent to kill you.”
 

She blew out a breath and nodded. “So, how did your ancestor anger this princess?”
 

“The Fae are extremely beautiful creatures. My ancestor wanted to see if he could make the princess fall in love with him. Unfortunately for everyone, she did. The only problem was, he didna love her.”
 

“Oh, dear.”
 

“Exactly,” Sorin agreed. “The princess, in a fit of rage, cursed our family.”
 

“I guess she figured that was worse than killing your ancestor.
 
What is the curse?”
 

“Each generation, the princes and princesses of Drahcir must leave our kingdom to search for their mates and return with them to the kingdom.”
 

“Drahcir? I’ve never heard of it.”
 

“You wouldna have,” he said. “The kingdom is hidden deep in the Ben Nevis Mountains.”
 

“Those mountains are treacherous.”
 

“Drahcir is veiled, Katrina. The Fae took pity on us because of what the princess did. They keep Drahcir hidden from any outsiders.
 
Only those who leave can find it again.”
 

“I see.” She slowly rose to her feet and began to pace the solar. “Your tale is most...unusual.
 
And you’re a prince?”
 

“It’s the truth.
 
All of it.”
 

Katrina looked at Sorin. His dark brown eyes begged her to believe him, and she wanted to, yet she found it hard to. The Fae, a Tnarg, and a hidden kingdom all in one day? It was too much for her to take in.
 

She didn’t doubt what her eyes had seen in the grove. That beast would haunt her dreams for years to come. And to know it was still out there waiting to kill her made her sick to her stomach.
 

Suddenly, she stopped pacing and turned to Sorin. “Why is the Tnarg trying to kill me?”
 

His pause was long as he watched her with his dark eyes for several moments before he said, “We leave Drahcir to search for our mates. The Tnarg’s mission is to make sure we doona accomplish that.”
 

Her heart skidded to a halt at his words. “Are you…are you saying….”
 

“That you’re my mate?” He nodded slowly. “Aye.”
 

Chapter Four

Katrina released the breath inside of her.
 

Finally, he stood. “This is no jest.”
 

She leaned against the chair before her as his words penetrated. “I don’t understand how you can think I’m your mate. We only just met.”
 

“I know it’s difficult,” he said as he came toward her. “I’ve been searching for you for over a year, moving from village to village. It was your laugh that drew me. You have the most amazing laugh.”
 

Katrina found herself pulled into Sorin’s gaze. He was breathtakingly handsome, and each time she looked at him, her knees went weak. She didn’t know if it was his chiseled features or the power he exuded, but he certainly called to her. And he had saved her from certain death. How could she not be attracted to him? But his story was so fantastic and unbelievable.
 

“Each of us was given a way to find our mates by the Fae,” he continued.
 
“I was afraid I might fail my family when I heard your laugh.
 
I knew before I’d even seen you that you were the one.”

“Have any of your ancestors ever picked the wrong woman?”
 

He shook his head, a dark blond lock falling into his eye. “Never.”
 

“So you take them to Drahcir?”
 

He smiled then, one side of his mouth lifting to tempt her. “Aye. Though you must come willingly.”
 

“So I don’t need to worry about you kidnapping me?” she asked with a grin.
 

She had seen her nightmares come to life that afternoon, but with Sorin she felt safe...protected. Almost as if it hadn’t happened.
 
She knew, instinctively, that he would keep the beast from her.

He chuckled and shook his head. “No kidnappings, my lady.”
 

Her smile vanished as she looked out the window. “It’s still out there waiting, isn’t it?”
 

“It is. It willna stop until you are dead.
 
Or we arrive in Drahcir.”
 

“My father wants me to marry. He says it’s well past the time, but none of my suitors seemed...well, right for me. How do I know you aren’t daft and making all this up?”
 

He shifted on his feet causing her to turn her gaze back to him. He then sank into the chair and crossed his bulging arms over his thick chest. His long legs stretched out in front of him, stopping just short of touching her skirts as he crossed his ankles.
 
His trews molded to his thick legs, and she knew first hand how wonderful it was to be held in his arms.
 

And then to be told she was his mate? As upset and frightened as she should be, all she felt was…sheltered. Until his dark gaze captured hers and made her yearn for his kisses, to have his hands caress her body.
 

“I’m no’ daft. There’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise. You’ll have to trust me.”
 

“Ah, trust,” she murmured and jerked her lusting thoughts back to the present. “It’s difficult not to trust a man who has just saved my life.”
 

He rose to his feet, and Katrina found herself inches from the tall, mouth-watering man who had suddenly come into her life and turned it upside down. She could feel his heat, and the strange yearnings in her body only fuelled her curiosity. His thumb caressed her jaw as he dipped his head.
 

Katrina found it impossible to breathe as she waited for him to kiss her. His mouth stopped just short of touching hers.
 

A slow, seductive smile pulled at his lips as he rose. “I’m glad to hear it, lass.”

She blinked as Sorin stepped away a heartbeat before her aunt walked back into the room.
 
Katrina looked at him to see that seductive smile that made her melt every time.
 
She couldn’t predict what he would do one moment to the next, and she loved that.

* * * *

A stomach full of good, hot food definitely improved Sorin’s temperament. He and Katrina hadn’t been left alone since that morn, but he learned much about her and the lust that lurked in her eyes. How he stopped himself from kissing her, he would never know. But he had seen the disappointment before he had turned away.
 

That was almost worth being so close to her and tempting himself.

He wanted her experience the same level of hunger and frustration he knew. To know she was his but unable to take her yet was maddening to say the least.
 

It was just after the noon meal when the men returned with the maid, bruised and slightly wounded, but alive. Sorin wanted to hunt the Tnarg, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave Katrina, not to mention his sword was still in the forest. At least he hoped it was. Though he had other weapons, he wanted his sword returned.
 

Now, with supper finished, he found himself alone with his mate again. “Which window is your chamber?”
 

Her blue gaze jerked to his. “Excuse me?”
 

“Katrina, I doona want to frighten you more than you already are, but as I’ve said, the Tnarg willna give up just because you’re in your aunt’s home.”
 

She studied him a moment, tugging on the end of her blonde braid. “My life has turned upside down. What do you plan to do, sleep under my window?”
 

“Nay. I plan on climbing through your window and sleeping on your floor.”
 

“You are daft,” she whispered, though he saw the excitement in her gaze. “I cannot allow you in my chamber.”
 

“And I willna allow you to be killed when I could’ve protected you.”
 

She wrapped her arms around her waist and shivered. She was putting on a brave front, but Sorin knew she was terrified. The Tnarg had nearly gotten to her that morn.
 

“My window is the third from the left corner on the second floor.”
 

Sorin nodded. How he was going to get up to that window, he wasn’t sure. Yet.
 

* * * *

Katrina sat in the middle of her bed, her legs drawn up to her chest. Every creak and moan in the house made her jump.
 
She expect the Tnarg to bust through her door at any moment. The idea of being asleep when that happened made her sick to her stomach.
 
So she sat.
 
Waiting.