Princess Avenger - Brightcastle Saga Book 1 (26 page)

His eyes fell
on the sleeping woman beside him and his unease grew. Images of her
being ravished by Lord Finus flashed into his mind. Disgust gripped
his stomach and he shook his head. The Alecia he admired wouldn’t
allow her body to be molested by one she hated, at least not
without a fight. Would she?

He pushed down
his anger and examined the princess again. Even in her nightgown,
with her hair full of twigs, she was beautiful to him. He’d never
before realized how beautiful. Much of that loveliness came from
her bravery, her spirit. Alecia had forced her way into his heart
in the past weeks but she couldn’t stay with him. She wouldn’t want
to. His chest ached at the thought. He wanted her to need him;
wanted her to want him. The heat in his core grew. He wanted to
possess her.

Vard
stopped himself, breathing slowly and drawing on the core of calm
within the stone for aid. Alecia had the courage of a lion. No
woman he’d known could have endured what she had and survived. She
deserved so much more than this
-- a filthy cave in a forest and a changeling for
company.

He pushed
himself to his feet, groaning as aches and pains made themselves
felt. His feet were agony. They alone should force him to stay in
this cave for days yet. He didn’t have days.

Vard pulled
the cloth sack from Alecia’s limp hands and rummaged around inside
until he found the flint and tinderbox. The firewood he’d prepared
yesterday was dry and soon a cheerful blaze dispersed the cold and
shadows in the cave. The rustle of fabric made him turn to Alecia.
The wariness in her gaze hurt.

“Good
morning.” His voice was harsher than he wanted.

Alecia
flinched and drew her nightgown tighter. “Good morning.”

He removed a
pot from the sack and left the cave in search of water. The chore
gave him more time to think, away from the presence of the
princess. What was he to do? How had he become so entangled? Too
soon, the pot was full of water and he headed back up the hill to
the cave.

Alecia had
tried to straighten her hair but the injuries to her face were what
drew his eye. He placed the pot on the fire and knelt before her.
“Are you well?”

“Tired,” she
said. “Where are we?”

“In a cave to
the northeast of Brightcastle. It’s not too late for you to
return.”

“No,” she
said. Just like that and without hesitation.

“I don’t think
you can stay with me.”

“I made my
choice,” Alecia said. “I will travel with you for as long as you
will allow it.”

“It’s not
safe. The road will be long and hard.”

“Last night
you kept me safe. I am not afraid.”

Vard
could see she lied. “You
are
frightened, and wise to be so.”

“I think it is
you who are afraid,” she said, sparks snapping in her eyes.

“You’re right.
Frightened for your safety. Frightened of what you will give up if
you stay with me. Even with Hetty’s help…”

“Hetty? What
do you mean?”

Vard frowned.
Would it really help to explain what the witch had done? He so
wanted Alecia but dared not hope she could be content with a life
on the road. Honesty drove him to speak. “Your friend has enchanted
this amulet.” He held the stone up.

Alecia stared
at the talisman, the rays of the early morning sun reflected in its
crimson depths. “It has changed.”

“
The
stone now aids my control more than it ever did. I can deny the
bear. As long as I have it, I believe you’re safe from any
threat
I
pose.”

“The
wolf?”

“Yes, and the
hawk.”

Alecia’s eyes
glowed, her face coming alight as he had not seen it for days. “I
have seen your hawk form. You are magnificent.”

She leaned
forward and the neck of her nightgown gaped. Vard closed his eyes,
pushing the sight away, and rose to stand, gazing out at the forest
below. Alecia joined him, placing her hand on his arm and turning
him towards her.

“Do you not
see what this means, Vard? I no longer need fear the bear.”

“If that were
the only obstacle…I’d be stupid to think you can accept what I am.
Foolish to believe you could be happy with me.”

“I can learn
to accept what you are Vard.” Her eyes, looking up at him, held no
artifice. Her soul was bared; all the fear, pain, hope and longing
were evident in that lilac gaze. He licked his lips and her eyes
followed the action, her tongue mimicking his unconsciously. He
groaned.

“You don’t
know what you’re saying.” He raised his hand to stroke her face
then stopped himself. He had to maintain control.

Alecia caught
at his hand and placed it on her chest, on the bare skin above her
breasts. She gasped as the action brought the familiar snap of
chemistry. It was nearly Vard’s undoing, but he pushed the flood of
desire aside and forced himself to calm.

“Feel that,”
she said. “My heart beats because of you. Without you, I would be
dead now.”

“That’s
nonsense,” Vard snapped, his control slipping. He pulled his hand
from her skin.

“It is pure
fact,” Alecia said. “You rescued me three times. You saved me from
Finus and from myself. You have given me reason to live and hope.
If you leave me, I will truly have nothing. I love you, Vard. I
know you feel something for me. Do not be afraid that you repulse
me.”

“It’s not your
feelings that scare me, Princess, but my own…” Vard’s voice trailed
off.

Alecia gaped
like a fish out of water. She shook her head. “Even your contempt
of me is preferable to a loveless marriage. I know what you saw
last night, but I did not welcome Finus’ attention. I had lost
hope. Somehow it did not matter anymore.”

Vard raised
his hand and let it fall, his mind full of the scene he had
witnessed back in the castle. Finus’ hands on her, stroking places
only a lover should. “When I entered that room and saw you with
him, every particle screamed for me to turn and leave but I
couldn’t. It was torture.”

Alecia clasped
her hands over her heart, her breasts rising and falling with a
force that stirred the hunger in his loins. Bright hope lit her
lilac eyes.

“You do care
for me,” she breathed. “You must believe I hated every one of
Finus’ kisses, every touch of his hands.”

Anger rose up
in Vard and a low wolf growl escaped before he could stop it. He
placed his forefinger on Alecia’s lips. “Don’t speak of it.”

She grasped
his wrist and pulled his finger away. “I must make you understand.
I had truly lost everything. It did not matter what he did to my
body because it was an empty shell. You rejected me and then I
discovered your true essence. The shock was too much. Then to have
Finus…Please tell me you forgive me.”

Guilt slammed
into Vard’s gut; guilt at believing the worst, at putting her
through this pain and at not telling her the truth of his purpose
in Brightcastle. “There is nothing to forgive, Alecia.” He must
tell her everything but first she needed to listen to his
heart.

He pulled her
against his chest, his lips moving against her hair. “There is no
one I admire more in this world than you. You’re brave and
beautiful, generous and caring…”

Alecia stared
up at him. “You think I am beautiful?”

His hand
touched her throat. “Even in this grubby nightgown, with bruises
over your face and neck and smelling like a wolf, you’re beautiful
to me.”

“So these
feelings that worry you are…?”

Vard groaned
and pulled her closer to him. He tilted her head back, his thumb
brushing the softness of her mouth. How could she still be so
uncertain? Did she not feel the fever of his heart just as he could
feel hers? He lowered his lips to Alecia’s and all coherent thought
fled in that moment. “I want you,” he said, his mouth trailing down
her throat, over the yellowing bruises. “I love you,” he breathed,
nibbling along the neck of her nightgown. “I need you,” he said,
nudging aside the bodice of her gown and kissing her nipple.

Alecia groaned
and pushed her hips against his. “I have dreamed of hearing you say
those words.” His lips returned to crush hers, his tongue invading
the soft warmth of her mouth. She arched her body against him and
he moved his thigh between her legs, brushing her sex. Alecia
sighed and wrapped herself around Vard’s thigh, gripping his hips
and thrusting against him.

He groaned. It
would be so easy to allow this; to strip the clothes from her long
limbs and give her what she demanded. He was ready to bring her
into the fullness of womanhood, consummate the moment that had
begun that day in the meadow with their first heady kiss. He pulled
away. Alecia must know the whole truth.

“What is
wrong?” she said, a frown marring her brow and hurt in her eyes.
She placed her palm on his chest and he closed his eyes against the
longing that swept him. The moment passed and he looked fully into
her soul, bared for him, exposed and vulnerable, trusting him as
only a lover could.

“There is one
more thing you must know,” he said, holding her gaze, willing her
to understand. “Before you sacrifice your virginity, you must have
the truth about me.”

Fear
clouded her lilac gaze. “There is nothing you can tell me that will
stop me from loving you, Vard. You were meant for me and I for
you.” She ran her fingers down his chest and a surge of pure lust
choked him
.
Oh Goddess, let her understand.
Let her forgive him.

“You must hear
this.” He broke contact and turned away, giving her the chance to
react without him watching, allowing him to avoid the hurt he knew
he’d see.

“I came to
Brightcastle because I was hired to perform a task.”

“I know that,
Vard -- “

“Please,
Alecia, just listen. I don’t know who hired me. The money was a
handsome amount. I kept enough to fund my travel here and gave the
rest to a priestess of the Mother. I was to travel to Brightcastle
and take up a commission as captain in the prince’s army and head
of his personal guard.”

“Vard --”

“I was to kill
your father.”

Silence
greeted his words but the dull thump of her heart missed a beat and
then raced away. Vard pushed on. “The prince is a poor leader,
cruel to his people. I believed the assassination would serve my
Defender principles. I deluded myself that I could, in good faith,
murder Prince Zialni. I failed on both my first and second
attempts. Doubt stayed my hand. I had become your protector and
that duty was all-consuming. I couldn’t hurt you by killing the one
parent you had left; the man you loved above all others.”

Vard faced the
woman who had so fundamentally shifted his life focus.

Alecia gazed
up at him, her eyes more serious than they had ever been. “You are
wrong.”

“I know I was
wrong to accept that task. I’ve failed you in so many ways. Perhaps
I’m unworthy of the title of Defender. I’m certainly not worthy of
your love.”

“
I meant
you are wrong about the man I love above all others.” Alecia gazed
up at him, close but not touching. “
You
are that man. I love everything about you; your strength,
your integrity and, most of all, I love your very reason for
living; this drive you have to protect the weak, the innocent. How
could I not love you, Vard? I feel the same; I always have. We will
protect them together.”

Vard frowned.
“You forgive me?”

“You did not
know what you agreed to, and your goodness, your caring, stopped
you from acting. There is nothing to forgive. Now, make love to
me.” She pulled loose the ribbon at the neck of her nightgown and
the garment dropped from her body. The pantaloons joined the gown
and Alecia stood in the gentle light of the morning sun: full
breasts, long legs, slim waist and soft, soft skin.

It was
all his for the taking, but he didn’t go to her. He just looked,
allowing days
-- no,
weeks -- of need to push him to the peak of longing. Vard delayed
the moment when they would be one, almost afraid to cross that
line, wondering what he would find beyond it.

But Alecia
stepped close and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her
glorious curves against his taut length. The trust and love in her
eyes stole his breath, and his body responded, his arms curling
about her waist. He wrapped one hand in the length of her golden
hair and gently pulled, tilting her head so that the soft expanse
of her neck was exposed. A pulse beat there, strong and fast and
charged with excitement.

Vard gasped at
the rush of desire that hit him, wrapped around his chest, smashed
at his loins. He brought his mouth to ravish the bruised skin where
her life force beat. Alecia moaned and pushed her hips against him
but his mouth continued down to her chest, over her breasts to her
nipples. The magnificent flesh was hard with need and grew ever
harder as his tongue flicked, his lips sucked.

His fingers
trailed to her waist then drifted lower and she wrapped one leg
around him, giving him ready access to her sex. His fingers entered
her and she gasped, shuddering against him. He found the core of
her desire, the hard spot that pulsed with a life of its own, and
he ran his finger over it, delighting in her shuddering sighs until
she let out one long moan and her body melted into him. Vard held
her, supported her supple flesh as she breathed heavily in the
aftermath of her climax.

Finally,
Alecia looked up at him. He raised one eyebrow and she blushed.

“That was…that
was… I never imagined how it could feel.” She beamed up at him and
Vard’s heart swelled with love for his princess.