The Captive Series 1-5

by Erica Stevens

  Another man?

  Just how many damn men did she have in her life? He tried to tell himself he didn't care about the answer to that question, but he did. He could not deny it. The bitch had betrayed him, and now she was running free, wrapping even more men around her devious little finger. He hated her for making him one of those men.

  He made his way through the crowd with his mind churning. Resentment simmered hotly inside of him. He needed a new plan. He couldn't sit here and allow her to get away with everything she’d done. He couldn't let his brother sit amongst the humans, laughing about how he managed to deceive his eldest sibling and his family.

  Braith had decided to let them be; he was beginning to rethink that decision. They should pay for what they’d done, and he could make them do that. They may be able to avoid his men, but they couldn't avoid him.

  Especially her.

  Rain dripped melodically onto the makeshift tent. The piece of canvas offered little protection against the elements, but Aria didn't care. The air was refreshing and gave her a feeling of freedom after all the time spent cooped up in the caves. It helped to ease the sense of claustrophobia still haunting her, but it did little to wash away the persistent screams waking her every night for the past week.

  She could retreat to the shelter of the caves, but she wouldn't. She couldn't bring herself to go back in them now, if ever. So instead she sat in silence, listening to the plop of the water on the tent. Max and William had been her constant companions since the night of the raid. William would go out once in a while to gather food, but Max wouldn't leave her side.

  He moved closer to her, dropping a blanket around her shoulders. His hands lingered on her for a moment, and she didn't shrug him away. She found she needed his comfort and his loyal, unwavering love right now. She leaned into him, resting against his legs.

  "You have to get some sleep," he told her.

  "I will." They both knew she lied, but he didn't argue with her.

  When she shivered, he wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her against his chest, he cradled her gently. Though her heart didn’t thump with excitement, as it had when the prince touched her, his strong embrace was comforting. She felt safe in his arms, cherished. No, he didn't affect her as the prince had, but he was a good man, he loved her, and he would do anything for her.

  Maybe one day she would love him too, even if that day couldn't be now. Now she just wanted to feel something other than resentment and despair. Now she merely wanted to sit with her friend, content in his arms, as she listened to the rainfall.

  "It smells good," she whispered.

  Max nodded and nuzzled her hair for a moment. "Yes."

  Aria closed her eyes to concentrate on the beat of his heart. The prince had no heartbeat; he had no heart at all as far as she was concerned. But Max did, and he wore it on his sleeve. He pulled the blanket more firmly around her, the heat of his body, and the melodious splatter of the rain lulling her into a fitful sleep.

  When she awoke again, the sky was starting to lighten, and the birds hadn't begun to sing. She stared silently at the growing dawn against the walls of the tent. Max's arm was draped over her waist, and William was curled against the back wall snoring.

  She slipped from beneath Max’s embrace and moved to the edge of the tent to pull the flap aside. It was going to be a warm day; the air was already muggy with heat. She sighed softly and left the tent. She planned to bathe, and then perhaps do some hunting with Max and William.

  She gathered some of her clothes and scooped up her bow and quiver. Max and William remained sleeping; the sun had just poked over the horizon when she dropped the flap back into place.

  She moved through the forest, winding her way toward the river near where they camped. Aria knew she shouldn't be doing this on her own, that she should wake someone to come with her, but she needed some time alone to try and sort through the multitude of emotions swarming her.

  She quickly made her way to the edge of the river. She would have preferred the lake, but after the raid they moved far from the caves, settling in a new area of the forest. It would be a while before they went back near the lake again.

  Reaching the river, she stripped and plunged into the chilly water. Not for the first time, she missed the hot water of the palace and the refreshing spray of the shower. The lake was tolerably warm, but the river was fresh water from the mountains, and it didn't warm up enough to be comfortable.

  Aria bathed as quickly as she could, her teeth chattering as she shivered the whole time. She was glad to escape the frigid water and to put some clothes back on so she could warm up.

  Grabbing her bow and quiver, she slung the quiver onto her back. The sun was breaking over the mountains; its bright rays lit up the forest around her as they filtered through the leafy bowers. She stood for a moment, her head tilted back to allow its warmth to caress her, to soothe her, if only just a little.

  She didn't know how long she stood there, but the crack of a twig pulled her away from the healing sunlight back to the world around her. Aria heard another faint snap.

  Moving behind a tree, she drew an arrow from her quiver as she knelt. She didn't have to wait long before a buck wandered out of the woods, heading toward the river. Aria admired him, but even though he was a gorgeous animal, he would also provide enough meat for the encampment to last a few days. He would feed the hungry children, and her, she realized as her stomach rumbled eagerly in anticipation.

  She was about to let the arrow fly when she felt it. These woods were engrained in her soul, a part of her, and she knew when a predator was near. The hair on the back of her neck stood up; a chill crept down her back before seeping through her limbs. She couldn't breathe.

  She didn't move.

  She was nervous moving would only trigger an attack. She knew when an animal was close to its end, but this time she was not the hunter, and it was her end she feared. She was confident the deadliest kind of predator was near her right now.

  Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned to face the creature stalking her.

  She spotted him almost instantly.

  Braith stood amongst the trees. His black hair, highlighted by the rising sun, was a stark contrast to the greenery surrounding him. Light reflected off the dark glasses he wore to cover his striking eyes, but even so, she could feel the heat of his gaze as it raked her.

  Her heart flipped and pounded out a rapid pace that left her breathless. He was as magnificent, dark, and powerful as she remembered, but seeing him here, in her world, she also realized how wild and untamed he was.

  How lethal he was.

  Excitement strummed through her. For a moment, she was consumed with the urge to run to him, throw her arms around him, bury herself in his strong embrace, and shut out the misery of the world like only he could make her do.

  Briefly, all the joy and wonder she’d ever experienced with him in the palace flooded back to her. She was terrified in that palace, lost and adrift in a world she didn't know and would never understand. But she was also the happiest she'd ever been in her life.

  She'd been foolish and naïve. And she’d been in love.

  Her arm wavered on her bow before dropping momentarily lower. Hot tears burned her eyes. He was breathtaking and he was here. He had finally come for her.

  Though she hated to admit it, a part of her had craved this. It had pined for him to come for her, to take her away from all this pain and keep her safe. A part of her craved his love. She hated that part of herself, tried to deny its existence, but it was always there, hoping, waiting, praying... and now he was finally here.

  But it was apparent he hadn't come just to see her.

  She could see that fact in the rigid set of his jaw and the tension in his broad shoulders. She could sense it in the rage radiating from his stiff body. He was here, but he hadn't come for a good reason.

  Aria gulped; trepidation trickled through her as she realized he was furious. She could feel the tremendous amount of r
age directed solely at her. Well, that was good because she was pretty pissed at him too.

  She didn't know why he’d finally come after her, but from the look of him, it appeared he wanted to rip out her throat. Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her jaw as she lifted the bow higher once more and leveled it right at the spot of his non-beating heart.

  Yes, he had finally come for her, but it was obvious one of them wouldn’t be walking away from this encounter.

  Chapter Four

  Braith studied her for a long moment. He had almost forgotten how astonishing it was to see her and everything around her. The forest came alive with her in it; the colors were vivid and sharp to eyes accustomed to darkness. Though the woods were beautiful, they were nothing compared to her.

  Her face was thinner and more mature than the last time he’d seen her. The youthful chubbiness of her cheeks had again vanished in the face of malnourishment. The bright sapphire blue of her eyes rivaled the beautiful sky behind her.

  There was wisdom and maturity in her gaze, and a broken air seemed to enshroud her, but it hadn't been there the last time he'd seen her. He didn't know what happened to her over the past couple of months, but she appeared older and far more wounded than he recalled.

  Her hair flowed around her shoulders and back; its wetness made it darker than the fiery auburn color that had captivated him. She was far cleaner now than the first time he'd seen her, but she was back in her boyish, ugly clothes. Clothes that hid a once lush figure, but she was now lean again.

  Though she was thinner than he liked her, he couldn't deny her pure, sweet beauty.

  He saw the emotions flashing over her face, the hope, the joy, and for a moment, something he almost believed could have been love. But they were gone so rapidly he wasn't even entirely sure he'd seen them.

  Tears shimmered in her eyes; her hand wavered on the bow as it dropped down. He'd almost forgotten how convincing her phony emotions could be. He recalled the night she begged him not to kill the other blood slave she'd been captured with.

  She’d been so sincere, had sworn Max was nothing more than a friend to her. Braith no longer believed that; he believed nothing of what she’d told him. He didn't know the girl before him, but he did know she wasn’t the girl he'd thought she was. She never had been.

  He had come here to bring her back and make her pay for her betrayal. Now all he would like to do was destroy her himself. Her arm wavered, but the hand about to drop the bow raised it back up to level it at his heart. He had no doubt she would let the arrow fly, just as he had no concern it would hit him.

  Just as he had no doubt, he would get his hands on her, and she would pay.

  "Arianna,” he greeted.

  Her full mouth pinched; her eyebrows drew tight over her narrow nose. "Prince."

  He moved away from the tree he’d been leaning against and took a step toward her. Even with the bow and arrow in her hands, he could get to her, reach her within a moment. He could have her back in his arms again, and her sweet blood back in his mouth.

  She had given it to him willingly last time, and he almost killed her in his eagerness to consume it. Now he was going to taste it again, and he didn't give a shit if she gave it freely or not. He found himself relishing the idea of taking it from her forcefully, of making her hurt as bad as she had made him.

  "Have you come to take me back then?" she inquired roughly.

  "No."

  Her chin tilted up a notch. He hadn't forgotten about her defiance, her willfulness, but he didn't find it as charming as he once had. In fact, it was aggravating the hell out of him right now.

  She should be cowering, trembling with fear. She had to know she would not survive this meeting, and yet she didn't show one ounce of trepidation.

  Recklessly fearless, it was how she had described herself and her brother. And it was true. She was possibly looking her death in the eye, but she wasn't going to back down from him. She wasn't going to cower or beg for mercy. She was going to stand there and meet him head-on, and she was going to fire that arrow. Of that he was confident; he had to be prepared for it.

  "To kill me then?" she inquired, her voice far steadier then he thought it should be.

  "Perhaps," he murmured.

  He had planned to take her back, to make her pay, but then she would be killed, and looking at her now he wasn't sure he was willing to lose the strange sight she brought back into his life. What was he going to do with her then?

  "I see,” she said.

  Her eyes flickered as they darted around the forest. He could see the wheels in her brain spinning as she tried to formulate a plan of escape. They both knew it was useless; she wouldn't be able to get away from him.

  "Where is Jericho?" he asked.

  Her gaze slid back to him. "Wasn't my day to watch him," she retorted.

  Frustration and annoyance built inside him. He was used to her defiance, but he didn't like it, and he wasn't going to deal with it after everything she had done to him.

  "I'm surprised you're separated at all, but then I'm sure you've moved on to someone else by now,” Braith said.

  A cynical smile twisted her full mouth. "You always did like to believe the worst of me," she muttered, but there was no offense in her gaze, only a fiery rage that turned them a darker shade of blue.

  "And you never fail to disappoint."

  True wrath twisted her features; her hand trembled on the bow. Then she straightened her shoulders and rose unhurriedly from her crouched position.

  "I'm glad I held up to all of your expectations." Her back foot twisted in the earth, digging in as she prepared to make her move soon. "I hope your fiancée does the same."

  It mildly surprised him she knew about his engagement, but he should have known his brother wouldn't keep his mouth shut. "Jericho told you,” he stated.

  "Someone had to, don't you think? It certainly wasn't going to be you,” she said.

  "When?"

  "When what?"

  "When did he tell you?"

  "What difference does that make?" she snapped, for the first time she looked disconcerted.

  He took a step toward her, but she didn't move away, didn't even flinch. He'd had enough of her defiance, enough of her hostility. She should be telling him everything he demanded to know. She should be pleading for her life as she’d begged for Max's, but she wasn't going to.

  "Do you have no common sense whatsoever?" he inquired, his voice a low growl as he watched her. "No survival instinct?"

  "I live in hell every day," she grated through clenched teeth. "A hell you monsters created for us. The only sense I have is for survival, but since you've pretty much admitted you're here to kill me, I see no sense in worrying about anything else right now, do you?"

  He took another step toward her.

  "I'll shoot this, I swear I will," she hissed.

  He quirked an eyebrow in amusement at her threat. She would shoot it, but it would do her little good. "Will you now?"

  Her hand clenched around the bow. "Your lackey bastards were near here the other day. They raided one of our encampments. I'm sure you already know that though because I'm assuming one of them spotted me somehow. That's how you knew where to start looking for me." She broke off, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she continued. "There were children in those caves!" she snarled. "Children!"

  "There are laws, and you and your people are breaking them."

  Her eyes fairly sparked with wrath; he sensed her rapidly unraveling control. He had always enjoyed baiting her, watching her response, but this was different, this was not the girl who had stayed in his apartment at the palace.

  No, this girl was stronger, more callous; colder. This girl fairly vibrated with anger and hostility. She looked like a warrior. She was a warrior, he realized. She had always been a fighter, but now she was so much more.

  She was not the girl who had offered him her vein. She was the woman who was going to fire that arrow at any moment.
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br />   "Laws," she sneered. "Laws! You're a worse bastard than those monsters who came here to hunt and kill us. You sit in your golden palace, and you use us as your food and your slaves, and you keep us starving and on the run. And yet you judge me, you hypocritical son of a bitch!"

  He had pushed her to a breaking point. The string of the bow twanged as the arrow sliced through the air. He dodged the lethal projectile seconds before it slammed into the tree behind him. It would have been a fatal shot if he’d still been standing there, that fact wasn’t lost on him. She had shown no mercy, and neither would he.

  He lunged at her. He had expected her to run, to try and flee on foot. It would have been pointless, but it was human instinct after all. What he hadn't expected was for her to take to the trees like a monkey.

  Heaving the bow over her shoulder, she seized a branch, and fluidly hefted herself onto it. She shimmied up the large tree, moving fleetly through the branches. Braith dove at her, nearly catching her pant leg. Her eyes were round when she glanced back at him, but it didn't slow her down as she scurried up the tree.

  She leapt onto another limb and sat for a moment before gracefully rising to her feet. Holding on to the trunk, and the branch above her head, she steadied herself. She stared down at him with narrowed eyes; her breathing was rapid.

  He had no intention of going up there after her, and she couldn't stay up there all day, but it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for her. He had to get her out of the damn tree. And once he did, he was going to throttle her.

  She stared at him for a poignant moment, and then she turned and ran. His mouth dropped, he watched in disbelief as she sprinted easily across the thick limb. She didn't hesitate before diving off the branch and flying out across the open ground. She was on a downward descent when she caught a limb from the tree next to it.

  He was too stunned to move for a moment; he could only watch as she swung herself easily onto the branch, hopped to her feet, and sped across the newest limb. He recalled Jericho's words that no one knew the forest as she did, but it appeared not only did she know the woods, she had mastered it. He was still gaping after her when she leapt easily to another tree and vanished from view.