“Vard has gone to get me some food.”
“Since when have you called him Vard?”
Alecia couldn’t help flinching. Trust me to open my big mouth. “He has asked me to call him Vard when we are alone.”
Ramón studied her. “Something has occurred between you and Anton,” he said. “You are treating him differently.”
Alecia thought, not for the first time, that Ramón was very perceptive. “You imagine things. We have just had a disagreement.” She pulled her hands from his. “I need some air,” she said and pushed her way through the crowd and out to the terrace.
It was warm so she stepped off the pavers and onto the grass, heading for the first row of trees. A few moments of fresh air should restore her composure and allow her fuzzy mind to clear. Then she could return to the ball. Unfortunately, Ramón followed and seated himself beside her on the stone bench under an oak tree.
“I want to be alone.” She relaxed back into the seat and closed her eyes.
“It is not safe for you to be out here alone, Princess…Alecia…”
“Nonsense, Father has increased the patrols both inside and outside the castle walls. I am perfectly safe.” Her eyes remained closed, her thoughts on Vard and the moments they had shared.
“I do not like to see you like this.” There was real concern in his voice.
She opened her eyes. It was too dark to see the expression on the squire’s face.
“Ever since Anton came, you have been distant from me. I miss you. I want to help you.”
Alecia reached out and took his hand. “Just be my friend.”
“I cannot be your friend if I cannot even see you.” He pulled Alecia around so that she faced him and his hands remained on her arms. “I have realized one thing.” The squire’s hands tightened until they hurt. “I love you, Alecia.”
Ramón’s mouth drifted closer. Would his kiss feel different to Vard’s? One kiss could not hurt. She let his mouth cover hers. Ramón’s lips were gentle and his arms crept around her, pulling her close. The faint scent of lemon and cloves clung to his skin. She closed her eyes, snaking her arms under his and up his back.
Ramón’s arms tightened and his mouth became more demanding, his tongue pushing past her lips. Alecia arched against him but her mind stayed remote as if viewing the seduction from afar. His hand slid down her back and along her thigh and Alecia knew what they did was wrong. She tried to pull away but his arm held her so tightly she could barely breathe. The first stirrings of panic fluttered in her stomach as his other hand pulled her skirts slowly up her leg. No! She thumped his chest with both hands but was held too close for her efforts to have any impact. Finally, she dragged her mouth from his.
“Let me go,” she gasped, panting.
Ramón’s mouth lowered to her throat. The hand that had been pulling up her skirts moved to her left breast and Alecia squirmed away.
“Ramón,” she said, her voice breathy, “I do not want this.” She pulled free and stood up, frantically smoothing her dress for the second time that evening. He came after her, his hands grasping her shoulders and pulling her against him. Alecia struggled against him, aware of his strength and his maleness as she never had been before. Vard was right! Ramón is not some tame puppy I can lead around on a string!
“You could love me, Alecia. I know you could. Come with me to my room. Let me show you how good we could be together.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you, Squire,” a deep voice said.
Alecia bounded back as Ramón’s hands fell from her shoulders.
Vard stepped from the shadows behind the oak. His eyes, aglow in the dim light from the terrace, sent shivers up Alecia’s spine.
Ramón drew himself to his full height, almost that of Vard’s. “I have watched you, Anton. You seek to come between Alecia and myself for your own reasons. You are not concerned for her safety.”
“If her safety was your priority, you wouldn’t allow her to remain in this garden,” Vard said. “I’ve just proven that anything could lurk in the shadows. Return to the party. There’s a string of beauties eager to dance with you. Try your luck with them.”
Alecia gasped at the crude remark and Ramón tensed, his fists bunched and his jaw jutting towards Vard. The two eyed each other off and just when Alecia thought the squire would attack, he spun and stalked back to the ballroom. She sighed with relief, surprised to see that Ramón moved with the athletic grace of a swordsman. When had that happened?
“I told you he was dangerous,” Vard said.
“He would never hurt me.”
“He loves you and would do anything to have you. Worse, he lies to himself, and that is what makes him dangerous. He tells himself that you return his feelings, that it’s only a matter of time before you come to your senses. Don’t place yourself in this position again.”
“You are a fine one to talk, Captain. Is my honor safe with you?”
Vard swallowed, his mouth thinning. “It seems so. I remember a certain young woman begging me to take her earlier this evening. It’s no thanks to you that I didn’t.”
“A moment of weakness. Believe me, I will not make the same mistake again.”
“You’ll make that mistake over and over. You’re a slave to your desires. Once awakened, they crave fulfilment, but the squire is not the man to give you what you need.”
Alecia laughed out loud. So she was a slave to her desires, was she? She stepped close to Vard and looked up into eyes that burned like the sun. “Who is the man to give me fulfilment? You awakened my desire. Will you now sate it?”
If she could have had those words back, Alecia would have. Vard’s irises swelled, huge and glowing, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. He groaned, the sound like that of a tortured animal, and his right hand moved upwards. She stepped backwards, but Vard did not reach for her. He clutched the stone at his throat and closed his eyes. As she watched, the anger left his face and when he opened his eyes, they appeared normal. “Your father has an announcement to make. Come and dance with me before you are missed.”
He escorted her back to the party, his hand rock-solid under her left elbow, and swept her onto the dance floor for a waltz. His thighs moved beside hers, arms strong and sure on her body. She fought for control for a few minutes and then surrendered. He was an expert dancer, so skilled that she closed her eyes and lost herself in the music and in the movement of their bodies. Yes, Vard had been the man who had awakened her desire, and she could never have enough of him, but she would be naïve to believe he felt the same.
Too soon, the dance ended and Vard handed her to the King. She barely noticed the next few dances, so lost was she in the memories of the dance shared with her protector. Her heart leaped as Vard reclaimed her from the master goldsmith for a stately dance that was in vogue at court, but Alecia longed for the intimacy of the waltz.
The trumpet player blew a fanfare and all eyes turned to the small stage at the front of the room. Alecia raised her eyebrows at Vard and he shook his head. He didn’t seem to know the subject of the announcement either.
Prince Zialni took the stage, magnificent in his black velvet trousers and jacket. The silver edging of his cloak flared as he flung out his arms.
“My good people,” he said. “I would like to thank my brother, King Beniel, and his lovely Queen, Adriana, for attending this humble gathering. Thanks also to the esteemed members of the King’s court and to my other distinguished guests. I have a joyous announcement to make. One I have long waited for. It concerns my beautiful daughter, Alecia.” He turned to Vard. “Captain Anton, would you escort the princess to the stage?”
Vard guided Alecia through the crowd to her father’s side, bowed and departed. Alecia felt his absence keenly. The stares of the guests bored into her and she was drunk from the wine and the echo of Vard’s strong arms around her.
The prince cleared his throat. “It is my pleasure to announce the betrothal of my daughter, the Princess Alec
ia Allandra Dosodra Zialni, to a man who has become a crucial link in my tenure here. He is my future son-in-law, Lord Giornan Finus.”
Chapter 13
Vard quashed his rage and inched closer to where Alecia stood on the stage. The princess swayed, red spots flaring in pale cheeks, as Finus made his way to her side. The prospective bridegroom couldn’t take his eyes from his bride. Vard saw only greed in his gaze. Perhaps he’d been too harsh on Alecia. She was as much the victim as anyone, a pawn in Prince Zialni’s plan to secure his hold on the Kingdom of Thorius. It seemed others approved of the match, if King Beniel’s grin was any indication. A growl bubbled up within him. Alecia wouldn’t accept this.
The princess needed time to recover from her shock, and not under the stares of the guests. Lord Finus kissed her on both cheeks and then led her down the stairs to the dance floor. The music signalled a stately court promenade, not a waltz, and for that Vard was glad. His hackles rose at the thought of Alicia’s scent melded with that of her betrothed.
Vard glanced around the ball room in an attempt to distract himself, to regain his composure, but all eyes were on the couple in the centre of the floor. In seconds, he found Alecia again, dancing like a life-sized doll, stiff and unyielding. The image of her naked in Finus’ arms flashed though his mind and his rage became a living thing, boiling up through his core. He grasped the talisman battling the animal that beat at him from within.
Distance was what he needed; distance from his emotions, from his inner turmoil and from this town, where life had become so complicated. A vice tightened in his chest, the control of the stone replaced by the panic of a trapped beast. Lord Finus led Alecia to the edge of the dance floor and left her alone. The princess bolted into the garden and Vard followed.
The freedom of the garden helped to calm the restless creature within and Vard poured all of his rage into the stone. Eventually his wolf focus shifted to man and it was safe to approach.
Alecia sat on the stone bench under the oak, dry-eyed, staring at her left hand, seeming unaware of him as he sat beside her.
“He will place a ring here.” She clutched her left index finger. “I would rather die than be married to that man. I will breathe my last before I let him bed me.” Finally she looked at Vard and he flinched at the hurt in her eyes.
He didn’t touch her. “You’ve known the prince would arrange your marriage.” His voice held a ragged note. It wouldn’t take much to push him out of control. I should go now. “Come back inside, Princess.”
Alecia shook her head. “I believed my father would act in my best interests, even while he chose my husband.” She tugged at her ring finger as if she hoped to pull it from her hand. “He has shown he cares nothing for me -- or at least cares less for me than for himself and the kingdom. Lord Finus has truly corrupted him.”
“It’s not just Finus. You must see that.”
Her eyes wandered over his face. “I do not know what I see any more. Death would be better than this.”
“There was a time when I felt the same,” Vard said. “That I’d rather die than live. I felt that way for so long, I thought it would always be so.”
He had Alecia’s whole attention now. She looked at him as if she had never truly seen him before, as if he were her lifeline. “Tell me what you did to heal yourself.”
Vard closed his eyes to block the desperation in her gaze. There was no hope for Alecia in his story. His cure was not for her. He opened his eyes. “I found someone who understood me, who could guide me. I lost him too soon. Still, he helped me from that black place.”
Alecia reached out and snagged his upper arms. “Help me, Vard. Please. You can’t stand by and let this happen.”
“What would you have me do?” Vard crushed the angry words that wanted to leap from his mouth. He could kill the prince and it wouldn’t change this. He could kill Lord Finus but who would take his place? He could carry Alecia from this kingdom but he was more dangerous to her than anyone he could think of. “There’s nothing I can do, Princess, but I won’t let you kill yourself.”
Her hands tightened on his arms. “Then you are cruel beyond measure. Are you so pitiless that you would not look the other way while I took my life?”
Vard wrenched his arms free of Alecia’s grasp and stood before her, his breath coming in ragged gulps. Why should her words hurt him?
Something smashed into him from behind and a searing pain hit the right side of his chest. He sagged onto Alecia and glanced down at the sharp tip of a crossbow bolt protruding from his shirt below his right breast. Alecia’s eyes bulged as a dark stain spread across his shirt.
Agony almost made him black out but he lurched towards the transformation, animal terror dulling the spasms that racked his chest. He twisted and the pain doubled. He searched the night shadows even as his vision blurred and shifted. Just as a faint rustle alerted him to the intruder in the bush twenty paces away, another bolt took him in his left shoulder. As Vard fell to hands and knees he knew he left Alecia vulnerable. He scrambled desperately to force his body into the change that could save his life; one that wouldn’t threaten Alecia -- the wolf.
Alecia knelt beside Vard, her heart fluttering at the sight of the bolts protruding from his back and shoulder. Bloodstains spread from the metal lodged in his body. Her eyes met his golden ones and she shivered at the dull gleam in their depths. “Run, Alecia!” Vard’s words were little more than a strangled gasp. How can he survive?
Fear tightened her chest, forcing her to take quick panting breaths as she searched for the attacker. She must help Vard, draw the gaze of the shooter so that her captain would live. Already he slumped, his fingers curling, his knees drawn to his chest.
Alecia bent over him. “Vard let me help you inside.”
He looked up at her, eyes wild. “Leave me!” The words were barely comprehensible. “Save yourself.” He growled and Alecia backed away as he fought his way to his hands and knees, his gaze locked with hers. Alecia blinked to clear her vision as his body swelled, encapsulated by a nimbus of white light. He was indistinct, his margins fuzzy. The hand that clutched the grass had broadened and now looked more like a paw. Her insides froze, the world shrinking to encompass only herself and Vard. Time slowed as the man before her swelling and shrank then swelled again. She could not be seeing what she thought she was. A groan that was more a growl escaped from her protector and Alecia snapped into the present. She backed away, prepared to flee, but unable to accept the vision before her.
In Vard’s place was a huge brown bear. Its paws were the size of dinner plates and it must have weighed more than two horses. Alecia couldn’t look away as the beast turned to her, saliva dripping from its canines. Golden eyes gleamed and its huge, wet nose twitched, taking her scent. She could not see the wounds made by the crossbow bolts. Plans of escape formulated themselves in her mind but she could never outrun this creature, especially dressed as she was.
The bear that must be Vard -- she had to accept that -- reared up onto its hind legs. She slapped her hands over her ears as it roared, teeth bared, drool spraying over her. Its foul breath caressed her face and still she could not scream. Someone would hear the creature and investigate, but by then it would be too late. The bear roared again and a twig snapped in the bushes behind the beast. It dropped to all fours and gave her a hungry look before whirling to face the noise. Then it swung its head back towards Alecia once more and she saw her death in its feral eyes. It reared up onto its back legs again and Alecia fell to her knees, resigned to her fate. She closed her eyes, too scared to witness its final lunge -- giant steps carried the beast away from her.
A wave of relief swept over Alecia and she slumped to the grass, sobs shaking her shoulders. Bile rose in her throat and she emptied her stomach, retching until her insides ached. When she wiped her hand across her mouth, her fingers were ice-cold.
“Here she is,” a dreaded oily voice said.
Her stomach cramped and she retched again. Not him! P
lease, Goddess, I can’t deal with him now.
“Are you well, my dear?” Lord Finus said. “What has passed here?” He drew her to her feet and tried to place his arm around her shoulders.
“Let me go,” she said, shrugging him away.
A crowd of partygoers had poured from the ballroom. Prince Zialni sent for his troops while King Beniel stood with his arms around his wife. Adriana slipped from the King’s embrace and moved towards Alecia. Ramón glanced at Alecia and dashed into the dark garden. Oh Goddess, keep him safe. She had to find Vard before he harmed someone or was harmed. What was she saying? He already had mortal injuries. A thread inside her snapped and she started to tremble.
Finus twisted her to face him.
Alecia’s blood grew colder. She couldn’t think past the need to escape. “Do not touch me,” she said, her words sluggish and lacking conviction. She tugged at her hands caught in his, trying to pull free, looking towards the forest where Vard had disappeared. “I must search for him.” Alecia didn’t care whom Finus thought she referred to. The dreaded hands tightened their grip until they hurt.
“I will not allow you to place yourself in further peril,” Finus hissed. “Tell me what happened.”
She glared at him. He was not her lord and master yet; she hoped he never would be.
“Answer Giornan’s question, Alecia,” Prince Zialni said, his voice commanding.
She turned to her father. “There was a man out here with a crossbow.” Alecia paused, not certain how much to tell, not certain what she believed. “He shot the captain twice.”
“Are you unharmed?”
Alecia couldn’t absorb the question. Scrambled thoughts and pictures fluttered about her brain. Vard pierced by the crossbow bolt, the surprise in his eyes, slow blood spreading, the bear, fear, cold. “Yes.”
“She is in shock, Your Highness,” Lord Finus said. “Let me escort her to her chambers.” He placed his arm around Alecia’s waist but she pulled out of his grasp.
Princess Avenger - Brightcastle Saga Book 1 Page 12
