Dark Prince (16 page)

The boy beamed up at Yusef. Yusef nodded wearily at him, moving to stand. Now that the commotion was over, he planned on joining the musicians so he could get closer to the Var. He looked at the blond warriors and noticed they were getting restless.

Smiling good-naturedly, Yusef motioned for a gittern. The man willingly handed it over, knowing the Prince well. He began playing, pretending to pay more attention to the livening crowd than to his task.

Chapter Eleven

"When I get my hands on you, knight, I’m going to tear out your liver and eat it for breakfast!"

Olena lay on the bed, straining her hands against her bonds. She was pretty sure that was one of her best threats yet. Too bad no one was around to hear any of them.

"I’m going to gouge out your eyes and feed them to a givre!"

Hearing a noise in the living room, she tensed.

Yusef? Olena froze, listening.

Keeping quiet, the skin on her neck crawled in warning. She heard a soft rumble and what sounded like light footsteps. Whatever was making that noise, it wasn’t Yusef, unless he was playing some sort of a sick joke on her. Even as she thought it, she somehow knew he would never do that to her.

Olena’s eyes darted around the dim room, looking for a weapon. She pulled at her wrists, rubbing them raw in an effort to yank them free. It did no good. She was completely helpless.

Seeing the door slowly creaking open, she tensed, burying herself into the bed. The rumbling grew louder. The door opened wider. Olena held her breath. Her head raced as she readied for the fight. It wasn’t a man who entered, but a wild animal. From what she could tell, it sounded like a sort of mountain lion or a tiger.

Her legs tensed, her toes working to silently get the blanket off her body. Her chest was bared as she drew the blanket down lower. She didn’t have time to care. Her legs were her only defense against the wild animal.

The door swung completely open, but Olena didn’t see anything standing in the doorway. Her skin prickled. Every nerve was on edge. She felt someone – something--in the room with her. A flash of fur appeared over the edge of the bed. The footfall continued.

Suddenly, a roar sounded and the cat pounced onto the bed. This was no ordinary mountain lion. This cat was as big as a man. It had long arms and legs like a human, though fur covered its body. Eyeing the tunic shirt, she realized that this creature was another shifter. Olena gasped, kicking desperately to finish pulling her legs free. By the way the creature’s deadly green eyes studied her body she could tell he wasn’t a friend of the family.

The man-cat roared. His head cocked to the side as his face and body shifted to human form. Long blond hair covered his head, pulled back from his face. His nose hooked at the end, seeming to point at her. He had an ugly face that stared at her as a cruel smile curved onto his mouth. Soon three other men, similar in build, came into the room and stood above her.

"Ah," the one at the door said. His voice was low as he laughed. His eyes appeared blue beneath his thick brows, but it was too dim to be sure. "Look what the Draig has left us. A yummy little morsel all tied up."

The others laughed. Olena’s jaw rose in defiance.

"Where’s your little Prince, love?" the one with the hooked nose at her feet asked. He began crawling towards her. He watched her naked breasts in excitement and the jerking of his movements caused them to bounce.

"He’ll be back any minute." Her eyes shot fire.

"I like this one," the shortest of them said. "Let’s keep her, Brouse. I want to play with her."

"Oh, I intend to," the blue-eyed Brouse said. He narrowed in on Olena. The others stayed at his back as he came for her. He reached out his hand, growing deadly sharp claws that could slice her throat with one sweep. "Attor wants this one brought to him whole."

* * * *

Yusef forced a smile as he kept pace with the musicians. He nodded his head at some of the passing couples to acknowledge them. Someone stood nearby and sang along. Others danced merrily across an open section of the floor, joined by Zoran and Pia.

Yusef watched the Var out of the corner of his eyes. King Attor stood, drawing his full attention. The man spoke in low tones to his men and they all followed him as he went to the royal table to speak to the Draig King. Yusef couldn’t hear what was said, but by the look on his father’s face, he knew the Kings were merely laying voice to a formality.

The Var turned to leave, trailing silently out a side door. King Attor glanced at him. Yusef kept playing his song, never missing a beat as he returned the heated stare. The man had the audacity to smile and nod, but the dark, knowing look made Yusef nervous. The man was up to something.

When the men reached the door, Yusef looked up at Olek, receiving a nod of silent agreement. He ended his part of the song early and passed his instrument back to its owner who took up immediately where the Prince had left off. No one noticed the change as the dancing continued. Yusef followed the Var out of the common hall.

Seeing Agro in the passageway waiting for him, he motioned the warrior to move ahead. The Var silently made their way out of the mountain fortress. Though the man-cats never turned, Yusef knew they were well aware of being followed.

They made it through the castle without incident. Yusef motioned for Agro to follow the Var as they left Draig land. He stopped by the castle door, scanning over the valley from the advantage of the cliff’s height. His eyes shifted with gold, taking in the detail of the trees to make sure no attack was planned on the village while the House of Draig celebrated within.

He squinted, trying to see to the Outpost where his wife was tied to the bed. His senses pricked in warning, silently urging him to go to her, telling him that she was in trouble and needed him.

Sensing movement behind him, he did not readily move his gaze from where Agro still followed King Attor and his men. Whoever it was behind him, he smelled the unmistakable scent of the Draig. He turned, expecting to see one of their soldiers coming to aid him.

Suddenly, a sharp fire pieced into his unsuspecting back and he howled. Yusef arched violently as he was stabbed several times in quick succession. He fell to his knees, never getting a look at his assailant. His head spun from the pain. His attacker kicked him hard, pushing him violently from the blade as he took off running down the hall inside the Draig keep.

Yusef moaned in agony, sure he was dying. The vision of Olena, beautiful and defiant, worked its way into his head. The sick feeling that he would never see her again overwhelmed him.

He fought the darkness that threatened. Agro’s feet were suddenly before him and the man was calling for help from passing guards. The guards shifted to Draig, jumping down from their high post above the castle gate. They landed unharmed.

At Agro’s command, the Draig warriors helped to haul the fallen Prince to the medical ward. Yusef howled in pain, automatically fighting the soldier’s hands. Agro ran ahead to warn a doctor. The doctor jumped to instant attention, sending his wife to fetch him more help. Agro took off down the hall to inform the King and his sons of what had happened, leaving Yusef in the doctor’s care.

Yusef struggled, mindless as he fought the hands that would subdue him. He vaguely heard the doctor’s words as he tried to seal his wounds with a laser. Agro came back followed by his brothers. Yusef fought them all, desperate to get up, desperate to get his wife to safety.

His eyes opened wide, seeing Ualan and Olek holding him down. His body was losing its fight. Ualan murmured something to him, but he couldn’t hear him.

Taking up the last of his strength, Yusef called desperately, "My wife."

Ualan and Olek nodded in instant understanding of the plea. Yusef barely saw them as his world went completely black.

* * * *

A diffused light fell over the dense forest in a soft green haze that blended eerily with the fog from the nearby marshes. The air was damp in this part of the woods. Moss hung from treetops, unmoving in their windless isolation. There was a strange smell in the air and even the insects had deserted the area.

Olena glanced around through her lowered eyelids. Her captors, who she was silently referring to as ‘the fur ball gang’, were camped around a nearby fire. The soft orange glow reflected light off her hanging body, but unfortunately provided little heat. The fur balls thought it amusing to leave her topless. The chill was getting to her tender skin.

As they gathered around her on Yusef’s bed, she knew they weren’t going to kill her right away. The way they constantly dropped the name King Attor made her suspect it was supposed to mean something to her. It didn’t. He was more than likely the local ruffian who controlled these hairy annoyances.

Before cutting her loose with their sharp claws, they’d said Attor wanted her for himself. So until Attor got her, she assumed she had nothing to worry about. She’d been right so far. Aside from a few awkward pawings meant to intimidate her, they’d not tried anything.

Attor, whoever he was, was a foolish, foolish man if he thought four hairy minions were going to subdue her for long. Olena knew that she just had to play the meek, trembling female for so long before these men would lower their guard and make a mistake. So far they’d not given her an opening, but she stayed confident they would slip up.

Olena didn’t know how long she’d been with the furry foursome, only that they had traveled through most of what looked like night. But, as the hours stretched, she guessed the shadowy marshes always looked like it was nighttime.

Olena’s hands were bound above her head, tied to a tree branch, which she decided was rather uninventive of them. Her feet stayed firmly planted on the ground, giving her knees little room to bend. She refused to let fear overcome her. Jack had taught her that fear was never an option. Those who felt it were instantly defeated. Those who were brave and had a plan got away.

Olena always had a plan.

* * * *

Yusef’s eyes jerked open from his never-ending nightmares, a frown marring his brow in confusion. His body ached with a liquid fire. The light was dim, or was it his eyes? Blinking, he felt a poke on his arm, a slight sting. He tried to focus on the brown-haired woman sitting beside him. Her lips were moving but he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Whatever she was giving him was working. His back was beginning to feel better. His eyes closed and he thought instantly of Olena. Hopelessness and despair surrounded her beautiful face. He knew she was hurt and he couldn’t get up to save her.

* * * *

Yusef! Olena jerked awake. She trembled, her back throbbing with untold agony. It felt like someone had stabbed her. As she took a deep breath, the pain subsided. She looked around, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the crisp marsh air.

Yusef. She didn’t know how but she got the overwhelming feeling that he needed her. Before she was fully awake, a new, faster plan formed in her brain. "Hey, fur ball!"

Brouse awoke with a start. He instantly shifted into full cougar form, falling down on all fours. He crouched, sniffing the air. Olena smiled prettily at the hairy creature, pouting her lips and batting her eyelashes.

"Hey, you, come here," she purred softly. The man-cat’s blue eyes blinked in question. Olena shyly bit her lip. "Please. I want to talk to you."

Brouse shifted back into human form. A lazy smile curled on his lips.

"I won’t bite." She beckoned him with a come-hither fire to her eyes that could scorch any man. "Please, I just want to talk. I’m ready to be a good girl--a very good girl."

* * * *

Zoran lifted his hand and motioned Ualan, Olek, and the King to stop their progress. He sniffed the air. Then, pointing with two fingers, he motioned for his father to follow him and for his brothers to go around the far side of the Var camp. The men nodded in understanding, gripping their swords to their sides.

They all shifted to Draig, their skin hardening to prepare for battle. They looked macabre with their glowing yellow eyes. Their vision penetrated the darkness to see the Var campsite. It had been hard, but they’d found Yusef’s wife and her Var kidnappers.

The Var hid in the shadowed marshes. The rotting smell of molding plant life and animal carcasses masked even the barest traces of scent from most of their kind--from all but the trackers, an elite bunch of Draig who were chosen for their highly developed sense of smell.

Zoran suddenly stopped, seeing a woman with flaming red hair tied to a tree. Her back was to them, her upper torso completely naked. King Llyr made a movement as if to say, that’s her. To their surprise, she spoke.

"I won’t bite." Her tone was husky with a thick promise any male would pick up.

The King’s jaw tensed. Zoran put a hand on his arm. He wouldn’t move until he could assure his brothers were ready.

"Please, I just want to talk," the woman said. Her leg lifted in the air, falling open to the side. "I’m ready to be a good girl--a very good girl."

* * * *

Olena looked at the man in front of her, seeing his gaze drift down over her body, which moved in restless offering. He licked his lips, focusing on her naked breasts.

This is too easy, she thought. Typical though, considering I may be one of the first women this kitty-cat has ever seen.

"Oh," she pouted, with the ‘save me big strong man’ look. She bit her bottom lip, sucking it lightly before letting it go into a full pout. "My arms hurt so badly."

The man’s eyes shot up to her, narrowing in suspicion.

She head cocked to the side. "I know you can’t let me down, but do you think I could wrap my legs around your waist and let you hold me up for awhile? I just want to give my shoulders a rest."

The man licked his lips, glancing back to his sleeping comrades.

"Oh, they don’t have to know. I promise to be good. I can be very, very quiet. Please." Olena gave him a wanton look. "I’m so cold. Can’t you come warm me up? I’d bet a big man like you would be real strong and real hot."