Dry.

My mouth was so dry. That was the first thing I became aware of as I slowly edged toward consciousness. I felt like I hadn’t had water in days. I ran my tongue over my teeth and the roof of my mouth in an attempt to create moisture. It didn’t work.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I was on my back, staring up at a starry night sky through black silhouettes of tree branches.

The woods.

It was the middle of the night and the air was perfumed with an array of tantalizing scents.

Moss, pine, wood smoke, meat…

And men.

The events leading up to now came rushing in as I swallowed thickly. I turned my head to the right to see the four strangers from the tournament sitting around a crackling fire. A pair of small creatures—rabbits, I realized as I sniffed the air again—were cooking away on a spit above the flames. I could hear the sizzle of juices dripping onto the stones below and it made my mouth water.

I propped myself up on my elbows and was shocked to discover that my hands were not tied. I had free range of motion and none of the men were even facing me. Was I that small of a threat to them? Did they really think so little of me that they felt safe to cook with their backs to me?

Arrogant bastards.

But my face flamed with shame as I recalled how easily I’d allowed myself to be tricked.

A few longing looks, a wink and a smile paired with a couple of compliments, and I’d fallen right into their hands. This was exactly the reason why Anaya didn’t want me in the army. She feared that my life would at some point be in jeopardy, and she knew that she would risk anything to ensure my safety—whether it be her own life, the life of one of her mates, or the lives of our people.

And now here I was.

I felt my fangs pierce my gums, protruding with a snap. I had been a fool but there was no use dwelling on that now. There would be time for guilt and recriminations later, once I had heads of these criminals on a pike. For now, I needed to focus on channeling the fury that was boiling inside me as I stared at the backs of my captors.

How dare they put a hood over my head and sweep me away like I was nothing?

I would show them the error of their ways.

They were unafraid?

I would give them something to fear.

I let my eyes drift closed, seeking out the lioness inside me. She was there, only a thought away, pacing to be freed. I seized her and willed her to take over. I felt the fur begin to bloom on my flesh as my bones lengthened and stretched. My senses heightened and the smell of the cooking rabbit became more intoxicating.

Yes. Almost there, and then I would tear their throats from their—

Breath caught in my chest and I gasped, clutching ineffectually at my neck. Choking. I was choking.

My lioness retreated back within me with a silent roar as my body shifted back into human form. I reached up with shaking fingers to my throat to discover something wrapped loosely around my neck. Something hard and thin…almost weightless, in reality, but unfathomably heavy in the truest sense because I could not escape it.

They had bound me in an iron collar. And not just any iron, but the iron of my people that had given our land its name. Ironhaven. The place where earth had given us the gift of its mineral and our craftsmen had managed to whip it into a veritable spider’s silk. Strong, but lightweight, and one of the few substances on earth that would hold a large shifter who didn’t want to be held. It was a process that took years, making it a rarity to be sure.

Which meant that I likely wasn’t a victim of a band of kidnappers looking for a woman to defile or a quick bag of gold. This was something bigger.

Terror and relief warred inside of me. One part of me couldn’t help but rejoice that I had a chance to get through this ordeal without my person being violated. The other knew that many of the alternatives for my being here were, in some ways, even more horrifying.

I felt exactly the same way I had felt the day that my sister confronted Du Monde. The Revolution. That same icy fear was creeping up my throat, threatening to suffocate me despite the iron collar sitting loosely around my neck now.

“Oh, look,” a male voice said from near the fire, “sleeping beauty is awake.”

I didn’t know which one of them had spoken, and I didn’t much care to know. I scrambled to my knees, twigs cracking beneath me, and sat crouched on all fours as one of the men stood and made to come over to me.

“Relax,” he said, a hint of kindness in his voice, “we’re not going to hurt you. See, you’re still in one piece. If we had wanted to do you in, we already would have. Just take it easy.”

I recognized him. More of my memories of the previous night started sliding into place.

Dimitri.

Dashing, charming, twisted, kidnapping Dimitri.

He dropped to a crouch in front of me, the fire at his back casting his whole face into shadow.

“You hungry?” he asked. “There’s more than enough to share. The herb we drugged you with may have your stomach feeling a little unsettled, but trust me, food will make you feel better,” he said, holding out his hand to help me to my feet.

I slapped his hand away with a growl that I didn’t realize came out of my own throat.

He blinked at me in surprise then let out a deep chuckle. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there’s still some fight in you. Come on, drop the whole bad-ass lioness thing and just come sit with us. You’ll feel more like yourself after.”

He stood and waited for me to follow suit.

“I’d feel more like myself if you hadn’t put a fucking collar on me,” I hissed up at him.

He scratched at the back of his head and sighed with something that sounded like regret. “Look. I realize that it’s not the best-case scenario for you. But we have to protect ourselves, alright? We know you’re a handful. No need to keep proving the same point over and over. The collar stays on. That’s non-negotiable. But the ache in your gut? That’s something we can remedy pretty quick, if you’ll let us.”

I wrapped my arms around myself and scowled in the opposite direction. “I’m not hungry. And my stomach is fine,” I lied, as I resisted the urge to hunch over and hurl.

“Well, you don’t have to eat, but at least come get warm. It’s a cold night. You’re not properly dressed. Come on,” he repeated softly, stooping down and taking hold of my upper arm.

He tugged me to my feet and led me over to the fire. As weak and unsteady as I was on my feet, I realized the collar stopping my escape attempt was probably a blessing in disguise. I wouldn’t have made it far against even one of them in this state, never mind all four.

He pulled me to a stop and gently pressed my shoulder until I was seated again, but this time there was a thick cloak beneath me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs while staring unwaveringly into the flames.

Dimitri sat behind me. The other men regarded me in stony silence for a while, until it was finally broken by Mathias, who sounded nearly as uncomfortable as I felt.

“This was all necessary, Princess, we hope you understand. None of us want to hurt you. You will be unharmed throughout our journey, we assure you,” he said.

“Forgive me,” I said coldly, “but I am unable to hear anything but bullshit spewing from your mouth. You took me by force after drugging me. You’re nothing but criminals, and my sister-”

I shut my mouth and proceeded to scowl into the fire again. I pondered his words. They didn’t want to hurt me, he had said. Although it seemed hard to believe, the evidence spoke for itself. I had been unconscious for at least eight hours. They had toted my useless body through the woods and had ample time to do with me what they pleased. My clothes were unruffled, I was untouched, and still, to the best of my knowledge, a virgin. Had they taken that from me I was sure I would know. Even now they weren’t imposing on my space with their size. They wanted me to eat and be warm. They wanted me comfortable.

Titus waved a piece of rabbit on a stick in front of my face. The smell made my mouth pool with saliva again but I lifted my nose and turned my face away from the morsel. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to turn down the food. The smell of the cooked fat was absolutely delicious, and the meat was still steaming. But I’d been fooled once and drugged. I wasn’t about to let it happen again.

Titus frowned at me before taking a bite of the rabbit himself. “Suit yourself. If you were serious about wanting to be in the army, you’d know how important it is to eat. You’re a skinny thing and could do to bulk up a bit. Like your sister. She’s got some meat on her bones-”

“Goading me into eating isn’t going to work,” I retorted with a snap.

Titus’s eyebrows darted up before he got his expression back under control and smiled at me. “Not what I was trying to do. I meant it. If you want to be a warrior--a true warrior--you have to pack on some more muscle. Look at you. You’re thin as a wisp.”

“It’s genetic,” I muttered sourly.

“Doesn’t seem genetic,” he pointed out. “Your sister-”

“Half-sister,” I shot back, returning my gaze to the fire. “We share a mother, not our fathers. She’s royal blood. I am not.”

Eryk spoke for the first time. His words were slow and deliberate like they had been when we were in the tavern.

“So, then, you assume that the palace life is not for you, and throw your lot in with the soldiers and royal guard?”

“I’m not throwing my lot in with anyone,” I said. “I’m skilled. I’m trained. I was there in the final round of that competition right alongside you, not because of who I am, but because of my talent.”

“Aye,” Eryk acknowledged, stroking his square chin, his laser-like gaze even now irritatingly striking, “and now look where you are.”

“Something tells me I’d be here even if I hadn’t competed in the tournament,” I said, fishing for information as subtly as I could manage. “Do you disagree?” I fixed Eryk’s gaze with my own and tried not to let on how intimidating those pale green eyes of his were. It was a tense stare down that lasted several seconds longer than it should have.

Eryk surprised me with the wryest of smiles—had I not been watching him so intensely I might have missed the curve of his firm lips. He looked away and down at his hands before sighing and leaning backwards. “I suppose you’re right, Princess.”

Which meant I was their sole target from the get go. They weren’t looking for any old female. They wanted me.

Sister to the Queen.

More and more, it seemed as I was to be ransomed…but if that was the case, why were we traveling so far away? Were these cutthroats trying to get enough distance to outrun the Queen’s Army before making their demands?

I was still gnawing on that piece of the puzzle when I heard a low grunt.

“Come on, lass,” Titus interjected, “eat something. My stomach is growling on behalf of yours. We’ve got a long day of riding ahead of us tomorrow and it won’t do to have you moaning and complaining with hunger pains.”

“I’ll be complaining, but it won’t be from hunger,” I said as he passed me a crude-looking metal fork wielding a hunk of rabbit. I took it and rested it across my knee so it didn’t touch the ground, but I didn’t eat.

Titus nudged me with his elbow like I was his younger brother. “Don’t be such a sour puss, Princess. You’ve a long road ahead of you. This doesn’t have to be pure misery. It’s just business.”

He leaned backwards and braced himself on his hands. His right hand, a massive thing, really, was only inches from my side. I studied the tendons and the knuckles, wondering just how strong he was. I drew the fork to my mouth with a serene smile that I didn’t feel and tore the meat from its tines with my teeth.

He murmured his approval as I chewed slowly, savoring the taste of the roasted meat even as I savored the fiery rage roiling in my belly. Then, I tightened my grip around the fork handle and, quick as a snake, brought it arcing down towards his big hand.

I closed my eyes, anticipating the feel of the utensil sliding through sinew and bone, but gasped in surprise as I felt something else entirely. My eyes shot wide and I stared down at the fork buried a solid five inches into the earth.

Titus regarded me with one raised brow as he lifted his hand high and wiggled his unharmed fingers. “I’m big, but I’m fast, lass. And that’s no way to thank your host for trying to feed you now, is it?”

That rage that had burned so hot inside me seconds ago fizzled out and turned into ice-cold fear as I stared into his now chilly eyes.

I’d let my anger get the better of me and had acted rashly. Had I just provoked a man with a nickname of “the Brute” into hurting me? He could swat me like a fly if he wanted to and I was armed with nothing but a fork. The weight of the iron collar hanging around my neck felt instantly heavier.

I couldn’t show my fear. Not right now.

I swallowed the meat stuck in my throat and gritted my teeth as I stared boldly back at him. “If you’re expecting thanks from me, you’ll find yourself waiting an eternity, Titus the Brute.”

Titus blew out an aggravated breath through his teeth. He looked up at the others, who were all watching us with bemused expressions, with the exception of Dimitri, who looked downright jolly.

Titus scowled at Dimitri’s crooked grin. “Stop smiling like a damn fool. It could just have easily been your hand she was after.”

“Highly unlikely,” Dimitri snickered, “I wouldn’t be daft enough to hand her a weapon. Did you see her on the fields earlier today?”

“It’s not a weapon, you buffoon, it’s a bloody fork,” Titus growled. “And if giving the female a fork to eat with results in our failed mission, or worse, our demise? Then we all need to hang it up.”

Eryk raised his eyebrows and looked back and forth between the two bickering men as Dimitri rolled his shoulders and scratched his stubble-covered jaw.

“I’m just saying, Titus, I wouldn’t have underestimated her. She’s a fighter. Haven’t you been listening to what she’s been saying? She’d just as soon slit every one of our throats despite the fact that we’ve laid nary a finger on her.” Dimitri caught my gaze, holding it for the briefest moment, before looking back at the fire. “We’d best sleep with one eye open with her around, collar or no.”

“Or,” Titus growled, looking down at me, “we make it so that she can’t hardly move an inch during the night.”

I tried my best not to let my fear show. A cold sweat had broken out on the back of my neck and it took everything I had not to give in to the tremble that was threatening to engulf me. So far, it was only in my fingertips and I needed it to stay that way. Being captive was one thing. Letting them know how terrified they had me?

Fuck that.

The next half an hour passed as the men tucked into their meal. When Eryk handed me a second piece of rabbit with his fingers, I didn’t refuse. They were all eating it so it clearly wasn’t poisoned, and, despite my misguided attempt at retribution with the fork earlier, there was no point in being churlish for the sake of it. I would need my strength so that, when another, better opportunity arose, I’d be fit enough to take it.

Once the fire had been reduced to embers, Titus crooked a finger at me.

“You understand, of course, why we can’t just let you have a pallet of your own. Especially with all these sharp sticks and the like in easy reach,” he said, as he stood and hauled me to my feet none-too-gently.

I scowled at him mutely and waited to hear my fate for the night, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he led me to a large pile of furs around the fire and lowered himself to sitting. Then he stared up at me expectantly, a challenge in his gaze.

“No way,” I said, pulse hammering. I turned to the others pleadingly. “You said I’d be unharmed. I’d rather be tied to that tree all night in the cold than lie with him.”

Dimitri inclined his head with a twitch of his lips. “I hear you on that front, but that’s not an option, Princess. You’ve proven yourself untrustworthy already and we cannot afford to lose you. He might look scary, but you have my word, he won’t hurt you unprovoked.”

I locked gazes with each of the others in turn and saw they were equally resolute. Mathias looked regretful, but even he nodded.

“Come, get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day,” Titus growled, gripping my wrist and dragging me down to the pallet. As soon as I was flat on my back, he lay down, his muscular form pressed to mine as he dropped his tree-trunk sized legs over mine. “Sleep tight, Princess.”

I lay seething as the others prepared for bed, my brain racing with all the ways I would exact my revenge. When my heavy eyelids finally closed, it was with visions of evisceration running through my head…