CHAPTER 15
Saar circled through the forest, crossing his tracks time and again. His boots scraped against the bits of stone and rough dirt at his feet. Kicked up by the tip of his shoe, a pebble skittered across his path. Jerking this way and that, the bouncing rock was an eerie symbol for his erratic emotions.
He yanked a toothpick from his pocket and shoved it between his lips. Twirling the end with his tongue, he forced his mind from the female behind him. Kaelyn sent his pulse into the ether and scrambled his brain.
Soon, he’d have to kill her. A tremor rippled through him followed by a sheen of sweat on his skin. His marking for courage and the one for loyalty burned on the back of his shoulder.
“Are we there yet?” Kaelyn’s sweet voice drew him from his musing, grounding him.
He stopped. No point in delaying. Each moment he stalled picked away at his resolve. “We’ve covered our tracks several times. You won’t be able to trace back to the entrance from here.”
Not that it would matter since she’d be dead soon. Ice froze in his veins at the thought.
She raised her hands, her wrists still bound by the magical rope, and she reached for the blindfold.
He gripped her hands, stopping her.
She inhaled, and sweet goddess, when her mouth parted, it was all he could do not to kiss those full, plump lips.
A groan of pure frustration eased from him, turning into a growl. “Allow me.”
“If you insist.” Relaxing her fingers, she let go of the material.
“I do.” With a tenderness she brought out in him, he untied the knot at the back of her head. The material slid over her nose and cheeks. As he pulled his hands away, he toyed with her dark strands. The silky tresses teased his skin, sending pinpricks of desire along his fingers.
He handed her the golden cloth, and she shoved it into her pocket. As her gaze rose to meet his, her eyebrows drew together over her mesmerizing hazel-green eyes.
Obey your king. Kill her.
Now…or never.
Sweat beaded his forehead. A drop slid down the bridge of his nose and dripped off the end.
Kaelyn took a step back. “What are you—”
Focusing his attention on her, he drew his sword from his scabbard. Blade scraping against metal echoed through the trees.
Her beautiful eyes widened, and she captured him in her snare.
His inner beast screamed.
Mind racing, the compulsion to protect Kaelyn warred with his commitment to please his king. A snarl ripped from his throat, low and menacing. The beast became dangerously close to taking control and raised the hair on his arms.
“No…no…no…No…NO…NO!” He hurled his sword at a nearby tree. The blade embedded into the thick bark with a loud thunk.
Blood pounded at his temple. Saar’s vision swam.
He couldn’t kill Kaelyn, not now, maybe not ever.
Noeh…I failed you.
His marking for loyalty burned hotter than it ever had before. Although he couldn’t see it, he knew without a doubt, the dark line faded. Self-loathing soured his stomach, sending bile up his throat. He wanted to despise Kaelyn, hate her for what she did to him, but he didn’t. Instead, relief that she lived flooded through him, washing away any common sense along with it.
Silence filled the forest broken only by their combined, stilted breaths.
A visible shiver wracked her body, but she held her ground. “W… Why didn’t you kill me?”
“I couldn’t.” A short laugh slipped from his lips.
Her brow furrowed. She slid her finger over his arm, tingling his skin. “You’re shaking. Are you all right?”
Her concern for him broke through his confusion, along with the repercussions of what he’d done. He couldn’t breathe.
Traitor…
Saar’s knee buckled, bringing him down. His kneecap hit a rock. A shooting pain ran up his thigh. He deserved that and a whole lot more.
Kaelyn knelt next to him. “What can I do?”
He peered at her.
Her keen eyes bore into him, searching deep into his soul as if she understood him on a primal level. Strength, determination, and tenderness reflected in their mesmerizing depths. The silver rope wrapped around her wrists shimmered in the moonlight. A lump formed in his throat.
Without a doubt, he knew what he had to do. He stood, forcing his injured knee to cooperate. It protested by sending another round of pain up his leg. He touched the rope. “Let me remove this for you.”
“…but you’re injured. I want to help.” Her tender words only stoked the fire of his resolve.
He untied the bindings, and the rope slipped to the hard-packed Earth at their feet. “You can’t help me.”
“Why not?” She parted her full, plump lips as if begging for another kiss.
A tic started in his jaw, spurned by his determination. “Because we’re enemies, aren’t we?”
She blinked. A shadow crossed her face, but she took a step back.
He smiled, and the familiar tugging of his skin reminded him of the other reason they could never be together. “It’s time for you to go. You’re free. Run, little bear. Run.”
Before he could react, she kissed him, hard, then fled into the forest.