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Nika’s eyes were still bleary from the enchanted sleep the snow fairies had put her in. She blinked away the last vestiges of dreaming and tried to take in her surroundings. The main thing she noted about her current state was that she wasn’t cold or uncomfortable. As she fought to focus, she imagined she saw an angel looking down on her—one with ice-blue eyes and a face as handsome as any tale of the old heroes. Dark brown hair with hints of mahogany framed a square, bearded, male jaw before falling softly onto the shoulders of the one standing over her. Graced with such a vision, she might have believed she’d died and gone to the afterlife if it hadn’t been for the unbearable emptiness of her stomach.
Under the angel’s hand, her stomach growled loudly. He chuckled as he stood up.
“The stolen bread was not enough for you, little one?”
His deep voice broke through her sleepy haze, rendering him fully human and not some divinity after all. Nika watched as he moved across the area they were in to a table and realized that she was inside a tent. The man filled the small space, so tall he had to bow his head while he walked around. His shoulders seemed like they took up the entire tent, they were so broad. He picked up a plate, then came back to her.
“I wasn’t stealing,” she said, easing herself up into a sitting position.
One of eyebrows lifted.
“No? Then what was the baker’s wife screeching about?”
Nika looked down at her lap.
“He offered it, but then he demanded a payment for it… other than coin.”
A flood of shame filled her as she remembered the horrid scene at the fair. She’d never been outside of her own village, barely even ventured beyond her grandmother’s cottage. She had very little experience with people, especially men. Now, she found herself in a world full of not just men but wolves, it seemed. When she glanced up, the bearded man wore a frown on his face, which made her feel even worse.
“If we had any time left,” he said, “I would go back to that fair and make quick work of the baker.” Nika’s eyes widened at that. “But my men are eager to be away from here. I must get them back to our homeland. We’ve been gone too long already.”
His eyes dropped from her to the ground, then he turned away. He strode about the tent anxiously, straightening items and pulling on thicker clothing to wear outside. Nika took the opportunity to shovel the food into her mouth while his back was turned. Her stomach protested at being crammed so suddenly after staying empty for so long, but once she began, she found she couldn’t stop. The simple meal consisted of bread, cheese and a couple chunks of dried meat. After being on the run the day before and going without, though, it felt like a feast.
Eating took all of her attention, so she didn’t notice when her rescuer turned back around to watch as she ravaged the food. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up. She pressed her lips together, embarrassed under his stare. His dark beard was cropped short, so it was easy to see his mouth and the small smile on his soft looking lips. Why did that sight cause such strange feelings to rise up inside her? A floating sensation invaded her stomach and chest, and her cheeks warmed—it must be due to the food.
He was older than she, though still a young man. Nika’s lack of experience with other people made her a poor judge. But in her own estimation, she would call him handsome. Very handsome.
He crossed back to the pallet and crouched down beside it. The smile on his lips held, but Nika’s eyes widened when he reached for her. She tensed, her heart racing as his hand came closer. His fingers brushed lightly over her lips at a crumb and fell away again.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said, looking down, “for the food a-and for finding me.”
He straightened, nodding.
“Why were you out all by yourself?” He asked.
She looked up again. What could she say? She couldn’t tell him the truth—that anyone who knew she existed thought her a dark spirit… a curse.
“Are you from the camps in the hills, like the villagers claimed?” He continued before she could speak.
She knew what he meant. Nomad tribes of thieves and swindlers dotted the lower mountain. Those areas were nowhere she wanted to go, but they could be a good place to hide, now that he mentioned it. His light-colored eyes bore through her, they were so intense. She shifted on the pallet. He’d touched her twice now, just fleeting contacts, but both times, unnerving warmth had suffused her skin. Grandmother told her many times over the years about a sixth sense she had for danger. Perhaps this was what she’d meant. It overwhelmed Nika, this strange feeling. She had to find a way out of this place, and out from under his stare.
“Uh, I-I don’t live far from here,” she blurted out, setting the plate down beside her on the furs. “I’ll just gather my things and be going.”
He didn’t move back, though, just held her stare and continued assessing her. Then one of his dark brows lifted again.
“On your own you mean?” He scoffed.
Nika sat up straight. She’d never been around a man long enough to be irritated by one. But his tone set her on edge, no matter how handsome she found him.
“I’ve always been on my own, my lord. I assure you, I will be fine.”
He stood up to his full height and took a half a step back from the pallet. His eyes stayed on her as he did, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he shook his head at her like she spoke nonsense.
“We will see you home,” he stated, matter of fact. “I know you do not come from the thieves’ camps, but surely you cannot live far. A lone girl should not be out wandering alone. These are rough times, myshka. There are predators about… of all different sorts.”
Nika bit at her lip. She didn’t want him to know where she’d come from. He’d probably hand her over to the village elders once he knew what they thought of her. She could tell by his clothes and his manner that he was a powerful man, whoever he was. Someone like him could, surely, do nothing good for one of her lowly station if she associated with him for any length of time. The sooner she got away from him and his party, the better.
“Please sir, I-I do live in the hills, but I mean no one any harm. I can find my way back home easily,” she lied. “I needn’t trouble you anymore. Thank you for your kindness.”
Frantic to get away, she pushed the furs off her, swung her legs to the side of the pallet and stood. Immediately, her head swam from the sudden movement. She swayed on her feet. The man rushed forward and grabbed her round the waist, pulling her against him. When Nika’s blurry vision cleared, she dropped her head back to look up at his face.
He brushed her hair off of her forehead, then ran the back of his thumb along her jaw. She inhaled sharply, but didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. His eyes narrowed on her, as if by staring he could read her every thought.
“If you will not tell me the truth, little one, then you will just have to remain with us.”
Nika opened her mouth to protest, but he shushed her with a firm press of his fingers to her lips. Warmth from his hands seeped into her skin, making her feel strange again. All the cells in her body suddenly rushed to those two areas where he touched. When he spoke next, her eyes stayed locked on his.
“Finding you the way I did—in an enchanted forest, sleeping in a wolves’ den—I have no doubt there is more to your story than you are telling. Be assured, I will get the truth out of you yet, myshka. But that is a discussion for another time. For now, the morning grows late, and we must go.”
*Author’s Note: Nika seems to go from one harrowing experience to the next, in the opening of this book. Out of curiosity, have you ever awakened in unfamiliar surroundings like she does here? Or maybe not remembered you were traveling while on vacation, upon waking up?
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