Page 11 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

‘Erik,’ she breathed. ‘How...?’

She reached up and encountered his jawline. His stubble was softer under her fingertips than she’d imagined during the long hours of riding next to him. She traced the edge of his face until she found his chin. She heard his soft inhale as her fingers touched his lips.

The soft kiss against her hand was so gentle she would have missed it if all her concentration hadn’t been on the spot where their bare skin connected.

He moved his head slightly and she dropped her hand, not sure what she’d been thinking when she’d touched him so intimately.

‘I can walk,’ she said.

He stopped. ‘Are you sure? You weren’t conscious when I found you.’

‘I’m sure,’ she said, although she didn’t really want him to put her down. She was cocooned in his arms, safe from the horrors of the evening, but now that she was regaining consciousness it didn’t seem fair to make him carry her. They would travel faster if she was also on foot.

He slowed to a stop. ‘We’ll need to hurry.’ He lowered her gently to the ground.

Her legs nearly went from under her. His arms came around her waist and she leaned into his strength, resting her head once more on his chest.

‘I can carry you,’ he murmured into her hair.

‘No, give me a moment.’

She stood in his embrace, her legs trembling whether from fear or some other emotion she wasn’t sure. Gradually her strength returned, but even then she was reluctant to pull away from him.

‘Linota, we need to keep moving,’ he said eventually.

Heat rushed over her face. Here she was clinging to him when they were running for her life. He must think she was pathetic.

‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I’m fine now.’

She pulled away from him and she heard his arms drop to his sides.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked as he began to walk, her falling in behind him.

‘For now I’m trying to put some distance between us and those men. When I’m sure they are no longer following us I will try to get us back to my horse, Cai. From there, I should be able to find the path and hopefully re-join the others.’

Over the snapping of twigs and the occasional hoot of an owl his words sunk in. They were lost in the woods, in the dark during one of the coldest seasons she could remember.

‘How did you find me?’ she asked when the silence crowded in on her, threatening to swamp her completely.

‘I started chasing after you as soon as you were taken. I followed you into the woods, but as darkness fell I lost the trail. I kept going. I couldn’t bear the thought...’ He muttered something under his breath. ‘I didn’t want you to be alone with those men any longer than possible. But Cai threw a shoe, he was limping and so I had to stop. I tied him up and was about to press on with my search when I heard you scream.’ They walked in silence for a moment. ‘It wasn’t difficult to find you after that. The sounds of the men chasing you could be heard throughout the woods. I heard you fall and I was able to make out one of the men scooping you up. I wanted to run him through for daring to lay his hands on you, but I’ve left my sword with Cai.’

Linota heard Erik kick something and mutter under his breath. It sounded like a curse over his carelessness, but she couldn’t be sure.

‘I followed you back to their camp. The men seemed concerned that you weren’t waking up. In the end they laid you on the ground and continued with their drinking. It was easy enough to creep in and pick you up while their attention was diverted.’

‘What diverted their attention?’ she asked, sure from Erik’s voice that he must be responsible.

‘I was careless about my sword, but I’m not completely useless. I started a fire on the other side of the clearing, close enough to their horses to spook them, but not enough to cause the animals any pain. While they were dealing with it I picked you up and walked away. It may be a while before your absence is noticed. I hope that they think you escaped by yourself, that way they will search the surrounding area first.’

Something soft and feathery brushed her cheek. She leapt forward and collided with Erik’s back.

He turned quickly and pulled her into his arms, his body rigid next to hers. ‘Did you hear something?’ he whispered above her head.

‘No, something...something touched me on my face.’ She shuddered.

Katherine’s tales of ghosts roaming the earth filled her mind. She pressed herself into Erik’s lean body, no longer caring what he thought of her.

‘Touched you?’ His voice was soft in the cold winter air.

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