Page 20 of What Fury Brings
And then he would turn his attention to Andrastus and train him as the new heir.
Neither option was acceptable.
Sanos would just have to endure until an opportunity for escape presented itself. He would return home, and his father would be none the wiser to his previous whereabouts. He’d pass off his absence to extended birthday celebrations and then his father would beat him thoroughly for it.
But that was better than being dead and turning this fate over to his brother.
The two women pulled the cart far from the road and unhitched the horses, allowing them to graze. Ydra set about gathering wood for a fire while Olerra came to stand before him.
She’d changed out of her hooded cloak and pants. Now she wore leather-studded armor over her torso. It was sleeveless, exposing most of her arms, though she wore bracers at her wrists. Her feet were covered by sturdy sandals. A short, pleated skirt hung around her thighs, and a cape trailed to her lower back. Now knowing she was a princess, he was shocked she showed off so much of her skin. And gods, but there was just so much of her. She was a big woman with an imposing presence.
It made him bring out the hardened man his father had forged from steel and a smoothed cane. “You will return me at once,” he said the moment she removed his gag.
She smiled, as though she found him amusing. “Your voice is so deep. I rather like it.”
Sanos blinked.Was she complimenting him?
“Your clothes are impractical,” he spat back.
“Is your chin pointed or square-shaped?”
“Don’t touch me!” he said as she reached out a hand.
“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?” she asked, but she crossed her arms and stared. Her eyes were wide as she drank him in. Were this any other situation, Sanos would have found the heated gaze extremely flattering.
“Stop looking at me,” he demanded, even as he felt his whole body warm at the attention.
“You wanted me just a few hours ago. Has something changed?”
He glared in return, not dignifying that with a response.
“I’m afraid I cannot stop looking at you, Prince. I would have an awfully hard time feeding you if I had to close my eyes.”
Feeding him? Surely she couldn’t mean to keep him restrained?
The Amarrans boiled oats and added some spices. The two sat and ate before the fire. The conversation was too quiet for him to catch, but they’d occasionally look in his direction.
He hated that.
Once done eating, Olerra brought another steaming bowl to his side. She blew on a spoonful of food before raising it to his lips.
“Untie me. I am no child.”
“I’m well aware. Twenty-four, aren’t you? Three years my senior. Now, let’s not behave as one, hmm?” She extended the spoon, and he wondered how she knew so much about Andrastus. How long had she studied his brother before intending to take him? Yet she had clearly never seen his brother before, for the two of them couldn’t be more unalike in appearance. Andrastus always wore his hair long—well down his back. His features were more angular. He didn’t wear a beard, and his muscles were less defined. The only thing the Ladicus brothers shared was that white-blond hair coloring, which came from their mother.
Sanos’s stomach grumbled, yet his pride was too much. He inclined his head, but instead of wrapping his lips around the spoon, he sank his teeth into her fingers.
Her response was immediate. She dropped the hot food onto the cart, narrowly missing his crotch. One hand snaked forward to grab him by the hair. She jerked his head to the side, leaned down, and—
And bit him on the neck.
It was a territorial move, painful and somehow also arousing.
He could do no more than stare at her as she retreated, taking the cookware with her.
She’d branded him with her teeth. There was no doubt in his mind that if he looked in a mirror he would see the indents left behind. The bruising that would show soon.
Just who the fuck did she think she was?
