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Authors: Pamela Palmer
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him. A warrior of honor andcourage, capable of treating even his enemy with gentleness when he’d been coerced into feeling pity for her.
For the first time in years, she was reminded there were those still in possession of a conscience. Warriors with goodness in their hearts.
With souls.
And she would not see this one destroyed.
Nor, selfishly, did she want to lose him. For so long she’d lived in the cold, she’d almost forgotten what warmth felt like.
His fury with her for capturing him had turned to fury over her beating. A precious gift. When she’d been hurting, he’d not only accepted her body but helped her take him without pain.
For so many years she’d been alone. Without sympathy. Without care. Those she’d loved, the friends, had all been sent elsewhere. Or changed, transformed for the strength of the Elemental’s, Inir’s, army.
Not in years had someone cared that she’d been beaten. Not in years had anyone tried to ease her misery.
Not until she’d captured a dark-eyed panther with hatred in his eyes and honor in his soul.
Now she feared Birik meant to take him from her as he’d taken everything else. All in the name of power.
Chapter Five
Skye finally returned, smelling of roast venison. Paenther’s stomach rumbled even as he watched her, drinking his fill of the sight of her. Her hair and dress were damp, as if she’d been caught in the rain. Her quiet, delicate beauty did something to him, flowing through him like a calming river even as it heated his blood.
Once again, animals surrounded her, though a different collection than before. As before, she ushered the smaller animals into a pair of cages and tied the doe with a rope at the wall. Then she came to him, her eyes at once troubled and lit with a warmth that slid softly across his heart.
“I brought you something.” But as she pulled the wrapped venison out of her pocket, her gaze went to his wrists, sticky with his blood. Her brows lowered unhappily. “You’ve been struggling.”
“Always.”
Her eyes pleaded. “Accept your fate, warrior. There’s nothing else you can do.”
He shook his head. “Never quit fighting, little witch. It means the death of your soul.”
Those troubled eyes of hers darkened as she unwrapped the meat in her hand. “I thought you might be hungry.”
“I am.”
She gave him a rueful frown and cocked her head. “Are you going to bite me again?”
“No.” He thought of the way she’d curled around her injured arm after he’d attacked her, the blood soaking her dress. “I’m sorry for that. I thought you deserved it. I’ve changed my mind.”
Her mobile mouth shifted into a semblance of a smile as her eyes softened. “I’m glad.” She held the meat to his mouth for him to take a thick, juicy bite.
She stroked his chest with her free hand, nearly making him purr. Yet even as she touched him without wariness, he smelled fear in her. He could hear it in the racing of her heart.
“I won’t bite you, Skye.”
Her gaze flicked to his. “I believe you.” She tried to feed him again, and he shook his head.
“You first. You’re too thin.”
“I’m not hungry.”
He scowled at her. “I find that hard to believe.” But those shadows in her eyes were darkening. “Tell me what’s the matter.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away. “Nothing.”
“You’re afraid.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you afraid of Birik?” Her tiny jerk at the mention of his name told Paenther what he wanted to know. “He’s threatened you again.”
“No more than normal.” She met his gaze, unhappiness etched into every line of her face. “This time he’s threatened you.”
“How?” Paenther’s jaw clenched, his muscles flexing against his bonds. He was all for a battle, but to fight, he had to be free.
“I don’t know. He said the energy we raised wasn’t enough, but when I offered to try again, he said no. He had something else in mind. It can’t be
For the first time in years, she was reminded there were those still in possession of a conscience. Warriors with goodness in their hearts.
With souls.
And she would not see this one destroyed.
Nor, selfishly, did she want to lose him. For so long she’d lived in the cold, she’d almost forgotten what warmth felt like.
His fury with her for capturing him had turned to fury over her beating. A precious gift. When she’d been hurting, he’d not only accepted her body but helped her take him without pain.
For so many years she’d been alone. Without sympathy. Without care. Those she’d loved, the friends, had all been sent elsewhere. Or changed, transformed for the strength of the Elemental’s, Inir’s, army.
Not in years had someone cared that she’d been beaten. Not in years had anyone tried to ease her misery.
Not until she’d captured a dark-eyed panther with hatred in his eyes and honor in his soul.
Now she feared Birik meant to take him from her as he’d taken everything else. All in the name of power.
Chapter Five
Skye finally returned, smelling of roast venison. Paenther’s stomach rumbled even as he watched her, drinking his fill of the sight of her. Her hair and dress were damp, as if she’d been caught in the rain. Her quiet, delicate beauty did something to him, flowing through him like a calming river even as it heated his blood.
Once again, animals surrounded her, though a different collection than before. As before, she ushered the smaller animals into a pair of cages and tied the doe with a rope at the wall. Then she came to him, her eyes at once troubled and lit with a warmth that slid softly across his heart.
“I brought you something.” But as she pulled the wrapped venison out of her pocket, her gaze went to his wrists, sticky with his blood. Her brows lowered unhappily. “You’ve been struggling.”
“Always.”
Her eyes pleaded. “Accept your fate, warrior. There’s nothing else you can do.”
He shook his head. “Never quit fighting, little witch. It means the death of your soul.”
Those troubled eyes of hers darkened as she unwrapped the meat in her hand. “I thought you might be hungry.”
“I am.”
She gave him a rueful frown and cocked her head. “Are you going to bite me again?”
“No.” He thought of the way she’d curled around her injured arm after he’d attacked her, the blood soaking her dress. “I’m sorry for that. I thought you deserved it. I’ve changed my mind.”
Her mobile mouth shifted into a semblance of a smile as her eyes softened. “I’m glad.” She held the meat to his mouth for him to take a thick, juicy bite.
She stroked his chest with her free hand, nearly making him purr. Yet even as she touched him without wariness, he smelled fear in her. He could hear it in the racing of her heart.
“I won’t bite you, Skye.”
Her gaze flicked to his. “I believe you.” She tried to feed him again, and he shook his head.
“You first. You’re too thin.”
“I’m not hungry.”
He scowled at her. “I find that hard to believe.” But those shadows in her eyes were darkening. “Tell me what’s the matter.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away. “Nothing.”
“You’re afraid.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you afraid of Birik?” Her tiny jerk at the mention of his name told Paenther what he wanted to know. “He’s threatened you again.”
“No more than normal.” She met his gaze, unhappiness etched into every line of her face. “This time he’s threatened you.”
“How?” Paenther’s jaw clenched, his muscles flexing against his bonds. He was all for a battle, but to fight, he had to be free.
“I don’t know. He said the energy we raised wasn’t enough, but when I offered to try again, he said no. He had something else in mind. It can’t be
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