LustingtheEnemy by Mel Teshco Read Free Book Online

he even
now secretly plotting their downfall? Bloody hell! Wasn’t he going to be
satisfied until the last of the larakytes were wiped out and his people
rejoiced his name?
    One corner of his lip quirked. “Why this sudden interest in
the larakyte heathens?”
    Heathens?
    She almost choked on the rage, the bitterness churning
within. “Some of those… heathens are being butchered simply because of
who they are.”
    He froze mid-step and she could do little but stop beside
him, looking uneasily up at his stark profile, his lips pressed into a glower,
a muscle throbbing at one side of his clenched jaw. “I don’t condone any such
thing.”
    So he wasn’t behind it? Relief took the edge off her raw
emotions, easing the tension that’d sprung up between them.
    His expression abruptly softened. “Tell me, how would you
handle the situation between the humans and larakytes?”
    He was asking her? Hells bells! Where to start? She sucked
in a breath. What she said next had to be counted, direct and to the point if
she hoped to make an impact.
    “I believe a law should be put into place to protect the larakytes from the murder and ill will against them.” She was on a roll.
“And I think humans should be tried and sentenced who break those laws.”
    “Strong words,” Judas murmured. “Many humans would see you
hung for such ideals.”
    And what about you?
    “For speaking the truth and wanting justice?” she asked.
    The back of her nape prickled, alerting her to someone
watching. She turned to look at the crowd, but no one appeared to be staring,
nothing appeared to be amiss. She shrugged off the feeling as they approached
the carriage. A soldier stepped forward and open a gilded door with the royal
insignia pressed into plush velvet.
    Judas swept out a hand. “After you, angel.”
    Only after they were seated inside, his hard thigh pressed
along the length of hers, did Judas continue in a casual voice, “You
seem…passionate about the larakytes. Why?”
    If I told you, you’d probably have me killed .
    She shrugged, striving for nonchalant. “I just hate to see
innocent people wronged.”
    “What would you say if I told you I’m working on a
solution?”
    Solution? She closed her eyes, ruthlessly quashing the hope
uncurling in her belly. She wouldn’t put all her faith in his hands—she
couldn’t. It’d hurt way too much if she was led down a path that ended in
bitter disappointment.
    Her eyelids flipped apart and she croaked, “I’d say hurry
up. Your Majesty.”
    A bark of laughter revealed an amusement that didn’t quite
make it to his eyes. “Some things can’t be hurried, angel. No matter the urgency.”
    Except the larakytes are running out of time .
    She chewed her lower lip. “So…what is your plan?”
    He blew out a breath. “Give me a day or two to implement
them and you’ll be the first to know. Agreed?”
    She nodded. Best to bide her time and see what he planned—if
only the very thought didn’t make her so nervous! The longer she stayed with
him, the more her feelings grew and the harder it would be to walk away in the
end.
    And the greater his chance of discovering who she really
was.
    But even if the best she’d done was speed up his plans to
save her people, she’d walk away from him knowing her love for him hadn’t been
in vain.
    Love for him?
    She looked out the carriage window with a frown. She’d
thought she might be half in love with him already, but she wasn’t going to
allow it to go any further than that. She’d leave Judas, heart intact.
    Or die trying.
    Only then did she realized the claustrophobia of before
hadn’t even registered. The markets and wooden houses had long since given way
to stone buildings and sandy, wide roads.
    She peered ahead, where the huge stone walls surrounding the
palace and the Zaneean outbuildings, loomed large. Huge gates swung open
at their approach, and she turned to Judas and asked, “Where are we going?”
    He smiled, but there was