Prince of Love by Donna Grant Read Free Book Online Page B

mare refused to move forward.   She turned in circles, trying to get Katrina to go back to town.  
    “Just a little farther,” she urged to the mare.  
    The horse snorted and grudgingly walked to the grove, though its body began to tremble.  
    “I’ve lost my mind,” Katrina mumbled to herself. “Only a daft person would be out in this storm to face a magical beast that wants me dead.”  
    But she knew she wasn’t daft. Sorin brought her there. She knew next to nothing about the man other than he quickened her blood and made her feel whole. It wasn’t something she could explain, but there was truly a connection between them that even that mark on her arm couldn’t compare with.  
    She wiped away the rain from her eyes to see she reached the trees. With her hand wrapped around the hilt of the heavy sword, she had begun to dismount when a loud roar filled the air. Katrina managed to descend from the mare before she reared and bolted back to the city. Katrina turned to the trees, her entire body shaking with cold and fear.  
    She lifted the sword with both hands and kicked at her wet skirts as she walked into the grove. All she had to do was follow the roars to find Sorin and the Tnarg. She just prayed she wasn’t too late.  
     
    * * * *
     
    Sorin clenched his jaw at the Tnarg’s voice. The sword wouldn’t budge, so he’d have to fight the beast with something else.  
    The rain, wind and thunder muffled all sounds, but Sorin knew the creature would strike fast. He released his grip on his weapon and dove to the side to roll away. He wasn’t as quick as he should have been for the beast’s claws caught him on the back. Sorin hissed in pain and rose to his feet, a dagger in each hand that he’d taken from his boots.  
    The Tnarg laughed as it looked at the daggers. “I’ll cut you in half before you get close enough to put those small blades in me.”  
    Sorin knew the beast was right, but even though he would most likely die, he wouldn’t go down without giving a few wounds himself.  
    “If you kill me, you’ll leave Katrina alone?”  
    The Tnarg laughed and shook its oblong head. “I could’ve killed you a hundred times over as I followed you here. Nay, my target is your mate. Whether I kill you or not, she dies.”  
    Sorin’s gut tightened. How had he not known the Tnarg was tracking him? How could he have been so careless?   The Tnarg tilted back its head and roared. Its red eyes narrowed on Sorin, and its claws extended as it prepared to strike.  
    Sorin crouched on the balls of his feet, ignoring the rain and the near constant lightning as he began to circle the Tnarg. The beast was taller, faster, and deadlier, but Sorin had a slight advantage. He’d been raised with the intent of battling anything that might get in his way of returning home. He’d learned to be light on his feet and think quickly.  
    His whole life, he’d been preparing for this day.  
    Sorin smiled and turned the long blades of his daggers against his forearms. The Tnarg raised its arms and leapt at him.   There was no way Sorin could get out of the way quick enough, so he stepped into the beast and sunk both daggers into the Tnarg’s sides.  
    The creature screamed in fury and backhanded him. Sorin managed to hold onto his daggers as he flew back against a tree, hitting it so hard his head slammed against the bark. He shook off the pain and rolled his shoulders as he stepped away from the tall pine. He ducked and lunged to his right just as the Tnarg swung a massive claw at his head. As Sorin turned, he raised his arm and slashed the beast’s stomach.  
    The Tnarg bellowed again, but this time he sunk his claws into Sorin’s back. Sorin bit back a yell as he jerked away from the beast.  
    Blood ran in thick, sticky trails down his back and into his trews. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath and shook his head to move his hair, which was plastered to his face from the driving rain.  
    This