Savage Want (Wicked Wants, #3) by Annice Sands Read Free Book Online

they were not ready.
    Blood was spilled almost immediately. Eron came long to snatch me by the arm and corral me with the other women, one in the early stages of pregnancy. Eron fought bravely for us. One woman said a prayer to her gods with folded hands and a makeshift cover upon her head. We all cried at the sounds of death almost instinctively, as if we understood that change burned in the air. The attacking army might win and then where would we be taken?
    Someone had failed to put out their fire. Flaming arrows fell around us in volleys and just as Eron was about to usher us towards the flanking woods, he too fell victim to a sharpened blade.
    I could not face another great loss such as before so soon. Did I endear myself to these barbarians? Had I gone completely mad? A low wail came out of me as I thought of Torsten and all those enemy soldiers. Surely he would die like the rest. But that should be a good thing.
    “Lady Elena? Is that you?” A familiar voice called out to me, but was hoarse and so I couldn’t put a name to it.
    Smoke obscured my vision, as I’m sure it did his. I had to walk past Eron’s corpse to reach the speaker. My belly rolled uncomfortably and I choked back a dry-heave. So much death. I had seen so much death. A gentle breeze parted the smokescreen and I was looking upon Cecil Penbroke himself. My mouth hung as if unhinged. Torsten had said he did not know if they had killed my husband-to-be, but for Cecil to be there in a battle was uncharacteristic for him.
    “Oh, thank God!” He took me by both shoulders to look at me.
    I hung my head in shame. I wore the furs and dressage of the Northmen’s women. Perhaps I’d been in shock the entire time. Everything from the Northmen’s initial attack on felt like a dream. Perhaps I was still dreaming. Cecil tugged my chin up with his fingers to look into my eyes.
    “What have they done to you?”
    He called for his horse to be brought, and men scurried to follow his order. When his mount was all but dragged in, reality seemed to catch up with my mind. This was all happening. This was all real. I stared up at the massive black stallion with its wild eyes and kicking hooves and felt myself lifted onto his back. The beast twitched and trembled beneath me. I clutched its mane. The world looked so small from that height.
    Cecil spoke softly to the horse and smiled up at me. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
    His words should have brought me comfort, but I fought back tears as my world seemed about to change yet again. A few moments passed before I could trust myself to speak.
    “My father?”
    Cecil’s expression darkened for but a brief flicker, then nothing, as if I’d only imagined it. “He is waiting for you back at the manor. I will take you to him, if that is your wish?”
    Only then did my heart feel a sense of relief. My father—alive!
    “Yes, I’d like it very much if you did.”
    One of Cecil’s men approached us from the din.
    “My lord, we have the bastard.”
    “Good,” Cecil said, turning his attention from me. “Kill the rest and burn everything. I want no trace of them left. Bring the barbarian prince back to the manor.”
    Had Torsten not made his confession about his bloodline, I wouldn’t have known it was he that they were talking about. But it only could be him. They had captured Torsten and now we would return to the manor. I shouldn’t have worried about Torsten’s welfare, but I did. The surge of emotions surprised me. They would not kill Torsten, if that were false, he’d be dead along with the rest of his men.
    Torsten’s voice reached my ears as Cecil’s men wrestled to subdue him. I could not look. I could not be concerned for the life of a savage. Torsten cursed the men in our language and his. He carried on until a wise soldier struck him unconscious. I said little on our two days by horseback. Cecil unhorsed another man to take the mount for me and we switched.
    My new horse was smaller so that