Van Laven Chronicles by Tyler Chase Read Free Book Online

to remain with her to keep her safe.
    She is Larrs Bastionli’s daughter!
    The thought abruptly cooled the warm feelings growing inside.
    Vaush stirred from her slumber, her eyes came to rest upon him. “Thank you for helping me back there,” she whispered, as if speaking any louder would break the spell he was under.
    “I saw the opportunity to repay a debt and I took it,” he said curtly.
    “Fair enough.” Her voice was sleepy, even so, she attempted to sit up, but never made it an inch off the ground.
    “You're in shock,” Comron said gruffly. “You should remain as you are and rest.”
    “I am very tired.” She yawned, squeezing her eyes shut. A second later those hazel eyes flew open. “What if another one of those creatures—”
    “Nothing is going to harm you while I’m here.” He could hardly believe the words were coming out of his mouth. “Now sleep.”
    Vaush’s eyes narrowed with skepticism, but Comron held her gaze until her eyes drifted closed and a light smile graced her soft lips.
    ***
    When Vaush awakened a few hours later, the harsh reality of her circumstances set in. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere, Laney was gone, she had no means of signaling her whereabouts and she’d been brutally attacked by a wild animal. But then she remembered the most unexpected part…Comron Van Laven.
    She turned her arms over, examining them and her torso. Apparently, he’d made expert use of the flesh mender. Only minimal signs of any of trauma remained and she felt no pain.
    She spotted him a few meters away, surveying their surroundings as he consumed a can of rations. This Nethicaen had acted with more kindness and grace than she had ever imagined possible.
    He glanced over at her. “Good, you’re awake. Do you feel ready to travel, or do you require sustenance?” he asked, pointing at the survival pack he’d carried.
    “Thanks, but I’ve had enough of…whatever that is.” She slowly rose to her feet with his cloak wrapped around her. Locks of her dark curly hair fell into her face. She reached for one of the dried strips from Comron’s long cloak and fastened her hair back.
    When she looked up at Comron, he was staring back with those mesmerizing green eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.
    “We’d better be on our way,” he said.
    “We?” Vaush said hesitantly. “So our truce holds.”
    He nodded. “Until we reach the coast, anyway.”
    “I'd be a fool to refuse your company in light of my recent attack.” She looked back at the place where she’d been lying and saw her tunic and leggings hanging on a branch to dry. The bloodstains had been effectively rinsed out, leaving only the tears to testify to her attack.
    “You washed my clothes,” Vaush said in surprise. “Thank you.”
    “The scent of blood would have attracted more predators,” Comron replied quickly.
    “Well, thank you just the same.”
    As she dressed, Vaush peered out the corner of her eye to find Comron looking quite preoccupied. She chuckled to herself as she fastened her bodice. Seeing him out of context, out of his natural regal setting was rather revealing. For the first time, she looked upon the Nethicaen prince, not as the loathsome brute, but as a man of feeling and surprising kindness.
    That Comron was one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on only complicated matters.
    He is still Van Laven, son of the vile Duke of Nethic, AND engaged to be married in four weeks.
    That thought quickly tempered her burgeoning feelings. She snatched his cloak from the branch and advanced toward him.
    “I'm ready to travel,” Vaush announced.
    He stuffed his cloak into his satchel and briefly met her eyes.
    “We still have a couple of hours of daylight left,” he said, as the color rose in his cheeks. “If we make haste we can still cover a good bit of territory.”
    She waved her hand. “Lead on, Lord Comron.”
    Neither took note of the dark figure lowering his sniper rifle as they moved