Page 49 of The Stallion & The Tigress
“We will,” he said, grabbing her by the armsand holding her still.“We can’t tonight.We aren’t in anycondition for a fight.”
She nodded, still and silent and staring athim with her big, unblinking eyes.
“Sahar?”
“They told me you were dead,” she said, hervoice a mere wisp of smoke, her eyes welling with tears.“Everyday, every night, over and over…”
Aleksi pulled her to him and held her tight.“You should know by now that it would take more than a drop or twoof dream flower to kill an arrogant ass like me,” he murmured intoher hair.
I would come back from the grave foryou.
CHAPTER 11
Searching
Aleksi shook out his bedroll and laid it onthe ground.“Here,” he told Sahar.“You should lie down before youfall down.”
It was a testament to how tired and worn outshe was that she did what he said without argument.He took hisotter cloak out of his saddle bag and covered her with it,clenching his fists at the red welts and raw sores on her wrists asshe rolled over onto her side and pulled the cloak up under herchin.Gently, he touched his fingers to the black and blue swellingabove the hollow of her cheek, and she whimpered and flinched athis touch.
“Shhh, Kitten,” he soothed.“I won’t hurtyou.I’ll never hurt you, and I’ll never let anyone hurt youagain.”
He tucked a snarled, unkempt lock of hairbehind her ear, and growled low as she shrank from his touch.Itwas obvious from her physical wounds that they had beaten her, butas bad as they were, they would heal.What worried Aleksi was thedamage done to her spirit.He’d heard every vile word the Jackalsaid before smashing his face into the tree.They’d meant to handher over to the Ox, to be publicly humiliated and raped and thenexecuted, to be sacrificed for their war, all to settle atwenty-year-old grudge.
“They’ll pay for what they have done to you,”he vowed.“As well as for what they meant to do.”
“They never would’ve succeeded,” she said,her voice a raw whisper.
“No?”
She shook her head, and his cloak fell awayfrom her chin.She turned and met his gaze, her beautiful facemottled with bruises.Aleksi’s bile rose.
“I knew if you weren’t dead…” Her voicecracked, and her eyes welled, and his heart stuck in his throat.“Iknew if you were still alive, that you’d come after me.”She smiledas sweetly and tenderly as she had never smiled at him before.“Ifyou were dead, and I was on my own, then I would die by my own handbefore I ever gave in to the likes of them.”
“I’ll kill them,” Aleksi swore.“Yago andTaweel are dead men.”
“You can’t.”Her gaze held his, serious.“Wemust bring them back to my father as proof of their plans.”
“Your father will believe us withoutthem.”
“My father will, but the other kings may not.If the Ox gets his war…”
“Your father will need the other kings toally with him.”
Sahar gave a rueful grin, then grimaced andlicked the cracked and bleeding corner of her mouth.
“If I can’t kill the worm and his cur,”Aleksi said, pulling a wash rag from his saddle bag and pouringwater from his skin onto it, “then at least I demand the right torepay him in kind.”
He touched the wet cloth to her lip anddabbed gently.She reached up and placed her hand over his, andthen she grinned, fierce and feral.“Only after I have done withhim,” she said.
“There’s my tigress,” Aleksi said, relievedher spirit remained fierce.
He wet the rag again and dabbed at the cutsand sores on her wrists, grinning like the village idiot.“Rattergave me a healing balm,” he said, rummaging through his saddlebagand pulling out the tub.He rubbed the pungent salve on her wrists,and then her lips, the soft, plush feel of them pulling at hiscock.He coughed and sat back.She needed comfort and healing, notsome randy stallion pawing at her.Which made what he was about tosay even more difficult.“We do not dare light a fire,” he said,“and we only have the one bedroll.I need sleep, or I will be of nouse tomorrow, and you need sleep to heal, so…”
“So...”
“So, Z is tethered next to us, he’ll warn usif anyone comes near.I’m going to lay down under my cloak withyou, and we’ll share our bodies’ heat.”
She rolled a reddened eye at him, but shescooted forward and made room.
