A Price for a Princess Read Online Free Page A

slope of his back before reaching the human portion of his large body.  His skin was darkly tanned and ripped with muscles.  Twin swords were strapped at angles across his back, partially hidden by hair as dark as his horse coloring.  He turned towards me as if he was aware that someone was watching him, and my gaze dropped unabashedly to the juncture of his horse and human parts.  Although blush heated my cheeks at my perusal at him, we were far enough away from each other that I didn't think he could see where I was looking, exactly.  I let my gaze linger on his stomach before trailing upwards to his chest and watching him take in a deep breath.  My eyes took in the strong jaw and the lush mouth and straight nose, before landing on his eyes and losing the ability to think.  Immediately, something inside me clicked and the whole world dropped away for an instant as our gazes clashed and stayed.  I had no idea who the dark haired Centaur was, but my bear was clamoring in my skull to cross the street and find out.
    I took a step away from Rysk and Tyrant who were waiting for my dress to be wrapped, my eyes glued to my Centaur.  Yes, mine.  It felt right.  A rumbling growl in my chest confirmed my feelings and I took another few steps, completely lost to everything except him.
    A loud crash shook me free of his hold and I turned my head in time to see a young Centaur boy stumble backwards from the cart of a Vehsi as baskets of fruit spilled to the ground.  The Vehsi roared in anger, surged away from his cart, and caught the boy by the arm, snarling what could only be profanities in a language I didn't know.
    Without thinking, I rushed forward, intent to separate the boy from the beast before he was hurt.  I had some fighting skills, thanks to my rough and tumble brothers, and I could throw a knife with fair accuracy, but I had no knife and the Vehsi was several times larger than me and he had friends.  Even with my accentuated strength from my bear, I was no match for him or the others that were suddenly looming near.  But it didn't matter.  All that mattered narrowed down to the Vehsi's hand as it grabbed a whip from a loop on it's belt and raised it high while the boy cried out in fear.
    I snarled and lurched forward, knocking the child from his grasp.  I raised my arm up to shield myself as the whip whistled through the air and wrapped around my wrist.  I shrieked in pain as the whip bit into my skin and burned like it was drenched in acid.  The pain enraged the beast inside me and I growled and jerked the whip hard, pulling it right from the surprised Vehsi's hand.
    We were suddenly surrounded, Rysk, Tyrant, and several Dire Wolves taking the Vehsi to the ground quickly as the loud sound of hoof beats echoed around us.  I felt him before I saw him, and my Centaur reached his arm out and caught me, pulling me up on his back and wheeling around in the street, kicking off fast away from the melee.  Rysk and Tyrant shouted after me and the Dire Wolves followed, but I wasn't worried.  My Centaur had pulled me free as the Vehsi and Centaurs pushed to where I had been, the Vehsi taking the opportunity to fight and the Centaurs trying to keep the peace.
    My Centaur had saved me.  I'd never been happier to have been foolish enough to rush into danger.
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    I held tight to his back with my legs and carefully unwound the whip from my wrist.  The wound left behind was angry and raw, and it felt like several layers of skin had disappeared when I pulled it free.
    I held it by the handle, keeping the long length away from his body and put my other arm around his waist, holding myself steady.  His hand landed on mine, pressing my palm into his flesh, and I sighed deeply, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against his back, in the small place between the swords.
    I didn't understand what was happening to me, but everything about this man felt right.  With my eyes closed, I