Abducting the Princess Read Online Free

parents went. A lump built in her throat. They had been such simple days, before she’d taken on the responsibilities of the Zaneean people.
    She stilled ahead of Mahaya. In the distance, she could just make out a handful of the king’s personal soldiers who patrolled the palace. She grinned, then took a breath and opened her mouth. They might just hear—
    A hand clapped across her lips. “Don’t even think about it, Princess,” Mahaya rasped.
    She stiffened. Asshole! But she didn’t need her big cat canines to bite down hard. Jerking back a little, she sank her teeth into his hand.
    His breath hissed and his grip slackened. She pushed away and took off running, hoping like hell his injury kept him still and hurting for a little longer. Even if he didn’t shift, his DNA would guarantee he’d heal quickly.
    The scream she let loose punctured the still air. But the antlike soldiers in the distance didn’t deviate in their patrol.
    Oh, gods. They were too far away, after all.
    Footsteps pounded behind her and grew in volume, Mahaya’s long-legged stride quickly gaining him ground. She let loose a sob a second before he scooped her up as if she weighed little more than a hooded hawk on his wrist.
    Her sob became a shriek, then reverted into a panther’s snarl as he turned her around to face him. She looked up into his hard face that had softened with pity. She glowered. She didn’t want his sympathy. Hell, she’d prefer his darkness, even his passion.
    His eyes caught hers. “I won’t be so tolerant if you try that a second time.”
    She pinned him with an even fiercer glare and fought to get out of the immovable constriction of his arms. “You bastard.”
    He propelled her away from the palace, past the tiny cave opening they’d exited, which was little more than a hole in the ground and would be near impossible to detect unless shown.
    The desert heat was merciless but he didn’t falter. He only slowed when the approaching distant specks on the horizon became more than a dozen horses with their riders.
    Evidently Mahaya had more than one larakyte dissenter accomplice. She should have known he’d not acted alone. But who in their right mind would accept a nightmix into their ranks?
    She stared resentfully, careless of her royal heritage. What good were her refined manners and leadership skills now?
    The lead rider reined his huge, skittish roan stallion to a halt before acknowledging Mahaya with a nod and then her with bow from the waist. “Princess, on behalf of the men and myself,” his stare returned to Mahaya, “and our commander, allow me to apologize for any inconvenience this experience has caused.”
    Commander?
    She ignored a sudden jolt of hysteria at the man’s outrageous apology. All her senses instead latched onto the fact the men before her were both human and shifter, and would surely know of Mahaya’s nighmix flaw?
    “Who are you?” she asked the human.
    “Most of the men here call me Deakes.”
    “Deakes…I could almost forgive you and your men for your unjustified hatred of us larakytes —”
    Deakes frowned. She ignored him and instead twisted a little in Mahaya’s grip, aware of the fire in her eyes when she pinned him with her stare. “But you I could never forgive.”
    “Oh? Is my nightmix blood that untenable?” he mocked.
    She ignored the discomfort within that her words had caused him—he deserved far worse. “Yes,” she hissed. His hands tightened. She ignored the pain. “But even worse is your treachery.”
    Deakes spoke up. “Mahaya has never—”
    Mahaya put up a hand, instantly releasing the pressure to one of her arms and stopping Deakes’ excuses midway. “It’s better this way,” he said to Deakes; to his men. “I’d hate the Princess to question her beliefs.”
    She turned away from him, lips compressed. She despised him and his revolting convictions with more force than she could put into words.
    Deakes raised a brow. “If you say so.”
    The men