Love's Call Read Online Free Page A

anyway. Sir Leargan Tegran had nothing to do with her assignment anyway.
    Leargan had been a girlhood crush. Over the turns, she’d tried to forget her childish fantasies regarding the handsome knight. And failed .
    He still made her heart flutter and her stomach jump with only a thought.
    And why was she thinking of him anyway? Ansley should be focused on that poor girl.
    Repeated rapes.
    More beatings than what had been evident on her body tonight.
    Thank the Blessed Spirit Lord Dagget had been able to heal her.
    “Who hurt her?” The phrase reverberated in her mind as worry seized her gut.
    The girl’s body was healed. But her mind?
    Moving passed what she’d been through would take a long time. Ansley shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist.
    Cera had magic at her disposal. Surely, her men would find the person who had hurt the dark-haired girl. Hopefully when she woke, the girl could give Cera’s husband information.
    Ali wuffed, and Ansley threw her a glance. Her bond had claimed the large bed, lying at its center.
    Ansley went to the trunk at the foot of the ornate bed frame, laying her hunter green Senior Rider cloak down with care. After plopping down on the bed, she threw her arms around her wolf.
    “You growled at him, you naughty girl,” she chided, smiling into Ali’s soft mane.
    Her bond whined and licked her ear. The she-wolf whimpered and nuzzled her side before curling up against Ansley’s body.
    A knock on the door made her sit up. “Come in.”
    Ali lifted her large head, but Ansley’s bondmate made no move to exit the bed.
    Stay . Ansley thought-sent the command. If the she-wolf remained still and visible, it would probably make Daicy feel better.
    The staff at Greenwald should be used to seeing wolves, since there were two in residence, but Ansley wanted to be safe.
    Being bonded to a wolf, or any other kind of beast, wasn’t uncommon though, especially among the messengers of The King’s Riders. Even Senior Riders tended to be young and were expected to travel vast distances, most of the time alone.
    Any beast with relative intelligence, sharp teeth and claws was handy for protection, even though Riders were all trained with the sword and bow.
    Ali had been a gift from Ansley’s father three turns before, when she’d achieved the rank of Senior Rider.
    Daicy was back, along with the headwoman and two lads about twelve. They all carried steaming buckets of water and filed into the room.
    Morag was pleasantly plump, rather pretty and had her graying, brown hair in a thick neat plait down her back, just like Ansley’s own. The lads, one blond and the other his opposite with black hair, both displayed lopsided grins Ansley couldn’t help but return.
    Was everyone chipper, despite the late hour?
    Maybe Cera ran an overnight shift of servants regularly.
    They dumped the water into the large tub, and Daicy smiled at Ansley. “That should do it, mistress.”
    Steam rose idly from the tub. Inviting. Ansley couldn’t wait to get into it. So, a bath isn’t a bad idea after all. Her limbs and back ached. Cera was right. She needed a good soak.
    The lads scampered out of the room, their wooden pails knocking together. Ansley bit her bottom lip to keep back another grin as Morag muttered something about rascals being worse late at night.
    “The beast is on the bed?” The disapproval in the woman’s voice swung Ansley’s gaze back to her. Morag wiped her hands on her white apron, glaring at Ali.
    Ansley bit back the urge to gulp. With squared shoulders and mouth a hard line, the woman was the picture of authority but different than she’d been when caring for the injured girl. This expression was irritated.
    “Mistress, shall I stay to assist with your bath?” Daicy asked, a knowing glint in her brown eyes.
    “Oh, no, that won’t be necessary.” Ansley answered, but she wanted to thank the maid for the distraction.
    “I shall bring you something to eat,” Daicy said.
    “Thank you,