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She tensed but stood her ground, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She had fantastic tits—high and firm and big for her slender frame. She’d tucked her fangs away, but her pale hair was mussed from our scuffle. My thumbprint was a red mark on her chin. Her green gown was simply cut but obviously expensive. It was probably supposed to be modest, too, but it failed miserably at its task. She was built for sex—a fact my knights hadn’t missed. More than one looked ready to ride to her rescue.

Charming.

Without breaking her stare, I lifted my voice and addressed my men. “Stop gawking and gather the thralls.”

At once, knights moved to do my bidding, riding to the humans and helping them atop the horses. This was accomplished within minutes. Through it all, Given and I maintained our standoff.

“You can ride before me or facedown across my saddle,” I told her.

Her nostrils flared.

“And before you decide, Princess, you should know I don’t make idle threats.”

I saw the moment she realized I meant it. Her jaw set, and she gave a tiny nod. When I reached down, she took my hand and let me swing her up and into the saddle. I wrapped an arm around her waist and settled her against me. The second her ass nestled against my groin, she stiffened, her back going ramrod straight.

She was tall, even for a female of Nor Doru. Anyone looking at her would assume she descended from the warrior class. But as far as I knew, Vessa of Lar Satha’s people had been ordinary nobles. A highborn but impoverished family of little significance. The Lar Satha estate had dwindled to a small tower house and a few acres of untended land. The family had died out.

Except for the halfling princess doing her best to avoid touching me.

Her scent teased my lungs. She smelled like clean skin and flowers and something rich and spicy.

A horse’s soft whinny pulled me from my thoughts.

I’d been staring at Given’s back. And now my knights were waiting for my command and doing their best to pretend they weren’t watching.

“We ride for the city,” I called out, spurring my horse forward.

Given held her body away from mine. We’d see how long she could maintain that position at a trot over the uneven countryside. The knights fell into formation, and we left the Rift and the Thicket behind.

* * *

We were halfway to the city when the princess’s spine unbent.

An admirable effort. She lasted longer than I expected. Another surprise. They were quickly accumulating.

The stitching around the neckline of her gown was exquisitely done. At first glance, the gold thread formed naught but a pretty pattern. Upon closer inspection, tiny gold towers marched along a bed of emerald green. Her needlework, most likely. Rolund had set his half-breed sister to sewing the symbols of Nor Doru’s blood enemy into her clothing.

My breastplate couldn’t feel good against her back, but she rested against it anyway, no doubt fatigued from her earlier journey. Her white-blond hair was pulled back from her face and arranged in some kind of intricate braid highborn women wore. She gripped the pommel with tight fingers in an obvious effort to avoid leaning her whole weight against me.

“I told you to remove the gloves,” I said.

She caught her breath, and I could almost hear her thinking over her response. At last, she settled with, “I assumed I would take orders from your king.”

“Thralls take orders from whoever gives them. Or did your brother not tell you that?”

Some of the steel reentered her spine. I couldn’t see her face, but I could imagine her pink lips tightened with displeasure. Some of it was assuredly for me, but I’d wager there was plenty for Rolund, too. Royal women were raised with the expectation of being sold, but the transaction was typically accompanied by a wedding.

I hummed under my breath. “Perhaps he neglected to mention that part. Nevertheless, you’ll remove the gloves or I will.”

“More threats, General?”

“Let’s call it a promise, halfling.”

Another sharp intake of breath. “It’s cold.”

For a moment, I let silence fall between us again. But only for a moment. “Do you know what makes vampires from the warrior class such lethal fighters?”

No answer. Not that I’d expected one.