ChaptCatherine shrugged into the burlap breeches and linen tunic, tying a thin cloak around her shoulders and intending to use the thoughtfully provided piece of rawhide thong to tie her hair.

The clothes must have belonged to Thomas, the servant, she thought, grateful that they fit her. Although they were not of the best quality, they returned her dignity.

She sighed, struggling to understand this human.

The differences in our cultures and viewpoints might as well be an unscalable barrier, she mused. Her attention was still focused on her surroundings.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, disliking the sound of submission in her voice, but she was just too tired to continue fighting.

He nodded, watching the road to the castle.

She could almost feel Hellenic breathing down their necks.

She pulled her fingers through her wet hair, and a small comb appeared in his outstretched hand as if by magic. It was barely adequate for the job, but it made quick work of the tangles, and she handed it back when she was done.

"Are you ready," Lord Darren asked, really looking at her for the first time. "Your lover, Hellenic, had a glint in his eyes I didn't like," he murmured with a darkness to his tone that she'd never heard.

The idea of Hellenic as her lover made her nauseous, but she didn't contradict him.

Now is not the time for trivial matters.

"Yes, my lord."

She expected him to mount his horse, but he brought her animal closer.

"Give me your hand?" he requested.

Catherine reluctantly obliged, uncertain about his intentions, and held out the unhurt one.

Lord Dillon brought the horse closer until its nose almost touched her fingers, and although it instinctively tried to shy away, he held the animal steady.

"Come closer," he invited her.

The horse again attempted to back up.

"Just stand there," Lord Dillon instructed.

The horse slowly calmed, watching her with the whites of his eyes showing and taking deep breaths.

"Gently touch his nose," that rich voice guided her. His expression was almost gentle.

We don't have time for this, she thought. Every moment we stay in the open, Hellenic is a step closer to us.

Yet she obeyed, needing this gentle interlude to remind her that she was still Catherine despite everything. She was overly aware of the man standing so close to her. Finally understanding that she didn't really know him, although their paths had crossed so many times.

The gelding again tried to back away, but after a few moments, her gentle touch made it realize she wasn't intent on harming it.

"Blow softly into his nose," Dillon suggested.

Catherine glanced at her benefactor with a slight frown but obliged, watching in fascination as the horse settled but remained wary. The cold hole in her chest became incrementally smaller.

If I make any unexpected movement, it will never trust me again, but for now, it accepts that I am no threat, she realized. The vampire idly considered pouncing but obediently settled since they needed the animal.

"Do this every time we stop," Lord Darren said. "Groom Tommy, touch him, make him understand that you are not a danger to him, and he'll grow to trust you."

She glanced at her master, and it still didn't sit right with her that this man now owned her.

Is he just talking about the horse, or is that what he is doing with me? she wondered, patting the animal's neck.

Another twig snapped in the forest, directing all of their attention there. The horse shuddered restlessly.

Her vampire reared into readiness, her nose flared, and her heart hitched into a faster rhythm as her muscles tensed for fight or flight.

The blurry sight of something large and tan moving through the trees made her relax as she realized it was a deer. But that didn't mean it was the only thing out there or that something had not startled it into moving.

Darren kneeled before her with his hands linked together, offering her a boost, and knowing she could not possibly mount without his help, she accepted it.

Had he seen the animal as well, or did he take his cue from me? she wondered. If he did take his cue from her, it meant that he trusted her to keep them safe. That was a big step on his part. Perhaps too much so.

Even though she suffered less pain than the first time, it wasn't easy, and she had to take a moment to regain her composure once she settled in the saddle.

"Are you all right?" Lord Darren asked. "Will more of my blood help?"

The unexpected offer made her stare at him until she remembered her place, and her gaze shifted almost naturally to his shoulder.

He is doing this to get me well enough to fight or flee if we need to do either, she reminded herself. This is not about me.

"It would, Master, but you are right; we are in danger," she said, saliva filling her mouth at the idea of that rich, heady liquid sliding down her throat. She swallowed dryly. "Darkness falls in only a few hours, and they will come for us."

Hellenic is an animal, she reminded herself and struggled to understand how her father had not seen it after everything was said and done. If he catches up to us... she shuddered at the idea.

"You have my fath... Lord Griffon and King Drake's protection, but there are those who will find ways to make their attack seem coincidental," Catherine assured him hollowly.

The past pushed into her consciousness, something she could not yet face. Worse things had happened to her these past few days than her near execution. She avoided thinking about those.

"Yes, I agree with your assessment," his expression hardened as his brow furrowed, his chin jutted, and his shoulders squared.

He is young, hungry, and strong, she thought. The others listen to him, which is why he is the youngest lord serving the human council.

But alone out in the wilderness, Lord Darren had no defense against their enemies.

Hellenic will find a way to get to us, making it appear as if I took matters into my own hands and, in my fear-laced regret, took my own life. Or he might kidnap me. That thought scared her more.

He will hate this man for interfering with his vengeance and deny Dillon an easy death; like Eduardo, Hellenic has a gift for torture. The thought made her shudder and uneasily glance at the forest. If someone followed them, she would know.

The silence stretched, and her attention turned to Dillon, her hunger worsening as her body healed.

We will not need to worry about Hellenic getting to Dillon if we wait too long for me to feed.

She had rarely suffered lack before, and she hunched over as sharp pangs shot through her insides and her stomach churned.

Lord Darren picked up on her movement as he chose a deer path off the main road and entered the forest. No dense vegetation grew close to the road, and they could still comfortably ride side by side.

"Catherine?" he asked, nudging his horse nearer hers.

It killed her to have to admit her weakness to him. The moment reminded her that she was no longer in her world, and her cheeks heated as she fidgeted with the reins.

"I must feed soon, my lord. But before that, we must hurry along and find shelter." Already, she had learned not to like that look of consideration.

This human sees too much of what he should not. His attention fixed on he her teeth peeking out between her lips, and they would not obey her will to retract.

The reflection of her face in his eyes told her that her pupils were still blazing vampire blue instead of being their usual greenish-brown, and her skin seemed paler than usual.

"Bring back what you kill." Although his voice lacked inflection, his expression darkened.

Catherine stared at him, not knowing how to react.

He spent enough time around us to know we do not easily feed off unbound humans—our laws forbid it. Out here, I can only settle for deer.

Vampires often hunted animals that bore more blood and were readily available, except for Hellenic, who refused to "lower his standards.

Father would not allow a dangerous slave out of his sight. If she hadn't already gotten to know this human a little, she would think him crazy or reckless to entrust both their lives in the hands of a convicted traitor.

"Hurry, Catherine," he bid, "before I change my mind."

She lowered herself, but again, he helped her down. The animal was already more used to her, standing still when she patted its shoulder.

The touch of his hands on her sides sent a tingling of electricity through her veins, and his skin was noticeably warmer than hers.

Catherine glanced at him only once before a burst of supernatural speed carried her into the woods. She couldn't take a proper breath until she could no longer see him.

To feed, she would have to release the vampire to hunt, and she did not want it to mistake him for prey. However, something told her that it wouldn't.

Dillon watched her go, and she was not the only one questioning his judgment.

He ignored the remembered sensation of his hands on her hips and the closeness of his body to hers.

She will follow her instincts and choose her fate, he thought, patting her horse on the shoulder. If she leaves, I shall not chase her. Something inside him rebelled against the thought of leaving her to her fate, but he muffled it. The things awaiting me at home are more important than her life or death.

He didn't want to delve into the way this justification rang hollow when saving his people had been his mission for the last five years. Nor did he wish to be reminded of how her skin was just slightly cooler than his or the intense anger that made him interfere in a matter that had nothing to do with him. Or how he would explain to his people why he brought a vampire princess home with him as a slave and risked his life to do so.

I cannot die now, he thought, distracting himself as he mounted his horse and led hers. My people cannot afford it. If she returns, she will have accepted her destiny by obeying the rules laid out by her father. She will be my property out of her own free will and settle into this obligation more smoothly. I am not about to enforce slavery laws on a vampire princess. In his mind, he knew that with any other female of her kind, he would not be as conflicted.

Despite being so hurt, her strength, power, resolve, and pride impressed him.

She was magnificent when she dragged her broken body off the ground and walked over to me, he admitted. A lesser vampire would have been incapacitated with agony.

When their eyes met, he knew he had made the right decision, even though he had not counted on the consequences.

She seemed to stare right into my soul and couldn't understand why I had spoken for her. He restlessly moved his shoulders. To be honest, I had no idea either. I just watched her endure everything they did to her and realized she was not like them. But I knew that already. Even before Hellenic framed her and took her off the table, I saw her strength. It is the reason he could not simply make a play for her hand.

The horse sensed his negative emotions and danced sideways. He automatically reached out and patted the mare's neck.

Whatever he plans, he needs to be in full control of Eduardo's seat of power. For that to happen, she must die, leaving her father's kingdom without an heir. That power vacuum would make Hellenic the strongest contender for the throne, and it would be even more significant if it happened with Eduardo's blessing.

The sleek stride of his horse lessened some of his tension but not his awareness of his surroundings.

If Catherine returns, it means that she has shifted her allegiances. She understands that the only way she can survive is to submit to my authority.

Unless she is more hurt than I realize and she has lost control of her nature. He recalled the moment he lifted her off the horse at the stream, and they were so close he could almost taste the bitter char of her burnt skin. If she didn't attack me then, she would not attack me now.

His mind wandered to a different moment when his hands were on her body, and he stirred uncomfortably in his seat. Even though she was barely aware of him over the years and had not changed much since her twenties, he had to fight his awareness of her since he turned seventeen and first visited their lands. She was like a singular jewel, and if she were not one of them and a princess, he might have courted her.

Whether Eduardo and Hellenic understand it or not, they have created an implacable enemy, whatever she chooses to do. Lord Darren restlessly scanned the forest, unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching him and unwilling to admit he was looking for her to appear. But the horses did not indicate that he wasn't alone.

One day, Hellenic and Eduardo will get to see her without the constraints of their narrow beliefs, and I will love to live long enough to see their faces when she comes into her own. He froze when something moved to his left and relaxed when he spotted a tiny rabbit disappearing in the underbrush as the vegetation got denser.

She'd be impressive. The idea heated his blood, and he fought against his body's reaction as if it were an enemy. Even if she were not a slave, she is a vampire. His jaw locked, and his shoulders tightened. I must never forget that. She might even have changed her mind and might be hunting me right now. His heart decried the notion with a passion that made him frown.

"Come, boy," he said, clicking his tongue to hurry the horses along.

Usually, the cool forest canopy and the sound of nature calmed him, but today, there were just too many places to hide in the shadows.

I need to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall, but it won't be enough, he thought, dodging a low-hanging branch. No horse can outpace or outlast a group of vampires.

Even if I had a contingent of men with me, it would only prolong the inevitable. More humans would needlessly have died for the hubris of these damned immortals.

He didn't bother to cover the horses' tracks or hide his scent.

Even if Eduardo keeps his word to appease Aldrich, Hellenic is a beast of another color. Dillon thought, his jaw tightening. The duke wants Catherine for himself, and he will defy his king to get her, but do it so that no finger will point in his direction.

The idea of the proud vampire princess at Hellenic's mercy angered him, but as much as it did, his priorities were with his own kind and the winds of war blowing from the east.