Prince of Passion by Donna Grant Page B

 
    “Because I’d swear I’ve seen you before.”  
    She sighed, her smile gone as she blew out a soft breath. “That’s because, Prince Keiran, you have. In Drahcir on the day you left. I was the girl by the gates,” she said before she rose and walked off.  
    Keiran felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. His mind reeled with her revelation. There were some people of Drahcir who left the magical kingdom, but once they walked through the gates, they could never return.  
    He watched as she wiped down the bar and carried a tray of dirty mugs into a back room. He remembered vividly the day that he’d left his beloved Drahcir to seek his mate. Since it was the entire kingdom at risk, everyone turned out when a prince departed.   The blue stone streets of Drahcir had been lined with his people throwing flowers at his feet and chanting his name, all the while wishing him success.  
    He had stopped at the gates and turned to bid his family one last farewell. Just before he left, he had spotted a girl staring at him. She hadn’t smiled, nor had she cheered. But her gray eyes had held him immobile as she watched.  
    By the gods!  
     

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
     
    Senga wanted to kick something she was so irritated. Over four years she’d waited for Keiran, holding onto the prediction Aimery had given her—a prediction that had made her leave Drahcir.  
    Aimery made her pledge not to tell anyone, not even her family, why she left the magical kingdom. Her family hadn’t understood and had tried everything but tying her to the bed to make her to stay. Leaving Drahcir had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.  
    It wasn’t until a month ago when Aimery had suddenly shown himself that she knew she hadn’t taken his word for naught. But what he’d told her left her with ice in her veins.  
    The Tnarg had found her.  
    For a month, she hadn’t ventured from the inn. If she did, it was in daylight with several people around her, and she never strayed from the village. The Tnarg might be vicious, but it wasn’t brave enough to barrel through a village and chance being hunted by the men.  
    Still, every night, she would lay awake wondering if it would get through the shutters she’d reinforced with iron.  
    Aimery had been positive the Tnarg would arrive any day, and she knew the beast was nearby, waiting for her. The fact Keiran now sat before the fire was proof of it.   She had longed for Keiran to come for her, to claim her as his mate, but now…now she worried they’d never get past the Tnarg to save their people.  
    Senga glanced at Keiran. He sat hunched over the table, hair so dark it was nearly black hung to his shoulders. His hazel eyes held so much sorrow and self-doubt that she longed to tell him who she was.  
    But she couldn’t. Aimery had forbid it. He had taken a chance sharing the information with her.  
    Keiran’s face didn’t hold the youthful exuberance it once had. In its place was a man hardened by this new world and his responsibilities, but it only served to make him more mysterious, more handsome, if that were possible.  
    Even before Aimery had told her of her destiny, Keiran had caught her eye. As heir to the throne, every female from child to crone, wanted him. The fact he was more handsome than sin only made things worse.  
    She shook her head and walked to the back room where dishes awaited her. When she reached for the bucket she was sure she had filled just an hour ago, she found it empty.   The dishes couldn’t wait. She had to have them cleaned before morning and the arrival of her employer, because if he let her go, she had nowhere to live.  
    Senga picked up the bucket and opened the back door. The music of crickets filled the cold, clear night. The moon was only a sliver in the night sky and the stars glistened from above. It looked to be a beautiful setting, but she knew what lurked in the shadows.  
    She peered into the night, straining her ears to