about her body.
He reached down to dislodge one of the larger branches, pulling the bundle of clothes up until her naked backside presented itself to him. The sight, though brief, triggered sparks at his center. He had to bite his lip and forced his eyes to the bright red face staring back at him. He let go, but for a moment, he could have sworn there was passion in her eyes.
She shoved his hands away. “Stop it!” she said and meant it.
Thane ignored her outburst. He grabbed the garment, and in a few seconds, he had her untangled. “There,” he said inspecting her clothes.
Phaedra crossed to a log and sat, folding her arms and looking away from him.
Bahar entered the clearing with a lantern. Only then did Thane realize the extent of her wounds. Two deep scratches darkened with blood as he watched, but the stubborn lips drew into an angry pout.
When Bahar stood by his side, he made a decision. Getting down on his haunches, he was now eye-to-eye with her, and he worked to keep his voice quiet.
“If you want me to help you, you have to do as I say.” He gently took her chin in his fingers and turned her face so she could see he was earnest. She tried to take it back, but Thane had a good grip. “Otherwise, I turn you over to the next traveler I see and send you back to Abella, regardless of what you tell him. If anything happened to you…” She opened her mouth, but Thane held up a hand and released her chin. “I will help you,” he said to her then glanced at Bahar, “both of you. These roads are treacherous and filled with dangers you could not possibly comprehend. We are out of range of any of the tribes or the legion here and will be until we reach Londinium. If we work together, I think we can make it to Rutupiae without incident.”
Bahar touched her arm. “I think I know what he has in mind, big sister. You know what is at stake. I think I know the prince well enough,” he added, taking her hand. “I swear to you, I will make sure nothing happens to you. On my life.”
Phaedra turned to her brother and touched his cheek, then gave Thane a withering glare. “I will not be your slave, gladiator,” she hissed, but then her face softened when she turned it to Bahar, “but I will do what I have to.” Tipping her head to the ground, she pulled a parcel of air into her lungs and blew it out. “Tell us what to do, Prince, and I will follow.”
“Good.” Thane knew he sounded harsh but did not amend it. The woman needed to learn discipline and humility if she wanted to survive. Woman. It was the first time he thought of her in that light, and the revelation stunned him, but he forced it down. He was half-tempted to put her on the horse and return her to Abella without her brother. Bahar would be a welcome companion, but he knew with certainty that Phaedra was going to be trouble. He half wished he had given her that spanking yesterday.
Standing up, he turned and did not look back to see if they followed. They did.
When he reached the road, he went to the horse, pulled off their pack, and tossed it on the road. “He will have to go back on his own,” he called over his shoulder. “Can he be trusted to find the way?”
“Back? Doctores , we need him to…”
“A horse will prove too tempting. They bring great prices with little work. We will not make it two miles with him before we are set upon.”
Bahar came up to the horse and ran his hand over the snout. “I thought he would make our passing faster.”
Thane turned his head toward Phaedra who was squatting next to the bundle. “He will not carry three, boy. Or had you not thought of that?”
Bahar nodded quietly, but did not look very pleased. “If you think it best, Doctores .”
“I do… and you must not call me that. From this point on, I am Teutorigos, a Briton trader from the Corieltauvi . You are my apprentice, and the girl is our slave.”
“Yes, doc… I mean, Teutorigos.”
“Then what should I call you?” Phaedra
He reached down to dislodge one of the larger branches, pulling the bundle of clothes up until her naked backside presented itself to him. The sight, though brief, triggered sparks at his center. He had to bite his lip and forced his eyes to the bright red face staring back at him. He let go, but for a moment, he could have sworn there was passion in her eyes.
She shoved his hands away. “Stop it!” she said and meant it.
Thane ignored her outburst. He grabbed the garment, and in a few seconds, he had her untangled. “There,” he said inspecting her clothes.
Phaedra crossed to a log and sat, folding her arms and looking away from him.
Bahar entered the clearing with a lantern. Only then did Thane realize the extent of her wounds. Two deep scratches darkened with blood as he watched, but the stubborn lips drew into an angry pout.
When Bahar stood by his side, he made a decision. Getting down on his haunches, he was now eye-to-eye with her, and he worked to keep his voice quiet.
“If you want me to help you, you have to do as I say.” He gently took her chin in his fingers and turned her face so she could see he was earnest. She tried to take it back, but Thane had a good grip. “Otherwise, I turn you over to the next traveler I see and send you back to Abella, regardless of what you tell him. If anything happened to you…” She opened her mouth, but Thane held up a hand and released her chin. “I will help you,” he said to her then glanced at Bahar, “both of you. These roads are treacherous and filled with dangers you could not possibly comprehend. We are out of range of any of the tribes or the legion here and will be until we reach Londinium. If we work together, I think we can make it to Rutupiae without incident.”
Bahar touched her arm. “I think I know what he has in mind, big sister. You know what is at stake. I think I know the prince well enough,” he added, taking her hand. “I swear to you, I will make sure nothing happens to you. On my life.”
Phaedra turned to her brother and touched his cheek, then gave Thane a withering glare. “I will not be your slave, gladiator,” she hissed, but then her face softened when she turned it to Bahar, “but I will do what I have to.” Tipping her head to the ground, she pulled a parcel of air into her lungs and blew it out. “Tell us what to do, Prince, and I will follow.”
“Good.” Thane knew he sounded harsh but did not amend it. The woman needed to learn discipline and humility if she wanted to survive. Woman. It was the first time he thought of her in that light, and the revelation stunned him, but he forced it down. He was half-tempted to put her on the horse and return her to Abella without her brother. Bahar would be a welcome companion, but he knew with certainty that Phaedra was going to be trouble. He half wished he had given her that spanking yesterday.
Standing up, he turned and did not look back to see if they followed. They did.
When he reached the road, he went to the horse, pulled off their pack, and tossed it on the road. “He will have to go back on his own,” he called over his shoulder. “Can he be trusted to find the way?”
“Back? Doctores , we need him to…”
“A horse will prove too tempting. They bring great prices with little work. We will not make it two miles with him before we are set upon.”
Bahar came up to the horse and ran his hand over the snout. “I thought he would make our passing faster.”
Thane turned his head toward Phaedra who was squatting next to the bundle. “He will not carry three, boy. Or had you not thought of that?”
Bahar nodded quietly, but did not look very pleased. “If you think it best, Doctores .”
“I do… and you must not call me that. From this point on, I am Teutorigos, a Briton trader from the Corieltauvi . You are my apprentice, and the girl is our slave.”
“Yes, doc… I mean, Teutorigos.”
“Then what should I call you?” Phaedra
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