ALEK STEPPED CLOSE TO CAT, grabbing her hands and stared into her bewildered eyes.'It's okay. It's nothing to panic about. Are you all well?'Her jaw ajar Cat stared for an instant before shaking her head in confusion.'What? Of course, we're well.'Realizing that the others also wore bemused expressions he clarified.'The earth move, it's nothing to worry about.''Yes,' Cat said while squinting at him. 'Yes, we know that.'The sense of urgency and panic that he'd rushed here with, along with the other men halted awkwardly.'Errr- you do?' Alek paused to look at them all. Cat, Sian, Kassie, and Loi looked unperturbed. Citaan looked harried but then Rirae screamed and kicked in her arms, ignoring any attempts to soothe her. Turning, Alek spotted Leseach. The Northerner stood with tensed shoulders, her hands in balled fists at her sides as she eyed everyone. Her fast darting gaze and grey toned skin suggested they had felt the earth move.'It did shake here, yes?''Yes,' Cat n

IN THE CLEARED, DRESSED, AND opened rooms Alek waited for Cat to round the corner in the ceremony rehearsal. With the walls of the ballrooms, plus the throne room and several other estate rooms all opened they would be able to fit almost twenty thousand guests, slotted in carefully. Elena had considered having it as standing space only, but the three-hour ceremony was too long to expect most of their guests to manage standing. Vesbel and her large team of workers scurried about, winding enormous lengths of flowers up the support pillars in the various rooms, decorating the chairs that lined the path to the altar with fresh boughs in crimson with accents of white and green. Several meadow sprites hovered about, chatting to the blooms, asking them to last the next couple of days.A trumpet rang out.Straightening where he stood at the discreetly marked position near where normally the door to the first ballroom was, Alek shifted restlessly against a growing unpleasantness in his gut. P

AROUND THEM THE MASS OF centaurs began to shift. Leseach and Rashid stayed at the head of the group while the lines formed.Turning back in the saddle to stare at the three hundred or so entries to the hunt, a certain sense of satisfaction rose. She may have failed in her duty. But she'd killed the culprit. It caused an unpleasant tipping sensation within. On one hand she'd protected the princess from future violation. But oh, the thoughts of what he might have done. That scent, the memory of that musky male scent, it both turned her stomach and infuriated her.She expelled the swelling agony of emotion in a harsh breath, gripping the handle on the saddle while scowling unseeing at the ground.A sharp trumpet of the horns made her head snap up, recognizing the call for attention. There on the white stone steps of the castle stood Alek and Cat, smiling at them all. Leseach felt her heart ache at the sight. She looked lovely, hair aglow as she and Alek waved at the crowd with wide s

'SHE DID IT!'The centaur's shout of excitement took Rashid's focus from the stained animal they'd been tracking. Leaning to peer ahead, he caught sight of the tall blonde Northerner standing alongside a fallen khalazyon, the soldier she'd rode next to her. A horn blast from the soldier he rode rang loud in his ears as he jerked back. Only moments later answering cries rang out as the hunters passed the call on. 'Head back?' his soldier called.'No! Let's go admire the kill.'Reaching the kill site Rashid swung a leg over, landing easily on the ground and grinned widely at Leseach.'Well done! I think you must have found the largest male too!''It was the first we spotted,' the soldier she'd ridden said laughingly. 'Beginners luck!'They chatted as other hunters rode in to admire the kill. Leseach took the congratulations in her stride, a half-smile in place. The scent of the kill grew stronger and the soldier she'd ridden set off with Rashid's soldier to go lead the cart pul

THE BATTERED AND BLOODY MAN lay crumpled just beyond the entrance to the caves. A bellowing roar of indignant fury shattered Leseach's stunned horror.She stooped, slipping an arm under his shoulder and swung, throwing her other arm around his thighs and lifted, stumbling out of the thicket.Snapping snarls followed her. Shoulder blades flinching at the sounds, Leseach tightened her grip on the moaning man, lurching across the rocky riverbed, aiming for the river.Warning barks then a howl made the breath that had wedged in her throat gasp out in relief. She could hear the distance growing. The tehnears weren't going to leave their kill alone.Reaching the river, she booted smaller rocks aside, awkwardly sweeping her feet back and forth to create a smooth place to set him down.With a grunt of effort, she lowered first his legs then carefully his torso, keeping her hold across his back.Her hand touched the bandi sword embedded in his back.Rashid gave a hoarse gasp of pain.