Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 106398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
When she was a few short steps from the front door, her arm was suddenly grabbed and she was yanked back, almost losing her footing. The stench of her assailant stung her nostrils so badly that she thought she would retch. Unlike her earlier attack, this time she was unfettered and nothing prevented her from launching her own attack. She did so without hesitation.
Wintra jabbed him hard in the eye and stomped as viciously as she could on his foot. While he grabbed for his eye and hopped on one foot, she kicked him in the groin with all the force she could muster. He groaned, grabbed his groin, and went down on his knees.
She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back. “Who sent you after me?”
He did not respond. She let go of his hand, stepped behind him, and stomped repeatedly on his ankle. He screamed out in pain and fell over on his side. She kicked him in the ribs. “Who?” she demanded, wanting answers.
A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder, and she turned with a tightly clenched fist ready to strike.
Torr caught her fist in his hand before it could connect with his face. “Easy, Princess, it’s me.”
“I thought you were still with my brother in his solar,” she said.
He released her hand and his arm went around her. “I entered the hall as you left, stopping only for a moment to ask Flanna to send supper to the cottage for us. I must admit, I am impressed that you were able to subdue the culprit on your own.”
“Supper. The two of us. Alone. How wonderful.”
Torr smiled that she was more pleased that he had arranged for supper for just the two of them rather than his compliment over her handling of the situation. But then he was looking forward to their time alone as well.
He called out to three warriors about to enter the keep. “I need two of you to guard this man and the other to fetch Cree. He has retired to his bedchamber.”
Two warriors hurried over to him while the third rushed into the keep.
“Let’s get you inside. The night grows cold,” Torr said.
Wintra refused to budge. “Then you will have to keep me warm, since I will not move from this spot. I will not be left out of the discussion this time.”
Torr would not argue with her. She had a right to know what was going on.
“What goes on here?’ Cree demanded as he approached.
“I would like to know the very same thing,” Wintra said. “Twice in one day I am almost abducted. What is happening, Cree?”
It was not a grown woman he heard ask her, but his little sister who he had failed to protect a few times. And that did not set at all well with him.
Sloan appeared and Cree ordered him to secure the culprit in the shed. The warriors carted the man off moaning and groaning.
Dawn rushed out of the darkness, a fur-lined cloak draped haphazardly over her night dress.
“You were to stay in bed,” Cree scolded as he caught her around the waist and settled her against him.
She gestured frantically while looking at Wintra.
“As you can see, my sister is fine. Torr saved her.”
“Wintra saved herself,” Torr said with a degree of pride.
“Actually,” Wintra said looking to her brother. “Cree saved me.”
Dawn shivered and Cree ordered everyone into the cottage just as Flanna arrived with food and a pitcher of hot cider. She was quickly dispatched to bring a pitcher of ale.
Once they were seated at the table, the fire stoked and a blanket wrapped around Dawn due to Cree’s insistence, he turned to his sister and said, “As far as what is happening, I do not know, but I intend to find out and put an end to it. But right now—how did I save you when I was not even there?”
For a moment Wintra appeared as if lost in her thoughts, and then she spoke. “Someone grabbed me just as that man did near our farm that day. Only this time, I did what you taught me to do to—I attacked him.”
Cree remembered that day all too well. He had been hunting and upon his return home he had come upon a scene that had struck him with gut-wrenching fear. He had spotted a man dragging Wintra away by the arm. She was trying desperately to free herself, but she was no match for his size. Cree had taken off in a run, though did not scream at the man to stop, fearful that he would run off with Wintra into the woods and be lost to him. He had watched as the man knocked her to the ground and was about to rape her. He had never run so fast in his life.