Read Renegade (The Captive Series Book 2) for Free Online Page B

admired him, he was beautiful, but even though he was a
gorgeous animal, he would also provide enough meat for the
encampment to last a few days. He would feed the hungry children,
and herself she realized as her stomach rumbled eagerly.
    She was about to let the arrow fly when
she felt it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, a chill
crept down her back before seeping through her limbs. She froze,
she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t move, because she was afraid that
moving would only trigger an attack. She had lived in these woods
long enough to know when a predator was near. Lived here long
enough to know when an animal was near its end, but this time she
was not the hunter and it was her end she feared. She was certain
that there was the deadliest kind of predator near her right
now.
    Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned to
face the creature stalking her, watching her. It did not take her
long to spot him. Braith stood amongst the trees, his dark hair
highlighted by the rising sun. Light reflected of the dark glasses
he wore to cover his stunning eyes, but she could feel the heat of
his gaze as it raked over her. Her heart knocked against her ribs,
it flipped and beat and pounded in a rapid pace that left her
stunned, breathless. He was just as magnificent, dark and handsome
as she remembered, but seeing him here, in her world, she also
realized just how wild and untamed he was. Just how dangerous and
lethal he could be.
    Excitement strummed through her, for a
brief moment all she wanted was to run to him, to throw her arms
around him, to bury herself in his strong embrace and shut out all
the horrors of the world like only he could make her do. For a
brief moment, all of the joy and wonder she had ever experienced
with him in the palace flooded rapidly back to her. She had been
terrified in that palace, lost and confused, and adrift in a world
that she didn’t know and would never understand. But she had also
been the happiest she’d ever been in her life. She’d been foolish,
and naïve. And she had been in love.
    Her arm wavered on the bow, dropping it
momentarily lower; she could feel the hot press of tears burning
her eyes. He looked wonderful, he looked amazing, and he was here.
He had finally come for her. Though she hated to admit it, there
had been a part of her that had wanted this. A part that had longed
for him to come for her, a part that had wanted him to take her
away from all of this fear and pain, and keep her safe. She hated
that part of her, tried to deny its existence, but it had always
been there, hoping, waiting, praying, and now he was finally
here.
    But it was obvious that he hadn’t come
because he wanted to see her.
    She could see that fact in the hard set
of his jaw; see it in the tension in his broad shoulders. She could
sense it in the anger that radiated from his hard body. He was
here, but he hadn’t come for a good reason. Aria swallowed heavily,
fear trickled through her as she realized that he was truly furious
right now. She could feel the rage thrumming off of him in nearly
violent waves. She didn’t know why he was so infuriated, so filled
with anger, but she did know that it was directed at her. Well that
was good, because she was pretty damn pissed at him too.
    She didn’t know why he had finally come
after her, but from the look of him it appeared that he wanted to
rip her throat out. Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her jaw as she
lifted the bow higher once more, leveling it right at the spot of
his non-beating heart. Yes, he had finally come for her, but it was
obvious that one of them would not be walking away from this
encounter.

CHAPTER 4

    Braith studied her for a long moment.
He had almost forgotten how wonderful it was to see her, and
everything around her. The forest came alive with her in it; the
colors were vivid, sharp to eyes so accustomed to darkness. Though
the woods were beautiful, they were nothing compared to
her.
    Her face was thinner and more