Read The Commander's Desire for Free Online

revulsion and backed away
from them both. “I am weary. Thank you for the meal, Prince. I must
bid you goodnight.”
    Spinning in her soft slippers, Elwytha fled
the room. Unwanted tears crowded her eyes and she ran blindly
through the fiendish snake’s lair. How dare the Prince taunt her
with her beloved brother’s death? A great, aching knot of misery
pulsed in her throat. The bold bravado, which she had clung to ever
since entering the palace, shattered, leaving her emotionally naked
and vulnerable. And she hated it. Weakness had no place in her
warrior’s heart.
    She had no idea where she was going. She flew
down shadowed corridors lit by flickering torches, and then found a
large door, flung it open, and found herself in the soft night with
grass beneath her feet.
    A courtyard. The sweet scents of vanilla and
late blooming wild roses enveloped her. Gasping, she found a path
through the garden and dashed down it, under the pale light of the
moon. A bench appeared and she sank down on it, weeping
uncontrollably. She wailed long and loud with grief for her dead
brother, and for the fear and loneliness she felt here, captive in
this enemy stronghold. She wondered if God was listening, and
gulped a prayer for deliverance from this unconscionable
situation.
    She became aware of another’s presence.
    Alarmed, she looked up and saw the Commander
outlined in moonlight, larger than life.
    “ Get away from me,” she
cried out, horrified. “I hate you. I hate
you! ”
    He sat beside her and she instantly sprang to
her feet. “Don’t touch me, or so help me, I’ll…”
    “ You have no dagger,” he
reminded her. “What will you do?”
    “ Find another!” She bit her
lip in dismay at the impulsive testament to her true desire.
Brokenly, she said, “I wish to be alone. Leave me.”
    “ It’s not safe for you to be
alone.”
    “ And I am safe with you? ”
    “ No one will harm you when I
am with you.”
    “ And who will protect me
from you?”
    “ You must trust
me.”
    “ I will never trust you!” Her voice shook.
“Not as long as you live.”
    “ You think I intend to harm
you?”
    “ Isn’t that what you do
best?” Her voice rose. “Kill. Destroy. Ruin people’s lives!” She
burst into more tears of sorrow for her brother. “You are a
monster! A dishonorable monster,” she screamed, unable to help
herself. “I hate you! I hate you. I will hate you forever!” She ran, but tripped and
collapsed to the ground, overcome with rage and grief.
    “ Elwytha.”
    She ignored him, sobbing into her hands.
    “ Elwytha.” To her shock, her
hated enemy scooped her up in his arms.
    “ No!” she cried out. She
kicked and fought like a wild animal. “Put me down!” She wrestled
harder, with all of her strength. She hated his vile presence. His
touch made her skin crawl. Being so close to him…touching him…made
her wail all the louder in dismay.
    Still he held her. He would not release her.
Her struggles seemed to affect him no more than a gnat flitting at
his jerkin. Gradually, she realized it was useless to fight. He
would not release her. More logical thoughts drifted in. They still
remained in the garden. Maybe he thought she’d taken leave of her
senses. Perhaps if she calmed, he would put her down.
    With difficulty, she gulped to a stop.
    “ Put me down,” she said in a
watery voice.
    Instead, he began to walk toward the
castle.
    Elwytha felt spent. No fight remained in her.
Unless, of course, he tried to force himself upon her. Better to
reserve her strength, then.
    She sniffed quietly and wiped at her face
with her sleeve and endured his presence. He smelled of leather and
soap, but she ignored this, tensing herself for the return to his
chambers.
    He strode in, but instead of dumping her on
his bed again, like she had expected, he edged open the door to her
room and lowered her onto her own bed. A lamp flickered in the
room, shadowing the bad half of his face into blackness. The good
half looked