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"Samju, no," one of the kallinies cried out, lifting her head and freezing me in midstride—something that had never happened to me before. The kallini was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on.
Her hair was a variety of different brown and blonde tones mixed in perfect unison, framing an exquisitely shaped face. Large golden-green eyes sparkled as they homed in at the fast-approaching stallion, which sprang me back into action.
These horses had been trained for war, bred to be bigger, stronger, faster, more aggressive. He would trample the small kallini without breaking a sweat.
Waving my arms, I leapt forward to distract the stallion from its intended target, missing how she called it by name.
I barely pushed her out of the way when the large horse was about to reach her. Seeing me, he reared up, striking his front legs toward me.
The other kallinies screamed and tried to move out of the way but ended up in a heap on the ground.
I stretched to get the rearing horse under control, reaching for the trailing reins while evading the front legs kicking at me. One barely missed my shoulder with its sharpened hoof.
From out of nowhere, the beautiful kallini I tried to save reappeared. With her hands bound behind her back, she threw herself sideways at the stallion's flank shouting, "Samju, stop!"
I stepped back, realizing the horse was trying to protectherfromme.
The stallion's ears were still pinned back and he snorted aggressively at me, but at least his legs were on the ground now while the kallini snuggled her shoulder into his.
"You are a good boy, aren't you? Such a good boy," she soothed the snorting animal.
The chaos was completed by the handlers rushing forward, gripping the loose reins, and shouting at the horse.
Bertram, moving astonishingly quickly for such a heavy man, also reached us. His hand gripped the kallini's arm in an iron vise, raising my anger.
"You stupid bitch! Now what have you done?" He pulled her forward, then lifted his other hand to strike her. With a shout of fury, I intercepted it.
"Do not touch her," I snarled into his face, bending his wrist.
"Argh," he groaned, letting go of the kallini and bending sideways as I tightened my hold on his hand. "Please, I meant no disrespect."
"She is mine. Do not dare touch her!" I roared. "She is my tribute," I added because the vehemence with which my first sentence came out startled even me. I barely stopped my other hand from forming a fist and slamming it into his face.
"As you wish." Bertram managed a small bow while still bent at an awkward angle from me holding his wrist.
I shook my hand free, and he stumbled to the side, rubbing his hand.
"Take the horses to the stables," I ordered, searching for the kallini. She was standing frozen to the side, staring after the horses as they were led from sight.
Blood rushed to my loins. She was a sight to behold. Her breasts heaved beautifully, straining against the tight material of her chest binding. Sweat glistened on her nearly naked body, making her skin shine.
I assessed her narrow waist, small enough for my hands to encircle, and allowed my eyes to roam her generously curved hips and long, long legs. If one of our gods would have asked me how I envisioned my perfect kallini, I would have described her.
One lonely tear rolled down a high cheekbone, where it hung suspended for a moment, before it fell down to meet her naked shoulder. Which was when I realized her near nakedness was not only for me to see.
With narrowed eyes, I turned and with dismay realized every warrior's eye was on her.
An unknown sense of possessiveness overcame me along with an urge to slay every single male daring to stare at her.
With barely contained rage, I moved over to her while taking my fur coat off my shoulders before I flung it around hers. She hadn't heard me approach and startled, too caught up in staring after the horses.
Unsettling green-gold eyes lifted to mine, rosy lips parted in a silent, startled cry, which she held in. But her open mouth and the glimpse I stole of her tongue hardened my cock, because all I could think of were those lips wrapped around it.
Myworldwasshatteredby my father's death. With him being my only family, we had always feared the day fate would call him away from me. But no matter what Dad tried to do to protect me, we both knew the only real protection I had was his name while he was still alive.
Women didn't matter much in our world, and not many were given the freedom and chances my father gave me.
Our bad luck began with an attack of the despised Udruns at one of the pastures by taking most of our horses. Unfortunately, some of the mares had foaled late in the season, which was why we had kept them in the pastures longer than usual. Had the Udruns attacked only a few days later, the horses would have been safely tucked away in their stables inside our outpost.
