She shrugged and said nothing.
“Do you know why Ratter would not agree tothe Wolf’s demands?”
Again, she shrugged and said nothing.
“Because he does not trust him.Nor shouldyou.”
“That.Is.It.”Sahar threw the brush atAleksi, who managed to dodge it as it flew past his head.“First myfather, then my brother, then Ratter, and now you.”She stood noseto chin with him, breathing fire.“I have had it with you menthinking you must warn me off of Yago, thinking you must protectme, as if I, a mere woman, am incapable of taking care ofmyself.”
Aleksi’s first instinct was to pull herheadscarf off, bury his fingers into her thick mass of dark curlsand pull her to him, to kiss those full lips and breathe in herfire.She might scorch him to bare earth, but it would be worth it.Still, reason and those men she railed against were enough to reinhim in.
“Perhaps you should heed them,” he said.
“Perhaps you should mind your ownbusiness.”
“Perhaps I will.”
“Good.”
“Good.”Aleksi took half a step back, andthen stepped right back up.“Listen,” he said.“I am no inbredidiot.I know a princess used to life in a grand palace would neverlower herself to marry a poor bastard like me.I have no illusionsthere, now that I know who you are.But this Yago the Wolf, he maybe a prince by title, with a pretty face and even prettier manners,but he is a snake in the grass.Do not fall for his flattery.”
“Flattery?You think me so spoiled andshallow that I would fall for false flattery?”
It was Aleksi’s turn to shrug and saynothing.
“Why do you even care?”she said.“You arenot in competition with him for me since you have apparently takenyour proposal back.”She glowered at him.“I will say you gave upeasily.It must be all those other broodmares out there waiting fora stallion such as yourself to pick and choose from.”
Aleksi glowered right back.Did she think itwas nothing to him to be refused?Did she expect him to prostratehimself at her feet and beg her to marry him so that she couldrefuse him again?She was angry, he could see that.But was sheangry because he had proposed, or because she thought he had takenhis proposal back?Had he taken it back?He raked a hand throughhis hair and saw the quick uptick of her gaze as his stubborn shockof hair fell back down onto his forehead.He was not conceited, butneither was he blind.He had seen that look of feminine approvalenough times to recognize it, even in a fire-spitting tigress.Bythe gods, she was the most maddening woman he had ever met.“Do asyou wish,” he said.
“I will,” she snarled, fangs showing and eyesblazing.
Aleksi laughed, quick and short.“Rememberthough,” he said over his shoulder as he walked away, “even atigress has need of protection when there is a trap being set forher.”
At supper that night, Sahar made a point ofsitting at one of the tables set aside for the riders.Yago was thefirst man to offer her a seat beside him, though this time at leastthree others shifted and made a place for her as well.Aleksandrhad not yet arrived, and she told herself it was merely curiositythat made her look for him—that and the ridiculously appealingimage of him nuzzling and sweet-talking the kitten in thestables.
Where he had called her a tigress.
Of course, it was after warning her off ofYago the Wolf, like the other men in her life thought necessary todo.As if she could not take care of herself.She huffed as shetook the seat beside Yago.She would show all of them when she andLasair won the races, and though she had no real need for thewinning purses, it would be the first coin she had earned from herown toil and talents.Coin she would use to build her ownstables.
“Princess Sahar?”
She turned her attention to Yago and caught aglimpse of her father’s glare over his shoulder.
“May I call you Sahar?”
“Just do not call her kitten,” a low,resonant voice said from behind her.
“Ah, Maksimillian’s bastard,” Yago said asAleksandr stepped up and stood between them, towering over them ontheir stools, an affable grin on his face.
“Ah, Yago the Worm, er, I mean, Wolf.Youknow, my desert words, they do not always come out right.”Heleaned down to Sahar, blocking Yago.“How’s your finger?”
“I’ll live, thank you.Yours?”
He waggled it in front of her face.“Inworking order, as you see.”
The corners of her mouth twitched up despiteherself, and his grin grew cocky.He dipped his head to her andthat cursed shock of hair fell onto his forehead.When she pulledher gaze from his forehead, he grinned and then straightened towalk around the table, taking a seat directly across from her, hisgrin even cockier.She took a long, slow drink of her wine.
“Peasant boor,” Yago muttered, his lipsthinning into a derisive sneer.
