Then he had met Sahar.
Proud and beautiful, with a royal pedigree hewas foresworn to despise, but whose blazing green eyes, stiffspine, and fierce determination he’d come to admire.He haddiscovered, somewhere out there in the wilds with a bloodthirstytigress, that she was who he wanted.She was who he needed by hisside, not some mealy-mouthed, meek-tempered, weak-willed maid whowould blindly do his bidding, but a strong-willed, fiery-temperedwoman with a mind of her own who would challenge him when shethought him wrong, and fight beside him when she knew him to beright.
He’d been more right than he knew when hetold her they should marry because they were good together.Theyweregood together.Not only in bed.They made each otherbetter.So much better together than apart.
He pulled Zolotoy up to a stop.
“Aleksandr?”
He met his father’s quizzical gaze.“I haveto go back,” he said.“I have to tell her.”
“Tell her?Who?What?”
“The Princess Sahar,” his mother said with aknowing smile.“That he loves her.”
Sahar sat on the rock overlooking the riverand pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, trying to stemthe shivers coursing through her body as waves of grief washed overand through her.She planted her hands firmly on the rock where shehad lain with Aleksi, seeking to ground herself, to keep herselffrom drowning in sorrow, a sorrow so deep, so all-encompassing,that she felt as if she would never draw a full breath again.
A sorrow that she’d brought upon herself.
Not only had she let Aleksi leave withouther, but she’d sent him away.The only man who’d known her.Who’dteased her, challenged her, and fought with her and by her side.Who’d made her burn and who had burned with her, only to rise againand again.The only man she’d ever loved with a fire and a passionthat she’d never know again.She’d let her bruised pride send himaway from her.
She would be alone.Forever.
Wasn’t that what she wanted?What she hadalways told anyone who asked, including Aleksi?That she needed noman, wanted no man.That she would make her own way in this world.That she didn’t need a partner to hold her hand and stand by herside, to love her as she loved him.
Aleksi had said that they should marrybecause they were good together, and not only in bed.He was right,they were.They brought out the best in each other, as well as theworst.He’d cheered her on when she beat him and every other man inthe race.He’d championed her when his half-sister and the Wolf hadmade insinuations and outright lies about her.He’d helped hercross river after river until she could cross on her own withoutfear.He’d been a willing partner as she transitioned from girl towoman.He was a generous teacher and a passionate lover.He’d givenher his solid strength to lean on, his broad shoulders to cry on,his pride to bask in, but he had never given her his love.Not inwords.But then, she had never told him that she loved him.Shehadn’t admitted she loved him to herself until she had thought ittoo late.
She’d been wrong.Wrong about not tellinghim.Wrong about not putting her heart into words and handing it toAleksi, palms up.To deserve love, you had to give love freely andwithout expectation.She hadn’t done that.
She stood, hoping she was wrong about itbeing too late, hoping what she had felt with him, what his bodyhad made hers feel, what his earth-brown eyes and cocky smile hadtold her, if only she had listened, were true.Hoping.
She turned, ready to jump on Lasair and raceto Aleksi, and froze where she stood.
“Aleksi.What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come for you.”Aleksi took a stepcloser to the wary tigress standing on the rock they’d pleasuredeach other on only a few days ago.The rock where she had spat outhis seed.“I’ve come to tell you I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”She jumped down from the rock.“Forwhat?”
Aleksi took another step closer.“For lyingto you.”
She shook her head, her cloak falling backand her black hair spilling down to her waist.“When did you lie tome?”
“When I told you that we were nothing to eachother,” he said, closing the distance between them.He saw theflash of pain in her expression, an old pain that he had caused herin a moment of frustration and embarrassment.He held her gaze,feeling contrite.“You are not and have never been nothing tome.”
“No?”
“No.”He reached out and pushed a curlingtress back from her cheek.“You are everything to me.Everything.”
She smiled and sniffed then laid the apple ofher cheek in his palm.The tigress tamed for the moment.“Iam?”
“You are.”He cupped her chin and lifted itso that she could see the truth.“I love you.I have from almostthe first moment I laid eyes on you.”
“You mean the first moment you insulted meand I put my blade to your stones?”
He laughed, glad to see the green fire backin her eyes.“I thought I wanted an easy-tempered woman, abroodmare I could ride at will and keep full of babies.Then I metthis fierce, fiery tigress, who rightly named me an arrogant assand proved all my prejudices about royal princesses wrong.Aprincess I could never hope to have.”
“But you could have me.”She gave him awicked, wanton, smile.“You did have me.”
