Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) Read Online Free PDF

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her. She knew they couldn't even hear her, yet it still hurt. She wasn't used
to being alone. She didn't want to die alone. She didn't–
    Get down!
    She dropped to the ground, too surprised at the
strange voice in her mind and the urgency of its tone to argue.
    Something large and dark passed over her as she
pressed herself into the dirt. Ducking her head instinctively, she heard the
rider scream and the horse let out a strange piercing whistle. She rolled away
when it suddenly went berserk with legs flying everywhere as it tried to bolt
and the rider fought for control. The last thing she needed was to get
trampled.
    Rolling further away she drew daggers as she rose to
her feet, ready to help or make her escape. The horse bolted toward the forest.
The rider...
    She gasped. The rider was being smacked around like a
toy by a giant wolf.
    Not a wolf, a Were. She'd heard him, like the last
time she’d met one in the forest to the north. Had he come to help her? Why?
Certainly he wasn’t the same wolf, the voice had sounded different. Why were
they talking to her?
    She straightened slowly, debated sheathing her daggers,
and decided better safe than sorry. "I think he's dead."
    The wolf stopped playing, sniffed the body and turned
toward her.
    A quiet, strangled sound escaped her lips. He was huge.
On all fours his head came to her chest. She struggled to stand her ground and
not run away screaming. Clenching her daggers tightly she forced a small smile.
"You helped me."
    I heard you. He replied in her mind.
    Her eyebrows went up. He'd heard... "Oh. Well,
thank you."
    He walked toward her, ears perked forward. I will
not hurt you. You can put those away.
    Aro looked down at her hands. Her fingers clutched the
daggers so tightly her knuckles turned white. Cheeks flushing, she sheathed
them quickly. "Sorry. Today hasn't been the best day."
    The wolf looked toward the burning city. No. It
seems not. His gaze returned to her. I am Garen.
    She smiled again, relaxing slightly. "Aro. Thanks
again." She looked around. They stood nearly in the middle of the field.
Out in the open. She started limping toward the forest again. Looking over her
shoulder at the Were, she forced a small smile. "Coming?"
    Ears flicked again before he trotted up to walk beside
her.
    "I've never really met a Were before. Sorry if I
don't do something right. Please let me know if I do." Hopefully that
covered any mistakes she might make. The last thing she needed was a Were as an
enemy.
    His mental chuckle surprised her, but she didn't say
anything else. They moved slowly across the rest of the field and through the
short stretch of weeds. Entering the shadows of the trees, tension immediately
drained out of her.
    Stopping to lean against a tree, she raised a hand to
her forehead. It shook. She lowered it again.
    "I suppose you have to get back to your…" She
paused, searching for the word, "to your pack."
    No.
    His simple answer caught her off guard. "Oh.
Well, feel free to stay if you like." With a grimace she rubbed her sore
ankle against the side of her leg.
    There is a spring not far. You could soak it there.
    "How far?" The sun had nearly gone down. She
didn't want to get lost in the forest; not at night, not alone. Besides, she
still had to find the others.
    It is close by.
    Though her ankle throbbed painfully, and the thought
of soaking it in cold water would be wonderful, she still hesitated. "I
need to find my friends," she finally admitted. "We became separated.
If that happened we were supposed to meet along the boundary."
    Very well.
    She waited a moment, wondering if he was going to say
anything else. When he merely sat and stared at her she turned and headed
slowly back to the tree line. Concealing herself behind a tree she peered out,
eyes searching the fields and the empty strips of land to either side of her. She
saw at least two dozen riders, most scouring the fields. Four of them rode up
and down the boundary line. There was no sight