In the Flesh Read Online Free PDF

to study them, and set in place the means to confine him.”
    “You could ring him.”
    A mental picture of a confinement ring came to mind. The innocuous-looking but deadly band ofmetal was placed around a prisoner’s ankle. As long as a ringed individual remained in the designated areas, there wasn’t a problem. But should they venture too far, the ring would burst in an explosion that annihilated the wearer.
    With the virile beauty of Wulfric still fresh in her mind, Sapphire shuddered at the thought of killing him. “No. I won’t go that far. If he escapes, I’ll hunt him down myself.”
    “As you wish. Do you require anything else?”
    “Yes. Send a thank-you to the queen for her thoughtfulness.”
     
    Wulfric entered the receiving room with freshly laundered towels in his hands. With all the work he was doing, he was gaining a new appreciation for his own servants. It took great effort to keep a household running smoothly. He would never have fully appreciated that without performing the menial tasks himself.
    He also appreciated the constant duties, which kept his mind from thoughts of his recent confinement and torture. Sleep was elusive, his dreams tormented him. Hard work was the only thing that distracted him.
    Catching a flash of jeweled color out of the corner of his eye, Wulf turned his head to catch the departure of his lovely brunette keeper.
    In truth, work wasn’t the only distraction. He was fascinated by the woman who’d stood like a wanton angel before the healing chamber.
    He always seemed to be one step behind her. Itdidn’t help that she was avoiding him. In the last three days, he’d caught only fleeting glimpses of her scantily clad figure. Brief, tantalizing glimpses. After hovering near death, the way she brought his senses to life was a miracle he wanted to explore.
    But Wulf tempered his impatience. Their time would come. He would have escaped already if he didn’t know that for a certainty.
    Looking around the room, he noticed all of the other men engaged in various tasks. He approached the one closest to him, the one who seemed the least wary. They all looked alike to Wulf—tall, blond, and possessed of lean lengths of muscle so different from his own bulk.
    He couldn’t comprehend why these men chose to be mästares . With their good looks, they could have any woman they wanted. Why they chose to dedicate their lives to one woman they had to share among them was beyond his understanding.
    “Mästare.”
    “Yes, Your Highness?”
    Wulf snorted, finding it amusing when they called him by his title, as if he were not toiling alongside them. Their forced respect was her doing, he was certain. Some of the mästares bore him a barely restrained hatred and he could well understand. It was a sad fact that several of them must have lost a friend or loved one during the Confrontations. While he had not been the instigator of that war, he had fought without mercy, doing whatever was necessary to protect his people. Of course, the citizens of Sari would not see it that way. “I have some questions to ask you.”

    “Certainly. And my name is Dalen.”
    Wulfric nodded. “Dalen, what do you know about the mistress of this household?”
    “I know everything about Mistress Sapphire.”
    Arching a disbelieving brow, Wulf tested her name silently. Sapphire.
    “Truly,” Dalen insisted. “It’s in her best interests to have us understand her. The more we know about her, the better we can serve her needs.”
    “A man such as you could have his own needs met.”
    “Your reputation with women precedes you, Your Highness. You think I should have many women rather than just one.”
    “The thought had occurred to me,” Wulf agreed dryly.
    “A hundred women couldn’t give me the prestige I receive from being in the service of Mistress Sapphire. Her value increases mine, which in turn increases my family’s.”
    “What makes her so important?”
    “She is the king’s karisette