Taken Read Online Free PDF Page A

herself.
    Surprisingly, the change within her felt natural. Over the years, she'd grown used to being in control, used to having to fight to survive the elements around her. Trusting others would have meant her death. Keely had quickly learned that living in horrible circumstances changed even the best of people. Faced with hunger and illnesses, there wasn't much a person wouldn't do to better their own situations. Even if it meant hurting or killing others.
    But she trusted Kosmas with everything that she had in her... and she hadn't been wrong in doing so. Who would have ever thought that living amongst vampires would be safe, even sublime? She'd found peace and joy on Legionnaire, and she'd found love with Kosmas.
    “Well, you have impeccable timing,” he announced, releasing her enough to guide her back down the corridor. Zander made no move to follow. “I'm all but done here.”
    Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Kosmas asked Zander, “Will you be staying at the palace? Or do you already have arrangements to stay with your family?”
    A guard stepped out into the corridor, his movements silent. Despite the quietness of his actions, as well as the one with him, something alerted Keely to their presence. She stopped, her head turning in their direction. A gasp of horror escaped her lips, the blood rushing from her head as she stared at Legionnaire's newest arrival. It was horrifying, rendering her completely speechless.
    Both Zander and Kosmas turned at the same time, their eyes widening immediately. Neither one of them spoke. Kosmas dropped his chin to glance at her, his lips compressing into a tight line as he took in her reaction. Zander didn't seem to notice. Instead, his eyes remained locked on the silent guard as he led his captive in their direction, an aghast expression on his normally composed face.
    Keely was furious at what she saw, and thoroughly angered by both men's reactions. She yanked away from Kosmas, filled with hurt and even betrayal. She'd thought better of her mate. Never would she have ever expected to find herself in the predicament she was currently in, but it was glaringly obvious that she didn't know him as well as she thought she had. This time, Kosmas had pushed her too far.
    “How dare you?” she hissed at him, gesturing toward the guard... and the child he guided down the hallway. Just like the other concubines she was blindfolded, but thankfully, they hadn't bound her. At Keely's words, the girl whimpered. The guard stared at the trio of three in front of him, a wary expression on his face. Keely despised him. “What kind of depravity is this? Are the vampires here so desperate that they would resort to the practice of stealing children?”
    Emotion welled up within her, nearly choking her. Keely felt sick and disillusioned, her heart breaking not only for the child, but from her grief at discovering a side of her mate that she hadn't knew existed. Kosmas narrowed his dark eyes at her as they quickly filled with anger. Keely glared back.
    “Enough,” he roared, taking a step away from her as if he couldn't bear the thought of touching her. “I won't be judged and condemned by my mate for something I had no knowledge of.” He turned his face away to look at the two, but not before Keely saw the glimmer of hurt in his dark eyes. It left her unmoved. As leader of Golden Harbor, it was his responsibility to know what went on. Seeing the child was too difficult for her to overlook, even if Kosmas preferred she did.
    “What is this?” Kosmas asked the other man, waving his hands in front of him in an incredulous manner. “Who authorized you to take a child? And what about her parents?”
    The guard cleared his throat nervously. The girl next to him started to sob. Imagining her fear was a terrible thing. Tears leaked out of Keely's own eyes in response. “Nobody,” he replied, looking as if he wished he were anywhere but there. “She was part of the herd that the humans