Vaaden Warriors 1: Rheul Read Online Free PDF Page A

for me as well.
    Otherwise, I was only looking to have my heart broken.
    She placed shaking hands against my chest, and I wondered if she was shaking from fear or desire. I wanted her to trust me, but I wasn't sure how to gain her trust. What did I have to do to make her see that I wouldn't hurt her, that I wouldn't force myself on her? What would it take for her to realize that I wasn't like the men she'd heard about while she'd waited for someone to claim her?
    Taking a step back, I slicked my hair back from my face.
    The best thing to do would be to put some space between us.
    At least for the moment.
    "I'll let you finish your shower," I told her as I backed out.
    Grabbing a towel, I dried off and stepped out of the bathroom. I felt her gaze on me the whole way, but she never said a word. It made me wonder what she was thinking or feeling. With a groan, I realized that I had it bad.
    Jerking on my pants, I sat on the bed and tunneled my hands through my hair. I needed to go home and get some perspective. Maybe that would help. If nothing else, it would give Darcy some time alone, give her time to think and relax without me around. It was obvious that I put her on edge still.
    I pulled on my boots and a clean shirt. Just as I was standing, Darcy came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
    "Are you leaving?" she asked.
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    I couldn't read any emotion in her eyes so I didn't know if she wanted me to go or not, or if she simply didn't care either way.
    "I thought I'd go home for a little while. I need to check on a few things, but I'll return later tonight. It will give you some time to rest and relax."
    She nodded and turned away from me, opening the closet to pull out a clean tunic. My jaw clenched at the obvious dismissal, but I let it go. Part of me wanted to call her on it, but she'd just saved my life. Deciding to let it go, I walked out of the bedroom and left. I was going to pick my battles, and this one just wasn't worth it.
    As I walked back to my house, I wondered what I was going to do with her. She'd gotten under my skin in such a small amount of time. What would it be like months from now? Or years? I had a feeling I'd be just as whipped as Bastian, and that thought left a sour feeling in my stomach.
    Darcy wasn't Enid.
    She seemed sweet and had definitely had a rough life, but there was something under the surface, something I hadn't seen yet. True, she'd kept me alive, but I had no doubt that she'd done it more for herself than for me. Without me, she'd go back to the cell, waiting for someone else to claim her, or be sent to the harems. And I had no doubt that she knew that.
    She had been brave to do what she did, I didn't want to take that away from her, but her motives weren't exactly altruistic. Darcy was a survivor. It made me admire her, but it also meant that she didn't need me. She needed a protector, 35

    but it didn't necessarily have to be me. It could be anyone who would treat her well and put a roof over her head and food on her table.
    So what was I going to do?
    I thought back to what Enid had said. Romance her. I still didn't have any idea what she'd meant by that. I had no clue how to romance a woman. Vaaden marriages were more like contracts, and warriors did not romance their slaves. Or their wives. Although it appeared that perhaps Bastian had done precisely that with Enid. Maybe I should have paid more attention to my brother over the years instead of mocking his kindness to women.
    As I entered my home, I wondered how I was going to win Darcy's affection. And more to the point, why did I want to?
    What was so special about her? Sure, she was beautiful, but so were countless other women. Take Lira, for example. So what was it about Darcy that made me act like a fool?
    Whatever it was, maybe if I could figure it out, it would help me win her. In the meantime, I would bring her little trinkets here and there and try to endear myself to her. If there was one thing I'd learned from watching