Unbound Read online

  Goddess, grant it may be so, Brynn prayed silently. I don’t want to leave the palace—not so soon. And I don’t want a husband who will own my body and do what he likes with it, either!

  She looked in the viewer again at the skimpy top of her gown and the small, round curves of her breasts pushed up and out as though they were trying to get free. Just the thought of some stranger’s hands on her there made her stomach roll with nausea. Let alone the thought of some strange male poking his shaft between her legs…

  Just then there was a rapping on her door.

  “Nearly time for the ball, Mistress,” Varin’s deep voice called. “Are you ready to be escorted?”

  “Almost,” Brynn called. She looked at her lady in waiting. “Lady Tasmina, thank you for your help but I know you have your own preparations to see to. You can go and I’ll finish my hair myself.”

  “Well, if you’re sure…see you at the ball, Princess.” Lady Tasmina gave a negligent shrug and left. She wasn’t nearly as pushy or prying as the ill-fated Lady Amalthia had been—which was one reason Brynn had raised her to the position of head lady in waiting.

  Brynn waited until she was certain Tasmina had gone and then went to the door and opened it just a crack so that she could see her Kindred.

  “Come in,” she murmured to Varin, who was dressed to emphasize his slave status tonight.

  He was shirtless, the broad planes of his muscular chest bare, and around the strong column of his throat was a thick, black pain collar like all of the other slaves wore. He was also wearing a new set of dress leathers with scarlet striping along the sides of his trouser legs and his black boots were shined to a high gloss.

  “Should I?” he rumbled cautiously. “Is there anyone else here?”

  “It should be all right. All the other ladies in waiting are elsewhere,” Brynn told him.

  “All right. Whew…” He gave a long, low whistle when he entered her chamber and saw her dress. “That’s some outfit, little one.”

  “I know. It’s awful, isn’t it?” Brynn made a face and tugged at the bodice again. She’d decided to leave her hair long and loose around her shoulders—at least that gave her some coverage, though it would probably look odd when every other female at the ball had their hair up in an elaborate headdress. But anything to cover—or at least partially cover—her exposed breasts.

  “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” There was a warm glow in his bronze eyes—a heat meant only for her.

  Brynn felt an answering heat in her belly and her cheeks grew warm with a pleasurable kind of embarrassment. She didn’t mind wearing the revealing gown in front of the big Kindred. If he was the only one who could see it and no one else, she would have been perfectly happy.

  “You’re dressed differently tonight too,” she said lightly. “Why the pain collar when you’ve never worn one before?”

  He frowned. “Your Lady-mother insisted. I think she wants to remind me that I’m a slave and nothing more.”

  “You’re much more…to me,” Brynn murmured and blushed. Then, trying to hide her embarrassment she went on quickly. “It’s seems like my Lady-mother dressed both of us tonight. I’m only wearing this awful dress because she commanded it.” She cleared her throat. “Because…because I’m supposed to meet…”

  “Your new suitor, Ysldred X’izith,” Varin growled and his eyes flashed.

  “Yes.” Brynn was relieved he already knew. “I don’t want to meet him,” she confessed to Varin in a small voice. “I don’t care how handsome he is or how rich his planet is, I don’t want anything to do with him. With any male.”

  She almost added “except you” but at the last minute she stopped herself. These were improper feelings she was having for Varin and though he warded and protected her and talked to her every night as a friend, he had never expressed improper feelings towards her. It would only make things awkward between them if she admitted to the way she felt about him.

  He sighed. “I don’t want you to meet him either, Princess. But it doesn’t seem like you have a choice.”

  “If they marry me off to him and I have to go away, you’ll come with me, won’t you?” Brynn looked up at him, needing reassurance…needing to know he would never leave her side.

  “I swear it,” he growled. “I am yours, Mistress, for all the days of my life. I don’t care where you go—I’ll follow.”

  “Thank you, Varin.” Brynn stepped closer to him. “I…I want to hug you but with all this bare skin…” She gestured at the two of them—Varin was shirtless and she almost was. “Your obedience band will give you a horrible jolt.”

  “Don’t care about that,” he growled. “If you need a hug, come get one, little one.”

  “I can’t. I don’t want to hurt you.” But Brynn took a step closer anyway. She wanted so badly just to step into his embrace and press her cheek against his warm, scratchy chest, to breathe in his wild, spicy scent…

  Suddenly there was a clatter outside the door and she heard a guard announcing, “Make way for her royal highness, Queen Isolde of Galen!”

  Brynn quickly jumped away from the big Kindred, her heart pounding in apprehension. Goddess above, what if her mother saw…what if she guessed…

  The door banged open and the guard bowed her mother into the room.

  Brynn made a curtsy and beside her, she saw Varin bowing low, a stony look on his strong features.

  “Now then, Brynnalla—there you are!” the Queen exclaimed. She was wearing a high-necked gown in a bright shade of purple and she frowned when she saw Varin standing there as well, but didn’t seem to think his presence was worth remarking on.

  “Yes, my Lady-mother.” Brynn rose from her curtsey. “Did you want to see me before the ball?”

  “Yes, I certainly did. First of all I wanted to be certain that you’re wearing the gown I sent and you’re properly arrayed.” She frowned at Brynn. “I see you’ve got the gown on, at least.”

  “I do but please, my Lady-mother, it’s, um, too small,” Brynn gestured helplessly at the tiny bit of fabric clinging to her breasts. “Can’t I wear something with more…more coverage?”

  “Most certainly not—I had it made that way on purpose,” the Queen snapped. “You must catch the eye of your new suitor, Sovereign X’izith. You have few enough assets to work with as it is…” She frowned over her own extra large bosom at Brynn’s small, round breasts. “We have to make the most of what little you have.”

  “But—”

  “And your hair still isn’t done!” her mother exclaimed. “Why isn’t it up?”

  Brynn lifted her chin. “I decided to wear it down.”

  “That’s not acceptable! You look ridiculous.”

  “No, I look different from the other ladies—that’s all.” Brynn didn’t know where she got the courage to speak up so to her mother but somehow the words just came out. “And I thought you said you wanted me to be eye-catching.”

  Her Lady-mother seemed about to protest but then she shook her head and threw up her hands.

  “Fine. Do as you please. But listen, Brynnalla…” She leaned forward and the heavy scent of her expensive perfume made Brynn’s nose itch and her eyes water. “I want you to concentrate all your attention on Sovereign X’izith tonight. We believe it would be a very advantageous match for the royal family and for Galen as a whole so keep his interest at all costs.”

  Brynn wasn’t sure what to say to that but she felt Varin’s presence at her back. He shifted restlessly, as though he wasn’t very happy with what he was hearing.

  “I…I’ll try, mother,” she said at last. “I have had little experience of catching the interest of any male, as you know.”

  “Yes, yes, that damn convent,” the Queen muttered, frowning. “You came back from there looking as plain as untoasted bata bread.” She sighed. “I probably should have had you raised in a pleasure house instead but all the fashionable families were using the Sisters of Chastity when you were born and I was just so