lean
nature of his broad shoulders. Power radiated from every inch of his body,
causing tiny ripples of pleasure to course through her.
His massive, square hands gripped her shoulders tighter.
“Anna?”
She shook her head to regain control of her thoughts,
pulling the front edges of her cardigan across her chest. “Yes, I can swim.”
“Good,” he replied as he released her. “We must cross this
river in order to reach safety.”
She nervously stared at the rushing, moonlit water and then
at Galen, already stepping into the river. Glancing over her shoulder, she
prayed for those familiar ruins to appear instead of the darkened, foreboding
castle, but her hopes were dashed. She was left with no other alternative than
to blindly follow this strange man.
Anna didn’t give herself time to change her mind once she
faced the river. She rushed to Galen’s side and grabbed his hand. He looked
down at her before pulling her into the frigid river behind him. The water
swirled into her boots and wrapped her skirt around her legs, the cold
temperature chilling her to the bone. They slid down into the water until she
was submerged to her chin.
Galen turned to her, his lips moving as though he were
speaking. The roar of the rushing water all around them completely drowned out
his voice.
“What?” she shouted.
Her foot slipped on a rock in the river bed and she went
under, her hand ripped from Galen’s by the current. Pitch-black cold surrounded
her as she fell backward in slow motion. The river picked her up and swiftly
carried her downstream. Fear gripped her heart and she desperately fought to
push herself toward the surface.
With her lungs screaming for air, Anna finally caught a
foothold and used it to propel herself up. She broke the surface, gasping as
she struggled to remain above water. She wasn’t certain which side of the river
they had been heading toward, but she no longer cared.
Shouts from somewhere to her left cut through the thundering
river and she plowed forward despite the weight of her water-logged clothing.
It didn’t matter who or what was waiting for her at the river’s edge—only that
she got there in one piece.
Anna stumbled forward, her knees scraping the rocks of the
riverbed as her palms broke her fall. Her wrists screamed in pain upon impact,
but were quickly forgotten as she reached the embankment. Relieved, she planted
her feet on the ground and slogged the rest of the way to shore. Her lungs
burned as she gasped from the exertion. She was about to fall to the ground
when, from out of nowhere, a strong, roped arm encircled her waist.
Galen’s voice was her salvation. “Lean into me. I have you
now.”
She shook her head, her jelly-like legs threatening to
collapse underneath her. “I just want to sit down for a little while,” she
pleaded between breaths, leaning the side of her face against the warmth of his
hard chest.
“No, we must get out of the moonlight and into the cover of
the forest.” He guided her away from the river.
A strange lightness on her shoulders caught her attention,
as if something was missing. Panicked, she patted her body and looked down. Her
purse was gone. Pulling away from him, she grasped wildly at her shoulders,
searching for the strap.
Without thinking, she turned back toward the river. “My
bag!”
“There is no time.” Galen yanked her toward him. “It is
gone.”
“But—”
He ignored her and roughly pulled her forward.
Twigs crackled beneath their feet as they made their way
into the quiet cover of the forest. Tears of exhaustion and fear stung her eyes
and she bit her lower lip to fight the sobs threatening to spill forth.
Galen seized her hips and withdrew her through the dense
underbrush until the rough bark of a tree pressed into her back. Brushing wet
clumps of hair out of her face, he gruffly asked, “Are you all right?” He
worriedly glanced up and down her body.
She nodded as one tear escaped down her cheek.
His
nature of his broad shoulders. Power radiated from every inch of his body,
causing tiny ripples of pleasure to course through her.
His massive, square hands gripped her shoulders tighter.
“Anna?”
She shook her head to regain control of her thoughts,
pulling the front edges of her cardigan across her chest. “Yes, I can swim.”
“Good,” he replied as he released her. “We must cross this
river in order to reach safety.”
She nervously stared at the rushing, moonlit water and then
at Galen, already stepping into the river. Glancing over her shoulder, she
prayed for those familiar ruins to appear instead of the darkened, foreboding
castle, but her hopes were dashed. She was left with no other alternative than
to blindly follow this strange man.
Anna didn’t give herself time to change her mind once she
faced the river. She rushed to Galen’s side and grabbed his hand. He looked
down at her before pulling her into the frigid river behind him. The water
swirled into her boots and wrapped her skirt around her legs, the cold
temperature chilling her to the bone. They slid down into the water until she
was submerged to her chin.
Galen turned to her, his lips moving as though he were
speaking. The roar of the rushing water all around them completely drowned out
his voice.
“What?” she shouted.
Her foot slipped on a rock in the river bed and she went
under, her hand ripped from Galen’s by the current. Pitch-black cold surrounded
her as she fell backward in slow motion. The river picked her up and swiftly
carried her downstream. Fear gripped her heart and she desperately fought to
push herself toward the surface.
With her lungs screaming for air, Anna finally caught a
foothold and used it to propel herself up. She broke the surface, gasping as
she struggled to remain above water. She wasn’t certain which side of the river
they had been heading toward, but she no longer cared.
Shouts from somewhere to her left cut through the thundering
river and she plowed forward despite the weight of her water-logged clothing.
It didn’t matter who or what was waiting for her at the river’s edge—only that
she got there in one piece.
Anna stumbled forward, her knees scraping the rocks of the
riverbed as her palms broke her fall. Her wrists screamed in pain upon impact,
but were quickly forgotten as she reached the embankment. Relieved, she planted
her feet on the ground and slogged the rest of the way to shore. Her lungs
burned as she gasped from the exertion. She was about to fall to the ground
when, from out of nowhere, a strong, roped arm encircled her waist.
Galen’s voice was her salvation. “Lean into me. I have you
now.”
She shook her head, her jelly-like legs threatening to
collapse underneath her. “I just want to sit down for a little while,” she
pleaded between breaths, leaning the side of her face against the warmth of his
hard chest.
“No, we must get out of the moonlight and into the cover of
the forest.” He guided her away from the river.
A strange lightness on her shoulders caught her attention,
as if something was missing. Panicked, she patted her body and looked down. Her
purse was gone. Pulling away from him, she grasped wildly at her shoulders,
searching for the strap.
Without thinking, she turned back toward the river. “My
bag!”
“There is no time.” Galen yanked her toward him. “It is
gone.”
“But—”
He ignored her and roughly pulled her forward.
Twigs crackled beneath their feet as they made their way
into the quiet cover of the forest. Tears of exhaustion and fear stung her eyes
and she bit her lower lip to fight the sobs threatening to spill forth.
Galen seized her hips and withdrew her through the dense
underbrush until the rough bark of a tree pressed into her back. Brushing wet
clumps of hair out of her face, he gruffly asked, “Are you all right?” He
worriedly glanced up and down her body.
She nodded as one tear escaped down her cheek.
His
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