Chapter Two

Raul POV

“How much for this?” A woman behind me asked the price of an item.

“You know how much it is.” The merchant responded back.

“Are you sure you want to sell your wares?” Her voice retorted back.

“Are you sure you want to buy my wares?” he played along.

I shook my head absent-mindedly when I turned to see who it was. I knew the merchant. He was famous for his indifference when it came to his trade. People seemed to believe that his off-handed air was an indication that his goods were trustworthy. No one else would have such boastful confidence.

But I knew. I’d tried some of his merchandise before. It was a horrible experience. I looked up at the sky and the quickly-rising sun. It was barely dawn and already, the market was already filled with people.

“Well,” someone slapped me on the back and slung an arm around me. “If it isn’t Raul the Wrong.”

A whiff of the earthy combination of powdered bark and a concoction of what was the unmistakable smell of mead and perfume. I frowned and threw the hand off my shoulder.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a distinct unshakable smell, Derek?”

The man, Derek, moved back in mock shock and raised his hands to the sky. “Oh, skies save me. Raul the Wrong can pick up my scent. What other scintillating revelations have you been bequeathed this day?”

“That you’ve been drinking, nonstop, and you’re going to be suffering for it sooner or later.” I shivered and began to push forward. Derek fell into step with me, even though his movement was sluggish and winding.

“Oh, last night was the most amazing! Did you know, there was this—”

“—I don’t want to hear it, Derek.”

“I’ll tell it anyway.” Derek said and cleared his throat. “The most beautiful gi—yah!”

He went tumbling face-front to the floor. A small murmuring rose up as Derek began to throw up all that he had had the previous night. I stood a distance away, well behind him just in case.

Derek looked at me grimly and threw up some more. I decided leave him there. I had not come to purchase anything from the market, I just wanted to walk around and see the sights.

I took regular walks like this almost every single day. Or whenever I had the time to, anyway.

“Good morning, Raul.” A group of voices chorused.

Skies. My cover was blown. I turned with a defeated sigh to the men who were from my personal security detail.

I addressed the men. “You do know that the point of me wearing a disguise and masking my scent is because I don’t want to be identified as the pack leader here?”

They were all burly, dressed in all black. A few of them had not even bothered to hide the weapons they toted. A very large battle axe hung from the back of Ritglass, and Scem who was the smallest in the group was wide-eyed, knives gripped far too tightly in his hands as he stared behind me—almost beyond me.

I slowly loosened his grip from the knives. He snapped out of his staring.

“Forgive me, Raul. I thought there was someone behind you.” Scem said proudly.

“You want to do battle with a bale of cloth?”

He went silent, but his gaze was still proud. I sighed again and mentally dragged my hands across my face. Surely, someone would have heard by now that I—leader—was walking through the market. Then the people would be on me.

I growled low in my throat. Immediately, the group stood at attention, chests lowered slightly, legs spread apart in a stance, hands free, eyes wide, ears perked. I smiled inwardly; my team was ever battle-ready.

I was content to make them just stand at alert like that if it meant that they would not attract any more attention to myself. But it was a foolish plan anyway.

“Everyone! Look, it’s Raul!” A merchant called at the top of his voice. Several people looked in his direction. I groaned. It was the same merchant from before.

“Raul,” Derek called sloppily. Both of them were coming at me from different directions. Curses, this is not going to be the day that I am held down in this market.

“Run!” I said to my group through my mental link. I didn’t need to repeat. We began to run—fast. I willed my legs to move faster, much faster than I was already moving at. I really didn’t want to be held down in this market.

My group had scattered into different directions to slow down the number of people on my tail. I knew that they could still find me if they wanted to. I added fire to my race. I had just rounded the corner when I ran straight into someone. They went flying into a pen that housed pigs. I cursed my luck.

“Are you alright?” I asked, racing towards the person. Their clothes were soiled. “Please, let me help you.” I said, offering my hand.

“I could swear he ran round that corner!”

The throng was so much closer now. I rushed to pull the person to their feet, but their muddy cloak fell off. It was a woman. A very beautiful woman.

For a moment, I just stared. I was fairly certain that I had never seen this face before, and her smell was different. An outsider?

“They’re right behind us, Raul! Hey, isn’t that the royal Princess?” Scem, skittish as always roared as he neared us. He was practically flying towards us. As soon as those words left his lips, the woman before me began to run.

What princess? I didn’t know, but I needed to find out.

“Stop!” I growled. “My voice as a clan head had no authority here. It didn’t work with her. She continued fleeing, so I chased after her. She quickly cut out of the market and ran straight into the woods. Closer, and closer, I pursued. She was within grasp.

I needed her to stop, so loathing myself for doing it, I tripped her. She flew into a bush. I was beside her in an instant, covering her mouth. My guards brushed past almost immediately, searching, no doubt for me, and possibly this outsider who I still had no idea about.

“Who are you?” I whispered with my hand over her mouth. “Tell me, or I’m taking you captive. Why are you running from my men? And how do they know you?”

She struggled against my restraining hand, but no use. I knew how strong I could be when I wanted to. Finally, she stopped shuffling.

“I can smell him,” I heard Scem say, but he sounded faraway.

“What about the Princess?”

The woman before me looked like she was about to burst into tears. I slowly took my hand away and she inhaled sharply.

“Not here. If you take me somewhere where your men won’t find me, I’ll tell you. But we need to move right now!” She ground out.

I considered her words. There was no way she was going to make it out of the woods alone. My men were that skilled in tracking. They’d found me with some difficulty even after I had masked my scent.

I had to know who she was. I thought for a moment, then extended my hand to her.

“Come with me. I know a place.”