Free The Pagan's Prize by Miriam Minger Page B

mischief who had wreaked this havoc.
A damned virgin! The last thing he had expected was innocence.
    Rurik sighed heavily as the woman's gentle breathing
stirred the blond curls upon his chest. He hadn't expected the powerful
feelings that were crashing in upon him either. Instead of being satiated, he
was more intrigued than ever.
    A concubine, yet a virgin? An innocent possessing the
passionate nature of a wanton? A woman who had looked to him for protection,
yet who might now be compromised in value to her master because Rurik had
stolen her chastity? An insistent inner voice demanded that he save her from
the wrath his defilement of her might arouse, that he keep her safe from harm
and take her back with him to Novgorod. He had never felt so strongly drawn to
any woman since Astrid—
    No, by Odin! For that reason alone, he would leave this
wench to her fate!
    His actions had been impulsive since the first moment
he saw her, but no more! Women were trouble of the worst kind, and he would do
well to remember that.
    Besieged by bitter memories, Rurik shifted the woman
from his body and rose from the bed. To continue touching her, holding her, was
a torment he did not need. After covering her with a soft fur, he threw several
skins onto the floor and lay down.
    Tomorrow morning he would rid himself of her, even if
he must abandon his plan to use her for information. He wanted no woman around
him that made him feel like this one. He would leave her near the gates of
Prince Mstislav's palace, where someone would surely recognize her and return
her to her rightful master.
    It had to be done.

     

     

 
    Chapter 6

     
    Awaking with a start, Zora winced at the tenderness
between her legs. It wasn't a true pain, but a dull ache, yet she had never
felt such a sensation before.
    She shifted slightly, amazed that her entire body was
sore. She stared in confusion at the raftered ceiling, trying to gather her
muddled thoughts. Where was she? Rubbing her hands over her face, she sharply
inhaled as she touched her left cheekbone. Ouch, it hurt! Frowning, she ran her
fingertips more gingerly over her skin, wondering what she could have done
    "Holy Mother Mary," she breathed in horror,
all too suddenly remembering why her cheek hurt so painfully as if a ray of
brilliant light had pierced her brain. He . . . he had struck her! That
Varangian trader, Halfdan Snakeeye!
    Dreadful memories leapt to life in her mind, lurid
sights and sounds: Halfdan's scarred face, his leering grin, his terrible
laughter . . . and the naked slave women in the tent, all of them writhing,
moaning, then the trader throwing her down upon a bench and stroking himself right
in front of her!
    Halfdan's coarse words flew at her "You cannot
escape me, pretty bird. I will have you, here, now, in the dirt!" Then she
was running, running, and begging for aid but no one would help her. No one
would listen! Fierce-looking Varangians were everywhere, and Halfdan was coming
closer and closer. She remembered crying out, "You cannot do this!"
then he struck her down and she was falling
    "Oh, no . . ." Zora whispered, feeling
suddenly very sick. "Oh, God, no." Rising abruptly on her elbow, Zora
flung aside the furs, her hand moving to the place where the dull throbbing was
centered. She felt a wetness and gasped in disbelief at the scarlet blood
staining her trembling fingers, the same telltale sign smeared upon the inside
of her thighs.
    He had raped her! That brutish, dung-smelling Varangian
had raped her!
    A half sigh, half groan suddenly drew her gaze to the
floor. She stared wide-eyed, her heart pounding in rage and fear, at the naked
man sleeping only four feet away with his broad, muscled back to her. In the
dim lighting she could see that he was huge, his hair blond. She didn't need to
see more.
    Halfdan!
    Her first thought was to flee. Then the bright glint of
metal near the sputtering oil lamp caught her eye and she drew fresh courage.
Focusing with deadly intent upon