EXCERPT from Chapter One:
South of Derbyshire - July  1145

. . . And still you don't fear me?'

Beatrice frowned. Of course she'd heard the tales told of this man. If King David needed some distasteful or difficult task completed, he sent his Wolf. It mattered little how the deed was handled, once the order was given, no one escaped the Wolf's grasp.

So, yes, she should be terrified of him. She should probably quake and wail in fear that he was about to add her to his long list of those he'd dispatched to their maker.

And while his reputation made her leery, there was no reason for King David to have ordered her death. Besides, this man had offered her no harm thus far. In truth, he'd lent more help than she would have expected from any warrior. Finally, she shook her head and admitted, 'You are not what rushes to my mind when I overhear hushed whispers of King David's Wolf.'

'Did you expect blood to be dripping from my teeth?'

'There is no cause to be so gruesome.' She glanced around the room before stating the obvious. 'I am completely at your mercy, yet you have offered me no harm.'

'That doesn't mean I won't.'

Her judgement of men had been sorely taxed this day and had come up wanting. She was in no position to pass any judgement on him, a man she knew only by reputation. A reputation that claimed he was more than just ruthless. Yet she had seen no evidence offered to prove she was in any danger. 'Are you seeking to intentionally frighten me?'

When he didn't answer, she said, 'I just watched you soundly thrash three men, all of whom lived. I would not have shed a single tear for any of them had they died. Yet contrary to the tales told of King David's Wolf, you left them alive and breathing. But now I am to believe you will take my life without any cause whatsoever?

'You are a strange woman.'

'Perhaps. But I have sorely misjudged a man I thought I knew well this day. Would it make sense for me to judge you based on hearsay alone?'

When he once again didn't answer her question, she said, 'I told you before that I would rather die at a stranger's hand than one I thought I knew well. I cannot stop you, so it if is my blood you wish to shed, then do so and be done with it.'

He rose slowly, filling the space in the small chamber, towering over her even from across the room. Then he furrowed his brow and glared at her, giving the impression of targeted rage.

Beatrice felt her eyes widen as her heart kicked hard inside her chest before settling back down into a more normal rhythm. Oh, yes, she imagined that he could be very intimidating when he wished.

From his harsh expression, she also imagined he could be quite deadly when the situation required. She'd already witnessed his accuracy and speed with his fists when he'd fought with Charles and his companions, so she doubted if he'd be any less accurate with a sword, mace or a battle axe.

However, if he thought his stance and glowering countenance would make her quake in fear of her pending death, he was wrong.

She was a warrior's daughter and another warrior's sister. She'd grown up playing at the docks and shipyard. She'd seen men lose their tempers, become enraged more than once and had witnessed the grisly outcome of many a fight. Even so, she knew if he were to make a move to attack her she'd quickly find herself shaking from fright. However, the events of this day, combined with the simple fact that his eyes glimmered far too much for one seeking to instil fear, made it impossible to take him seriously.

When he deepened his scowl, she burst out laughing.

He sat back down on the bench. 'Not quite the reaction I had expected.'

'I...am sorry...truly sorry...please...' Beatrice managed to choke out what she hoped sounded like an apology before she gave up to wave a hand in the air, then wiped the tears from her eyes as she fought to catch her breath. 'I do apologise, nothing this day has been expected. I assure you, I am normally not this...this...'

'Brazen?' Gregor supplied.

She did her best to temper her mirth before it once again escaped. Never before had she actually laughed so rudely at someone. Her mother would be horrified by her behaviour. Beatrice knew that in truth both of her parents would be horrified by everything she'd done the last few days.

REVIEWS:
The Warehaven series continues with another sensual, action packed tale between a damsel in distress and the hero she ultimately saves. A defiant heroine and a determined hero clash over politics, but love finds a way to tame these two lonely hearts.

Gregor Roul is known as King David's wolf, a heartless warrior without the capacity to feel or care, but Beatrice of Warehaven knows different. Gregor saved her from a lecherous suitor without knowing who she was. Their attraction is mutual, but he has a secret mission. Gregor has come to take over Warehaven, kill her father and take her for a wife. But Beatrice will defy him to protect her family and help him become the warrior she has come to love. Maria Ferrer - RT BooksReviews 4 Stars
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