HerMatesEmbrace by Rebecca Airies Page A

offered their wares beside another
stand selling bread. The heady scent of the fresh bread combined with the
luscious sweet smell of fruit made her hungry even though she’d recently eaten.
She knew from a few comments that this wasn’t the main market. The booths here
offered the wares of a few enterprising people in an effort to take advantage
of the hunger of those who came to the gatehouse, but didn’t wander far from
it.
    The young, brown-haired woman behind the fruit stall smiled
suddenly and ran out from behind it. She sprinted across the square and dashed
through the group of Santir. Cami turned in time to see her jump into the arms
of one of Linc and Colm’s men. She thought his name was Anton, but she wasn’t
sure.
    The woman kissed him soundly and her arms tightened in a
fierce hug. One of his large arms banded around her waist, holding her to him,
and his free hand cupped the back of her head. Cami looked away, feeling as if
she was intruding.
    She moved to the side and stayed out of the way as the men
led the mican and michkal from the travel-gate house. She was
relieved to have some time relatively alone, although she knew there were those
who kept a discreet eye on her.
    Her prediction last night had proved true. She hadn’t gotten
much sleep.
    The feeling of being hunted and trapped had kept her on
edge. She didn’t have a plan to deal with their pursuit. Until Laed and Kynar
had been stopped, she couldn’t leave, although she wanted to run. Cami saw the
young woman return to her stall, holding hands with the warrior. She smiled at
the gesture. From the way the warrior looked down at her, Cami knew the woman
was more than just a willing bed partner.
    Cami would like to wander around the village a little and
explore. She was restless and would have liked to stretch her legs after riding
to the gate, but Colm and Linc had told her to stay in the square. She wasn’t
happy about it, but it wasn’t something she was going to defy them over.
Especially not since she was still a little unsure of them. That made her feel
a little bit cowardly.
    The thought shot through her. She straightened. She wasn’t a
coward. She’d been hurt, but that shouldn’t take away who she was. They weren’t
her Ardin. She was here by her own choice. If she wanted to explore, then she’d
explore. Aside from that, this was a good time to test them. They were in a
public place and there would be others around to help if they did turn out to
be the kind of men she shouldn’t trust.
    She didn’t hesitate any longer. The men set to watch her
might stop her before she left the square, but being cautious wasn’t going to
get her anywhere. She wanted to give it a try before she decided it was
impossible. Without glancing around to see who was watching, she simply began
walking for one of the exits to the square.
    When she reached it, she fully expected to be stopped and
questioned. She held her breath. Her tension grew with each step she took. When
she managed to get down the street and around a corner, she exhaled and looked
back over her shoulder just to see if they were following her. She didn’t
recognize any people along the lane.
    Shrugging, she turned and began walking down the narrow
street again. If they wanted her to stop, they were going to have to come after
her. She wasn’t going to go back. This might be the one time she could wander
free without too much worry. Laed and Kynar would follow eventually, but she
thought she was safe for now. Well, aside from having to deal with Colm and
Linc’s anger. That was something she knew she’d have to face soon, but she was
going to enjoy herself in the meantime.
    She enjoyed looking at the houses as she tried to find the
market. Although the color of the buildings changed, the style and the
dark-brown trim remained the same. She wandered through the streets until she
finally came to the market.
    Brightly colored awnings hung over the tables and stalls
lining the market