The Apprehension: Unexpected Circumstances Book 6 by Shay Savage Page A

someone grabbed my arms to right me, but then a sharp blow to the back of my head stunned me.  I cringed, not just from the pain, but from realizing the same person could have chosen to hit me in the stomach instead.
    Without additional fight, my bound arms were wrenched painfully behind my back, and I was shoved forward again.  My feet stayed underneath me this time, and I managed to keep pace with my abductors until we came to an abrupt halt, and the sack over my head was removed.
    As my eyes adjusted and my vision focused, I looked into the eyes of Princess Whitney of Hadebrand.  She sat in a regal chair with her hands folded in front of her and a look in her eyes that was filled with both hatred and glee at the same time.  She leaned forward and bared her teeth.
    “Did you think you could really get away with this?” the princess said with a snarl.  “Branford was meant to be mine—always!  Since we were babes, everyone knew our marriage would unite Hadebrand and Silverhelm!”
    Before I could respond, a man stepped out of the shadows behind her, his long dark hair and beard hiding most of his face from view.  I could see little but his dark, expressive eyes and heavy brows.  He moved to my side and his lip turned up in a cruel snarl.  I could see the remnants of an old scar across his eye, and I cringed even before I saw what was in his hand.  He held up a knife in front of my face, and Whitney laughed as he brought it down and cut through the ropes around my wrists.
    “Branford will be mine just as soon as you deliver that child to me.  Then Branford will see reason and make me his queen.”
    She spoke of a future with Branford, I realized, and it seemed my heart began to beat in my chest again.  If she speaks of him in the future tense, he must still live.  I closed my eyes in a silent, thankful prayer before I turned back to the hateful woman before me.
    “You cannot believe you will get away with this,” I said.  “When Branford realizes what you have done, he will—”
    “He will,” Whitney said, “do what he should have done from the beginning!  If he does not, I will kill that half-bred commoner child in your belly right before his eyes!  And you will learn your place in life before this is over!  Commoners are commoners, and royalty is royalty!  You do not belong with us, you insolent creature!  You will eventually understand this though it will be far too late to benefit you.”
    There was snickering from the guards behind me as well as shuffling of their booted feet.  Moving a few inches closer to my side, the dark, bearded man continued to look me over with narrowed eyes.
    “Greysen!” Whitney yelped, and the large, barrel-chested man turned his gaze to her.  “Take her down to the cells and introduce her to her new home.”
    Whitney stood and walked over to me.  She was several inches taller and leaned over to stare down into my eyes.  I squared my shoulders and met her hateful look with my own glare.
    “It will be your last home, you know,” she said before she began to laugh.  She took a step back and smiled gleefully up at Greysen.  “She is your responsibility now.”
    “Of course, Princess Whitney,” he replied.
    “Make sure she does not harm herself,” Whitney said.  “Keep her healthy so she delivers the child soon.”
    “Of course, Princess Whitney,” he replied again with a bow of his head.
    “As soon as we have the child, she is no longer of any use to us,” Whitney said simply as she waved her hand toward me dismissively.  She even shrugged her shoulders a little.  “Branford will do anything to make sure nothing happens to the baby, including taking me as his wife since she will no longer be in the way.”
    My mouth dropped open as I finally understood her plan.  With the failure of her original scheme to keep Branford childless, she now planned to steal the child as it was born from my body.  She would then present it to Branford under the