The Forbidden Princess Read online

  THE FORBIDDEN PRINCESS

  DAY LECLAIRE

  Published by Silhouette Books

  Americas Publisher of Contemporary Romance

  To Melissa Jeglinski, who felt my books

  might be Desireable. Many thanks!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Coming Next Month

  One

  M errick Montgomery studied the woman whose life he was about to destroyand who could, ultimately, destroy his.

  Alyssa Sutherland was stunning, he conceded. Sexy, even in the silver wedding dress she wore. He adjusted the binoculars to get a closer look. She sat without moving while a bevy of women fluttered around her like jewel-colored butterflies. Her features were as close to perfection as a man could desire and her figurewhat he could see of it beneath the embellished gown she worethreatened to rouse that desire to a fever pitch. Dappled sunlight touched the champagne blond of her hair, kissing it with the merest hint of rose.

  He felt an inexplicable and powerful urge to fully bare her to his gaze, to see if her body mirrored the perfection of that face. Not that there was much doubt about what hed uncover. Such was the gift nature bestowed on certain womenwarm, breathtaking beauty combined with cold, avaricious natures.

  Beneath her gown hed find her flesh pale and unblemished enough to make any man forget her true nature. Shed feel soft and supple against his calloused hands. Would she be built like a goddess, her hips a lush, feminine sanctuary? Or perhaps her gown hid a smaller, more boyish figure. Hed found such women to be strong and lithe in bed. Miniature dynamos.

  Goddess or dynamo, it didnt matter. Shed sold herself to Brandt von Folke, which had forced his hand.

  Merrick.

  The voice whispering in his ear brought him to his senses and his mouth tightened. Hed allowed the Sutherland woman to distract him from his goal and that angered him. It had never happened before. Not once in all the years hed been head of the Royal Security Force. But this womanHe studied her one final time, acknowledging the intensity of her allure while deliberately setting it aside as nothing more than an obstacle. Her beauty would be a problem. It wasnt easily overlooked and threatened to draw attention to his actions, something he needed to prevent at all costs.

  He readjusted his binoculars, sweeping them in a slow, wide arc around the courtyard where the woman sat. It only took him a moment to find what stood between him and his goal. There were eight guards in all. Six clearly visible and two on either side of the chapel doors. He checked his watch and then sent a quick hand signal to the men who accompanied him. They would move in in ten minutes.

  Once again he fixed the powerful binoculars on the Sutherland woman, tightening the focus until all he could see was the porcelain perfection of her face. She might have been lifeless for all the emotion she showed. Her eyes were downcast as though in thought, and he couldnt help but wonder what, if anything, went on behind that perfect oval mask. As he watched he caught the tiniest quiver of her mouth. Nervousness, perhaps? Second thoughts? No, not a chance. Not this woman. A prayer of thanksgiving for her coming triumph? Now that was more like it.

  His mouth tightened. Pray, woman. Pray for all youre worth. Not that it would help. In a few more minutes hed take this woman. Hed do whatever necessary to ensure that this day ended much differently from how she envisioned as she sat far below.

  Its time, Merrick announced. No matter what, we make certain the woman doesnt marry Brandt von Folke. Understood?

  He didnt wait for agreement. His men were handpicked. They would follow his orders without question or hesitation. His mouth curled into a hard smile. There was no doubt what would happen next. His reasons were just. His need absolute. He was doing the wrong thing for all the right reasons. He was going to kidnap another mans bride for the most noble of causes.

  Alyssa Sutherland sat silently amidst a sea of chaos. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep from jumping up and shrieking at the women surrounding her to leave her alone. To give her just two minutes in which she could sit quietly and try and catch her breath. To allow her the luxury of tears or breaking down in momentary hysteria or even to close her eyes and escape into a brief, blissful fantasy where someone would come and rescue her from this nightmare. Not that there was any likelihood of that happening.

  Events for the past week had moved at a breakneck pace and she hadnt found a single minute to regain her equilibrium. Not a moment to think. Not to fight. Not to negotiate or protest or plead. Or run. Shed simply been told what to do and been expected to obey without argument.

  And she had, though it went against every instinct and every aspect of her personality. Unfortunately, there had been no other choice.

  Princess Alyssa, its almost time. The woman spoke in lightly accented English. But then all the people Alyssa had met so far had spoken English as fluently as their native tongue. You should enter the chapel now.

  She spared the womanLady Bethany Something, she recalleda brief glance. Its just Alyssa. Im not a princess.

  Yes, Your Highness.

  Alyssa closed her eyes in despair. Lowering her head, she struggled to maintain her composure. She could feel her mouth quiver, but it was beyond her ability to control it. I need a moment, she whispered.

  Im sorry, Your Highness. That isnt possible.

  How many times in the past week had she been told the same thing? Too many to count. Always polite, always phrased with the utmost care and consideration and always the same underlying message: Not a chance in hell will you be permitted a single moment alone. Youll be guarded every single second that ticks off each endless hour of every hideous day. And yet

  They called her Princess Alyssa. They bowed and curtsied and treated her as though she were made of spun glass and was twice as fragile. Their respect wasnt a pretense. She sensed an underlying sincerity she couldnt mistake. For the first time in over a week, a spark of hope ignited. Perhaps she could work their deference to her advantage.

  Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and fixed Lady Bethany with a steely gaze. I need a moment alone.

  Lady Bethany fluttered, casting nervous glances over her shoulder. I dont think

  Im not asking you to think. Im telling you that I need five minutes alone before I return to the chapel. I need toto gather my thoughts. To prepare myself for the ceremony so I dont let down my she swallowed, struggling to speak through the distress gripping her throat my husband-to-be.

  Lady Bethanys fluttering grew worse. I dont think His Highness would approve. He ordered requested we remain with you at all times.

  The guard will see to my safety, Alyssa pressed, sensing victory.

  But His Highness

  Would agree to your making an exception on my wedding day. She infused her voice with royal demand. Not that she had a clue what that really meant. She could only give it her best shot and hope she hit the mark. Why dont we send for Prince Brandt and see whos right?

  Apparently, it was the perfect tack to take. Her bluff worked. Lady Bethany blanched and stumbled back a step, dropping a hasty curtsey. That wont be necessary, Your Highness. Ill ask the guards to escort you to the chapel when youre ready. Will five minutes be sufficient?

  Five minutes. Five short, precious minutes. How could she possibly prepare herself for what was to come in so little time? She inclined her head. That will be fine, thank you. It would have to be.

  Her bevy of ladies-in-waiting, as theyd described themselves, gathered into a
hurried group, whispering in their native tongue of Verdoniana language Alyssa didnt understand, which put her at a distinct disadvantage. Shooting quick, anxious looks over their shoulders, they withdrew into the chapel.

  Drawing a deep breath, Alyssa stood and walked from the courtyard into the garden. The largest of the guards followed, putting enough distance between them that she didnt feel crowded, and positioned himself between her and the woods that bordered the garden. She crossed to the stone bench farthest from the chapel and all the prying eyes.

  Earlier that morning it had rained, but now dappled sunlight filtered through the branches of the oaks, warming her chilled skin. Not long ago shed caught a glimpse of a rainbowa sign, her mother had always claimed, of better times to come.

  Theres a pot of gold waitin for us out there, Ally, baby, Angela Barstow had always insisted. And one of these days, were gonna find it.

  Not this time, Mom, Alyssa whispered.

  They couldnt run away from their problems this time. No new starts. No new stepfathers. No being dragged from her bed in the middle of the night so her mother could sneak them out of whatever city theyd pitched their tent in. This time the trouble was too great to run from.

  She fought against a wave of panic. She didnt have long to gain control of her emotions. The seconds were ticking by. She could sense the restless movement of her guard and attempted to dismiss him from her mind. She drew in another breath, filling her lungs with the spring air that permeated what little shed seen of the European country of Verdonia.

  If this had been any other time, if the series of events that had brought her here had been different, she would have been enchanted by the beauty shed encountered. But she was far from enchanted. She was alone and frightened and desperate to find a way out of this nightmare.

  If only she hadnt gone chasing off to save Angela from her latest catastrophe. But the express envelope begging for help, along with the prepaid airline ticket to Verdonia, had been too much to ignore. So, Alyssa had postponed the start of her latest job and flown to the rescue. She couldnt have anticipated that shed be snatched from the airport and carried off into the wilds of Verdonia anymore than she could have foreseen being forced into a marriage as a result of threats she didnt dare challengethreats to her mothers well-being.

  Somehow shed become caught up in a political maelstrom, one she didnt understand. Her mother had tried to explain but thered been so little time. From their frantic and painfully brief conversation, Alyssa had learned that everyone believed she was a princess of Verdonia, and that her marriage to Brandt von Folke would unite two of three warring principalities. It was a crazy mistake. Even so, she found herself at the very heart of the current turmoil. Shed simply been told her only option was to say I do or her mother would suffer the consequences.

  I beg your pardon, Your Highness. Its time.

  Alyssa opened her eyes and stared at the burly guard hovering over her. Panic tightened her throat. Already?

  Its time, he repeated, though she caught a hint of sympathy in his gruff voice and kindly brown eyes.

  Before she could plead for another moment of solitude, just a few precious extra seconds, a small whine sounded in her ear, whooshing past like a starving mosquito. A strange expression drifted across the guards face as though he, too, had heard the odd noise. He made a small strangled sound and started to lift a hand to his neck, before dropping like a stone. With an exclamation of horror, Alyssa leaped to her feet.

  She managed one quick step in his direction before an iron band wrapped around her arms and waist, lifting her off the ground and up against a tall, muscular male body. At the same moment, a large, powerful hand closed over her mouth, cutting off her incipient scream. She hung in his arms for an endless moment, a rush of sensations swamping her.

  His scent washed over her. It held the confusingly civilized odor of cedar and spice. But underlying the crisp, delicious scent came something far more basic and dangerous, a primal pheromone that invaded her senses at the most carnal and instinctual level. An image of a lion flashed through her minds eye, streaking across the African veld, claws extended, teeth bared, its powerful haunches contracting as it hurdled toward its preytoward her.

  Alyssa exploded into motion, kicking and twisting. It didnt have the least impact. He controlled her with frightening ease. The warmth of his breath stirred the curls alongside her temple and his laughter rumbled against her back.

  Calm yourself, Princess, he told her. Fighting wont do you any good. It will simply wear you out and make my job all the easier.

  His voice contained the distinctive lilt of most shed met in Verdonia, though his was deeper and darker. Educated. The realization filtered through her terror. She struggled to control her panic and pay attention, to gather as many facts as possible in the hopes that she could somehow use the information to her advantage.

  She stilled and he gave a grunt of satisfaction. Turning his head, he called out several soft words in his native language. They werent aimed at her. She sensed others around hernot the guardsbut men who worked in concert with the one who held her with such casual strength.

  As soon as hed satisfied himself that shed given up her struggle, he melted into the shadows of the surrounding trees, carrying her from the garden outside the chapels courtyard into the woods. She caught a glimpse of the men hed spoken to before they were blocked from view by a stand of trees. All three were dressed in black, hooded and ominous in both appearance and size, and they moved with unmistakable purpose. What did they want? What were they planning? Dear heaven, shed wanted a way out of the marriage, but not like this and not at the expense of her mother. Her mother! She tensed within her captors hold, preparing to struggle again, but his grip tightened in warning.

  Dont. He lowered his head so his whisker-roughened jaw brushed her cheek. She shuddered at the delicately abrasive sensation. It might have been a lovers caresswould have beenif it hadnt come from a ruthless kidnapper. The dichotomy only further served to escalate her fear and she squirmed in reaction. Keep struggling and Ill tie you up. Is that what you want?

  Oh, God, anything but that. Frantically, she shook her head. The movement dislodged her veil, sending it sliding over one eye. The finely tatted lace obscured her vision, increasing her terror. Shed always suffered from mild claustrophobia and the idea of being robbed of both her freedom of movement, as well as her sight, horrified her. Panic bubbled upward and she forced herself to focus on her breathing, to drag the air into her lungs bit by bit.

  In the few moments it took to regain control of herself he carried her through the woods to a narrow country road. A pair of SUVs idled on the dirt shoulder, one black, the other a silver-gray. So far shed counted four men, the one whod spirited her off and the three from the courtyard who had yet to rejoin them. Now she heard a fifth member of her abductors team emerge from one of the vehicles. Her heart sank. A single kidnapper, particularly one as powerful as the man who held her, made any attempt at escape next to impossible. But five against one killed all hope.

  Its time. Her abductor addressed the newest member. To Alyssas relief he continued to speak in English, enabling her to follow the conversation. You dont have to go through with this. You can still change your mind.

  I cant and I wont. There arereasons.

  At the sound of a womans voice, Alyssa stiffened. From the corner of her eye she caught a flash of silver. She started to turn her head to look, but the mans grip on her tightened, preventing it.

  Quickly, Merrick, the woman murmured. Merrick! Alyssa filed the name away for future reference. We have only moments until her disappearance is discovered.

  Ripping the voluminous veil from Alyssas head, he tossed it to the woman. Will this work?

  Its perfect. From what I can tell our dresses are almost identical. The veil will conceal any discrepancies.

  She said something else, something in Verdonian that caused Merrick to give a short, gruff laugh. His reply was unbelievably tender and gentle.
Loving. At total odds with the ruthless kidnapper whod just abducted her. There was a soft rustle of clothing that came from the direction of the woman and then the swift fall of her footsteps faded in the direction of the chapel.

  Now they were alone and Merrick continued to restrain Alyssa within the protective shadow of the woods. Releasing the arm that anchored her to his chest, he set her on the ground and spun her around to face him. Her gaze inched upward past his thickly muscled chest to his face. She shuddered. It was as though the lion shed pictured earlier had been reborn as a man.

  Dark brown hair awash with streaks of every shade from umber to desert sand fell in heavy waves to frame strong, fierce features. Arching cheekbones underscored intense eyes, the brilliant gold irises ringed in dark brown. His razor-sharp nose had been broken at some point, but it only added to the unrelenting maleness of him, edging his appearance from the realm of stunningly handsome toward dangerously intriguing. More telling, his broad mouth had a scar that hooked the left side of his upper lip and slashed toward his cheek.

  This was a man whod lived a life of dangerous pursuits. Ruthlessness blazed in his eyes and was echoed in the grim lines etched into his features. Any hint of gentleness had been carved away long ago, honing his appearance to the bare essence of a man who eschewed softness and compassion and all things temperate, who couldnt be swayed by a womans love, and certainly didnt compromise or yield, no matter how overwhelming the odds.

  He backed her against a tree trunk, holding her with only his hand clamped to her mouth and the sheer force of his personality. The rough bark bit through her gown and clawed at her back. Ill release you if you promise not to scream. Otherwise, I pull out the duct tape. Clear?

  She gave a careful nod. One by one his fingers lifted away, his hand hovering a mere breath from her mouth. Tilting her chin she forced herself to meet his leonine gaze without flinching. She wouldnt plead, she refused to beg. But shed demand answers before she took another step.