Disguised Vengeance

Chapter 13

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I'm so sorry i took so long to update this chapter! A giant thank you to all my readers who waited patiently for my update. I've been out of town for the past week, hence, the late update. My apologies! this chapter is unedited as well. Please point out any errors :) I hope you enjoy it! tell me what you think!!! and VOTEEEE

This chapter is decicated to CupcakePanda for being such a loyal reader and for always being the first to comment on a new upload!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your support!

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Yawning softly, Catherine wiped away the sleepy tears with the back of her hand. She shook her head vigorously and tried to concentrate on the hard-packed earth before her.

This morning, without remembering how she ended up there, Catherine woke up to find herself on the bed next to a snoring Calla, with a woollen duvet wrapped snugly around her. She was unsure if she had fallen asleep in the bathroom after treating Sir Bretson's bruises. The only thing she was positively certain of was that she did not get sufficient sleep and if she yawned once more, her lower jaw might just drop off.

Her eyelids felt heavier with every blink as Lightning trotted steadily away from the tavern and towards the outskirts of Bellerania. Catherine's grip on the reins loosened involuntarily as her tired eyes snap shut and her head nodded sleepily.

A muscular arm tightened around her narrow waist and jerked her out of her saddle. Widening her butterscotch eyes in surprise, her stomach sank as the ground blurred beneath her while she dangled momentarily in mid-air. Catherine gasped when she hit the worn leather surface of another saddle and fell back against a man's hard, muscular chest.

She spared herself one second to recover from shock before turning around to deliver a punch to her captor's jaw. The man's reflexes were fact. He held the reins of his own black mare in his mouth and gripped Lightning's reins in his right hand. He wrapped his left hand around her wrist seconds before Catherine's clenched fist collided with his jaw.

"That's no way to thank me, Princess," Jase purred mischievously.

"Do you need help?" Catherine hissed angrily. "Mentally."

She ignored the soothing sound of Jase's genuine laughter and continued indignantly. "First you break down the door of our room in the middle of the night, like a creepy drunken man. Now you want to kidnap me and steal my horse?" she remarked incredulously while tilting her head towards Lightning.

"I beg your pardon, Your Highness. I didn't realise you were so fond of kissing the ground," Jase replied sarcastically, referring to the fact that she had dozed off while ridding and had nearly fell off her saddle.

"Oh, I am so sleepy," she said dramatically. "I wonder who is to be blamed," Catherine finished with narrowed eyes.

The battle of wits had begun. The pair bantered back and forth, countering each other's quick and clever remarks. Jase had never met a girl like her. Catherine was smart and witty, yet she was not crafty or manipulative like many court ladies. Instead, she was open and straightforward.

"My mouth is so dry. No more talking for me," Catherine said after a while.

They rode in comfortable silence as the greenery blurred past them. Jase had attached Lightning's reins to his saddle and the mare trotted closely beside them without its rider.

Jase noticed the slight change in scenery. As they travelled towards the outskirts, the forest grew thinner, and the ground was softer and sandier. The breeze was salty and the air was more humid. He felt a sudden sense of belonging and something within him screamed 'home'.