Thief of Hearts

Prologue

Thief of Hearts
Prologue

The horse’s hooves thundered down the dusty dirt road as its rider urged him at break neck speed. He leaned down far upon its sweaty neck battling against the rough winds as his cape snapped viciously behind him. The mask hid his identity but if caught, it wouldn’t matter. Of this he could be sure. Many times before, he had eluded his captors but never had they been this close.

His pursuers pounded close behind hell-bent on catching this thief whom they had been chasing the last hour and he knew that if caught, he would lose his life. Perhaps he shouldn’t have bedded that last noble…but the circumstances had tempted him sorely. Not only had she been a beauty, but she had been a wealthy, arrogant beauty which begged for his skills both in and out of the bed. So, of course, he robbed her of some wealth then had also taken her body as additional compensation. The temptation had proved his undoing for now he knew his end was near.

He gritted his teeth and tucked his muscled legs closer into the horse’s flanks but the beasts sides heaved with exertion. “Not yet, old boy. Just free me from this dilemma, and I will put you out to a glorious pasture,” he promised his faithful horse. But the animal already began to slow unable to aid his master any further. “What I would give to escape my pursuers this night,” he hissed adamantly.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt shot past him hitting a nearby tree with a spine shattering crack! The huge oak fell between the thief and his pursuers as he turned and whooped with relief at his luck. The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air head first then landed hard upon the cool earth. “What the….”

His horse had unexplainably stopped in his tracks! Quickly, he righted himself to remount when a soft, womanly voice halted his efforts. “Thief…what will you give for your escape?”

The thief spun about toward the voice to behold a beautiful scantily clothed woman approaching him. He had never seen such a beauty in all his years. What luck had befallen him?! “Lady, I believe that I will not be giving but will be taking…whatever you may have,” he replied arrogantly as he approached her intent on further ‘thieving’.

“You are far too arrogant, thief. I believe you need a lesson on that arrogance as well as on your word to give for your escape. Perhaps, your heart requires this lesson. Therefore, you will remain my servant until you have learned to give…learned to give of your heart…”

Before he could protest, he and the woman instantly disappeared in a blinding bright light.

McKinzie S. Heart
~Live to write, write to live~Thief of Hearts
Prologue