forced into that situation. She should have never been left here alone, though he knew what she would say.
“I’m not alone. I have King and Princess, and many more animals that call the woods their home,” Purity said. “And I truly love Wren’s cottage and her wonderful garden, and that it sits secluded with an abundance of foliage and trees. I’ve been content.”
“You will be content wed to me.”
Purity couldn’t contain the light laughter that bubbled from her. “You command me to be content when we wed?”
“I don’t command. It will be so. We are friends. Friends that have known each other for some time. Our families are friends. I will treat you well. You will have no reason to complain. We have already established that we both enjoy each other’s kisses. Therefore, you will be content wed to me.”
Once again he mentioned them being friends. How could he have thought that when he had barely spoken to her. Years ago she wouldn’t dare voice what she truly thought. But much had changed, including her, so she spoke her mind.
“Friends?” she questioned. “I didn’t think we were friends, acquaintances perhaps, or I was simply Bayne’s sister to you, but never were we friends. Friends talk with each other, spend time together. We did none of that.”
“Acquaintances then if you must, but friends now. We talk and spend time together” he said as if that proved and settled it.
She laughed again and not too lightly. “We spend time together because you refuse to leave, and as for talking? I do most of it. You offer little. If we are friends, or to be friends, then share with me,” —she turned serious— “tell me how you got those scars on your back.”
When silence followed, she questioned that if they couldn’t be friends, if he couldn’t talk freely with her, then how could they ever be husband and wife.
Arran never intended to tell anyone, though there were a few who knew, like him that thought the same, the memories were better left alone. And Purity certainly didn’t need to know and yet for some reason he had the urge to tell her.
He didn’t stop himself. “I was taken captive during a battle with a horde of savages. Their leader—a soulless, evil man—enjoyed inflicting pain. You never knew when you would be beaten or which prisoner would get taken. Or if you would have days or hours after the last beating to recover. One prisoner suffered so badly—so many beatings—he begged for death.” He cringed, the stench of the cell returning to him along with the man’s pleas. “He begged and begged and begged for one of us to kill him, to end his suffering. Everyone had been warned not to help him or they would suffer tenfold for it. One night when everyone slept, I crawled over to him, not making a sound. I placed my hand over his mouth and his eyes went wide. I removed my hand and I nodded and he smiled and nodded in return. He took my hand and placed it over his mouth and nose. It would have been faster and easier for him if I snapped his neck, but they would have known his neck had been snapped and so he let me know how I should end his misery. He closed his eyes ready to meet death. Suffocation would have taken too long and he no doubt would have struggled and brought attention to us. I didn’t even give it thought. I snapped his neck quickly. In the morning when they found him, I let the guards know what I did so that no one else would be punished.” He shook his head. “I should have known better. I got lashed first. Then I was made to watch as the other men were made to suffer worse than I did.”
Arran was stunned when Purity suddenly appeared before him and dropped down into his lap, her arms going around his neck as she laid her head on his shoulder, and his arms went around her.
“I’m so sorry. You were so brave to do that and so kind.”
He heard her sniff back tears, but he couldn’t let her think that he was brave or kind. “I’m neither of those, Purity. My only thought had been that the man had been used by our captives to keep us in fear. If someone helped him we’d suffer, if no one helped we’d still suffer watching him die slowly and