The bastard Valde Fitzroy has but one purpose in life: to serve his unacknowledged father, Lord Royan, by slaying his enemies. He has performed this duty for many years, amid the endless intrigues of the were-horse clans.<br><br>Yet when Lord Royan dies, Valde is left without purpose. He finds himself following his last target, Raneld Orley, the youngest son of the new king. He doesn’t understand why, nor does he understand why he alternately rages against and is drawn to the oh-so-perfect prince. But as his fate begins to unfold, the curse that drives him becomes clear.<br><br>Fate may twist in strange ways, though. So what happens when a cursed assassin comes to lust after -- and love -- his intended target?

Stallion Assassin

It seemed like an eternity before I finally managed to reach the edge, and then I still had to fight to get a hoof on ground that seemed to be crumbling beneath the rain’s onslaught. Finally, a clump of bushes provided something for me to grab a hold of and I bit hard on the branches while my flailing hooves struggled to get purchase.


I hauled myself out of the rush and staggered away from the gully—now a raging river. Thunder still boomed and lighting still flashed all around, with no shelter to be had from any of it.


At last, soaked, exhausted, and miserable, I lay against a low rise with a few bushes on it that gave some scrap of shelter from the wind.


Chapter 23