The Barbarian's Slave (Northlands Barbarians, # 1)

Avrid Ironwolf has earned his reputation as a fierce warrior with a heart of stone, but when he finds a bloodied and broken slave dying in the northern forests, he can't walk away. Ancient laws declare the man his property by right of rescue, but Avrid has never believed in owning people—and he certainly doesn't trust the way his chest tightens every time he looks at the healing stranger.

Faye survived years of brutal slavery, passed from one merciless master to another, learning that kindness is just cruelty in disguise. When Avrid brings him to the barbarian village, Faye braces for the inevitable—waiting for gentleness to twist into something darker. But day after day, Avrid's patience never wavers, his touch never turns harsh, and Faye finds himself falling for the tender warrior who defies everything he thought he knew about strength.

As Faye learns the barbarian tongue, he begins to understand the impossible he's been free all along. But freedom means nothing if it comes at the cost of losing the man who saved him—and when others in the village question his worth he fears that soon so will Avrid.

MM • Hurt/Comfort • Size Difference