Her piercing, blue eyes held him captive and for a moment, he felt bewitched. "Katya is your daughter," he said slowly, unable to see any resemblance. Remarkably, this woman didn't even seem old enough to have a full grown daughter. She looked barely older than his son who was away on his honeymoon.

"She is."

"You are mistaken, Eve. Katya is hardly a prisoner. She has her own chambers and is free to walk the grounds."

Her mouth tensed. "My daughter walks the grounds with royal guards, Your Highness and you post a guard at her chamber door. As I said, she is your prisoner." She pursed her lips. "Where is she? I wish to see her now. You have no right to keep her here. She has committed no crime."

He stiffened in response to her tone. She sounded like she was issuing an order and he didn't take orders from anyone. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Two years ago."

"Do you know what's become of her since then?"

"Yes," she replied as she tugged off her gloves and tossed them on her cloak that was slung over the chair. "She was bitten and turned by a werewolf two years ago. Since then, Balkathan has kept her prisoner in his harem. She escaped his lair a few weeks ago, travelled to your kingdom and you have kept her here against her will since then." She raised a delicately winged brow. "Will that do, Your Highness?"

A flash of annoyance coursed through his veins. Great beauty or not, her arrogance was beginning to irritate the hell out of him. More astounding was she mentioned the word werewolf as though she mentioned the weather. There was no fear on her face, no alarm, nothing. He stared at her expression and couldn't believe how composed she appeared.