"I must admit that I am surprised a woman of your age has managed to remain untouched for this long." He remarked thoughtfully as he strolled over to the door and flipped the latch on the top to lock it before moving over to the fire to crouch and add a couple logs.
A latch I clearly couldn't reach without dragging a chair over.
That was pretty much my primary plan at this juncture.
That or slitting his throat with his own dagger if I could get it from him before he snaps my neck. I winced at the thought.
"My, my..." He remarked. Peering over his shoulder pensively at me. "Ye're always thinkin' aren't ye?"
I gave him a dumbfounded look. Likely belying his remark on what may've been, a compliment to my intelligence. I was trying to remember if I'd been staring at the lock on the door when he'd commented.
Had I been so obviously trying to plan an escape?
"Here." He walked to a pantry and returned with potatoes and carrots and a skinned rabbit he drew off a hook. Slapping them on the table next to me made me jump.
I winced, closing my eyes.
"Cease with that." He grunted. "If I was going to force ye, I'd have done so by now." He looked sideways at me standing next to me. "However, be forewarned, I will have no qualms in it if ye dunnot cooperate when I say after the first time."
"The first time?"
He scoffed at my whining voice. "Even a man like me knows ye gotta treat a woman a bit different her first time or she'd rather die than let ye near her again."
"I'd already rather die than let you near me." I blinked up at him dully.
He reared back slightly and gave me a long look. "I'm awful close to ye now." He nodded toward the mere inches gap between our arms. "And I ain't hurtin' ye."
I swallowed a lump which had the texture and consistency of a river boulder.
"Cook." He gestured to the carrots and potatoes.
"Dagger." I held out my hand. Trying to act purposeful so he wouldn't notice my deep hope.
When he didn't move a long moment, I hazarded another look up at him and met dancing blue eyes.
"Cute try."
My lip curled derisively. He walked to a drawer near the pantry and withdrew the tiniest sticker I'd ever seen. Slapping it into my palm.
The handle is longer than the blade.
He grinned unabashedly at my mournful study of the little knife.
"Is this even sharp enough to cut the carrot?"
"Give it a try."
I turned the carrot and chopped the tip which came off smoothly. Least its sharp.
"It is enough to cut that. But you stick me with it, it's going to do just enough damage to annoy me. And might make your next days less kind then I'd planned thus far."
Seeing the intensity of his light blue eyes I was very certain he met it.
Grimacing I went back to cutting the carrot. Dammit.
***
To my surprise, the barbarian stood next to me and used his own dagger to cut up the rabbit while I worked on the vegetables.
He put bits into a pot as did I until we had the beginnings of a stew.
He went to a bucket in a cool corner and lifted out a metal ladle to pour several spoons of water in the pot.
Bringing it back he went back to a cupboard above the drawer near the pantry and retrieved several stoppered vials of dried herbs. Pointing and telling me what they were.
"Let's see your cooking."
My brown brows lifted and I hesitantly reached for some basil and rosemary. Adding them to the vegetables. Scooping out some of the bits of meat I rolled them in a spiced rub from one of the vials.
"Impressive." He remarked. Tilting his head grudgingly.
***
After a few hours I could see the light around the door dimming and new evening was descending.
But my apprehension was only growing.
We were both partaking of the stew which had turned out rather tasteful. He'd admitted so.
But I'd only had a few bites before having to set it aside.
"Eat it." He nodded with his spoon. "You'll need your energy."
"Will I?" My voice darkened. "What if I were to starve to death. You'd be out a pretty bit of coin then, wouldn't you?"
He shrugged. "Can always by another slave." He took another thoughtful bite before his icy gaze levelled on me. "Or I could force feed you to keep you."
I wasn't particularly fond of the sound of that.
He'll do it. I was sure.
He stood with his empty bowl in hand and I scampered to near the door to get from his path. He collected my smaller bowl and stacked it in his to set it near a washbasin by the door.
Forcing me to skirt the wall until I was nearly by the pantry. Eying it questioningly.
Could I fit in there?
And could I jam myself in there tightly enough he couldn't get me out.
"Won't work, Lass." He glanced at the pantry. "I'll tear it from the wall to get to ye, if I want ye."
"How about you don't."
"Don't what?" He frowned.
"Want me."
"A bit late for that." He curved a finger near his hip. "I've had me digits in ye enough to know I wanna taste o' ye. Sides all yer spit and fire is rather arousing."
I grimaced. Reminding myself to be more passive, in that case.
He took a step toward me and I cracked the pantry.
"Now stop, Woman. This'll go one of two ways. Ye can come o'er here and do as I bid and I'll be fair and gentle with ye this first time or ye can defy me and I swear by all that's holy I'll tie ye to my table and have ye there."
I looked at the table anxiously.
"Must admit," He murmured. Following my gaze to it. "That does sound tempting."
"No!" I yelped.
"Come." He turned his gaze back to me. Crooking his finger beckoningly.
Like coaxing a rat from under a floorboard.
With the same wild reluctance and fearful glare I eased from the corner toward him. Weighing my options and not liking any of them.But the pot of stew was still on that table.Maybe I can slosh it on him and scald him. Or conk him with the pot well and good enough to get a chair to that door and out.It seemed my only plausible option. So I walked around the table to where he stood. Facing him as boldly as I could muster despite that I wanted to panic and slide under the bed and pray he couldn't get me out."Bold one, ye are. I like that." He gave me a proud look."Now off with me tunic." He slid a huge callused palm under the shoulder of it and pushed it off. Dropping it over my shoulder and down to my elbow.I gasped, reflexively lifting my arm to stop the fabric from falling further but already one small breast stuck out above the neckline.He reached and methodically did the same with the other sleeve so only my lifted forearms held it around my waist.He gave me a warning look.
The sensation of his finger inside me was unlike anything before. I could feel my body stretching around as he swirled it in slowly. Finding the unique crevices inside me and rubbing along each until one made me gasp."Do you feel that?" He rubbed it again. "That is the pleasure you can have, if ye're a good 'un."My breath shivered as it entered me.He rubbed more roughly along the spot that was making me lean forward and slightly back against his hand.What the hell was I doing?"Uh, uh." I moaned as something tightened inside me. Making my whole body feel icy cold. Then heat blew up from my core and bloomed through me. Making my whole body shiver.My thighs vibrated against his as they flexed with small spasms."Now ye're ready for me, Lass." He murmured and I felt him leaning back and withdrawing his hand."No." I whispered."Yes. It's time."***I couldn't think of any time in my life I'd been less ready. "Please don't.""Here's how it's going to work, Sweet. I need ye ta breathe
"You feel like satin. Like ye were carved from the softest things to make a sheath fer a man.""You're utterly soulless." I leaned up to shout."Who needs one when I have this." He stuffed me full again. "Fucking you feels so good, Little Raven. In-fact," He murmured. "You're so delightfully surprising, I'm certain now I'll be keeping ye for my little slave.""Isn't that what you intended to begin with?" I sneered.He was thrusting so fiercely that there was a guttural sound coming out of me. Broken each time he entered me again. "But I've come ta an even greater decision now, Wee Lass.""What?" I looked over my shoulder at him. My eyes darkened with bitterness. Resentment for what he was doing to me."Ye're well suited to be one of my kind.""You're kind?" I blinked at him in confusion. Even he had paused his ministrations to more slowly slip in and out of me. Still gripping my wrists to keep me from reaching the pot I so yearned for.The one I want to smash over his head."My kind."
"When it comes to fighting me, you're only going to hurt yourself." His low voice rumbled from the bed and I realized that despite his stillness he was far from asleep."I won't stop.""I'm aware that's very likely. But if you were to do so, I'd let you off that chain and let you lie next to me. Realize the softer side of companionship. Care to try?""No." I whispered."Fine." He said. "Let me know when you do."The night was the most awful I'd known. Something about that cold chain made me feel like I was an animal at the end of a leash. And the room seemed cold then overly hot."It's going to get painful." He cautioned. "I can give you comfort.""I'd rather die." I spat on the floor."It's going to feel like you are." He rolled over to his side, staring at the wall in the corner. Unwilling to meet my penetrating gaze.***He had not lied to me. Midway through the night there was pain coursing through my middle. A dark twisting that felt like someone was spinning my insides in wild c
He walked to the bed and lifted the blanket. Giving a sweeping gesture for me to climb in.Staring at him nervously I slid into his bed. Immediately awash with the male scent of him.Dirt and trees and everything wild. But it seemed far more intense now. My nostrils flared and I felt like they were peeling open nearly up to my tear ducts to take in the aroma. And immediately I was damp between my thighs. Remembering that smell as he'd taken me over the table.Like an animal.Suddenly it seemed very obvious what he was.How'd I miss it before?I scooted as far into his bed as I could without completely pinning myself against the wall. I felt the bed dip behind me as he crawled in.The bed groaned in objection and sunk in with his massive weight."This isn't how it works." He sighed as he adjusted into the bedding to get comfortable. Slipping a hand over my hip and to the front of my belly. Dragging me backward until my back jolted against the unrelenting hardness of his chest and abdom
"I don't think you're weak." He added eying me.I'm not.I glared at him impudently. Still trying to conceive a plan to get the key and out while I had clothes and before he put me back on that chain.But to call him a formidable foe would be like saying that about a bear.He's not formidable. He's an impassable wall.He sucked in his cheeks as though he knew precisely what I was thinking. "Why did your mum name ye, Raven?"He strolled over to me, and I reflexively tensed. My shoulders and arms hardening in-case I had a need to strike him if he tried to toss me over that table again. But he gave me a slight unworried glance before reaching for my hair before he even stopped. Catching a lock and curving it around his large finger."Ye're hair isn't particularly black. Yer eyes are the brightest green I ever saw. Far from the dark of the birds. It makes little sense. Unless she was so senseless as to simply like the name?"I growled in my throat. My mother wasn't senseless!"She has mor
Mardichi walked through the mist. A great splash of red and tan amongst the dim gray. He was eyeing me like something foreign.And I couldn't help noticing that the bit of leather he'd worn when we left was long gone now. Leaving the thick bit of flesh exposed against his leg. He was as heedless as any animal as he sidled up to me."You should've become a wolf or a beast.""A beast?""Well, you'd be the first woman I marked.""What does that mean?" My voice rose."I'm not entirely certain of the details as to how it's supposed to work." Mardichi entered the clearing and looked up at the trees just above us. Blotched with darker spots.What are those?His voice drew my attention back to him. "I've heard others of my kind speak of it. They explained how the woman became a wolf soon after she was marked as their mate."He eyed me purposefully. Making it a point that it was odd."Mate?" I frowned at him. "So, what does that mean?""It means magic is activated in you as it should be. But t
We ran inside and he pulled me around behind him. Slamming the door and turning the lock before putting the chain and key back around his neck.I slumped against the wall and slid down it. Breathing heavily in relief."Now, what the devil are ye?" I noticed that his accent had returned in full force after the commotion."Why is it that sometimes you speak very cultured and then in a moment, you go back to speaking like a barbarian?"His head snapped to give me a quick look. "Always questioning the little things, aren't ye?"I returned his look levelly.At length, he shrugged as if deciding the secret wasn't worth keeping. "I've friends, much to your surprise, I'm sure. Cultured men that've tried for a long time to teach me to be a bit more...refined."He said the word as if it made him feel dirty."Why would they do that?""Because they say I'm a bit rough around the edges." He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as if somewhat ashamed of this fact.I snorted. "You're certainly