Authors: Elizabeth Kelly
“Why are you walking?” Tristan rode up beside Avery
who was trailing behind the wagon. She was nearly jogging to keep up with
it, and her cheeks were red and flushed looking.
“It’s too crowded in the wagon.” She panted without
looking at him.
He glanced at the wagon. The wagon was full, although
he supposed she could have squeezed in if she was determined enough. He
couldn’t blame her for not wanting to. Even from here he could feel the
tension and distrust radiating from Mrs. Lanning.
“Get in the carriage with your sister and the children.”
He demanded.
“There’s even less room in the carriage.” She
puffed. She wasn’t about to tell him that Mrs. Lanning had kicked her
from the wagon and refused to let her ride in the carriage. Tristan
seemed fair enough but he had made it perfectly clear that they were to obey
Mrs. Lanning, and she would do whatever it took to keep Maya safe.
“You cannot keep up this pace all day.” He argued.
“It’s only been an hour, and we’ll be travelling until dusk.”
“I have excellent stamina.” She winced as she stepped
on a rock and he looked angrily at her bare feet.
“You’ll rip your feet to shreds.”
“I’m fine.” She retorted.
He grunted irritably and then moved his horse in front of
her, forcing her to stop. He reached down, wrapped one powerful arm
around her waist, and hauled her upwards as she squeaked in alarm. He
positioned her thin body in the saddle in front of him, grimly ignoring the
feel of her ass pressing against his groin.
“I can walk, m’lord.” She said through gritted teeth
and tried to slide out of the saddle.
“Be still for the gods’ sake.” He grumbled. He
put his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.
She squirmed against him and he grimaced as her soft ass
rubbed against his crotch. “I said be still!” He squeezed her
waist, his fingers biting into her ribs until she gasped.
He pulled away from the wagon, ignoring Mrs. Lanning’s look
of disapproval, and dropped back until they were trailing behind the
group.
“Could you loosen your grip, my lord?” She asked
softly. “You’re hurting me.”
He realized he was still squeezing her waist and released
her with a muttered, “Sorry.”
She rubbed briefly at her side before beginning to
cautiously sit forward. He immediately pulled her back against him.
“I’m not going anywhere.” She protested.
“No, you’re not.” He agreed amicably and shifted her
until she was pressed more tightly against him.
A lovely feeling of warmth was rushing through him.
His back, which had been aching from long days in the saddle, no longer felt
like it had large needles being jammed into it. Even the constant burn
and ache from the old wound on his ribcage seemed less noticeable.
He glanced down at Avery. She had paled slightly and
she was trembling. The wind had picked up, bringing dark stormy clouds,
and he frowned at the way the wind was rippling through her red hair. Her
dress was thin and he reached between them, unbuttoning the cloak he wore over
his shirt and pants and wrapping it firmly around them both.
“You’re freezing.” He said gruffly, slipping his arm
back around her waist and resting his large hand against her hip.
“Thank you.” She tried again to put a little space
between them, sighing irritably when his hand immediately tightened on her
hip. Little spikes of desire were already beginning to flow through her
body and she was both irritated and completely flummoxed by her reaction to
him. Never before had a man’s touch affected her so easily and she
flushed with embarrassment, remembering her reaction to him at the lake.
“How did you end up at the slave house? Neither you
nor your sister were born into slavery, that’s obvious enough.”
She shrugged. “Nothing more than a bad luck story and
it’s a boring one at that.”
“I would hear it anyway.” He prompted.
“I would prefer not to share it.”
“I don’t care what you prefer. Tell me the story,
now.”
She cleared her throat angrily. “Fine. My father
was a very wealthy man. Many years ago when he was a young man, he
figured out how the ancients had created their electricity.
Tristan stiffened behind her. “Your father was James
Hendrin?”
She nodded. “Aye.”
“He’s one of the most famous humans in the history of the
new world.” He grabbed her chin and turned her face towards his.
“Are you telling me that I purchased the children of James Hendrin to be
my nanny and gardener? Your father was the wealthiest man in the
country.”
She wrenched her head free. “I am well aware of that,
my lord.” The bitterness in her voice was undeniable.
“How did he die?”
She sighed deeply and although she began to tremble softly,
her voice was steady enough. “We were at our country home. My
mother took Maya and I back into the city. There was a play that Maya
wanted to see. My father stayed home with our two younger siblings.
While we were gone, there was a fire in the house and both my father and our
siblings died in the blaze.”
“Was it an accident?”
She shrugged. “It appeared so, but my father had many
enemies.”
“I still do not understand how you and your sister ended up
in a slave house.”
“My mother is not a strong woman. After my father and
siblings died, she – she became completely unglued. My father had always
encouraged a frugal lifestyle, much to my mother’s dismay, and once he was gone
there was no one to stop her. She threw elaborate parties, took expensive
trips and bought several houses. She met the wrong people, fell in with a
bad crowd, and before long they had her hooked on the cocakin.”
Tristan frowned. He had tried the human’s cocakin
once, many years ago. The fine white powder had burned his nose and given
him an instant headache, along with strange and disturbing
hallucinations. He had not touched it again.
“It took my mother less than nine moons to burn through my
father’s considerable wealth.” She said bitterly. “Maya and I
begged her to stop, begged her to get help, but she had gone mad with grief.”
She sighed again. “When she ran out of money, she sold
both Maya and I to the slave house in order to buy more drugs. She
promised she would return in less than a week to buy us back and that was the
last time we saw her. We have no idea where she is now or if she’s even
still alive.”
She winced when Tristan squeezed her waist
involuntarily. He was horrified by what she had just told him.
Sophia’s mother had been a terrible mother, but even she would not have sold
her children for drugs.
“My lord.” She prompted, pushing at his arm.
He relaxed his grip and cleared his throat. “How long
were you at the slave house?”
She mulled it over for a few minutes. “I’m not
entirely sure. I would think at least ten or eleven moons. I was
sold once, but returned back to the slave house the next day.”
“Why?”
She chose her words carefully. “Most of the men that
go there are looking for a companion or a housekeeper. The ones who are
looking for a housekeeper would sooner scrub their own toilets then bring a Red
into their household. Those who are looking for a – a companion, are
leery of the stories of men who have tried to take Reds into their beds.”
“What stories are those?”
She gave him a strange look. “Surely you know them, my
lord?”
He shook his head, and she suddenly grinned ferociously.
“Take a Red into your bed and you risk having your cock turn black and
rot. If you manage to fuck one without catching their whore’s disease,
you don’t dare fall asleep while they’re in your bed.”
“Why not?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “While you sleep, we
wrap our long red locks around your throats, mutter the spells of the ancient
ones and turn our hair into fire. Humans burn to a crisp while we remain
unharmed.”
“Bullshit.” He said loudly.
“You’re the only human I’ve met who doesn’t believe the
stories.”
He rolled his eyes. “Tell me why you were returned to
the slave house.”
“A truly disgusting man bought me to be his companion.
Apparently he was willing to risk losing his cock or having his bed set on
fire.” She paused. “The first night he took me to his bed, I broke
his nose and bit his right earlobe off before muttering nonsense under my
breath and threatening to set him on fire.”
“Gods be damned.” He grunted.
“He returned me the next day for a full refund.” She
smiled prettily, her even white teeth flashing at him.
He shook his head, smiling despite himself, and after a
moment she sobered. “It’s why I was so desperate to have Maya go with
you. She is young and – and untouched, and I did not want her to be sold
as a companion. I deliberately stopped her from bathing and tried to keep
her as undesirable looking as possible. She’s so beautiful, so pure and
sweet. Your children will love her – I promise you.”
“Aye.” He answered.
She was silent for a few moments and then glanced up at him.
“How did Sophia’s mother die?”
“She, how did you put it? Fell in with the wrong
crowd? Only they handed her over to the leeches as payment for their
debt.”
“I’m sorry.” She said softly. “You must miss
your wife.”
“When Sophia was two her mother left our home and took her
to the city. I did not see my child again until a week ago.”
She remained silent and he found himself opening up to her.
“I knew she hated the country but I thought once Sophia was born she
would change her mind. Our – our people normally live in the country, we
avoid the cities, but her family were one of the few who found comfort in the
city. I lived there briefly, met Sophia’s mother, and convinced her to
marry me and move back to the country. She agreed but was almost
instantly unhappy. A few months into the marriage she became pregnant
with Sophia. She did her best to adapt to country living but it was clear
she was miserable. I was away tending to matters dealing with my father’s
death, and she used that opportunity to take Sophia and leave.”
He cleared his throat. “When I returned from my
parent’s home I immediately left for the city. I searched for months for
them but she had hidden herself and Sophia well. I did not speak to them
again until just over a month ago when I received word that she had died.”
“She had obviously spoken about me to Sophia. She knew
who I was and that I was her father. But she wants little to do with
me.” He sighed.
“So that’s why she calls you Tristan.” Avery said
softly.
“Aye.” He nodded.
“And Nicholas – he isn’t yours.”
“No. I do not know who his father is.”
“That was kind of you to take him in.”
He shrugged. “Sophia loves him very much. I did
it for her. Besides, he is a thin and sickly baby. I doubt he will
see his first birthday.”
“You might be surprised. I have a feeling that the
fresh air will suit him well.”
“Perhaps.” He agreed.
They rode for the next half hour in silence. Avery had
barely slept last night, huddling against the wagon wheel, her entire body
freezing and her bones aching. The gentle sway of Tristan’s horse, along
with the warmth of his hard body, was lulling her into sleep. She yawned
repeatedly, trying to force herself to stay awake but it didn’t take long
before she had slipped into a deep sleep. She slumped against Tristan,
pushing her face into his neck and muttering softly in her sleep.
Tristan gritted his teeth at the feel of Avery’s mouth
moving against his throat. He shifted her into a more comfortable
position and slid his hand upwards until it rested against her ribcage.
He knew she was naked under the dress, and his groin tightened uncomfortably at
the memory of her body in her wet underclothes.
He was aching to touch her breast, to feel the firm weight
of it in his hand, and his hand was sliding up before he could stop it.
He slipped his hand inside the loose neckline of her dress and cupped her bare
breast gently. It fit perfectly in his large hand and he ran his thumb
over her nipple, smiling when it hardened under his touch. He pulled
lightly on her tight nipple and she arched her back a little, muttering
something low in her throat. He snatched his hand away, his pulse beating
thickly in his veins and shame flowing through his body.
He was no better than the man who had bought her to be his
companion. Despite his shame he wanted to touch her again, and he wrapped
his hand around her hip to stop himself from cupping her breast. He
clucked to his horse, encouraging him to move faster until they had caught up
to the others.
“You’re very good with him.”
Maya blushed. “Thank you, m’lord.”
He sat down beside her with an easy grace. “Call me
Marshall. And you are?”
“Maya.” She looked back down at the baby in her lap,
smiling and kissing his forehead as he giggled up at her.
Marshall watched as Nicholas kicked his feet and giggled
again. The boy’s normally pale skin was flush with colour, and at supper
he had drunk two bottles of milk without throwing up.
“He’s like a different baby.”
Maya shrugged. “The fresh air must agree with him.”
“Indeed.” Marshall smiled at the young woman.
“How old are you, Maya?”
“Twenty, m’lord - I mean Marshall.”
“You’re very pretty. Did you know that?” He
brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and Maya blushed bright red.
“Thank you, Marshall.” She whispered.
“Would you care to go for a walk with me?”
She shook her head, glancing down at the baby. “I
cannot leave Sophia and Nicholas.”
“I’m sure one of the other women would be happy to watch
them for a while.” He smiled encouragingly at her.
“I’d better not. I’m sorry.” She gave him a look
of regret.
“Do not be sorry, little Maya. I can visit with you
just as easily here.”
“Maya!” Avery called her name sharply. She was
sitting on a fallen log and Sophia was standing behind her, running a comb
through her long, red hair.
Avery patted the spot next to her. “Come sit with me
for a bit.”
She stared distrustfully at Marshall who smiled genially at
her as Maya obediently circled around the campfire and sat next to her.
Maya handed her the baby as Sophia crawled over the log and into Maya’s lap.
“Sing to me.” She demanded, curling up against Maya’s
thin body. Maya began to sing softly as Avery placed Nicholas on his back
on her lap and lifted his shirt. She leaned over and blew raspberries on
his belly, grinning when he screamed delightedly and kicked his feet against
her sternum.
“Does Nicky like that? Hmm?” She crooned softly
before leaning down and blowing another raspberry on his bare skin. He
giggled and shrieked before snatching a hank of her long red hair and yanking
on it.
“Ouch, baby!” Avery winced and tried to unclench his
tiny fist. “No hair pulling.”
“Here.” A familiar voice came from above her and she
groaned silently when Tristan sat next to her and began to untangle her hair
from Nicholas’ fingers.
He pulled the last of her hair free and then brushed it back
and over her shoulder, out of the reach of Nicholas’ waving hands.
“Thank you.” She murmured. Her stomach was in
knots and she prayed to the gods that he couldn’t see the way his presence was
affecting her.
He frowned and stared down at the baby, and she took the
opportunity to study him. His dark hair was long and he kept it tied back
from his face in a low ponytail. His face was tanned from the sun and he
had high, wide cheekbones. His eyes were so dark they looked nearly
black, and he had a generous mouth and straight, white teeth. She had
always admired tall men with broad shoulders and his shoulders were so wide,
both she and Maya could have easily hidden behind them.
He was attractive. Avery could admit that to
herself. She could also admit that she was attracted to him. But it
didn’t mean that she could allow herself the luxury of taking him into her
bed. Her first priority had to be Maya and ensuring her safety.
Mrs. Lanning’s almost immediate hatred of both her and Maya meant she needed
to be careful about what she said and did. She had a feeling that
sleeping with the lord of the house would not help her worm her way into Mrs.
Lanning’s good graces.
“You were right.” Tristan murmured.
“Hmm?” She asked.
“About your sister having a way with babies. I think
this is the first time I’ve seen Nicholas happy.” He tickled the boy
under his chin and smiled when he giggled softly.
He plucked the thin baby from her lap and held him up in the
air, looking him over critically. “He seems healthier as well.”
Avery smiled. “The fresh air is good for him.”
“I guess.” He tossed the baby into the air, catching
him gently, and Nicholas laughed and squealed.
Maya leaned over Avery. “My lord, Sophia has fallen
asleep. Would you help me carry her to our tent?”
“Of course.” He handed the baby back to Avery and
stood, reaching for Sophia. He picked her limp body up and cradled her
gently against his shoulder, burying his nose in her cloud of fine hair and
inhaling her good, clean scent. She snuggled into him and he rubbed her
back as he carried her towards the tent. Maya smiled at Avery and took
the baby from her.
“Good night, Avery. I love you.”
“Good night, baby sister. I love you too.”
* * *
Tristan was just crawling between the blankets when he heard
Marshall’s voice outside the tent.
“Enter.” He called and Marshall ducked inside.
The storm had started just shortly after they had retired to their tents and
after only a few hours on watch, Marshall was soaked through.
“What’s wrong?” Tristan frowned at him. “Where’s
Leo?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Leo just took over for me and I’m
headed to the tent to dry off and get some sleep, even with Jeffrey’s awful
snoring. I’ll thank the gods when we’re finally home and I can sleep in
my own bed.”
“Is that what you came in here to tell me?” Tristan
said irritably.
“I thought you should know the Red is huddled next to the
wagon.”
“What?” Tristan stared at him. “What do you mean
she’s huddled next to the wagon?”
Marshall waved his hand impatiently. “I mean she’s
huddled next to the wagon. I was heading to my own tent and that damn red
hair caught my attention.”
“Why is she not in the tent?” Tristan asked.
“I don’t know.” Marshall gave him another look of
impatience. “Perhaps she’s doing some sort of spell, or perhaps she finds
the rain refreshing. I just thought you should know.”
He stretched, his back cracking loudly. “Good night,
Tristan.” He slipped out of the tent and into the darkness.
Tristan cursed and dressed quickly before throwing on his
cloak and heading out into the dark. The rain was pouring down and he
waited patiently for his night vision to kick in. He could see nearly as
well in the dark as a cat, and he had no trouble finding Avery curled up in a
small ball next to the front left wheel of the wagon.
He strode towards her, crouching down and touching her
shoulder. She had a thin blanket wrapped around her body and her head was
bowed against the steady downpour. The blanket was soaked through and her
hair was clinging limply to her skull.
“Girl, wake up!” He shouted to be heard over the
sudden crash of thunder.
She looked up, her face pale and dark circles under her
eyes. “What my lord?” She asked wearily.
“Why are you out here?” He shook her. “Have you
gone mad?”
“There is no room in the tent.” She curled up into
herself again, her body shaking violently.
He cursed loudly and grabbed her arm. He pulled the
blanket from her and tried to yank her to her feet but she cried out and fell
back against the wheel. There was a dull clanking noise, and he stared in
disbelief at the metal cuff around her wrist.
“What in the gods name is going on here?” He grabbed
her chin and made her look at him. “Who chained you to the wheel?”
Her mouth set in a thin line. “Please, my lord.
I’m very cold. May I have my blanket back?” She reached with
trembling fingers and he threw the sopping wet fabric angrily onto the ground.
“Hold still.” He held the chain next to the cuff on
her wrist with his right hand and grabbed the other end of the chain with his
left. He pulled, the cords standing out in his neck and the muscles in
his arms bulging, and Avery’s mouth dropped open when the chain snapped in
half.
He picked her up and carried her to his tent. He
dropped her to her feet, and she stood dripping water on to the floor of the
tent as her entire body shook violently. He cursed again and turned
around, digging through his bag to find a dry shirt and a towel.
“Here, girl. Put this on.” He handed them to her
and she nodded gratefully. He turned around to give her some privacy and
Avery peeled off her sodden dress, dropping it to the floor of the tent.
She toweled off quickly and then slipped his shirt over her head. It fell
to just above her knees, and she tapped him on the back and handed him his
towel when he turned around.
“Thank you, my lord.” She whispered.
He stared at her. Her lips were blue and her face was
so pale the freckles on her nose stood out in stark relief.
“Turn around.” He demanded. She turned and
flinched a little when he began to rub her hair dry with the damp towel.
He squeezed the water out quickly and efficiently as her teeth chattered, and
she wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to warm herself. The
cuff around her wrist jingled softly as she shook.
He threw the towel into the corner and picked up the top
blanket from his bed. He wrapped it around her, and then pushed the rest
of the blankets back before picking her up and placing her between them.
He took his cloak off and shrugged out of his clothing before climbing into the
bed behind her.
He pulled her blanket-wrapped body back against his and
wrapped one arm around her waist. He rubbed her body roughly through the
blanket as she shook and shivered. After almost half an hour, her trembling
finally began to subside.
He leaned over her, inspecting her face closely. Her
lips had turned back to their normal pink colour but her skin was still pale
and she looked exhausted.
“Warmer?” He asked.
“Aye.” She whispered.
“Who chained you to the wheel, Avery?” He demanded
quietly.
She sighed. “Please, my lord. I am very tired
and it will be morning soon. Could I sleep for a few hours?”
He nodded. “Go to sleep. We will speak in the
morning.”
* * *
Avery sighed and stretched languidly. She could hear
Maya snoring softly behind her and she frowned a little, not understanding why
her normally soft bed was so hard. She was much too warm. Maya was
wrapped around her like a vine and she was positively radiating with heat.
She tried to wriggle away but Maya snorted softly and buried
her face against the back of her neck. Her stubble scraped – whoa
stubble? Avery opened her eyes in a hurry. She stared upwards,
expecting to see the familiar ceiling of her bedroom, and frowned in confusion
at the ceiling of the tent. After a few seconds, reality flooded through
her. She had been dreaming of home.
It was early morning; the rain had stopped and the tent was
washed in cool sunlight. She looked under the blankets. When she
had fallen asleep last night she had been wrapped in a blanket cocoon. At
some point in the night she had wiggled her way free and now her body was
pressed intimately against Tristan’s. She blushed when she realized he
was naked, and tugged nervously at the shirt which had risen up in her sleep
and was just barely covering her ass.
She moved his arm off her waist and began to ease her body
away from his. He snorted in his sleep, threw his arm back around her,
and yanked her against him. She could feel his erection pushing against
her ass, and she was helpless to stop the small moan from escaping her lips
when he slipped his hand inside the neckline of her shirt and cupped her bare
breast.
He sighed and buried his face into her hair, inhaling deeply
as her nipple hardened against the palm of his hand. Still asleep, he
plucked gently at her nipple and she moaned again, covering her mouth to dampen
the sound as he shifted against her. He moved his hand to her other
breast, cupping and kneading it before pinching her nipple. Against her
will her back arched, pushing more of her breast into his hand and making her
ass press against him. He groaned and thrust his erection against her in
response.
He was awake now. She could feel it in the way his
breathing had quickened against her skin, and she wasn’t surprised when he
pushed her hair away from her neck and trailed a path of hot kisses down her
soft skin.
“Please, m’lord.” She moaned. “We should not be
doing this.”
“I think we should.” He whispered against her skin
before kissing the spot behind her ear. He squeezed her breast, rolling
her nipple between his finger and thumb, and she cried out with pleasure as he
sucked her earlobe into his mouth.
He reached down and quickly tugged her shirt up around her
waist. She inhaled sharply and tried to wrench her lower body away from
his but he was too quick and too strong. He pressed his hand against her
flat abdomen and pushed her back against his body.
He groaned loudly into her ear at the first feel of her
naked ass against his hard cock.
Get out of his bed, right now,
her mind screamed at
her. To her horror, her body began to rub against him shamelessly.
He kissed the curve of her shoulder, running his tongue
along the soft skin before nipping lightly with his teeth. His hand
stroked and rubbed one pale thigh until her tightly-closed legs loosened and
relaxed. He moved his hand back up under her shirt and cupped her breast
again, his fingers rubbing and pulling on her nipple until she was
gasping.
Her head spinning and her body aching and throbbing with
need, she didn’t notice he was moving his hand between her legs until it was
too late. He was cupping her warmth, his finger sliding through the soft
red curls and into her with shocking intimacy, before she could stop him.