Tears warmed her eyes and she nodded. She expected him to tear through, but he kept moving slowly, not stopping when she made any sound of resistance, but coaxing her even as she felt him thicken inside her. A tiny tear and an instant of pain had her squeezing her eyes shut, but once he was through, he too exhaled and thrust hard to seat himself fully inside her. He nudged her mouth with his, continuing to move, increasing his speed. She opened her lips to him and kept her eyes closed but as his thrusts came faster and her clit rubbed against the rough hair between his legs, she felt herself grow more moist, and when she squeezed her muscles and arched her back, the sensations felt good, the pain of being stretched matched the pleasure of being filled and taken and when he pumped hard and fast in and out of her, she surrendered herself completely, her mouth wide open, her eyes slits as her pussy clamped down around his cock and she came simultaneously with him, his cock throbbing, his seed pumping inside her, filling her, the pleasure more abundant than she could have imagined.
* * *
Silas lay alongside her, spent. He had meant to hold her down and fuck her from behind, to simply take his pleasure from her and walk away, but he could not. He wasn’t the mercenary Commander Norrin thought him to be. He had a heart and even if he wanted to, even as his judgment told him it would be easier to have no emotional attachment when the time came to give her back, even to treat her as less than human, he could not.
Rowan turned her face toward him and he watched her eyes as her pupils returned to their slanted shape, understanding why so many were frightened of the breeders. He wondered how the villagers would react to her today.
Last night when he had spoken with the elders, he had told them the whole truth of why he had said yes, why he had brought a breeder into their village. They already knew of the threat against the settlement, but there was more. He had told them that his son was alive, that in exchange for two breeder offspring, he would be given back his son, the boy he had never met, the child who had been stolen from him while still inside the womb.
Almost ten years ago, two women had come into their settlement in the middle of the night. The one who had been older and very ill died within hours but the other, she was injured and frightened, no, terrified of something. She had been a runaway breeder, somehow having escaped one of the colonies. Ina was her name. He still remembered how she had looked that night when they had found her. He had taken her in and he had taken responsibility for her even as the villagers had warned him it was an ill omen, that she did not belong, that the colony would find her and punish them for hiding her. But while caring for her, Silas had fallen in love with the breeder, and, against the advice of the elders, he had taken Ina as his wife.
Until colony soldiers had found her that is.
Silas was on a trading mission when they came or he wouldn’t be alive today, but as it was, others, innocents, had paid the price in his place. He wished he had been here. Wished he had died rather than let them take her, take his wife and his unborn child and execute two of the villagers as an example to the others.
After what they did, after seeing Ina’s body, he had assumed the child had died as well. Until just a few weeks ago that is. Until Commander Norrin had come in search of him with his brigade of soldiers surrounding the settlement. Until he had come with news of his boy.
Alastair and Jonah knew Norrin would reduce the settlement to ash without a second thought if Silas resisted and understood that as long as Silas had the tiniest hope that his son was alive, he would do whatever he had to do to get him back. But they had also warned him that it could all be a trick. That the blood tests that confirmed that the child, who was called Tobias, was his son could have been fabricated. And even if they had not, that Commander Norrin had no reason to hold up his end of the bargain once the breeder offspring and the breeder herself were delivered back to the colony.
“And what of the breeder?” they had asked. “What of the lives you create with her? They too will be your children.”
Silas pushed those words from his mind.
No, they would be breeders, not like Tobias who was fully human. The thought made him angry, made him think he should have fucked her like he wanted to, should have hurt her and been done with her.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice a whisper.
Her softness, her trust, only served to deepen his own guilt and, without a word, he stood and went into the bathroom to wash, leaving her lying there alone and confused.
* * *
Rowan couldn’t make sense of what was happening. One moment, he was tender, the next cold. She now sat picking at her breakfast while he watched her. They had both bathed and she was dressed in her white dress.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“Just sore,” she said, forcing the last of her bread into her mouth, not wanting to waste food as he’d warned her not to.
Silas stood. “I have some work to do but I’ll take you around the settlement so you can keep busy while I’m gone. You know you cannot leave it, you understand that, yes?” he asked.
“I know,” she said, turning up her wrist to point out the tracker. Her eyes then traveled to his marking. “What is that?” she asked. “I’ve never seen anything so intricate.”
He looked down at his arm. “It’s a tattoo. Permanent ink.”
“How is it done?”
“Needles.”
“Oh. It must have hurt?”
“It did, but I needed it at the time.”
“Does it signify something then?”
He considered, then smiled a lonely smile. “Another time. Are you ready?” he asked, standing.
“Yes,” she said.
He led the way out the door and into the village. The sun was bright and it was already hot. Rowan glanced around and everyone stared back. Silas put a hand at her low back and kept it there as they made their way through the village. He introduced her to some of the villagers and Rowan noticed that the majority of them had some form of the tattoo Silas wore, although his was the most intricate and the largest by far.
That was when a piercing cry had them and everyone around them stop and turn. From around the corner came Kara carrying Charlie who had his eyes squeezed shut in pain and was making low, moaning sounds.
Silas ran to them and Rowan followed.
“What happened?” Silas asked.
Rowan saw the trail of blood and the boy’s pained expression.
“He was chopping wood,” Kara managed, frantic as Silas took the child from her arms. Rowan followed them as they ran as quickly as possible through the village. “He should have been at school! I didn’t know! I wouldn’t have let him!” Kara cried.
Silas didn’t say anything but when they got to their destination, Rowan saw that it was a small clinic of sorts and when the door opened and she saw the two men in doctor’s robes she recognized to be similar to those used at the colony, she stopped short.
Silas rushed inside with Kara in tow, everyone seeming oblivious to her presence. One of the doctors began to speak and Charlie cried out again. Rowan turned and sat down on a large rock outside just as the door closed behind her, but when she saw the gathering villagers who were coming not to see the screaming child, but her, she changed her mind and went quietly inside.
The building that housed the clinic was deep with several rooms down one long corridor. At the back, she could see that the glass doors were open and led to a garden. The doctors and nurses were too busy to take notice of her and so she walked on, following the sound of Silas’ voice as he tried to calm Charlie. The door to his room was still open and Rowan came to stand there and watch.
“He’ll need stitches but it’s not as bad as it looks,” the doctor said.
“It hurts! It hurts!” Charlie cried.
Rowan peeked between Kara and Silas to see the poor, small child sitting there, looking so different than when she had first seen him yesterday.
“Give him some of the pain medication,” Silas snapped a
t the doctor.
“There wasn’t any in the pack!” he replied.
“They were supposed to have loaded it. Are you sure?” Silas asked.
“I took inventory myself, Silas. I’m sorry, Charlie,” the doctor said.
“Damn him!” Silas cursed, angry.
Rowan’s eyes filled with tears and she stepped away. This was partly her fault. Commander Norrin was using her and Silas and the small child was suffering to make another of the commander’s points. She walked down the corridor and out the back door into the clinic’s garden. She stood, mesmerized and looked around, taking a mental inventory. The whole of the garden, which she realized was covered with glass walls and roof, and looked to span a similar square footage as the clinic’s interior, was a well-maintained area where, aside from space to walk between the herb beds, was a sort of greenhouse.
Charlie cried out and the sound set Rowan into motion. She moved quickly around, deciding to look for what she needed later, and found the combination of herbs that she knew would help. She knew medicinal as well as other qualities of herbs well and collected what she needed before going back inside.
“Silas,” she said at the door as she saw the doctor preparing a needle and thread.
Charlie lay there trying to be brave but looking terrified.
“Not now, Rowan.”
“Let me help. If we make a tea with these herbs, it can help him with the pain. It works quickly, I promise.”
They all looked at her, some more with suspicion than others.
The doctor looked at the herbs she held out in her hands.
“They won’t hurt him but I don’t think they’ll help him either,” he said.
Silas put up a hand signaling the doctor to wait. “Are you sure?” he asked Rowan.
She nodded. “I only need hot water.”
“Nurse, get her what she needs.”
“Charlie!” A woman pushed past her into the room.
“Mama,” he said, the brave face he had tried to put on all but vanishing as his mother held him.
“What happened? Oh…” she clutched her heart when she saw the blood.
“Rowan is making him a tea to help with the pain before the doctor sews him up.”
Charlie’s mother glanced at her then back at Silas. “No. I don’t want her giving him anything. What if she poisons him?”
Rowan glanced at Silas, who caught her expression before he turned to talk to Charlie’s mother just as the nurse came back with a pot of boiling water and a glass. They went to the counter to work where Rowan tore the leaves, speaking a prayer her mother had taught her, which she wasn’t sure did anything aside from making her feel better. The nurse then poured the water over the leaves and Rowan carried it over, holding it out to Silas.
“No, Silas! They’re not like us! She could kill him.” Charlie’s mother’s words cut through her but she stepped back and remained silent, understanding the woman’s fear.
“Mama, she won’t hurt me. It’s ok,” Charlie said, flinching as he moved his injured arm to try to comfort his mother.
Silas brought the cup to his lips and drank it, watching the woman all along. “It’s ok. Dr. Stone confirmed they won’t harm. Help him sit up.” Kara and the nurse lifted the boy and Silas brought the mug to his lips. “It’s pretty hot, Charlie, so take small sips.”
The boy did, trusting him completely, and in no time, the tincture was gone and Charlie lay back, looking drowsy.
“How long will it take to work?” Silas asked her.
“A few minutes.” She went to the boy and touched the arm that had sustained the injury. Growing braver, she lifted it up and held it in one hand while running her fingers over the flesh near the wound. She smiled at him and he smiled back, then slowly closed his eyes. “Some even fall asleep right away,” she said, smiling and stepping away for the doctor to do his work.
“If you hurt him…” Charlie’s mother began.
“I did not hurt him. I would not.”
“I believe her, Joe Lynn,” Silas said.
“Me too, mama,” Kara said, taking Silas’ hint and walking her mother out of the room. The rest of them watched while the doctor cleaned and stitched the gash.
* * *
They all waited at the clinic until Charlie woke a little over an hour later.
“I can teach you to make a lesser dosage so he doesn’t sleep but it will help with the pain,” Rowan offered Joe Lynn.
Joe Lynn looked at her, then at her son and nodded her head, barely meeting Rowan’s eyes. “Thank you, yes.”
Rowan smiled.
“Why don’t you do that while I go to my meeting at the hall,” Silas said.
“Maybe you can teach us too,” the doctor said.
Rowan nodded. “I can do that. May I look around your garden?” she asked.
“Go on,” he said, although not without a moment’s hesitation.
Silas came to her. “I’ll be gone for about two hours. I’ll come back for you then. Stay inside, don’t wander alone until everyone has seen you with me.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Kara offered.
“Thank you,” Silas said, nodding. He then left the clinic and Rowan went out into the herb garden. The first thing she did was find the one plant that she was glad to see grew in abundance here. It was considered a weed, but she knew its usage well. It would prevent pregnancy and if this morning’s coupling had already been effective, this herb would end that pregnancy before it had a chance to take root. It was bitter and strong and Rowan knew too much could have much more serious consequences than the belly ache that accompanied the taking of the herb, but she had no choice. It was the only way to prevent producing the breeder children Commander Norrin sought. It was the only way she would be at least somewhat free.
Chapter Eight
“Thank you for helping my brother,” Kara said once Silas had left and Rowan and Kara stood in the room while Charlie rested.
“I couldn’t not help him, he was in pain,” Rowan said.
“My mother didn’t mean to be rude, she’s just scared.”
“I understand,” Rowan said, glancing out the window. “They’re scared of me.”
Kara studied her, looking as if she felt sorry for her. “Most of the villagers are just cautious and maybe a little afraid. They won’t hurt you though.”
Rowan lowered her gaze, realizing how she would always stand out no matter where she went. “What about you? Why aren’t you afraid?” she asked.
Kara smiled and shrugged her shoulder. “I only see a girl like me, a little afraid and unsure but trying to put on a brave face. I don’t see a breeder, or anything else for that matter.”
Rowan smiled. Kara’s words warmed her and she knew they were genuine. “Thank you. I want to have a look at the garden and I can show you how to make the tincture I made for Charlie for when he needs it again.”
“Please do. I have an old book so I know a bit about the herbs, but not too much.”
Rowan looked at her wrist as they walked out to the garden, noticing that same marking the others wore.
“What is that mark?” she asked. “Is it similar to what Silas has? I’ve noticed everyone has it.”
“Silas’ is huge!” Kara said, smiling. “He doesn’t need all that ink, he just likes it, I think!”
Rowan had to smile at how Kara spoke. “What does it do?”
Kara touched Rowan’s hand, her fingers grazing her own mark. “There’s a code embedded in the ink. It’s a sort of tracking device. We adopted it a few years ago, actually, Silas made it mandatory when his wi…”
“Kara,” the doctor called from behind them.
Both Rowan and Kara turned to find the doctor standing in the doorway.
“Come inside and help me with Charlie,” he said, his gaze suspicious on Rowan who dropped hers to the ground. Kara noticed it too and just touched her hand lightly.
“I’ll come back in a while,” she said, then: “Don’t be hurt, t
hey don’t know you, is all.”
Rowan nodded and watched them disappear into the clinic. Kara had just been about to tell her something about Silas when they’d been interrupted and she made a mental note to remind her later. For now though, she went directly to where she had seen the selenium plant creeping along the wall. She plucked a handful of leaves and tore them. It would be easier to take in a tea but for now, she just had to swallow the bitter leaves as they were. She couldn’t take a chance on being pregnant already and so she stuffed the leaves into her mouth, making a face as she chewed and forced herself to swallow. She spent the next hour walking through the garden taking a mental inventory of all they had. If they knew how to use the abundant herbs she saw here, they wouldn’t be quite so reliant on the colony for their medicines.
“I brought you a glass of water.”
Rowan jumped when she saw the doctor approaching. She had been so absorbed in what she was doing that she hadn’t even heard him approach.
“You startled me,” she said.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said. “Here.”
She took the glass of water and thanked him, then drank it down. He stared at her all along and she tried to remember that he likely hadn’t seen someone like her before.
“I’m Dr. Leonard Stone,” he said, holding out his hand.
Rowan looked at it for a moment before sliding hers into it. “I’m Rowan. I don’t have a second name.”
“I wanted to thank you for your help with little Charlie. He likes to think he’s the man of the house now and sometimes forgets he’s just a child.”
“He’s a sweet boy,” she said. “Isn’t there anyone in your village who knows how to use these herbs for medicines? You have an abundance.”
Dr. Stone’s gaze traveled the length of the garden. “We keep it up but since Old Freya passed away, there’s been no one. I’d like it if you’d teach us what you know. Me and my staff.”
Given to the Savage Page 9