by Ana Meadows
Within her dream, the massive and intimidating male pinned her with his gaze. No matter how hard she tried, Asta could not make out his features. His intense eyes were enough to send tingles over her nipples, across her stomach, and explode between her legs.
Her body twisted under the cloth as her throaty moan rent the air. The mass of entangled bodies became a blur of motion, shifting to look upon her. Gazing down at herself, she gasped at her nude state.
When she looked back up, a host of frenzied bodies moved toward her. Her dream-tethered body was frozen in place while her physical one went into a full-body seize. The phantoms mouths and feather-light touches devoured her.
Surrounded within a sexual frenzy, a booming voice cut through her dulled mind, “Grant me pleasure and I will fuel your blood with Godly fire of Jihn. Those bidding me pain will suffer my wrath.”
Revived from sleep from throaty wails, her body jerked and twisted with intense orgasmic waves. With mouth agape, she dazedly realized the wails were her own.
“Ahhh…I’m…on fire! Ooohhhh—Gods be with me…pleeaase!”
Her body was blistering hot. Smelling smoke, she crashed the urn with the smoldering herbs. Sounds of battle broke through her dazed state. She rolled off the pallet but was too weak to crawl far.
Outside the tent, pained cries were undercut by another booming command, “Gather the breeders!”
Realizing that her dream has merged with reality, she tried to sit up but collapsed. Her mind reeled from the effort. Feet suddenly entered her vision. Easily lifted from the dirt, she tried to focus as a familiar male scent surrounded her.
The last thing Asta heard was her moan, “Grand Master of my heart.”
The massive rogue chief paused, staring at the beautiful woman in his arms. With a grunt, he hefted her over his shoulder and ducked back through the tent.
Chapter Five
The next time Asta awoke, nothing was as it should be. With eyes widening, she attempted to sit up but restraints kept her in place. An unfamiliar odor made her look down the length of her body. She wore a clean covering but it was not her style of dress. Sniffing the air brought a wave of earth and moisture.
Rope binding her hands together hampered her attempt to move. Cocooned in a cloth, she was unable to bend her legs. Memories of shouts flitted through her mind. Looking around, she surveyed the dimly lit walls of a cavern. Firelight flickered from torches but was too weak for her to see much. A faint male voice echoed and bounced off the damp rock walls. She strained to hear but could only make out a few words, enough to know that a man spoke.
…will pay…spilling…blood…evilness…barbaric…
Nearby breathing made her squirm harder. The effort exhausted her. Asta slid back into sleep. When she awoke again, she stayed very still and listened closely. Water dripping into a pool seemed to punctuate the hushed voices of men.
“The girl called Tani was seen picking the root by Nania who claims the girl was in a rush.”
Fearing Tani had been killed, Asta gasped. The noise bounced off the walls, immediately hushing the conversation. Footsteps came closer before a voice called, “Are ye ready to tell us her name, one who is called Tani?”
Asta pretended to be asleep. Her heart soared when Tani made a negative sound but dread filled her when the sage called, “She is awake. Ask the woman ye saved for yourself.”
From her place on the ground, Asta heard the footsteps approach and stop beside her. Through her lashes, she could tell that whoever it was, he was of normal stature. A toe dug into her ribs, “Woman, speak your name.”
Asta opened her eyes but, instead of answering him, asked, “Who are ye to hold me captive?”
“Ye are no captive of mine. The Vojihn Clan holds ye hostage. Answer my question so that we may know which Chief to hold negotiations with.”
Asta hid her shock as best she could. Hoping the sage would remain quiet and allow her to think, she demanded, “Where is your leader, Vojihn warrior?”
“Oh, ye will meet the Great Master Thorlak soon enough. We look forward to defeating fiery spirits. Mayhap, he will grant me the first go at ye.”
Asta glared at him, wishing her bindings were not so tight so that she could sweep his legs and crack his skull on the hard cave floor. Noting her curled lip, he lifted a shoulder and pointedly said, “Your name will fill the air before this day ends.”
The warrior turned and left the cavern. To her surprise, the sage crawled over to her and, careful not to use her name, asked, “Ye are well?”
Nodding, Asta asked, “What happened?”
“The Vojihn attacked the village while I was calling forth…” The sage trailed off as she glanced toward Tani. Remembering her friend, Asta called, “Are ye well, Tani?”
“Yes. A bump on my head for my efforts but I am well.”
Squinting into the darkness, Asta could barely make out Tani. The sage said, “They left me unbound. What need, other than to heal, do they have with an elder?”
Tani’s voice drifted to her, “They gathered many Western Shire women. The warriors fought well but the ones that didn’t fall were wounded.”
Asta’s eyes narrowed, “Do they know we are from Clan Zajihn?”
The sage slowly nodded, “Kelci was captured also. She…”
Hurried footsteps echoed through the cavern. Both women fell silent as a man entered their spacious room. Asta tensed as a knife was drawn down the front of her bindings, slashing fabric and ropes alike. He shoved the sage away with a growl, “Your healing is done. ‘Tis your judgment time, elder. Grand Chief Thorlak awaits.”
He cut Tani’s bindings as well, leaving both women naked. Asta crouched, ready to rid him of the knife. He spun Tani to his front, put the knife’s point to her throat, and warned, “If ye are smart, ye will follow every order I give without fuss. One less Zajihn breeder will bring anger to our Great Master.”
Asta sat down hard on her rump, bringing a smirk to the warrior’s face. Looping the rope, he snapped, “Wrists together and in front.”
When Asta glared at him, the knife dropped to Tani’s nipple, “Shall I start here?”
Barbarian, I will gladly slit your throat the first chance I get!
Even as the thought roared through her mind, Asta drew her wrists together for him to secure. The moment that the loop closed over Asta’s wrists, the warrior easily spun Tani and slipped the other end, which held a similar loop, around her wrists. His gaze, vibrant with a warning, darted to the sage, “One misstep from ye and your flesh will be skinned.”
A nod from the sage made the warrior yank the rope. Both Asta and Tani stumbled after him. They squinted when he pulled them into the sunlight. As soon as her eyes had sufficiently adjusted, Asta saw that most of the hostages were indeed women. They were kneeling in a circle, every one of them nude, with many warriors surveying them.
Asta’s heart sank at the predatory expressions on the men’s faces. A few of them glanced her way before doing a double take. One lewdly rubbed his crotch, sneering at her until another shoved him in an attempt to lay claim on her. They all appeared to be ordinary men.
She did not see Kelci amongst them. After pulling them into the circle, the warrior dropped the rope and commanded, “On your knees.”
She and Tani fell to their knees. An older man suddenly stood. She had missed him until now. Since he was taller than most of them and more stout, she assumed he was the leader. He slowly walked around the group, stopping to lift a breast and ask something every now and then. When he grew close enough, they heard him say, “Ye have not mated much less bore a child, have ye, young one?”
The girl shook her head, tears freely flowing down her face. The tall warrior grinned, “Ah…ye shall fetch a nice price, tight and nubile that ye are.”
Tani darted an anxious look at Asta who carefully kept her own features neutral. When the tall warrior stopped in front of Tani, he lifted her chin, “Ye are the one named Tani?”
She admitted
such, trying to hide her anxiety. Shrewd and arrogant, he smiled slowly, “I know that ye are intact. I had myself a feel after I knocked ye over the head.” He laughed at her pained expression before adding, “The one named Kelci claimed that the barbarian Chief of Zajihn values your mouth. The negotiations will be fierce for one such as ye.”
Tani’s lips thinned into a grimace. He slapped at her nose, causing her to look at the ground. She noticed a thin black line around his ankle but froze when he said, “I may just keep that pretty mouth for myself. Ye would pleasure me for the weeks it will take to alert your chief.” Bending at the waist, the man stuck his face in hers, “I may deflower ye right here. The chief would hate to have his virginal flower plucked, would he not?”
When a sob escaped Tani, Asta could tolerate no more. Her voice rang out, “I am Asta Gojicia, Grand Mistress of Chief Johan of the Zajihn. It is I who ye seek.”
The tall warrior shoved Tani backwards and grabbed Asta’s face, “Ahhh…what have we here?” He squeezed her face but Asta refused to flinch. Thrusting his face into hers, he hissed, “A beautiful liar. As we fucked the one called Kelci to death, she had much to say.”
Enraged over this news, Asta’s mind crashed and she spit in his face. With a grunt of fury, the tall warrior shoved her backwards. A booming voice sliced the air, “Nay, Zekia!”
With the rope still binding her hands, Asta glared at the tall warrior. Tani’s scream of rage jerked her attention off him. Crazed over the news of Kelci’s death, Tani yanked at the other end of the rope. The man who had stopped Zekia shouted, “Enough of this.”
Kelci, bound and gagged, hit the ground and rolled to stop in the circle. She was alive but wore a fearful expression that did not falter from the tall warrior. Zekia’s lip curled as he pulled Asta’s face to his crotch, “I demand her to lavish me before all of Clan Vojihn. She must show penance.”
Tani laid her head against Kelci’s leg, still sobbing but lovingly rubbing her face on the girl as if to sooth them both with her tears. Tani’s gaze locked onto Asta’s as her mistress cringed away. From her angle, the tall man blocked Asta’s view of their Chief.
Dragging Asta with him, Zekia grabbed a handful of Kelci’s hair and told them, “One has lied. Either I fill her mouth with my cock or I slit her sniveling companion’s throat.”
Asta called out, “Only with a promise of no more harm.”
The huge Chief stopped beside the warrior and commanded, “Release them, Zekia. Ye shall have your due but not until I will it.”
Asta heard the Chief’s voice but still could not see him. Her vision was filled with Zekia’s crotch. He still did not release her. She felt him tense before he was suddenly lifted off the ground. Asta rolled onto her back, gazing up at the Chief’s massive stature with the tall warrior caught in his grasp, “Ye are my first warrior but, rest assured, ye can be replaced. To defy me again will be your death.”
As if to punctuate his words, the Chief tossed the warrior into the middle of the circle, “Ye will wait until I, the Grand Thorlak, deem the acts begin.”
Tani attempted to crawl to Kelci again. Before she had a chance, the massive leader of Vojihn curled an arm around Kelci’s waist and lifted her away from his belligerent warrior’s reach. Intimidation rolled off the massive man as he jerked his head toward a tent. The warrior stood and angrily stomped in that direction.
The giant man placed Kelci on her knees and motioned for the remainder of the warriors to back off. Tani helped Asta to her knees. The two women crawled back to the circle, trying to blend in as much as possible.
Without trying, his voice carried, “I am the Great Master Thorlak of Vojihn. Ye will find I offer great pleasures beyond your wildest visions. Or invite ye to endure pain far exceeding what anyone can bear. The choice is yours.”
Asta could not rip her eyes off him. He was the same size as Johan but his intensity was tenfold. The plain tunic he wore covered his back but left his chest bare. With every movement, his muscles rippled and flexed. He refused to stay still, always rolling his shoulders or working his fingers. His energetic charisma drew her in, captured her, and was so compelling that she did not realize her jaw had dropped until her dry mouth begged for moisture.
Asta realized that every woman, including Tani, had lowered her gaze respectfully to the ground. Even as this recognition hit, her chin thrust forward. She had a true Master who had earned her respect and thus commanded her. One was enough. Thorlak’s eyes swept over the women before landing on her.
She boldly held his stare. Right before her eyes, his size swelled as if he had willed growth therefore the Gods had allowed it. While he gazed at her with a primal desire, challenging and promising at the same time, one thought flew through Asta’s mind:
Goddesses be with me! The Gods have surely sent this man to thrash at my senses.
Blushing furiously, she refused to break his gaze even when arousal sent a shiver through her. Proving his shrewdness, Thorlak’s eyebrow slowly arched. His lust-darkened eyes traveled to her breasts, slid lower across her stomach to pause at her thatch, and jumped back up to capture her gaze again. Asta swallowed hard, realizing she was holding her breath when she saw flashes of light.
Amusement crinkled the lines by his eyes. He slowly moved toward her, gaze unwavering in the least. Asta’s gaze held steady, proudly refusing to bow to this man no matter how he made her feel. When he was standing in front of her kneeling form, he rumbled, “Ye.”
Looking up at him, she bit back a yelp when his hand swept down and caught the back of her head. He lifted her to stand but her chin barely reached the top of his stomach. With a large hand cradling her head, he drew her off her feet until she was nose to nose with him.
“Ye called me Master of your heart.”
“J-Johan is Master of my heart.”
His intense eyes narrowed, “Why?”
Not understanding the question but unable to shake her head, Asta blurted out, “I do not understand.”
His other hand lifted a curved knife from his belt and sliced the rope connecting her to Tani in one smooth motion. The rope fell from her wrists and hit the ground behind her. Shocked by this action, Asta’s gaze dropped but hung on his mouth. Before she knew his intentions, Thorlak’s head tilted and his lips closed over hers.
Johan rarely kissed, even though Asta enjoyed them thoroughly. Her lips parted in a gasp, allowing Thorlak easy access to her mouth. Still trapped by his gaze, Asta was unaware that her hands were on the move until his muscular chest touched her palms. She jerked at the contact. His answering rumble set her nipples on fire.
He explored her mouth thoroughly, never breaking eye contact. Against her will, her body responded. When he finally broke contact with her mouth, appearing as though he would eat her alive on the spot, she was rattled and shaking.
“Why do ye claim that this Johan masters a heart which pounds wildly under MY touch?” His husky growl sent goose bumps down her arms.
She swallowed hard, trying to gather her wits before she burst into flames. Her mind screamed to push him away while her body ignored her, sending twitches into her lower back. Fighting the urge to arch into him, she breathed, “I am the Mistress Asta of Great Master Johan Gojicia, bonded mate for life.”
“No more. I shall be Master,” Lifting her as if she weighed nothing, he hefted her upon his shoulder, “Of whoever I deem. Mistress Asta, from this point forth, ye will be my personal attendant.”
His words finally penetrated the fog of desire. Slapping at his back, she squeaked, “No…not…I” with each jarring bump of his step. He stopped in the middle of the circle and easily swung her back into his arms to face him. After placing her on her feet, he turned and crooked a finger at Tani, “Bring the one called Kelci.”
Tani helped Kelci, releasing her binds and gag, but stopped cold when Thorlak’s tall warrior, Zekia, blocked her path. He thrust his hand in Tani’s hair while staring at Asta with murder in his eyes.
“Since y
e chose the one claiming status as Mistress, I demand the virgin for myself.”
Protective instincts propelled Asta forward. She launched at Zekia but Thorlak caught her around the waist. Asta lashed out at the massive chief, screaming as Zekia twisted Tani’s hair in his grip. Thorlak let Asta beat at him while he moved with deadly purpose toward the warrior whose expression was suddenly cunning.
“Your Mistress bitch wants to fight me. Let her, Thorlak, or do ye fear for her life?”
Thorlak’s arms tighten around Asta, shutting off her air as he snapped, “I fear nothing.”
She pushed at him, fighting for every breath as he continued toward the rogue warrior. When Thorlak suddenly released her, she sprawled gasping and coughing in the dirt. Thorlak’s curved blade landed in the dirt next to her.