“You’re in denial.”
“You’re arrogant, and completely self-involved.”
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known.”
“You’re – ” she started, but froze when she comprehended his words. Before she could speak again he had swallowed the space between them, and stood only inches away from her. Now her whole body felt like it was on fire. She put both her hands on his chest in a feeble attempt to push him away. Or, perhaps, it was to steady herself. It was hard to decide at that moment. “Y-you’re too close,” she said weakly.
“You’re blushing.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.” His hands came up to cup her face so gently it was if she were made of glass. Then his lips were on hers, and every thought, every argument that lay on the tip of her tongue, was forgotten; blown away by the sudden burst of sensations going on inside her. His lips were soft, but urgent, so different from any of Markus’s kisses. Normally Elisa felt shy went it came to kissing, now she found herself reacting in ways she would have never expected. Her hands moved up his chest to intertwine behind his head, pulling him closer. A soft moan sounded from deep in his throat. His hands dropped from her face, skimming along her sides to rest in the small of her back. He pressed her firmly against him.
She felt his tongue, warm and insistent, skim her lips, leaving them moist and slightly parted in surprise. Taking the opportunity, he slipped it inside her mouth, meeting her own tongue in a sensual dance she had never experienced before. Elisa could remember other girls whispering about kissing boys this way, and she had always thought it sounded horrible. She could never understand why they would want to do it. Now she understood. He filled her with so many desires she felt like she would collapse because of them. Her legs weakened beneath her, and her breathing was quick and erratic.
As if he could sense how unstable she was on her own feet, Wolf slid his hands down, cupping her firmly and hoisted her into his arms, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. He pulled his mouth away from hers, only to trail kisses down her neck and back up. Along her jawline, her nose, her eyes, and then back to her mouth. She hadn’t even noticed he had been walking, until she was suddenly on the bed, with Wolf on top of her, his body wedged between her legs, causing a new sensation that made her gasp out loud. He chuckled against her skin as he planted more kissed along her collarbone. His hips pushed against her again, but before her moan could escaped, his mouth covered hers, swallowing it.
His hand trailed down the side of her body, gliding across the area with her new tattoo. It should have been painful, but for some reason Elisa could only feel the heat in his touch. He broke their kiss, sitting back on his knees. She could practically feel where his eyes burned her. She watched as he slowly took her in, her breathing coming out quicker now. His hands slipped under her shirt, pulling the fabric slowly up. Even this simple action had her heart racing. She never dreamed how perfect his hands would feel on her bare skin.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, as his eyes followed the new lines of black on her stomach. Then he bent his head forward and trailed every inch of it with his lips and tongue. Elisa tangled her hands in his hair, marvelling at how soft it was. She had always wanted to run her fingers through it, not that she would have admitted that before. He started to return to her mouth when a loud horn sounded outside. They both froze, their quickened breaths the only sound in the tent. Her heart was beating so loudly, she was sure Wolf could hear it.
They just looked at one another, each of them trying to calm their breathing again. They knew what that horn meant. It was time for war. “Wolf –” She didn’t know what she was going to say, but before she could he had raised a hand to stop her.
“Don’t say anything,” he said, lowering his hand to cup her face again. “I don’t want to ruin this moment, even if it’s only a stolen one. Whatever happens after – well, I’ll deal with it then.” He looked down at her, his eyes full of passion, and a sadness that made her want to cry. He knew. This had been wrong, she shouldn’t have done it, and she was still engaged to Markus. He must have seen it on her face, the regret, or perhaps her own sadness at knowing this would just happen this one time. She had to swallow a number of times to keep the sob crawling up her throat from escaping. He leaned down and kissed her again, slowly and gently. When he pulled back, all she could see was the sadness, but still he smiled. “We should go.”
They both got up, fixing their clothes were they had been twisted. He didn’t say anything this time before he left. He just kissed her on the forehead and walked out silently. As soon as he was gone, Elisa felt herself falling. Her knees hit the floor, and the tears she had fought came spilling down her cheeks. She cried as hard as she could, giving herself that moment to mourn the loss of something that could have been. Then she got up and composed herself, before walking out to face the battle that would change them all.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Both armies faced one another. The sun was still low in the sky, but there was enough light for Aiden to see them clearly. There was so much tension in the air, he felt like he might choke on it. His heart raced, and his palms grew sweaty, and yet he still felt an odd calm settle over him. This seemed to happen often right before a battle. He hadn’t reflected on it much before, but now he wondered why his body reacted that way. It was as if he had been designed for war. The King sat nearby on his horse, Markus and Turk flanking him. He watched them for a minute, before looking down the line at all his friends scattered there. Logan was the closest to him, but the others were too far to speak to. He memorized how they all looked in his mind, praying they’d be there when this was over.
“I need to pee,” Logan said beside him. Aiden turned slowly, his mouth twitching.
“Didn’t I tell you to go before?” he replied, trying his best not to laugh. Logan looked like he was about to stand up and do the ‘pee-pee dance’ Eddie always did before she went.
“It’s not funny,” he whined. “There’s no way I can go now.”
“Well you should have thought of that before you drank all that water.”
“I was dehydrated!” he argued.
“Only because you drank too much!” Aiden pointed out.
“I can’t believe we’re having this argument right now,” Logan huffed.
“You two sound like you’re married,” someone said from behind them. Aiden turned in his saddle to catch a few amused looks there. At least they were taking their minds off of what was about to happen, he thought to himself.
“I wouldn’t marry him,” Logan said. “He’s too skinny.”
“I’m practically the same size as you now,” he pointed out. Logan looked seriously offended, even though it was true. Aiden had filled out since his first visit here, even if Logan wouldn’t admit it. “Alright, enough of that, we need to focus.”
Logan let out a loud sigh. “I know,” he said, almost sadly.
“Don’t worry,” Aiden said, confidently. “We got this.”
“We…got…this?” Logan said slowly, testing the words out.
“Yeah, we got this.” Aiden shrugged at his friend’s confused look. Slowly Logan started to nod his head, and sat up straighter in his saddle.
“Yeah, we got this!” he repeated loudly, his voice firm. Aiden smiled. “We so got this!”
“Got what?” They turned to see Wolf come up beside Aiden’s other side.
“This!” Logan replied, motioning his hand to the opposing army. Wolf raised an eyebrow and looked at Aiden, who just gave him the ‘don’t ask’ look. “Where have you been?” asked Logan, missing their silent exchange.
“I was – held up,” Wolf replied.
“You’re supposed to be down with your brother and father,” Aiden said, motioning with his head towards the right of the line.
“I know, I just wanted to wish you luck.” They said the same to him, and then he left. Aiden noticed Elisa walking slowly towards the small crop of trees she
had been instructed to hide in. He could see the drop in her shoulders, and pensive look on her face. He wished he could go see what was wrong, but there was no time. Her head lifted, meeting his gaze, and she offered a weak smile. He waved at her, smiling back, and then she disappeared into the trees.
When he turned back he saw the King and the other two ride forward. Three men detached from the other side, and the small party went to meet in the middle.
“Here we go again,” he mumbled. They were too far away to hear, but Aiden could see the tension between the two brothers. Both wore blank expressions while they spoke. It was brief, and then they broke away from each other and returned to their armies. Jameson repositioned himself in the middle of the line, raising his sword high above his head. Aiden gave the small cluster of trees where Lily and Elisa hid another quick glance, before turning to ready himself. The King brought his sword down in one fluid motion.
Kicking his horse forward, Aiden let out a loud battle cry, along with everyone around him. The wind felt cool and fresh against his face as he rode towards the oncoming army. The North’s men were charging forward as well, their shouts filling the air. Soon he would be surrounded by men, their heat suffocating the crisp morning breeze. It would smell of sweat and blood, and nothing would be heard above the cries of the injured and incensed. It would be chaos. He soaked in this last moment, before crashing into the other side. The impact was almost like hitting a wall, except this wall gave in under his weight. Metal hit metal, and soon the opposing cries were in his ears.
Both sides fought with a ferocity that exceeded the previous battles Aiden had been in. These men were mad, but it wasn’t just that. They knew that this was it. There was finality about this fight, and they were fully aware of it. If they didn’t win this battle, it would all be over. Swinging his axe, he brought it down again and again, biting into flesh. His hand was soon slippery from blood, causing him to lose his grip. He watched in horror and frustration as it fell with a heavy thud onto the already soaked earth.
“Time for you to go,” he said, leaning down to pat Ty’s neck. In one quick move, he swung down from the saddle, and gave the horse’s rump a hard smack, sending him back to their camp. Men swarmed him instantly. Aiden jumped back, nearly avoiding a blade through his stomach. He ran towards the other man, smashing his elbow into his face before he could swing the sword again. Blood gushed from the other man’s nose, and he cried out in pain. Aiden spotted his axe lying a short distance away. Taking the chance, he flung himself towards his weapon, using the momentum to do a shoulder roll back up into a standing position, grabbing the axe mid roll. As he stood the recovered man was closer than Aiden had expected, and already poised to strike. Before the other man could make a move there was an arrow embedded deep in his chest.
“Gods, I didn’t think I’d get to you fast enough,” Logan said, his breathing coming out in loud puffs. “I thought that guy was going to take your head off!”
“Me too,” Aiden breathed, looking back towards the trees.
“Don’t worry! I have your back babe!” Lily’s voice yelled out. It brought a huge smile to his face.
Aiden cupped both hands around his mouth, and yelled as loud as he could so she would hear him. “Thanks babe!”
“You’re welcome!”
He turned to see Logan laughing. Aiden shook his head, the stupid grin still on his face.
“She’s a riot,” Logan said.
“You’re telling me,” Aiden laughed. They moved deeper into the fight, staying close to one another. There was quite a few times where they found themselves watching the others back, and saving it.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the air grew increasingly warm. Still they fought. Both sides continued to attack, with no end in sight. Wolf joined them sometime in the late afternoon, which Aiden was glad for. His arms had started to feel like jelly hours ago, and his legs screamed for him to rest. It was impossible though. As soon as he would defeat one man, another would take his place. He continued to grit his teeth and press forward, but it almost felt like being in quick sand. The harder he fought, the worse it got.
“Aiden!” a voice shouted. He turned to see Wolf not far away, with Logan. They were both motioning him over. Having just gotten rid of his opponent, which he guessed was just knocked out, not dead, Aiden ran over to them. “Come on,” Wolf said. The three of them headed towards the woods. Aiden hadn’t even realized they had moved so close to it, but as soon as he hit the shade, he was thankful for it.
“What’s going on?” he asked, confused.
“Take a rest,” Wolf said, motioning to the foot of a tree. Logan was already lowering himself to the ground.
“Is it safe?” Aiden asked, looking back out at the field.
“We might as well try while we can,” he replied.
“Gods, how much longer is this going to last?” Logan complained, stretching out his legs. He moaned in pain. “I’m so stiff and sore, I feel like I’ve been trampled on by a hundred horses.” Aiden walked over and sat beside him, while Wolf stretched out in front of them.
“They don’t seem to be tiring,” Aiden replied.
“Oh no, they’re just as tired as we are, but they’re just not giving up,” Wolf said. His eyes were closed, and he actually looked peaceful. It he didn’t know any better, Aiden would have thought there was no battle taking place only a short distance away.
“Well neither are we,” Logan said, sticking his chest out.
“Easy boy, no one said we were,” Wolf smiled.
“I’m about to pass out,” Aiden admitted. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll last.”
“Well, that’s why we’re going to rest for ten minutes. Then we’ll head back out,” Wolf replied, keeping his eyes shut.
“Alright,” Aiden sighed, getting more comfortable. He rested his head back on the trunk and closed his eyes. “Ten winks it is.” As his mind settled, he began to focus on his surroundings. The rough bark of the tree behind him; the warm breeze across his face. This land felt like it was slowly becoming a part of him. He couldn’t explain it, but for some reason he just felt connected to his surroundings. It was a strange feeling, and yet comforting. Like he was home.
The short rest did more than Aiden had thought it would. Even though they sat there for a brief moment, when he reached the field again he felt strangely rejuvenated. Just being out of the sun and heat, and being able to cool down helped to clear the growing fatigue in his mind. He ran forward with his friends, heading towards the centre of the field. Most of the men were clustered there. He could just see the tops of the King’s, Turk’s, and Markus’s heads. Hawk and his Riders were further forward, still atop their horses. There was no sign of the Prince close to them, which surprised Aiden. He thought for sure the brothers would seek each other out right away, but the younger brother was separated by a sea of people. It was clear the men were trying to protect their leaders from one another.
Someone shouted behind him. Aiden turned just in time to block a strike. Moving quickly, he twisted to the side, swinging the blade around towards the other man’s torso. It was blocked, causing Aiden to lose some of his balance. He staggered back, still blocking the next attack. They went like this for a few minutes before Aiden finally broke through the other man’s defenses. Moving to his left, he aimed low, slicing into the back of the man’s shin. He cried out and fell to the ground. Aiden brought his axe up and smashed the hilt of it into the back of the man’s head. He fell face first onto the ground and did not move. Aiden sucked in some air, trying to control his breathing. His lungs burned more than ever, but he pushed forward again. When he reached the Captain he could hear him yelling at the King.
“Jameson we must!” he was saying. The King was blocking another attack, his teeth clenched, sweat pouring down the sides of his face. He looked exhausted. Another man came around to his back. Aiden moved instantly, standing between the new opponent and the King. He fought with his back to Jameson, trying his
best to protect the King.
“This is crazy Jameson,” Aiden heard Markus say next. “Turk is right, our men won’t last at this pace, and neither will theirs.”
“I will not retreat before he does!” Jameson replied.
“This is insanity! Look at the sun, Jameson. The day is almost done!” Turk yelled.
Aiden looked to the sky quickly, noticing how late it was for the first time. They had literally been fighting the entire day. It was no wonder he felt like he would collapse any second. More men pushed through to the King, and Aiden found himself now fighting beside the Captain. They heard a frustrated scream behind them, but neither could look as they focused on keeping more men from the King.
“Alright!” Jameson shouted. “Send up the truce flag and wait to see what Callum does.”
Aiden heard Turk give a satisfied grunt. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but from what he understood it meant they were going to stop soon. He felt more energized just at the thought of being able to rest. Turk called out an order to another man, who ran off back to camp. Shortly after, a loud horn filled the air. Aiden turned to see a man waving a flag at the top of the hill. No one stopped fighting though, even when he could hear them discussing this development. It wasn’t until another white flag waved in the air from the North’s camp that the fighting seemed to stop. It was a tense, reluctant cease, but slowly the men started to back away from each other.
“Don’t touch anyone,” Turk said in Aiden’s ear. “Those are the conditions when both sides wave the truce flags. We can no longer harm them until there are new terms agreed upon.” Aiden nodded his head in understanding, watching as the other side made their way back to their camp. Looks and unsaid threats passed between the men, but no one moved.
Jameson came up to stand on the other side of Turk as they watched the north retreat. “What now?” Turk asked.
“We meet, and then we decide. First, let’s having something to eat.” At the mere mention of food, Aiden’s stomach growled loudly. Both men turned to look at him with amused expressions. Aiden shrugged.
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