by Lee Hayton
Ricci had just tilted up his snub nose and refused to be drawn.
Still, it made her consider why the clan had not found a mistress to take them. The weight of their secret might explain some of it, but she also wondered if they were against the entire idea.
If they weren’t averse, Shandra admitted to herself late at night, she wasn’t either.
Despite having been raised in a household run by a one-to-one couple, Shandra had always been intrigued by the idea of entering a harem relationship. If her own mother had the good sense to do such a thing, their farm wouldn’t have run into the state of disrepair it was in now. Surely, if their mother had taken three or more men as her partners, not all of them would have met the same fate as her dad.
With the size of the farm now becoming a draw card again, instead of a weight around her neck, a harem might be something Mal and his clan brothers would consider. If only Shandra could summon the nerve to ask.
“Come quick!” Ricci yelled, sprinting towards Shandra and Halv with his arms waving wildly. “Em is here and one of her animals is sick.”
At his frantic call, Shandra increased her own pace. Em was a neighbor and probably the best friend she had. Although the two women had fallen out of touch of late, Shandra’s friendship with her had never wavered.
As she drew closer, Shandra saw the expression of distress on Em’s face and also caught sight of the sick sheep collapsed on the ground in front of her.
“Can you help?” Em called out as soon as Shandra was within shouting distance. “I’m terrified that Betsy won’t make it through the day and she’s my best breeder.”
Shandra had learned animal husbandry from her mother and dropped to her knees beside the sick animal. In a few moments, she took in the wet flanks, the dry tongue, and the bloodshot eyes.
“I’ll need some boiling water and fetch the herb stocks for me to mix up a poultice,” she ordered her brothers. Halv ran for the barn while Ricci sprinted to the kitchen to comply.
“What is it?” Em cried out, wringing her hands as she kneeled beside Shandra. “Do you think you can save her?”
“Is Betsy pregnant at the moment?” Shandra ignored her friend’s questions in pursuit of her own answers. When Em shook her head, she offered her a reassuring pat on the arm. “It’s an infection. Once I wash her down, I’ll be able to find the site of the original wound. The poultice will draw out the bacterial poison currently affecting her. So long as it works quicker than the bugs, we’ll heal your sheep tonight.”
“Thank goodness,” Em said, giving Shandra a hug. “I was scared you were going to name some rare ingredient that could only be harvested from a mountain-top every second decade after fighting off a dragon guard.”
Shandra returned the hug while rolling her eyes. “Because that’s the kind of thing I always tell you, right?”
“No. But with the way things are going with the war effort, it wouldn’t surprise me. It seems like our entire district is plagued with bad luck. I’ll be forced to join the fight soon enough. My father’s gold won’t buy my freedom very much longer.”
Shandra nodded, feeling the empty pit of concern in her belly start to roar again. She’d suppressed it since the men arrived but should have known it wouldn’t stay quiet forever. “Wella’s already told me, I’m going into her army as soon as Ricci turns seventeen.”
Em ducked her face down, hiding her expression behind a thick mane of hair. “I might’ve heard about that.”
“What? Me challenging the overlord to her face? Yeah.” Shandra shook her head. “Not my finest moment and it didn’t get me very far, either. I’m scared she’ll take Ricci next, then there’ll just be Halv left to run this place.”
Shandra concentrated hard on the animal in front of her, not wanting her emotions to slip out of control. They’d had such a nice reprieve for the past few weeks, it was hard to think of everything jolting back into place again, just as it had been.
Halv wouldn’t cope, even if she could stave off the debt long enough for him to inherit the place. Once the farm failed, he’d be pressed into the army, skills or not. A lump formed in her throat.
“Pity we don’t have nice, big harems to fight in our stead.” Em stroked the sheep behind its ear, calming it enough that the animal closed its eyes. “I rather fancy sending someone off to war while I stay here and satisfy myself with the rest of them.”
Even caught up in her despair, Shandra couldn’t help but laugh. “And how many are you planning to have? One to fight, one to defend your homestead.”
“One for the kitchen, one for the fields, one for the harvest, and one for the bed.” Em finished off the old rhyme with a wink. “Although, I’m not sure that’s enough. Maybe one spare as well.”
Shandra laughed again, finishing up with the poultice and stroking the side of the sheep’s face. “Well, who knows what’ll happen between now and draft day? Perhaps we will land on our feet, after all.”
After a few tense hours spent watching over the sick animal, the sheep rallied. It bleated for food and kicked out its legs, trying to stand.
“Oh, thank you,” Em cried out as the sheep got to its feet, throwing her arms around Shandra. “I thought it was a sign of bad fortune when I found her this morning, barely able to move. You’ve got such a wonderful touch.”
“You’re welcome. Just watch her on the journey home. I don’t think she’ll enjoy too much jostling.”
With Em on her way, a lot happier than when she’d arrived, Shandra felt a sense of satisfaction. This was the life she’d been born to, the future she should have had. Spending time on the farm, healing animals, nurturing crops, feeding the district with the bounty. Not shielding herself up against an enemy attack, kill or be killed.
Though Shandra could fight with the best of them, it didn’t suit her nature. She sighed and headed indoors, listening to the sounds of the men bickering good-naturedly as they readied the evening meal.
Why don’t you ask them?
Em might have been joking about the chances of finding a harem to ward off the oncoming war, but Shandra now had the possibility. The dragons were here, hiding from Wella, ready and willing to work for their supper. Why shouldn’t she put the question to them?
She shook her head as she washed her hands clean of her healing creams and potions. First off, they probably wouldn’t agree. A hiding place was one thing, but nobody would trade their life in a joint bond with a mistress just for that. She couldn’t offer them any real protection.
You can offer them the largest farm in the district. It’s not something to dismiss out of hand.
True. Although for a long time the farm’s value had been buried beneath the struggle to keep it going, for a gang of suitors, it now had a lot to offer. With the brothers working year-round, it would soon become profitable. By this time next year, they’d be putting money into the coffers as profit, rather than just staving off debt.
One for the bed…
Shandra blushed at the thought. If she did ask, it wouldn’t be for that. It would be to support her family, her land, and maybe to fight off the draft that threatened to take her from her family. If they agreed to become her harem, could she really stand to send one of them off to battle in her stead?
Chance was a battler, fierce but skilled enough to use his anger as another weapon in his arsenal. He was a man born for battle.
Io would be another logical choice. A champion swordsman, he wielded a blade as though it was part of his body. To watch him in practice with Ricci or Halv was like following the movements of a dancer, his motions smooth and flowing, yet deadly all the same.
If she sent them off to war, they’d likely fare better than she would.
Like your father, your mother, your brother? Skills don’t matter when the war machine needs to be fed.
Shandra knocked the thought aside. Either man would stand firm on the battlefield, with more experience than her lost family. Her skills with a blade and shield were nothing to
be sneezed at and she could move lightning fast when required.
Sometimes, though, speed and dexterity couldn’t face up against sheer muscle. In conflict with an equally skilled man, she would likely fail.
All of this was just idle thinking, anyway. If Shandra were to go down that route, then she might as well dream of sending a dragon to battle one of Wella’s harem for the right of all of them to stay on their land.
Sure, Wella had the biggest and the best warriors in her harem, male and female, but if it was just her imagination, then Shandra could send one and envision him winning. Why not?
It doesn’t have to be just your imagination.
Shandra shook her head to clear it, then joined the men and her brothers at the dinner table.
Chapter Six
As much as Shandra tried to put the idea out of her mind, over the next few weeks she caught herself pondering the same question. While Sulli studied the farm vehicles and got each one running in fine order, she thought of how nice it would be to always have someone smart to rely on. When Mal took charge of repairing the fencing, instructing his clan brothers until they worked together in harmony, she dreamed of how easy it would be if things were always this way.
Meanwhile, the time of her draft drew ever closer. As she watched Chance take out his anger on tree stumps and rogue wandering animals, Shandra considered whether he could use that innate force to triumph over an enemy, or whether his hot-headedness would turn to passion in bed.
Other thoughts had her blushing even more than that one. While she worked alongside the clan brothers, Shandra was grateful they couldn’t read her thoughts. Bad enough that her own brothers teased her when her eyes filled with admiration for yet another task well done.
One day, walking into the barn to catch Mal hefting bales of hay into the mezzanine to allow room for the extra crops they would soon harvest, Shandra took her chance. If she said nothing, and let the draft take her away to war, it would be a regret to stay with her until she died.
“What are your plans for the future?”
If Mal was caught off guard by the sudden query, he did well to hide it. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm, then put his hands on his hips while catching his breath. “For today, tomorrow, or do you mean for years to come?”
A light smile played across his lips and Shandra found herself staring at his lips until he wiped his forehead again, distracting her gaze. “I mean, it’s lovely having you and your clan brothers here—your help is really appreciated—but how long can I count on that?”
“Do you want to depend on us?” Mal tilted his head to one side, the smile still upon his face while his eyes grew more somber.
Shandra pressed a hand against her abdomen, calming the butterflies playing havoc in her stomach. “I hoped you might stay.” She looked down at the floor, framing the question she really wanted to ask in her mind before she gave voice to it. “I wondered if you’d consider becoming my harem.”
Silence.
When it continued past the point of initial shock, Shandra risked a glance upward. Tears were already forming behind her eyes for a forthcoming denial. Instead, she couldn’t tell what Mal was thinking. He stared down at the ground, a frown furrowing his brow.
“Or you could forget about it,” Shandra said, the words spilling out in her eagerness to fill the awkward gap, “and we’ll just carry on as we are. How would that be?”
Still no answer.
“That floor must be bloody interesting for you to stare at it for so long.” She took a step back, grabbing the pail she’d come into the barn for in the first place. “Don’t worry about it. Just pretend I never said anything.”
Shandra tried to move past Mal, but he reached out a hand and grabbed her arm, holding her in place. His touch was so warm she felt giddy. Hope jumped up in her chest, almost choking her.
“I’d need to check with my clan brothers. It’s not the kind of decision I can make on their behalf.”
She nodded. “Of course.” Fool. What did you think would happen? “Take as long as you need.”
“What do you need?”
Shandra looked into his eyes, confused. Hadn’t she just told him? His hand slid farther up her arm, turning from a hold into a caress. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
“I—”
Suddenly, her mouth dried up. Shandra tried to swallow and heard her throat click.
Her mouth was dry but the same couldn’t be said of other parts of her body. Blood rushed into her face, heating her cheeks and plumping out her lips.
“I don’t need anything,” she whispered. “I just hoped you and your clan brothers could make a home here. We’re stronger together than we ever could be apart.”
Shandra broke away from his hand, taking a step back and holding the pail in front of her with both arms. “If you wanted to stop running from Wella Ufsprig, this is the place to make your stand.”
Mal gave a curt nod, turning back to the bales of hay. “As I said, I’ll have to ask my clan brothers. It’s not a decision we can take lightly. Nor is it one I can make alone.”
Even though she was the one who’d backed away, a thread of disappointment wove through Shandra’s body. Her body yearned to say more, a pulse beat high in her throat, every nerve in her skin was tuned to the slightest motion.
But if she chased him now, begged him to stay, then the situation would never work. Shandra forced herself to walk out of the barn and return to her chores in the yard. They must come to the agreement as equals—if Mal and his brothers knew they were doing her a favor, they would forever be on an unstable footing. A mistress couldn’t be commanded by a harem.
As she returned to her task, Shandra wouldn’t even allow herself the luxury of a backward glance.
The night was fast closing in when Mal came up to her in the yard. “We’ll take you up on your offer,” he said with a tight nod. “If you still want us to become your harem, then we’ll be very pleased to accept.”
And that was it. Mal walked away as though he’d said a comment in passing about the weather. If it wasn’t for the gratitude flooding through her body—the sheer relief at a death sentence on the farm being postponed—then Shandra might have taken the time to be upset.
As it was, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to cry a few tears of joy. Later that night, she might allow herself a different luxury and let her mind roam free wherever it wanted to go, but for now, this was enough.
She had a harem. She had protection. Now, they could wait together for the wolves to come to the door.
Chapter Seven
Mal inwardly groaned as Baile sauntered up to Shandra. He’d told his brothers to hold back on the mutual congratulations and celebrations. They needed to keep things low-key if they wanted to maintain an even keel in their new relationship. Even though the proposal would put an end to their quest for a home base, and offered them a chance to stop running, it wouldn’t work if they blurted all that out.
“Let her know you’re happy about the new arrangement, but don’t go overboard,” he definitely recalled telling them.
He might as well have not spoken.
Baile pulled Shandra into an embrace, putting a hand near regions even a harem member shouldn’t venture towards. Sure, she laughed, at the touch and the inevitable off-color joke that followed, but he shouldn’t have put her in that position in the first place.
This was the part of being leader Mal hated the most. Giving a directive and watching while everyone ignored him.
They were all working out in the fields, on their hands and knees in the dirt. The seedlings they’d carefully cultivated in the barn needed to be planted out. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to bear fruit before winter. A machine couldn’t speed up this process, each plant had to be individually placed and the surrounding earth tamped down.
If the fall hadn’t been so warm, Mal wouldn’t have thought the plants stood a chance at all. But after a few chi
lly days at the beginning of the season, the weather had reversed direction into an elongated summer.
He sat back on his heels and stretched out his tight back muscles. Mal judged a few minutes had passed since Baile faltered to a stop on his clumsy thank-you, so he risked shooting a glance under lowered lashes at Shandra.
For her part, she seemed a lot more confident today. A true mistress. She’d taken on board the interest and the thanks from each clan brother, seeming to draw enjoyment from the expressions where Mal flinched back at each one.
So many of their problems could be solved with this solution that Mal had been afraid to say anything at Shandra’s initial suggestion. He’d been scared that his words would destroy the option before it even began. Now, he could begin to hope the protection of the harem might actually happen.
He and his brothers might forge a true home here.
“Would you like this, Shandra,” Sulli said from behind Mal. He turned to find his clan brother holding out a flower. It looked to be an iris—almost an impossibility at this time of year. Perhaps it had been confused by the changeable weather into thinking it was spring.
As though in direct contradiction to his thoughts, a sudden breeze ruffled Mal’s hair. He brushed it back into place with one hand, the other holding the half-planted seedling in place. The breeze came again, stronger, this time accompanied by the flap of a giant creature’s wings.
Shandra’s scream cut into Mal’s consciousness like a knife blade.
“Dragon!”
The sound of running.
He turned, feeling for a weapon that sat in the shade of a nearby tree rather than on his hip where it belonged.
“I’ll fight it,” Halv yelled out. “Bring it—” The boy’s war cry was abruptly cut off as he tripped and fell. His blade plunged into the ground beside him and Mal ran to grab it.
The dragon swooped, its wide wings sending the air out in front as a weapon. Mal bent against the breeze, holding his footing with difficulty. He held out an arm to offer scant protection for Halv.