“I don’t see why that should be.” Nerya leaned forward to pat her mount’s neck. She’d always been fond of the roan and might well have chosen to ride him on this journey, if she hadn’t laid eyes on Jaden’s stallion. “But I should like to know more about Kabra, as we’re on our way there.”
“You may find it strange at first.”
“Because the men there consider themselves superior to women?”
Jaden gave a soft chuckle. “At least they don’t treat them as slaves. They love and revere women. In most ways, they’re considered equals. Men and women live together, have children and bring them up in a loving home—just as it happens in nature. Do you know of any other creatures on this earth that reject their own offspring just because they’re the wrong sex? They don’t send them off to be despised and treated as lesser beings.”
“I’m not going to let this conversation descend into a disagreement about our respective ways of life.” She glared at him. “You were going to tell me about Kabra. If you don’t want to, then this conversation is at an end.”
“Nerya, I’m sorry.” He sounded as if he meant it, but she didn’t know him well enough to be certain of anything about Jaden. “I’ll tell you as much as I can about Kabra. It’ll give you an idea of what to expect when we reach King Tarn’s court.”
Jaden whistled a happy tune as he skinned and gutted the fat rabbit he’d just caught. They’d been traveling for five days now, and they were only about two hours away from Ruberoc, the capital city of Kabra.
Just over three days ago, they’d come upon a small settlement and, along with some supplies, Jaden had purchased a simple bow and a quiver of arrows. With these he’d been able to hunt for game, and he was feeling far better fed now than he had when they’d first set out.
He grinned, still amused by Nerya’s appalled expression when she’d first seen the women in the local settlements in their long, brightly colored, feminine gowns. All the females in Kabra wore similar garments, and this morning he’d told her she couldn’t appear at King Tarn’s court dressed inappropriately in breeches. Now she’d gone into the nearby village to purchase a dress to wear, even though the idea of having to put one on didn’t please her at all. He’d offered to go and buy a dress for her, but, unsurprisingly, she’d refused, convinced he would come back with something much too frilly and feminine. She was right, but he’d no intention of ever telling her that.
Jaden shoved a stick through the rabbit and hung it on a trivet he’d constructed above the blazing campfire. He cleaned his bloody knife and hands on a hank of grass and then tucked the dagger in his belt. His relationship with Nerya was confusing and sometimes strained. He’d not complained, even though he’d thought it a little foolish, when she’d not even given him a weapon to carry once they’d left Freygard. She’d even been somewhat reluctant when he’d first suggested purchasing the bow so he could hunt game and supplement their meager supplies. They’d been traveling together, and they’d shared a bedroll every night, but she still didn’t appear to trust him. Letting him carry a weapon wouldn’t have compromised her safety in any way. He could easily overpower her in a moment if he chose to do so. Nerya didn’t appear to realize that, or maybe she didn’t want to admit it, even to herself.
The morning after he’d first got the bow, he’d shot a partridge. Before she’d even woken, he’d plucked it and used her knife to gut the bird. It had been roasting over their campfire when Nerya had first scrambled out of their tent. She’d never said a word about him helping himself to her knife. Nor had she commented when he’d not returned it to her.
Jaden didn’t understand her. At night, she was always more than willing when he coupled with her, yet in the day she often acted as though their intimate relationship never existed. Even so, he found their strange association fulfilling. However, there was one thing that did concern him: he was becoming a little too fond of Nerya. He’d never allowed himself to care for a woman. Not since… He shook his head. It was better not to even think of the past.
He could do with drinking something other than water this evening. He should have asked Nerya to bring back some wine. On the other hand… He walked over to their small stash of supplies. He hadn’t looked before, but Aurora had left the gooseberry conserve as a treat for Nerya, so it was possible she’d included some wine as well.
Jaden kneeled and rummaged through the small pile of stuff he’d taken off the packhorse. He found a leather bottle, pulled out the stopper and sniffed the contents. The wine smelt fine, not at all tainted or vinegary. He took a long swig of the rich red wine, which was good, far better than he’d expected. The smell of roasted rabbit drifted toward him, making him hungry, but it wouldn’t be cooked for a while yet. He’d just enjoy the wine and wait for Nerya’s return.
As he was about to get up, he spotted an item at the bottom of the pile he’d not paid much attention to before. It was an odd shape—very long, quite narrow and neatly wrapped in oiled fabric. It wasn’t food, so what else would Nerya have brought with her on this journey? He set down the bottle, unfastened the string and pulled off the fabric to reveal a long wooden box. Prising open the lid, he saw, nestled among the straw packing, his sword in its ornate leather sheath. His first emotion was relief at seeing it again; the second, anger that Nerya had hidden it from him all this time.
He removed the sword from the box, brushed aside the straw that stuck to it and stood to buckle the sword belt around his waist. By the gods, it felt good to be wearing it again. Jaden touched the dragon’s head on the hilt, relishing the familiar smoothness of the metal beneath his fingertips.
There was something else in the box. He picked up the canvas bag and tipped the contents into his hand. Glittering in the sunlight were the heavy gold wristlets he’d been wearing when captured, and his obsidian ring.
Jaden had often wondered if Nerya had noticed the strange mark on the inside of his left wrist. It hadn’t been that obvious when they were in Freygard, but over the last few days, to his consternation, the mark had become much more pronounced. It was a relief to clip the elaborate gold band set with emeralds around his left wrist. It covered the mark completely. Jaden put on the other bracelet and slid the ring on the third finger of his right hand.
He was just about to pick up the wine bottle and take another drink when he heard a distant sound. Jaden turned to see a rider advancing through the trees toward the clearing. It appeared Nerya had returned earlier than he’d expected.
As she got closer, his mouth dropped open. The low-cut pale blue gown clung to her curves, and her chestnut hair hung in loose waves around her shoulders. He’d always thought her beautiful, but he far preferred her dressed like a woman, not a warrior. If he hadn’t felt so angry and frustrated with her, he would have rushed over to help her from the horse and perhaps tell her how lovely she looked. Instead, he stood and watched her approach.
Nerya dismounted, sniffing appreciatively as she caught a whiff of the roasting meat. “That smells…” She tensed as she saw the sword at his waist and the gold bands around his wrists. “How dare you go through my things.”
“Mine, not yours,” he reminded her as she strode toward him. “And don’t give me any rubbish about owning them because you think you own me, when you know damn well you don’t.”
“That’s not the point, Jaden. You shouldn’t have touched the box without my permission.”
“Without your permission,” he repeated in a scathing tone.
“I intended to return them.” She met his furious gaze, her green eyes glittering angrily. “At an opportune moment.”
“You still don’t trust me, do you? If you did, you would’ve returned my belongings to me.”
“As it happens, I don’t.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Why should I? Since that first night in my tent, when you removed your wet bandages, you’ve barely taken your shirt off, and never in front of me. It strikes me you have something to hide.”
Since he’d
removed the bandages, he’d kept his torso covered, even at night. He knew it was likely to raise too many awkward questions if she saw his back. Questions he didn’t want to answer at this time. “I don’t know what you’re inferring.”
“Why don’t you just admit the damage caused by the whipping barely shows at all now? I haven’t seen your back, but I’ve felt it when we’ve had sex.” She colored when she spoke the word sex aloud. “It feels suspiciously smooth and unmarked to me.”
“It must be the potion Bethia used on me. She said it would work miracles.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m a fast healer.”
“No one heals that fast. Show me your back. Prove to me I’m mistaken.”
“I’ve had enough of your suspicions, Nerya. I’ve done everything you asked of me, and I deserve your trust.”
“You do not,” she shouted, backing away from him.
Picking up her skirts, she ran toward her horse. He’d no idea what she intended until she reached for her sword in the scabbard attached to her saddle. Jaden sprinted forward, grabbed her, dragged her away from the horse and slammed her against the trunk of a nearby tree.
How dare she hide his things from him? He wasn’t her slave. He wasn’t anyone’s slave, and she had to be shown that. Ignoring her futile attempts to get away from him, and her flailing hands, he pulled her close. “I’ll show you who’s in charge here.” Jaden took possession of her mouth. He kissed her roughly at first, grinding his lips against hers. Nerya tried to punch his chest, but he wasn’t about to let her get away. Coiling his arms around her, he held her tighter as the kiss became deeper and more passionate.
After a time her mouth softened and some of the tenseness left her limbs. Of course she wanted him. She always did. Women, even women like Nerya, were predictable at times. Her anger might be waning, but his was not, and he intended to make his position of dominance very clear. Jaden deepened the kiss, twining his tongue around hers as he bunched up the side of her skirt and ran his hand seductively up her bare leg. He caressed the velvety skin of her inner thigh before he possessively cupped her pubic mound.
Nerya wrenched her lips from his. “Leave me be.”
“No. You’re mine,” he growled, his lust igniting as he stared down at her creamy curves, spilling out of her low-cut bodice.
“I’m not yours, slave,” she snapped, glaring at him. “Get away from me.”
“I’m not done with you yet.” He had no intention of backing away now.
Employing the full weight of his upper body to keep her pinned against the tree, he slid his hand between her trembling thighs and pulled away the narrow breechclout she wore as an undergarment. Her sex was moist, and she gave a faint moan as he eased his bunched fingers into her soft sheath. She tried to resist, her fingers raking at his arms and chest, but that only served to arouse him even more.
“Bastard,” she muttered, baring her teeth. Nevertheless, the lust reflected in her green eyes betrayed her true feelings as his fingers slid deeper inside her.
Juices seeped from her sex, running down his hand as Jaden roughly rubbed his thumb against her clitoris. She shuddered, the foulest of curses spilling from her sweet lips. Jaden didn’t care as he stifled her angry words with his lips, kissing her with unrestrained passion as he thrust his fingers into her, moving them sensually as he penetrated her as deeply as he could.
When at last he pulled his lips from hers, Nerya’s breathing came fast and ragged. She made no attempt to pull away as Jaden unfastened his breeches. He pulled at the laces, ripping the fabric apart to free his aching cock. Using his leg to force her thighs apart, he bent his knees and thrust into her with such force that the branches above his head shook. Nerya’s hands gripped his shoulders, her nails cutting into his upper back muscles as he entered her. He fucked her hard and fast, inflamed by furious lust.
Lost in his own lascivious desires, Jaden was close to climaxing, but he didn’t want that—not yet. Withdrawing from her, he twisted ’round and forced her to the ground. She lay on her back on the soft grass, her crumpled skirts spread around her splayed legs, staring up at him. “Well,” she sneered. “Have you finished?”
“No.” Jaden sank to his knees and rolled her onto her belly, ignoring her vain attempts to fight him.
“How dare you,” she yelled as he flipped her skirts up around her slim waist. She scrabbled onto her hands and knees, trying to stand.
“Stay still.” He slapped her bottom hard, and she gave a loud squeal of fury. “I’m not your slave now, Nerya. Not now. Not ever!”
Jaden’s rigid cock stood lewdly out from the slit of his breeches—the flesh on the shaft shining slickly with the dew of her body. Soon it would be inside her, and then she wouldn’t protest. He held her down and ran his hands over the creamy curves of her buttocks as all the anger and resentment he’d felt during his imprisonment in Freygard rose to the surface again.
Nerya turned her head to look back at him, making not the slightest attempt to pull away. “Is this how you take your women? Like rutting beasts?” Her words belied her feelings. Her eyes brimmed with desire. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“Only when they misbehave.” He eased his shaft into the moist recesses of her sweet pink sheath. Lust overtook him again, and he grabbed her hips and thrust deep inside her. Jaden ground his pelvis against her firm buttocks. She gave a soft moan and arched her back, pressed her body against him, forcing his invading shaft even deeper.
He began to power into her, pumping as hard and fast as he could. Sweat beaded his brow as he kept up the fierce, angry pace, while he reached around her to run his hand over her trembling stomach. His fingers brushed her pubes and slid into the slit of her sex to rub her clitoris.
“Oh yes,” she gasped as he stroked the tiny nub while he continued to power into her soft and all-too-willing body.
His pleasure grew and magnified to amazing proportions. Sex with his other conquests had never felt quite like this. There was a bond between him and this woman that he couldn’t understand or explain. His emotions unnerved and yet aroused him at the same time. Was it possible Nerya might be able to mend the scar Eridea had made on his heart?
All of a sudden the walls of her vagina contracted around his cock shaft and, as she climaxed, his own orgasm tore through him with earth-shattering intensity. Breathing heavily, Jaden affectionately brushed his lips against her cheek, but she kept her head turned away from him, while her body stiffened once again in his embrace.
“Nerya…”
“Go away, leave me be,” she moaned.
“Eat.” Jaden thrust a wooden bowl containing the choicest portions of the roasted rabbit toward Nerya.
Pursing her lips, she glared at him, refusing to take the bowl. Giving a frustrated shake of his head, Jaden placed the bowl in front of her and walked away. He knew she was hungry, but she wasn’t about to let him forget what had happened between them.
After their mutual climax, he’d been tempted to hold her, try to reassure her and tell her he was sorry he’d been so rough; however, her initial rebuttal had angered him. Maybe he’d been foolish not to persist. Instead, he’d stood, straightened his clothing and walked to the fire to finish preparing their meal. Nerya, meanwhile, had pulled down her skirts, but she’d made no attempt to readjust the gaping neckline of her crumpled gown or push back her tangled hair. She simply sat and stared at him in icy silence.
It was finished. There was nothing he could do about it now. He’d talk to her later, when her mood had improved. Jaden crouched by the fire and started to eat his portion of the rabbit. If Nerya didn’t bother to eat what he’d given her, it was her loss. It wouldn’t hurt her to go hungry.
However rough and brutal their lovemaking had been, he’d still enjoyed it. So had Nerya; he was certain of that. Nevertheless, he feared what had just happened had cast a nasty stain on their burgeoning relationship.
Ignoring her, Jaden concentrated on finishing h
is meal, washing it down with long swallows of the red wine. After he’d eaten his fill, he glanced surreptitiously back at her. It was obvious she didn’t think he was watching, because she was wolfing down the meat with great relish. He was relieved she was coming to her senses at last. He frowned. Should he make an effort to appease her? Maybe it would be better to leave it until later, when they could discuss what happened between them in a rational manner. Judging by her grumpy expression, she wasn’t in a good mood. She’d probably bite his head off if he tried to talk to her now.
Jaden tossed the remaining rabbit bones onto the fire, licked his fingers clean and twisted ’round to look at her. It wouldn’t hurt to placate her a little. “There’s wine. Do you want some?” He held out the half-empty leather bottle.
“Jaden,” she gasped. “Look out!”
He sprang to his feet and swung around, his hand reaching for his sword as he spotted a number of soldiers advancing toward him.
“Don’t even try it,” a male voice called from somewhere behind him. “Not if you want your woman to live.”
Chapter Six
Heavy blue brocade drapes hung at the windows. Matching curtains decorated the four-poster bed, and huge wolf skin rugs covered a fair portion of the floor. Two carved oak chests sat in one corner, and a padded settle stood close to the fire. There was even a tall cupboard to store clothes. Nerya didn’t care whether her surroundings were pleasant or not as she restlessly paced the chamber. All her concerned thoughts focused on Jaden’s fate. She’d no idea what had happened to him after they’d reached the castle, because she’d been hustled straight inside the building and confined in this room.
The attack in the woods had been unexpected. They were deep inside Kabran territory, where they’d presumed they would be safe. When the leader of the band of soldiers had held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her, Jaden had been forced to put down his weapon and surrender. They’d bound his hands behind his back and hauled him onto his horse. He’d tried to tell them who he was and had demanded to be taken to see King Tarn, but they’d ignored him. Nerya had been made to ride pillion behind a hulking brute who’d stunk most unpleasantly of stale sweat. She’d tried to tell him and anyone close enough that Jaden was a special envoy from Lord Sarin of Percheron, but they’d taken no notice of her.
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