The Wildling

by Treva Harte

  "I wasn't really with anyone else, Adan—" she began.

  A floorboard creaked. Secondary froze in his backwards retreat as Adan turned to look at him.

  "That's right. You. Why aren't you downstairs guarding Merdeath?" Adan snarled. "Or is that too useful?"

  "No one told me to—I'm going now!" Secondary stopped trying to creep away and began to run.

  "Fucoff!"

  After Adan's lapse into manspeak in front of her, Arness wasn't really surprised when Adan gave Secondary a farewell kick that propelled the newly freed male into the hall and against the wall.

  * * * * *

  Everyone in the saloon looked up as Secondary limped down the stairs.

  "Who was that man?" a saloon boy piped up. "And what's that?"

  He pointed to the trussed up bundle on the dirty floor.

  "I believe that's a notorious bushwhacker." Secondary stared down at the capture. "His name is Merdeath."

  "I don't want him in here, polluting the saloon floor," Mistress Babs said, immediately. "I run a refined place of business."

  "Yes, mistress. If you don't mind, I'll take him to the stables."

  "Well, that's a cursed bit more polite than that fellow who just barged in here and left his trash without asking. What's he want with your mistress?"

  "Ah—" Secondary shifted. "I couldn't say."

  The woman slapped him on the back.

  "How many people does she need in the bedroom, anyhow?"

  Upstairs voices began to shout. A solid thump was heard on the floor. Then a steady thumping began on one of the walls.

  “Goddess, those folks of yours do take on.” Mistress Babs wiped down the saloon counter, thoughtfully. “Hope they didn’t break any of my furniture. I'll have to make 'em pay for it. Both of the mistresses. Yeah. That's only right since both of them seem to be going at it. Is that new one another of your mistress' pets?”

  "Him? No. He's Salla's pet. Well, he was bought for her, anyhow."

  "That's what they said. Didn't sound right, but I should've known," Mistress Babs observed.

  Secondary looked at the dirty cleaning rag and shrugged as he drank the last of his lukewarm coffee quickly. He had work to do.

  “Bet whatever tricks you fine-looking pets got up to there would bring in a lot of trade to my saloon if my boys knew them.” Mistress Babs sounded regretful. “Couldn’t ever afford anything as pretty or as talented as any of you, though. Some women have all the luck.”

  “Some pets, too.” Secondary hauled Merdeath up with an effort. “In the meantime I guess I’ll stand guard over this clicksnake. I don’t think any of my colleagues will be ready to help for a bit.”

  Mistress Babs cackled.

  "…you varlet!…"

  The thumping began again.

  The members of the saloon all looked at each other and shook their heads. Mistress Babs pointed a finger at the tallest of the saloon boys.

  "You! Go help Secondary drag that lump to the stables. I don't want to be distracted."

  * * * * *

  She was going to look and long for him. Just him. She might have had other males before. He didn't need any other females.

  He already knew he wanted Arness more than anyone else.

  The persistent ache in his cock reminded Adan that Arness was moist and tight and—Goddess, she was beautiful! When he first saw her he'd been stunned by her beautiful dark skin and female curves. He'd been helpless then while she stood, strong and powerful, beside him.

  She could rescue him again now. He was just as helpless. More. If he'd been stunned before, when he hadn't known her, he was in an even worse state now. He licked his lips. She'd taste like sweat and female and arousal when he ran his tongue over her. He had to do that. Soon.

  As soon as she acknowledged what he was, what he'd done, for her.

  He'd called himself a fool all the while he marched Merdeath back on the trail. There was every possibility he'd be given a collar once he arrived at the ranch.

  Now he knew he hadn't been entirely a fool.

  How could he help risking his capture again? He'd thought he was fine before her. If he'd needed something that he had no words for, something that made him restless, he'd been able to put that aside. Until he understood what he'd lacked. He could never ignore this need again. He could never forget her.

  Arness.

  But did she feel the same way about him?

  * * * * *

  Secondary hit the stall hard enough to make him grunt. He ducked before the bucket hit his head. In one stall a cow lowed. Otherwise there was silence. Merdeath wasn't going to waste energy in talk.

  Secondary's kick landed solidly in the other man's knee. Merdeath crumpled and Secondary relaxed for one moment.

  Until Merdeath's hand pulled him off balance. Secondary landed on the ground. A second more and Secondary was gasping for air as those hands closed around Secondary's throat.

  "I'd kill you, boy, except I want you to relay a message." Merdeath was breathing hard now, but sounded no less dangerous for the sound. "Tell your mistress I'll be back for her. She'll need better protectors than you and that baby-faced snake who left me here."

  * * * * *

  "Salla—"

  "Oh please, oh pleeeeaaase!" The pain had been a temporary discomfort. The growing restless excitement and tension in her, however, might drive her mad. Salla wasn't sure she was able to keep breathing as her body wound up tighter and tighter yet.

  The bed sounded like it might rattle to pieces as Primary drove harder, his back arching up. All gentleness was gone as Salla thrust down hard against him.

  “It’s not enough!” Primary howled.

  “Then do something!” Salla howled back. “You know more about this than me. I’m going to die if I can’t come right now!”

  His hands grasped her ass cheeks and pulled her down again, faster, deeper.

  Salla wailed, writhed, and suddenly the release from tension, the uncoiling of the knot of desire in her, happened. So fast, so overwhelmingly,, that for a moment Salla thought she might lose consciousness.

  She knew she saw stars.

  * * * * *

  "Not so fast, bastard!" Secondary scrambled to his feet, ignoring the stars whirling in front of his eyes. He could manage. Goddess, he'd been known to beg for worse pain than this!

  Merdeath ran.

  They made it out to the still muddy grounds between the stables and the saloon. Where were people when you needed them?

  Merdeath slipped and Secondary tackled him. The bastard elbowed him in the stomach. Secondary gagged and got to his feet a second after Merdeath got to his.

  There was no help for it.

  Secondary threw his body against the other man's and they both fell hard in and then through the saloon's front door.

  * * * * *

  Adan's cock slipped in behind her and entered Arness' suddenly very wet, aching sheath. She trembled. She couldn't help it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to help it any more.

  "Don't make me leave, Arness," he whispered in her ear. "I want to stay. Here. And don't you go, either."

  "I'm not going anywhere."

  "Aren't you? I don't know what you and Primary and Secondary—and Salla, for that matter—have been doing since I left you. I promise not to care as long as you answer me. Whose cock do you want right now? Someone else's or mine?" Adan slid out, in, out. He waited.

  Salla gave a high wail in the other room. Arness got wetter. She tightened around Adan’s cock. Goddess, she was close to coming. Why wouldn't he satisfy her?

  Adan moaned at her movements. He had to be close to coming, too.

  "I have to choose?" Arness tried to laugh. "Why? I never did before."

  Adan spun her against the wall, using his knees to spread her legs apart, his arms to hold her arms up, spread-eagled. Arness could hear the creaking bed next door, could imagine the sensual dance Primary was doing with Salla. She shut her eyes instead, concentrating on her ow
n partner. Adan's cock slid in again, just the tip resting inside her.

  "His? Or mine?"

  She wasn't even sure whose "his" he meant. Did it matter?

  Adan wasn't being gentle. He wasn't making her want to cry with happiness, the way Salla was crying right now. But Adan was making Arness wet somewhere else. Slippery with need and want.

  She could hear Salla moan through the thin walls. Arness knew how that felt. Adan's tongue grazed the edge of her nipple. The nipple tightened, begging for more. A more that Adan was withholding until she said—

  "Yours."

  Adan's cock slid inside completely. Fully. Arness squirmed with the sensation. She bit her lip but a sigh escaped anyhow.

  While the bed creaked noisily beneath the weight of one couple, the wall began to rattle ferociously as two other bodies hurled themselves against its flimsy framework. Arness knew she was past caring whether the local townspeople knew what she was doing. Adan was holding her too tightly to let her participate with anything but her vaginal muscles, but Arness focused on using them, squeezing, milking, clenching them around Adan's soon frenziedly thrusting length.

  Adan wasn't seducing her. He was taking her. Just the way she was taking him. She wanted to laugh. She ought to feel helpless, trapped under his hand. Instead Arness felt powerful. She was able to make him moan and slam himself into her although he held her almost still.

  At last, though, Arness growled, frustrated. He kept holding her. She couldn’t come if she couldn’t move—

  "Are you ready, Arness? I don't know how much longer I can wait," Adan whispered. "Love."

  His hoarse words were, once again, what she needed. Arness felt sensation popping through her body like tiny firecrackers, exploding everywhere. She gasped and let herself light up.

  She climaxed a moment before Adan shuddered hard against her.

  Adan laughed in her ear. Rested his head against her shoulder. His damp body clung to her as he slowly lowered their arms.

  “Goddess, you’re strong,” Adan gasped. “Sometimes it feels like you could wring out all the cum inside a man.”

  He was strong, too. Able to rip a woman’s heart out along with her orgasm. But Arness didn’t think she had the breath to tell him so.

  As the blood stopped pounding in her ears, Arness realized it was quiet. In fact the entire noisy saloon was still.

  What now?

  Well, for one thing there was no regret, no displeasure in this surrender—if she had surrendered. All she had was a satisfied humming in her body, the kind wonderful sex could give. Adan looked as shattered and pleased as she was.

  She reached to stroke his long, lovely body. She wanted to touch him forever, to feel this way the rest of her life.

  Suddenly a huge crash reverberated through the building.

  "What in perdition—?" Arness began, automatically reaching for her weapon belt.

  A terrified scream shrilled through the downstairs.

  "That bastard!" Adan threw the door open. "It has to be Merdeath!"

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "No!" Salla cut off what else she wanted to say as soon as she got far enough down the stairs to view the scene.

  The problem was clear enough. Merdeath was untied and had a piece of broken bottle tight against one terrified saloon boy's throat. My word, the man had figured out the same trick Salla had when you were weaponless. Salla found it hard to believe he studied the old manuscripts.

  "I'll kill him if you don't let me out." Merdeath sounded like he meant every word.

  Primary snarled.

  Secondary was slumped against the saloon wall, looking ill. Salla ran to him and began to pat him down for broken bones.

  "I'm all right, Mistress," Secondary muttered.

  "I won't stand for someone hurting my property!" Mistress Babs shouted behind Salla.

  "You seem all right," Salla granted.

  "I'll do more than hurt him, woman, if I am not allowed out of this pigsty—"

  "Pigsty!" The saloonkeeper gasped.

  "—immediately. Understood?"

  The lighter steps on the stairs made everyone turn. Salla blinked.

  "Go ahead." Arness' voice was calm.

  Arness stood, her weapons belt on and her dart gun held at the ready. Adan stood behind her, a knife in his hand. The two of them looked deadly. Primary backed out of range.

  "I knew you'd see reason. I taught you obedience in camp." Merdeath's smile was ugly.

  "You misunderstand. Go ahead and kill him. He means nothing to me. He's not even my pet. The patroness will be happy to pay damages for him in exchange for your hide."

  "How much?" Mistress Babs asked.

  The saloon boy let out another shriek. Salla saw an unbecoming wet stain form at the crotch of his breeches. As he slumped over in a faint, Merdeath whirled and threw the limp body at Secondary, the closest threat to him. Then Merdeath pounced.

  Salla scarcely had time to realize she'd been grabbed by the bushwhacker before she felt the glass at her throat.

  "How would she like to deal with her daughter's death?" Merdeath asked. "I already know she's fond enough of the girl to buy her expensive toys like that pretty boy behind you."

  * * * * *

  Salla could have the pretty boy her mother had bought. He'd be Arness' personal pet forever. He'd go back to being a rented pleasure toy. Goddess. Anything. He'd do anything to change places with her right now.

  Salla looked so small and fragile held by Merdeath's huge paw, her blonde hair tumbled around her. Her eyes stayed wide and staring. When she looked over at him, Primary thought his heart would rip open.

  She was afraid. She was acting brave, not screaming, but she was terrified.

  Primary kept bargaining with the Goddess silently, with his muscles tight and ready to spring and his gut screaming at him not to, not to risk her life. He'd never speak to her again if that was best. He'd gladly see her with half a dozen other men later if they could save her now.

  He was a worthless pet, a fool who thought he could be something else. The Goddess could punish him, he deserved anything she chose to do, but not Salla.

  Don't hurt Salla, blessed Mother. Don't.

  Then he saw Merdeath begin to move and knew all his silent pleas had been in vain. The man pulled Salla up against him, his hand quivering, and then, with a loud shriek, pitched forward. Goddess, what did he plan to do with her?

  Heedless of everything else, Primary threw himself toward the two of them.

  "Wait!" he heard Arness call, faintly through the rage in Primary's blood.

  Wait? She was insane. He shouldn’t have waited this long.

  He might be too late but he'd at least pull Merdeath down with him.

  * * * * *

  Salla heard the saloon boy begin to sob, saw the white terror on Primary's face…and the total lack of expression on Arness'. The other woman's dart gun hand didn't even twitch.

  Salla knew all of them were ready to do anything to rescue her. Well, she could rescue herself. Her fingers clutched something cold in her pocket.

  "Well, if I don't kill you, she'll deal with the city girl's death by hunting you down and tearing you apart. Why don't you let Salla go and give yourself a chance to live a little longer?"

  Merdeath chuckled.

  "I'm doing fine just this way," he said. "Aggh!"

  Salla's knife, held in her shirt pocket throughout her journey, ripped through her garment and landed hard into the bushwhacker's inner thigh. She jerked the sharpened blade upward until the blood made the hilt slip from her hands. She pulled away from the man's loosened grip and ran, skidding on the saloon floor before she ducked under a table.

  Once there she could see nothing, but she heard groans. Then came the distinctive thwack of a dart that had found a target. Then there was a loud thud, as if someone had hit a body.

  "Goddess!" Primary was the next one to grab her, hauling her out from under the table in seconds. "Are you all right?"

&nb
sp; "Of course," Salla said. "You're just lucky that I didn't put that knife where I first thought I would, Primary."

  "You look all right, thanks be to the blessed Goddess. How do you feel?" Primary muttered, patting her down. He pulled at her shirt to check more closely. "Perdition, woman, you tried to attack an outlaw with just one tiny knife!"

  "I didn’t just try to attack him. I did attack him. Please, Primary, the only thing I have on is this shirt. Leave me a little modesty." Salla pushed his hands away, looked at the avid stares of the saloon patrons and began to laugh. "At least I have a shirt on. The rest of you are just wearing weapon belts."

  "They look real good that way," a member of the crowd called out. "I can understand why that one mistress wanted all of you up in her room for hours."

  "You'll be getting the bill for the room damages when you check out," Mistress Babs added.

  * * * * *

  Salla caught up to Arness at the head of the line. She didn't say anything for several minutes. Arness waited. Salla leading the party was unusual enough that Arness knew something was up.

  As the silence continued, it occurred to Arness that perhaps Salla was too out of breath to talk. Arness waved Primary to lead and dropped her pace.

  The silence lengthened. Salla stumbled on the path, righted herself and moved fiercely on. She kept trying, Arness granted.

  "Yes?" Arness urged at last when she thought Salla might be able to speak.

  "Do you know what you'll be doing next?" Salla asked without more prompting.

  Arness looked at her suspiciously. The question didn't sound barbed or sulky. Salla only looked thoughtful.

  "Well, I liked planting that dart in Merdeath's hide," Arness answered. "His screams made up for a good deal of humiliation. I believe I may start hunting outlaws instead of wildlings."

  She glanced over at the large sling that two of the men held. She smiled at the thought of the wounded and bound Merdeath, helpless inside his giant cotton cocoon. She'd enjoy seeing him go to trial. Not just for her own personal satisfaction, but by the time she was done testifying, people would know her as an outlaw taker.