Love's Fury

by Kristen Cobb

  “Get on with it.” Conri’s current position could not be more of a contrast to the arrogant command. Lying on his back naked in front of his father and brothers, waiting for her to heal a wound between his legs likely to cause him a great deal of pain.

  That realization cooled the worst of Nessa’s anger. She could not imagine being in his position. Out of the corner of her eye Nessa saw Kaelan, Ronan, and Eanna walk away with the tainted water. She knew Kaelan would remain outside the entrance to the fort, giving them privacy while still protecting his son. Watching her husband close his eyes and grasp the sides of the table in preparation for the pain made her long to comfort him, a gesture unlikely to be well received at the moment.

  Lifting the bucket of clean water onto the bench she threw in a rag. Nessa pushed Conri’s legs apart, lifting his sacs in her left hand. Raising the palm of her right hand toward the right side of the wound she began sending a wave of power toward the injured area. Conri grimaced but did not scream out in pain. The instant she began drawing energy out along with the thick yellow evidence of infection his hands gripped the table so hard the muscles in his arms nearly trembled. She continued the process until only blood was being drawn out. Conri’s entire body shook with the effort to remain still, eyes clamped tightly shut, hands turning red from the force with which he gripped the edge of the table.

  As soon as she stopped drawing out the infection his body relaxed a bit. Ringing out the excess water from the rag in the bucket with her right hand she gently washed away the puss and blood. Dumping the strip of cloth back into the water she tried to raise the sacs beneath his shaft a bit higher. Now she needed to treat the portion of the wound beneath the sacs. This would likely be the most painful part.

  “This might hurt even worse, brace yourself.” Nessa gave her husband a moment before forcing glittering silver strands of the earth’s energy into the wound, a beautiful wave that would cause him immeasurable pain.

  She began with a small amount of power, drawing it out slowly. His body tensed quickly this time, almost growling in an effort not to scream in agony. Deciding slow might not be better in this instance she added more power until a shimmering wave of energy floated from her palm into his body, incredibly thankful Kaelan was teaching her how to control it. Speeding up the process seemed to help. It only took a couple of repetitions before she began seeing blood.

  After quickly washing the area she pulled his sacs and shaft to the right, preparing to start on the last part of the wound. “Once more and the worst is over. None of the wounds left to treat will hurt this much.” Without waiting she began work on the last section. Conri gripped and tensed, moaning in agony, but did not cry out this time. Seeing how much quicker it went Nessa vowed to use more power on the wounds she had left.

  Washing off the entire area she set to work on actually healing the wound. Working her way from right to left she watched the area heal over with fresh skin as if there had never been a wound there. The only scars left on his body would be from the wounds that managed to heal before they arrived.

  Gently removing her hand from between his legs Nessa watched Conri try to recover from the pain. His eyes were still closed, hands lightly gripping the table, chest rising and falling with each deep breath.

  While she would like nothing better than to stop causing him pain she needed to finish cleansing his body of poison, waiting would not lessen the agony. “I am going to clean and heal the rest of your wounds now. None are as bad as that one. The worst is over. By the time I am through the boys should be back with some fresh water. You can wash up and get dressed. Eanna packed some of your father’s clothes for you.”

  Conri’s eyes remained closed as she worked on the rest of his wounds. His grip on the table eventually lessened until he released it completely. By the time she asked him to turn over Kaelan, Ronan, and Eanna returned with the bucket of clean water.

  It was telling that Kaelan walked the bucket of water over to her. Ronan and Eanna strode directly to their previous location on the lowest wall of the stone fort. Nessa sighed deeply as she worked on a particularly angry wound on Conri’s lower back. There were far fewer stab wounds on his back and the backs of his legs. The fact that there were any told her he had not been tied to a tree the entire time.

  Kaelan set the bucket of water down on the bench, watching her heal his son’s wound before silently walking away. Nessa did not even bother glancing at Kaelan, completely focused on Conri.

  There were five unhealed wounds on the back of his thighs. Only three were infected. Setting a brisk pace rather than worrying about being gentle she managed to heal them in no time at all.

  Moving the tainted water to the ground she picked up one of the last fresh rags, dropping it into the bucket of clean water. Reaching a hand out to touch his hair she stopped midway and pulled back, afraid he would only spew anger at her.

  Conri clearly blamed her and he was not wrong. The fault for all of his pain and torment could be laid entirely on her shoulders. “You can wash up and get dressed.”

  Rather than watch him sit up she walked over to the bags set on the ground near the table. She knew one of them contained a tunic and pants that Eanna packed for Conri. The clothes were Kaelan’s. He was the closest to Conri’s size. Since Conri lost a considerable amount of weight they should actually fit, except for the length. Conri was slightly taller than his father. She could not be more grateful for Eanna’s practical thinking, clean clothing for Conri had not even occurred to her.

  Reaching into one of the sacs she found the clothing and pulled it out. When she stood up and turned around Conri was standing behind the bench with his head in the bucket of water. She watched him pull his head out of the water, using his fingers to comb the hair back from his face. Wringing out the rag he washed his face then dipped the cloth back in the bucket.

  She had no idea what to do. Should she stay or did he want to be alone? This was not how she imagined it would be, strained and tense. When he began washing his body she walked over and set the clothes on the bench for him. “There is food in the bag and a flask filled with water.” Even with the weight and muscle he lost over the last couple of weeks Kaelan’s clothing would just barely fit. She had no idea what to do if they proved to be too small. Conri was built larger than either of his brothers or his father. Next to Sedric and Allister Conri did not appear huge, making his size deceptive.

  “As soon as I eat we can leave.” Conri ran the wet rag across his shoulder and down his arm.

  “I am not sure that is such a good idea. You need some rest and…”

  “I refuse to spend another night in this place. I am leaving with or without you.” Flinging the rag into the bucket harder than necessary his eyes bore angrily into hers.

  She wanted him to rest but understood his desire to leave. “I will inform your father and brothers we are leaving.”

  “Where are the horses?” Conri continued washing up, running the wet rag over his chest.

  The need to touch him was nearly a physical ache, an entirely inappropriate desire given the present mood. “Your father and Ronan turned into horses.”

  “Let me guess, you rode my brother.” Conri looked directly into her eyes as he said it, letting her know he meant every word.

  Stunned speechless by such an unprovoked attack she stood there like a mute, staring at him, waiting for him to apologize. He simply turned away, continuing to wash some of the dirt and dried blood off his body.

  Nessa walked away, heading towards Kaelan, Ronan, and Eanna, feeling numb. Under different circumstances she might try and force him to talk to her about how he was feeling, maybe even refuse to leave his side. The instant they returned to Rory’s she intended to break his heart, deserting him. Forcing a relationship at this point would only be cruel. Conri’s attitude clearly told her he would never agree to live with his father, already hurling accusations at his brother. Knowing Conri might be angry with her for being the cause of his abduction and feeling t
he full force of his hatred were worlds apart. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

  7

  Eanna and Ronan were riding Kaelan. Conri agreed to ride her more out of necessity than a desire to be near her, that much was made abundantly clear by his scornful glare right before she changed form. Feeling her husband’s warm bulk on her back still sent ripples of relief careening through her body. A multitude of other emotions also warred for dominance at the moment as they headed south. Their lives would never be the same.

  Everything seemed to be fine until darkness began to descend. Ronan wanted to stop, an understandable desire. They rode hard all night to reach Conri.

  Her husband saw no reason to stop, insisting they ride through the night if need be. He also argued with Ronan about the direction they were heading. Conri had no intention of going to Killala.

  The moment Conri pulled hard on her mane she knew they were in trouble. Ronan slid off Kaelan in mid-gallop. Conri dismounted, throwing the bag with her clothing to the ground. He also removed both swords, flinging them angrily away from his body. Conri had retrieved his sword from the pile of dead bodies at the ring fort. Apparently one of his captors took it during the abduction. Ronan lifted his own sword up and over his head throwing it to the ground. The two circled each other, standing less than an arms length away.

  Nessa turned into human form with the packs of food still slung across her back. They fell to the ground as she changed. Running over to Conri and Ronan she wedged her body in between them, facing her husband. She saw Eanna dismount and take the bags off Kaelan. Conri’s father changed form but made no move to intervene.

  Conri was apparently looking to take his anger out on someone. Nessa gathered her courage, laying the palm of her hand against her husband’s chest. At the moment she fully understood why most people feared him. He looked down at her hand then back up into her eyes. There seemed to be a bit more warmth in his gaze when he looked at her, warmth being a relative term in this instance. “These men traveled through the night to reach you. Can you not allow them a bit of rest?”

  “Let them rest. You and I can continue home. I see no reason to stop in Killala.” Conri’s statement implied he had no desire to spend time with his family.

  Nessa could only imagine how hurt his father and brothers must be feeling at the callous disregard for their efforts to save him. They did not know Conri as she did. As their first impression of him it would not be a favorable one. Suddenly she remembered something likely to sway him. “Your horse is at Killala. We have to stop and get him. He is your favorite.”

  Conri stood there looking into her eyes for a rather tense moment before answering. “Fine.” Reaching down to grab the bag with her clothes he thrust it at her. “Wash up and get dressed.” With that her husband picked up his sword and walked away.

  Nessa watched Conri undress. He wore no shoes at the moment so all undressing required was removing his tunic and pants. Kaelan’s pants were a bit short but otherwise fit reasonably well. She was shocked by the amount of weight he lost, longing to hold him in her arms and apologize.

  Hearing someone jump in the water she forced herself to look elsewhere. Kaelan was already in the river, Eanna and Ronan in the process of taking off their pants. The instant they were both naked the brothers raced into the water. Ronan just barely beat Eanna into the water by launching his body from the bank in a long graceful arch.

  Hearing one more splash after the brothers entered the water she knew Conri jumped in. Knowing it would only aggravate him if she stood here naked in front of his family she walked to the edge of the bank and dove into the water. It felt wonderfully freeing for just a moment as her body flew through the air.

  The cold water caused her to come up shaking, wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to find some warmth. The light of day was fading as the last slivers of sun dipped below the horizon. It reminded her of another night. The first time she bathed with Conri. The night she proposed a fake relationship to deter Alana.

  Her eyes sought out Conri of their own accord. She could no more stop her gaze from seeking him out than she could stop the sun from rising and setting each day. Head tilted back Conri ran his fingers through his hair trying to remove weeks of grime. She should be over there doing that for him. Now was the time to bridge the distance between them.

  Emotional pain coursed through her body in waves. How could she just walk away and abandon him, especially now when he needed her more than ever? The urge to go to him was nearly debilitating in its intensity. Warring factions were fighting an intense battle inside of her, the need to protect him fighting against the all-consuming desire to be near him. The two would never exist in harmony again.

  Kaelan swam over to her as Conri headed toward the bank. “You are doing the right thing. Protecting my son must come first.”

  Nessa continued watching Conri, unable to tear her eyes away. “I wish there was another way but he will not bond with me and you see how he is. He would never allow us to guard him constantly. I could barely get him to stop at your home for his horse.” Saying it out loud bolstered her commitment to this necessary but extremely painful course of action. Tipping her head back to rinse out her hair she closed her eyes, attempting to somehow make peace with the bleak lonely future lying ahead of her.

  By the time she opened her eyes Kaelan stood on dry land, Ronan and Eanna followed closely behind. Lying on the grass, hands behind his head, Conri was staring up at the sky, still naked, allowing his body to dry off in the cool spring air. She could see some of the raw, red scars from here. Wounds that healed before she arrived would mark his body for many years to come, a reminder of the horrific ordeal he endured because of her.

  Her resolve hardened at the sight of his scars. The marks were a testament to how fast they healed as opposed to mortals but even Conri’s immortal blood would not have saved him. Her presence in his life had thus far done more harm than good. It was time to remedy that. The entirely selfish need to be near him could not be allowed to win. She would fight it no matter the cost to her own happiness. Conri’s safety needed to be her sole focus. This could never be allowed to occur again.

  Swimming toward the bank she pulled herself up, grabbed her bag and quickly dressed. The material clung to her wet body but sitting around naked with Conri’s family seemed unwise. She was still his wife. That thought brought a new and painful realization. Conri would likely dissolve their marriage once she left him for Rory.

  Nessa watched Kaelan walk over to Conri as she grabbed the bag and her boots. Throwing his clothing and one of the twin sacs of food on the ground nearby Conri’s father laid down on the grass next to him. Conri continued looking up at the sky, seeming to ignore his father’s presence but at least he did not send Kaelan away, and he was not alone.

  She felt a bit less guilt walking over to join Ronan and Eanna seeing Kaelan lying next to Conri. It would be good for him to spend some time with his father, even if they did not talk.

  Dropping her sword and sac on the grass she lowered her body onto the ground next to Ronan. Eanna was dressed even though clearly still wet. She assumed Eanna endured the discomfort out of respect for her. Ronan remained quite unabashedly naked.

  Every muscle in her body ached with exhaustion. Stretching out she leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes. Conri was safe. Closing her eyes she finally allowed the relief to wash over her.

  “Why do you love him? He seems entirely unlovable to me.” Ronan’s question came as no great surprise. Conri did not exactly make a favorable first impression.

  Nessa almost said this is not the real Conri until she remembered that her husband’s demeanor today closely resembled how he acted when they first met. Thinking back to those first days actually made her smile. He had been so incredibly obnoxious.

  Nessa opened her eyes and sat up straight. Eanna began rummaging through the sacs of food, pulling out a half loaf of bread. Ripping off a piece he held it out to her. Taking the hunk of
bread from Eanna she set it in her lap.

  “Why are you smiling? Nothing about that man could cause happiness.” Ronan seemed truly perplexed by her reaction, his face scrunched up in confusion.

  The confused expression on Ronan’s face only caused her smile to widen. “I felt much the same way when we first met. He was arrogant, rude, demanding, and thoroughly unpleasant to be around.”

  “And yet you fell in love with him?” Ronan took two thick slices of cheese from Eanna, handing her one.

  Nessa placed the cheese on the hunk of bread in her lap, thinking back to those early days with Conri. “I actually took great joy in trying to rile his temper during those first days. Rory ordered your brother to guard me so he could not get away.”

  “I cannot imagine Conri taking orders form anyone.” Ronan took a bite of cheese, glancing over at the man under discussion.

  Conri and Kaelan were still lying on the grass next to each other, staring up at the ever-darkening sky. Seeing them together gave Nessa a bit of hope that all would be well for Conri. That gave her an idea. She looked at Ronan, sizing up the feasibility of her impromptu plan. It would require a great deal of trust on her part, telling Ronan about her plan to leave Conri for Rory and the reason behind such a heinous betrayal of his brother. The major problem being Ronan did not appear overly fond of Conri.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Ronan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “Perhaps she wants you to get dressed.” Eanna’s expression was, as usual, completely without humor.

  Ronan grinned, popping the rest of the cheese wedge into his mouth.

  “That is not why I am staring at him.”

  Ronan nearly choked on the food in his mouth. Eanna immediately began banging on his back. Ronan pushed his brother’s arm away.