by Pruitt, Anna
Nathanial was caught up in the moment. He was sure this would end up being the biggest mistake of his life. The need for vengeance did things to a man. It made them do crazy things. That’s what he had chalked this up to be for so long. It was necessary to carry out his revenge. Now, as he looked down at the terrified girl in front of him, feeling her hands shake in his, hearing how unsure she was when she promised to always obey him, he realized this was more than that. Nathanial couldn’t give her up; he couldn’t keep his promise to her if he wanted. He was vaguely aware that Father MalCanney was urging them to kiss and seal the deal. He was leaning in to kiss her for the hell of it anyway. Cheers erupted from his men, and Margret wept quite loudly.
Lydia wondered if it was out of happiness or pity that she cried. It was the thought she was clinging to when Nathanial leaned down and whispered, “I’m going to make you mine tonight, Lydia.” And all thoughts went out of her mind.
****
Avoiding him seemed to be the most logical next step. Lydia became everyone else’s best friend that night. She was very interested in learning all about Chaim’s family. She was overjoyed to hear all about Margret’s travels through England, and when she met these ruffians. She was even more than willing to hear all about God’s plan for her from Father MalCanney. Lydia committed to doing whatever it took not to be alone with the man she just married. Was she being a child? Possibly. But the way he was looking at her made her feel worse than a child.
Nathanial was thoroughly enjoying the scene before him. Never had he seen her so eager to socialize. In the short weeks he’d known her, he’d learned a few things about her. Lydia James—Lydia Garrison, liked to be alone. She liked to rule her own domain. She did not care for nonsense stories of the wild English ways, or God’s plan for her. Nathanial watched her all night. He watched her encourage others in their party not to go to bed. The sun had barely gone down. It was her wedding night, they should celebrate. It was all rather enjoyable until Nathanial had enough. It was his wedding night. He was done playing games.
Lydia sat with Margret on the fallen tree. Margret was deep in a story about the time she met the first love of her life.
“He was so passionate.” Margret commented. “So…” The older woman saw Laird Garrison stand and start towards them. “Time for me to turn in.” Lydia’s smile over the story vanished. She knew what that meant. She could not see him, but she knew he was approaching. “These old bones need some rest.”
“Let me walk you—“
“No, no, child.” Margret clasped Lydia’s face in her hands. “You’re going to be alright.” She promised before promptly retreating.
Oh, God, what was she supposed to do now? Lydia heard him step up behind her. She forced her eyes closed for a moment, catching her already fleeing breath. You are not weak, she coached herself. You are not weak.
“You have my agreement.” Nathanial sounded amused. Lydia only then realized she was speaking out loud. She turned to him and stood, clasping her hands in front of her. That did not feel quite right, so she held them behind her back as she stared up at him. Then she just let them loose at her sides. “Walk with me, Lydia.”
“Or we could stay here…” He was already walking away. “With everyone else.” She muttered under her breath. Lydia knew he would only come after her if she did not oblige soon. She picked up the large skirt on Margret’s dress and chased after him until she was walking only a small distance behind him. It was better this way, just in case she needed to make a quick exit.
Lydia followed behind Nathanial, watching his body move in the moonlight. He was fierce. He was a warrior, feared by all. Warriors took what they wanted, and he wanted her. Lydia felt panic begin to overtake her senses. She was following him away from safety, and she might have liked it. Lydia stopped when she realized the truth, finally. She did want him. Nathanial felt her hesitance from behind him. He forced himself to maintain a calm demeanor. Yards away was a plaid laid out on the ground for both of them.
“I’ll not force you, Lydia.” It was the truth, even if it killed him to admit it. He held out a hand to her and waited. He half expected her to take advantage of his generosity and run in the opposite direction. But she was constantly surprising him. Lydia reached out and took hold of his hand. With her hand in his, trembling as it might have been, he led her to the tiny patch of paradise he had created for them hours before. A large plaid of his people lay on the cold ground in front of a small area of heaven. Lydia took it all in. A little waterfall created the most glorious music she had ever heard as it hit the rocks below.
“It’s beautiful here.” Lydia looked up at him in wonder. It filled him with pride. Her reactions were so raw around him, so instinctual and honest. Nathanial found it enchanting. “Laird,” Lydia nervously prepared herself to ask her question. “When I was ill you made me a promise. Do you remember?”
He remembered.
“You promised I’d know what it was to be wanted.” Lydia then shocked him one more time. Lydia took a step back from him and began loosening the ties from behind her. Nathanial marveled. She was trying to be brave about this. That knowledge made the fire within him burn so badly it was starting to hurt.
“I want to know.” Lydia’s voice shook as she undid the last tie and the tent of a dress came swooshing down around her feet. Nathanial’s breath stuck in his throat. He took her in for long moments. Her curves, her supple breasts. He watched her for long moments before he ever reached to undo his own plaid.
Lydia was feeling very confident until he was standing in front of her naked. She could see he was already very aroused. She let her eyes slip below his waist and immediately regretted that move. Every good feeling, every feeling of bravery fled her at once. If he touched her he was going to rip her apart.
Nathanial saw the panic in her eyes, realized he was losing her, and closed the gap between them in one long stride. Weeks of physical torment was coming to a head and he was not going to lose her tonight. He needed her. His body needed fulfillment that only she could give him.
Lydia was swept up in his arms and carried over to their plaid. Nathanial took care laying her on the ground. He did not give her time to think about it. He laid his weight down on top of her, pressing his erection against her thigh.
“Kiss me, Lydia.” Nathanial’s voice was gruff and a little mean. It was not intended, but God help him if she did not start responding to him. “Kiss me.”
Lydia nodded, but did nothing. Nathanial lowered his lips to hers, however, he did not make a move. He stayed, hovering over her, willing her with his mind. Nathanial moved his hands up the side of her body until one hand rested on her breast. Momentarily giving up on Lydia taking control, Nathanial moved his mouth to Lydia’s nipple and took it in her mouth. She jerked as if struck by lightning when he started to suck. She cried out, he smiled against her skin and did it again.
Lydia mindlessly moved her hips against his body. Nathanial moved back up and nuzzled her neck before demanding one more time. “Kiss me.” Lydia was more than ready to obey. She linked her hands behind his neck and brought his mouth down to hers. Lydia, timid at first, pressed her lips against his. He wanted more from her. Nathanial did not kiss her back. He needed her to be in control. He recognized how bad she needed it. Lydia took the hint. She almost threw him over the edge when she took his bottom lip in her teeth and bit down ever so slightly before letting go. His groan of pleasure urged her on. Nathanial crushed his mouth down on hers before she could think to do anything else. He plunged his tongue in her mouth again and again. She caressed it with her own.
Nathanial forced her legs open while kissing her and rested himself between them. If she had any objections, his kisses squelched them. He was ready. His body, in agony from his patience, was ready to explode. “Touch me.” Nathanial did not give her time to object. He was placing her hand on his hard shaft. The sound she made was pleasure and fear in equal parts. She felt his hard he was, how large, tried to jerk her h
and away, but Nathanial was persistent. He closed her hand around his erection and together they rubbed him. When he felt confident she wouldn’t let go, Nathanial let go and felt her, alone, stroking him.
Lydia watched his face, pure pleasure, as his eyes closed in the agony she was causing him. Sweet torment. She knew she was causing it. Lydia wanted more. She rubbed her thumb over the head of his shaft and saw his eyes fly open. It was not what he was expecting and he almost came undone. Nathanial pulled her hand away, growling in need and pleasure.
“I can’t.” Nathanial breathed hard. Did she know what he was trying to say? He was going to die if he waited any longer. “I’m sorry, Lydia.”
“For what?” Her question was answered a scant second later when Nathanial thrust deep inside of her. Lydia’s reply was her shriek of pain at the same moment Nathanial groaned in pleasure. He pulled back and thrust deep again. Lydia locked her legs behind him, trying her best to keep him from moving.
“Please.” Lydia called out to him, breaking through his haze of passion. Nathanial forced himself to stop, desperately fighting his animal urges. “Please.”
“I know, lass.” Nathanial noticed she was crying then. He was immediately filled with self-loathing, and the urge to finish inside of her at the same time. “Kiss me.”
“No.” Lydia cried out. She tried to push him off of her. Nathanial was losing his battle with patience. This was his first experience with a virgin. The women he led to bed had never been this fragile, this innocent. They were never Lydia.
“It’s not going to hurt forever.” Nathanial promised before taking her breast in his mouth again. His hand slid between their bodies and stroked the fire inside of her. Within moments she was writhing against him.
She moved her hips against him, taking him deeper inside, it hurt, but it did something else as well. She liked it. She moved again. Nathanial lost his battle completely then. “Put your arms around me.” Only when she complied did he start moving inside of her again. His thrusts were slow at first, gauging her pain. He heard her moan, felt her tighten against his sheath and knew she was close to her own fulfillment. His thrusts became more demanding then, harder.
He watched Lydia face as she fell over the edge and leaned in, “You belong to me.” He vehemently declared as he spilled his life inside of her.
It took Lydia a long while to come down from her cloud of passion. Her body tingled all over. The warmth from Nathanial’s body made her dizzyingly tired, but she was not ready to let the day go. She wanted to remember this, to live in the moment forever. It was the most peaceful she had ever been in her life. Losing that would be dreadful. But she would lose it, she knew. In the morning she would remember that she was married to a man who wanted her purely for revenge purposes. She would remember she got her only friend killed. Lydia would go back to wondering when she would next be in danger, and how she could get away from her husband for good. For now, until the morning, she was content to let him hold her.
Nathanial was lost in his own thoughts as well. He had just made love to the daughter of his mortal enemy. The girl did not know it yet, there is no way she could know it. Marrying her was one of the final pieces to his vengeance. When they arrived to his keep in the morning, things would be different between them. He knew the truth behind her circumstances would reveal themselves and she would be devastated. At this very moment, though, she was his. She fell asleep in his arms, a look of peace across her features. It was a look he had yet to see. Nathanial worried that peace would never again be a part of her life come morning.
Chapter Ten
The demons were back, and it seemed like this time Nathanial would lose to them this time. In his sleep, Nathanial was again that tormented little boy, hiding himself under his mother’s bed. The dream, always seeming to play out the same sequence of scenes, like replaying a vicious memory, started out with his mother begging him to keep silent. No matter what happened in their room that night, he wasn’t to make a sound.
And he had obeyed.
His mother, viciously assaulted and killed in front of his very eyes, wanted to keep her son safe. Even as her body fell to the floor and she made eye contact with him, she was pleading. All she wanted was to get her child out of that room alive. Her wish came true. Nathanial jolted awake the moment his mother’s eyes found his in the dream and he saw the demon that killed her. It was Lydia’s father. Fane stood in the background, watching with evil pleasure on his face.
The warrior perspired and breathed heavily as he sat up from his sleep. This dream, more vivid than the last, haunted him deeply. The devil that killed his mother was gazing down at her dead body with a look of pure amusement on his face. It was a sight that Nathanial would never forget. It was what drove him down his life path since that night. Now, as the sun was setting on his vengeance, and the last chapter starting, he wondered how he was supposed to follow through.
Lydia was too innocent to know what she was dragged into because of her father. Nathanial looked down to find his new bride missing from his side. He actually rolled his eyes this time. He was going to kill her. God willing, one day he was finally going to snap and kill her.
Nathanial stood and immediately saw her. There was a sigh of relief that went through his entire body. She was not running away from him, this time. Lydia sat with her feet in the water, taking in the beauty of the waterfall. She wore his plaid around her shoulders. An immense feeling of pride swept over him. Then he forced it out of his mind. Nathanial was becoming too attached to this woman. As he approached she looked up with a smile that quickly vanished when she saw his dark expression. Nathanial did not wait for her to speak. He reached down and pulled her into his arms, bringing her back to bed with him.
Lydia felt her husband’s power radiate through him as he placed her in the middle of their marriage blanket and laid himself on her. Truth be told, the pain was immense and still lingered from their first love making session. She should tell him so and send him away. The way he was looking at her, how could she resist? Nathanial was a warrior now. Her warrior. He was not gentle with her. She did not want him to be. When he entered her moments later, she bit her lip to hide the pain and took him deep inside of her.
Nathanial thrust and thrust, giving her everything he could. God, he needed her to be his. Even if it was just one night. He needed to know this woman in his arms wanted him in this moment.
Chapter Eleven
Lydia was blissfully unaware when she woke up the following morning. Sure, she was sore and more than a little worn out, but she was… happy. Was such a thing possible? It was nice to think so. The young bride awoke to the sound of her husband stalking away. Should she be offended? She pondered this as she washed and dressed for the day. Lydia was able to make fast work of slimming down Margret’s dress, with permission of course. Within no time at all she was approaching the camp where Nathanial spoke to his men. The oddest thing happened, as soon as she got close, all of the warriors went silent as death and walked away, leaving her failing smile after them. Lydia would have to make sure and educate her husband on how he and his men should greet her. This simply would not do. With that thought to hold onto for the day, Lydia went to work making a small breakfast.
Margret joined her moments later, a sad look on her face. Lydia had known the woman long enough to know not to bring it up. When Margret was ready to say her piece, she would. Lydia would not bother her until that time.
Lydia was completely packed and ready to move onto the keep when Nathanial and his men finally came back into view. They brought a grave and intense feeling of dismay along with them. Lydia nervously smiled, even though she knew better. It stayed plastered on her face when her husband walked right passed her and to his horse.
“Margret, can you manage it?” Nathanial moved his horse into gear and left his bride behind.
“Come along, love.” Margret gently grabbed her arm and led her to her own horse. “We’d better not fall behind.”
“O
f course.” Again, she forced a smile. Inside, she was fuming. Nathanial was going to learn to treat her with some decency and respect. Lydia, however, would not chide him in front of his men.
“T’will be a marvelous ride together, Lydia. Like days before, when you were but a child.” Margret called out as she struggled to get settled on the beast’s back. Her breathing labored so badly Lydia worried the older woman might pass out.
“Yes, Marvelous.” Lydia watched her husband’s back as he rode away from her. “Marvelous.”
****
It was hell. Lydia knew it would be. It was worse than she could have anticipated. She listened to Margret go on and on about her past lovers along the journey of life. All the while, Lydia watched ahead as her husband flew farther and farther away from her. Did he hate her that much? Did he not want his people to see them riding together? Angus stayed behind with the women and the other warriors rode with their Laird. It was as it should be. But Lydia could not help remembering the way they rode together the day before. How he looked at her several times. The way he kissed her. Now, it was as if she was a curse and he would sell his soul to be rid of her. The man made no sense.
As the group grew closer to Nathanial’s holding, Margret slowed down greatly. She motioned for Angus to go up to the other warriors. She then steadied herself, readying herself to deliver some bad news.