Two Wolves For Lizette

by Jessica Miller

  It appeared he wasn’t the only one.

  Gasping, she broke away, her face serious as she tried to regain control of her senses. Like Dallin, she was struggling to form a coherent thought and took several moments before she finally spoke.

  “Whatever you have saved is enough, Dallin. I have money that I’ve been hiding away as well. Let’s leave tonight.”

  She still sounded breathless and Dallin wondered how much of her bravado was sincere and how much was fueled by desire. When the fog cleared and her mind was hers once more, would she be that brave?

  “If I leave now, I’ll be labeled a deserter and a bounty placed on my head. I’m only on duty for tomorrow night. Once I’ve completed the night, the list is so extensive that I’ll not be called again for at least a week, if not longer. Tomorrow night, I’ll show up for duty as planned and the following morning we can leave as planned.”

  “In daylight?”

  “Yes. With the threat of vampires tis best if we leave during the light of day. My father will expect me to be sleeping. If you feign sickness and send your mother into town for some potion to ease your symptoms, we can be gone and far from here before our absence is noted.”

  The distant sound of voices heading their way stopped him, and he quickly kissed her before releasing her and hurrying away. Esther slipped out of the darkness from behind the stables, leaving by way of the main road so as not to attract attention by walking through the alleyway. She lingered in front of a horse for sale, pretending to be interested in the beast as others walked by.

  “Oh there you are,” her mother called from the other end of the stables, her face flushed with worry. “I turned around and you had vanished. Child, you gave me an awful fright.”

  “I’m sorry mother. I was feeling distraught in the confines of the crowd. I’m feeling much better now.”

  “I’ve some shopping to do, come now.”

  “If you’ll excuse me, Mother. I’m feeling very tired and I would like to rest.”

  “Very well. Hopefully you’ll think twice the next time you feel like going off in the middle of the night as you did.”

  Esther nodded and said her goodbyes, turning to go the other way toward their home. She wanted to run to Dallin, to beg him again to run away with her that very night, but she couldn’t risk getting caught.

  Hurrying toward home, she fully intended to sleep the rest of the day away. If they were going to leave in two days, she had work to do.

  *****

  Dallin was nearly asleep when he heard a noise outside his window. He leaned over, reached under the bed and rested his hand on the stake he’d hidden there. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and crouched low beside the wall, hiding in the deepest shadows of the dark room.

  A hooded figure filled the window, its silhouette dark in the waning moonlight. Dallin waited, holding his breath and trying to still his rapidly beating heart within his chest. For the millionth time he thought about the next night, and how unfit he was for hand-to-hand combat.

  It looked like he was about to find out what he was made of.

  The dark figure fumbled around in the darkness, finally finding a foothold and slipping through the window and onto Dallin’s bed. Dallin stood, stake raised above his head. He advanced on the figure, ready to attack when he stopped.

  “Esther?”

  She pulled her hood off and gasped as she saw the stake in his raised hand. He dropped the hand to his side and the stake rolled onto the hard dirt floor, and under his bed once more where it came to rest.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Mother fell to sleep shortly after supper and I snuck out again.”

  “What if my father returns and finds you here?”

  “Your father is at the tavern and by the sounds of it, is already quite befuddled. I doubt that he would notice my presence if I stood before him and danced a jig.”

  Dallin chuckled at the image, going to her and cupping her face in his hands.

  “It’s so dark in here, Dallin. Would you light a candle?”

  He did as she asked, the thick smell of Sulphur filling the air for a moment when he lit the match.

  He leaned down and kissed her, surprised when she pulled away.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing is the matter, but we haven’t a great deal of time.”

  Without explanation, she unlaced her bodice, her fingers fumbling with the laces. Dallin placed his hands over hers, stopping her.

  “Are you absolutely sure, Esther? Once you give yourself to me, you can never reclaim it.”

  “Oh Dallin. I have been sure from the moment I first laid eyes upon you.”

  “Why now?”

  She lowered her eyes, trying to hold her composure and hide her fear from him.

  “I want to give you a reason to come back to me.”

  His heart sank and he felt her fear as if he had slammed full-force into a wall. Dallin understood her reasoning, but he didn’t want her to have any regrets.

  He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. A single tear slid down her face and he rubbed it away with his thumb.

  “You are enough of a reason. If we never make love, and I never lay eyes upon your flesh, I would still have reason enough to move mountains for you. Your worth is more than the pleasure your body will bring me.”

  “Perhaps it’s not just about you.”

  He was taken aback by this, “How so?”

  “Maybe I need a reason to believe that all will be well and my love will return to me, whisking me away on some grand adventure with only each other to cling to.”

  Dallin smiled, dipping his head to kiss her tenderly on the forehead.

  “Sweet lady, if I do nothing more on this earth, I will spend eternity making sure that you know how I feel about you.”

  He scooped her up, cradled her against his chest and walked to the bed. She nuzzled his neck and held on tight. Setting her on her feet by the bed, he stood beside her and kissed her softly.

  “Are you certain?” he asked once more.

  “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

  Dallin didn’t need to be told thrice.

  With shaking hands, he slowly undid the lace that spanned the front of her gown. When he fumbled, she helped him, loosening her skirts until they fell away and she was able to step out of the heavy frock. He carefully lay the gown on his dresser and turned to her.

  The soft glow of candlelight played across her body and the thin fabric of her undergarments that remained.

  Dallin removed his own clothes, revealing his swollen manhood to her in the dim light of the single candle that lit the room. He was intent, wanting nothing more than to fully disrobe her so he could gaze upon her naked flesh, but Esther stopped him.

  “They are split, you need not remove them to gain access.”

  She spread her legs slightly, revealing her sex to him. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to look up at her eyes, though his eyes wanted to linger. Her lips were parted, her breathing rapid and shallow.

  He moved to lay beside her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her wildly. Leg pushing against hers, she parted her knees, and his bare leg moved against her heat. She was very wet, and Dallin groaned beside her in response.

  They lay on their sides, her breasts pressed against him, their legs intertwined. Dallin ran his hands over her body, watching with fascination as the flesh beneath his touch raised with goosebumps.

  Dallin searched her eyes, looking for any signs of fear or regret. All he saw was the fire within her, but he was hesitant none-the-less.

  “Dallin, I’m ready. Please, I can’t hold out much longer.” she tried to hold his gaze and to smile at him, but her eyes fell closed as she moved herself against his thigh.

  She was thoroughly aroused and ready for him. Her hand ran over his stomach between them, trailing downward until she found his shaft and wrapped her slender fingers around him. His manho
od jumped in her hand and Esther gripped him tighter. The feel of her hand wrapped so tightly around him drove him mad with pleasure. He needed to be inside her.

  She rolled onto her back and pulled him down on top of her, spreading her legs and moving her hips against him. She bit her lip, eyes closed, writhing beneath him with abandon.

  Dallin placed his hands on either side of her head, putting his weight on his forearms and leaning down to kiss her. His lips found her tender throat and he bit her playfully.

  Slowly, carefully, he pushed against her barrier, holding himself back and letting her thrusts guide him. She groaned, tiny whispers begging him to stop the torture, to take her now.

  Back arched, she pushed hard against him, burying him to the hilt within her hot folds and gasping softly when the barrier broke and gave way. The pain soon gave way to pleasure and the heat began to rise in her. He rode her, matching her rhythm and her force, following her over the edge of passion until they both cried out with release.

  Esther’s back arched and she bucked beneath him. He shuddered, spent but still moving with her as she continued. Her screams became louder, and Dallin covered her mouth with his to silence her. With one last shudder she collapsed against the bed, breathing hard and flushed with pleasure.

  Dallin moved off of her gently, laying down beside her and pulling her into his arms. She rested her face on his chest, the heat of their bodies mingling as they came down from their mutual climax. Dallin opened his mouth to profess his love when they heard the front door open and Cannon stumble into the house.

  *****

  Esther moved quickly, ignoring her soreness as she gathered her gown and tossed the heavy fabric out the window. Dallin lifted her by her waist, gently easing her onto the window sill and stealing a kiss before she disappeared into the shadows, a moment before his father called out to him.

  Esther crouched in the darkness beneath Dallin’s window and hurriedly pulled her gown over her head and adjusted the folds until it fell properly. She could hear Cannon Upchurch talking to his son in low tones, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. His speech was slurred and nothing was making much sense over the deafening sound of her own rapid heartbeat in her ears.

  She looked around in the dark, getting her bearings and making sure that no one was about before she set off toward her home. Walking straight and nonchalantly, as if she was simply out for a stroll, she wound her way through the village toward her home.

  The soreness slowly worked its way out of her legs and she started to feel like herself again. She prayed silently that no sign of her activities would be visible on her dark dress, but she doubted her mother would notice. She was so busy with talk of suiters and what not lately that Hannah rarely seemed to notice her daughter at all.

  Coming up to her home, she slowed her steps, trying not to seem too eager. She could hear her mother rocking idly in her chair, likely reading a book or knitting.

  She opened the door and stepped in, greeting Hannah warmly.

  “Good heavens girl. Where have you been off to? And what happened to your dress?”

  Esther looked down, noticing the large patch of dirt where her dress had landed on the ground after she’d tossed it out the window.

  “Oh that? I tripped in a rut and took a small tumble.” Her mother gasped, but Esther ignored the melodrama and continued, “Tis nothing, really. I didn’t even turn my ankle, just simply fell to my knees like a clumsy child.”

  “Perhaps you oughtn’t to go out after dark.”

  “Oh Mother. Truly, I’m fine.”

  She leaned down and brushed the dirt from her dress.

  “I’ve warmed some water in the hearth for you to have a bath tonight, if you please.”

  If only you knew, Mother.

  “Thank you, Mother.”

  “I’ll be off to bed now and I suggest you do the same once you’ve finished your bath.”

  “Of course, Mother.”

  Hannah walked by Esther, kissing her daughter tenderly on the top of her head as she walked by. Hannah stopped, taking a long look at Esther before she spoke.

  “Swett child of mine, whenever did you become a woman?”

  She sighed heavily and left the room, not looking for an answer to her question.

  Esther went to the bath, using a dowel to remove the kettle from the fire and poured water into the tub. Her mother had brought two more large pots full of water into the room where they took their baths and for once, Esther was happy that her mother was so pushy.

  She poured the first pot of cool water into the tub and checked the temperature. Still a little hot, but not scalding, she poured a bit more cool water in, to get it to just the right temperature. Relief filled her as she slipped naked into the warm water and began scrubbing. After Dallin’s very thorough love-making, the heat of the bath was absolutely heavenly.

  She leaned back against the edge of the tub, letting her head fall back and her eyes close for just a moment.

  Esther had never had a better day.

  *****

  The following night, Dallin walked through the town with Gavin, his patrol partner for the night. Gavin was a few years older than Dallin, but there was a world of difference between the two men. Gavin, who had never worked in his life and was born to a life of privilege, had spent most of his days playfully wielding a sword in his pursuit of knighthood.

  Within minutes, Dallin realized that Gavin had a greater chance of becoming a king than he did of becoming a night. He talked incessantly about all things regarding swords, yet the moves he showed off to Dallin as they began their patrol reminded Dallin of games he’d seen the young boys play amongst themselves.

  If Gavin were to show his skills to a real knight, Dallin imagined that the only reaction would be laughter so forceful that the knight would certainly fall from his horse.

  Dallin let Gavin drone on. As much as the young man’s bravado annoyed Dallin, the constant chatter was distracting and helped pass the time.

  They came to a fork in the road and Gavin went left.

  “Are we meant to go this way?” Dallin asked and looked down at the map in his hands that outlined the different quadrants to be patrolled.

  “It matters not. All we must do is stay out here for the night, waiting for a vampire to show itself. If we see one, we’ll simply dispatch of it and be on our way.”

  Gavin chuckled under his breath and Dallin wondered if he’d gone mad. What was the point of having a plan if the sentries were incapable of following said plan?

  Gavin continued and Dallin was tempted to leave the man to his folly. But they had been ordered to never separate, and Dallin knew that somehow, Gavin would blame him if they were caught. Swearing under his breath, Dallin followed Gavin north through the heavily wooded forest.

  Gavin’s monologue continued and Dallin thought to himself that they would never be able to hear a vampire coming if the man didn’t shut up soon.

  Gavin finally exhausted himself nearly an hour into their patrol. The silence was almost deafening. Dallin looked at the sky, mentally ticking off the time in his head.

  “We’ve been out for more than an hour, I believe it is time to return to the village.”

  He looked up to see if Gavin agreed, but the man was standing in place, his feet rooted to the ground and his face slack with fear. He stared over Dallin’s shoulder with his mouth hanging open, but no words came out.

  The hair stood on the back of Dallin’s neck, and too late, he turned. His hand went to his stake an instant before a large form slammed into him, taking him to the ground.

  The stake rolled out of his hand and came to rest just out of his reach. The large man snarled above him and Dallin struggled to hold him at bay with one hand, while searching blindly in the dark with the other.

  “Gavin. Help. Quick, hand me my stake. Or kill him.”

  Gavin stood stock still, staring at the pair grappling on the ground. Dallin tried to break the spell, but gave up, focu
sing on fighting the vampire. Liquid spattered on the hard ground and the smell that filled the air was unmistakable. Dallin didn’t have to look at Gavin to know the man had wet himself in fear. The vampire stopped for a moment, looking at Gavin, who screeched in fear at the sight of the monster.

  Suddenly, able to move, Gavin turned and fled, leaving Dallin to fend for himself. The brief moment the vampire was distracted had given Dallin the moment he needed to grab the stake. He held it tightly in his hand, but the vampire was too close. He stabbed wildly in the air around the figure, trying to connect with tissue and get him to move so that he could find the heart.

  The vampire reared back as Dallin stabbed the man in the neck. Blood seeped slowly out of the wound and the vampire lunged toward Dallin, mouth wide. The pain was all-consuming and for a moment, Dallin couldn’t figure out the source of the pain.

  He continued to flail blindly with the stake, but the vampire’s closeness gave him access to his back. With a scream, Dallin shoved the stake between the vampire’s shoulder blades with all his might as he felt the life draining out of him.

  The vampire stopped abruptly, his face bewildered an instant before he dissolved into dust and floated away on the wind.

  Dallin stood slowly, wiping the blood from his face and mouth, spitting onto the ground in front of him. His neck was on fire and his head was pounding, but he was alive. He stumbled through the woods, heading back in the general direction of the village.

  He tripped over his own feet more than once, but he pushed on until he saw the light of his own cottage in the distance. Dallin was close, so very close, but he was fading fast.

  The blood rushed in his ears and he stumbled to the ground. He felt strong hands on him an instant before he lost consciousness, but he didn’t have time to wonder who it was before the darkness claimed him.