by Kari Miller
Salvador knew what that meant. She was hiding herself from reality. Something must have gotten to her.
“Finally I was able to calm her down. I managed to get her to admit to what happened but even still I know she’s omitting chunks of her story. I don’t know what or who she is protecting but I swear Salvador when I found her she was broken and battered.”
“What did she say?” Salvador managed to get out.
“She said she was thinking about her time spent at the cottage and then she panicked, but even when she was relaying that to me she was pausing between words and I knew she was keeping from me the words in between.”
“Did you see anyone else around?” Salvador thought of her escort and wondered if he knew what triggered this.
“No, she was completely alone.”
“What!” Salvador roared as he stood up and clenched his fists. Did she disobey him again by going out and riding by herself? “She had no escort?!” He bellowed out as he threw his glass into the hearth and watched it smash against the logs.
“I met her escort half way back to the manor. She had left before him.” Peter flinched.
The Fool - would she not learn?
“Deal with one thing at a time Salvador. Something happened and she’s being tight lipped about it. I suspect it has something to do with you.” Peter informed him without hesitation or remorse.
“Me?”
“In my arms she held onto me like a lifeline and trembled when I tried to release her. With you she couldn’t separate herself far enough. She also didn’t appear to be relieved to see you and the dread that I saw on her face was brought on before you threw your accusation at us.” Peter ended in a bitter tone.
“I’m sorry Peter, I know you would never cross that line and I also know that you do not look at her in that way. It was just the sudden shock of the scene. I am a jealous husband.” He admitted sheepishly as he rubbed his jaw again.
Peter grinned at him and cocked his eyebrow at the bruise he knew was settling in on his face.
“No harm done.” Peter taunted out as he settled himself back into his chair.
Salvador could only grunt at him as he remembered the sudden onslaught of Peter’s fist.
Peter and Salvador remained in the study for a while longer. Salvador looked over to his friend to catch him brooding into the hearth.
“Is something troubling you?” Salvador asked casually as he finished off the remainder of his whiskey.
“I know that it is your duty as her husband to see to Katherine’s welfare but I can’t escape the vision of her despair and am fighting myself to not rush up to her to assure that she’s alright.” Peter confessed without looking at him.
“I too am fighting that urge, but I know she well meant that she wanted to be left alone and I have to respect that.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier. I can’t imagine what could have brought that on. She hasn’t had it easy and seeing her that upset brings out my protective instincts like no other can.”
“I know what you speak of. We will sort this out. Until then, will you stay for dinner?”
“Perhaps you can send a message to Charles and have him and Rachel join us as well. Maybe Rachel is just what Katherine needs right now.”
“I was thinking the same.”
The messenger was sent and Salvador could no longer hold himself back. As he entered the chamber, his gaze swept the room for his wife. She was asleep in the same chair that he found her and Peter in and curled into a ball, making her look like a vulnerable child.
He soundlessly closed the door and quietly made his way to her. Kneeling down in front of her, he could see the lines of fatigue and the strain in her features even as she slept. He gently reached to her, took her into his arms and walked to the bed. She stirred only a little but that was no surprise, she had always been a sound sleeper.
When he laid her on the bed and then laid himself beside her, he took her into his arms and cradled her to him.
He kissed her neck and buried his nose in her hair. What could have set her off like that? What Peter had described did not sound like his wife at all. She had always been straight forward with her emotions and had never shown signs of unhappiness. He was at a loss to what could be happening with her and swore he would get to the bottom of this.
She stirred again in his arms and he held her closer. He knew she was awake by the stiffening of her body. Instead of snuggling closer to him as she normally would, she held her breath and stiffened even more. Something stirred within him that he did not want to examine and he knew that whatever happened, it was absolutely related to him. Peter was right.
“Katherine” He whispered into her hair softly as to not alarm her.
She let out her breath and then quickly tried to remove herself from his embrace just as her body started to tremble.
Rather than giving her that freedom, he locked his arms around her and turned her onto her back. Her eyes were closed and her face was strained. He rolled on top of her so she could not escape him and stared down into her face.
“Open your eyes Kat, I told you I would never let you hide from me.”
She reluctantly opened her eyes and within them he saw the dampness that she was trying to hold back. She looked at him not with fear but with hurt and accusation. A tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek. When he lifted his finger to wipe it away, she cringed from his touch.
Whatever was bothering her was going to come between them and that he would never allow. She was his wife and he would be damned if he allowed her to withhold any part of herself from him.
“Tell me what troubles you” He prompted gently but firmly.
She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him. His heart lurched and he felt a stab of pain over her distrust.
He gently gripped her chin – ignoring her flinch from his touch – and brought her face back to him.
“Tell me” he demanded more harshly.
When she opened her mouth to speak, her bottom lip quivered and she quickly shut it again.
Leaning down, he placed his lips to her quivering ones and kissed her oh so gently. When she did not respond, his kiss became more demanding – dominant.
Finally she started to respond but then just as quickly tore her lips from his with an agonized cry of frustration and despair.
“Why do you reject me?” He whispered harshly as he tried to cool his breathing down.
Finally she looked at him again and he could see the resolve in her face, resolve that he did not care for.
“I just need some space - that is all” she finally managed to say on a shaky breath.
“What kind of space?” He demanded with hurt in his tone he could not disguise.
“Things are moving too quickly and I just want to slow down and take a breather.” She declared with a bit more resolve.
“You are my wife, there is no such thing as moving too quickly.” He responded.
“I feel like I hardly know you and I haven’t really had time to recover from my past. Please My Lord, space is all that I request.” She pleaded with him.
She had called him “My Lord”. He looked into her eyes and knew that she was not the same Katherine that he had fallen in love with; this was a woman who was guarding her heart with everything she had.
“What has brought this on? I thought you were happy. Have I done something to displease you?” He enquired harshly.
His happy marriage was falling apart before his eyes and his wife wouldn’t even let him know why or how he could fix it. She was rejecting him.
Again her lips quivered and more tears spilled over onto her cheeks.
“Space…p-please…” She managed to sob out.
His heart was breaking before his very eyes, as was hers.
“What happened in the forest Kat? What has turned you against this marriage?” He demanded more harshly. If she wasn’t going to fight for this marriage, by God he would.
“N-Nothi
ng!” She cried out as she started to twist and turn beneath him to free herself.
“Free me Salvador!” She cried out again as she continued to try and twist away from him. Reject him.
“Never” he declared boldly.
He clasped his hands to her flailing arms and captured her wrists. She cried out again in frustration but he ignored her cries. Pulling her to him, he held her tightly – waiting for her to realize her struggles were futile.
“Tell me what happened!” He demanded again.
“I’m sure Peter told you already so just leave it at that and leave me be!”
“Leave you be!” He roared.
All he could think of was her clinging to Peter but rejecting him – her husband – and he started to see red.
“I will never leave you be, Kat. You are my wife - mine!” He roared.
Her robe had come undone and her shift had ridden up to her waste. He wanted to mark her as his again. How dare she reject him!
“Tell me what has brought this on so we can deal with it and move on with our lives. Stop acting like a child Katherine.”
“How dare you!” She cried out at his accusation.
She fought like a wild cat to free herself and he had had enough.
His groin had already stirred with the possessive need to mark her and her struggles were feeding his fire.
With a mighty roar he threw her on her back and leapt on her.
“NO!” She cried out while pounding his shoulders.
She had never rejected him in bed, not even in the beginning. His blood ran hot and his mind spun. Why would she so violently reject him?
He snatched her wrists into one of his hands and dragged them over her head. With his other hand, he freed his pulsating shaft and kicked off his pants. All the while his wife cried and struggled beneath him.
“Don’t do this” she pleaded with him, but he had already found her hot sheath and needed to be buried in it. He was only claiming what was rightfully his.
With a mighty thrust he impaled her to the hilt, causing both of them to cry out. Still she writhed beneath him, only stirring him to thrust harder and faster.
Soon her cries of dismay turned into cries of passion. He roared his triumph when he released her wrists and they automatically clung to his back to pull him closer.
They were both speechless as they drove themselves into each other.
When he felt her shudder, he himself found his own release and then collapsed on top of her.
~
Katherine couldn’t move. No matter how hard she had tried to reject his touch, she couldn’t deny her need for it or her love for him. Her heart was torn in two. She had resolved herself to play as a passive wife and not let on that something was wrong, but the moment she woke and felt his arms around her, she had a vision of him holding Allison the same way and knew she couldn’t stand for him to touch her. Then she wondered if he had met up with Allison when she returned to town which only tore at her more. She couldn’t understand how other wives could blindly turn their cheeks to their husband’s mistresses, she could not.
“Now Wife, do you care to tell me why you attempted to reject me?” She heard his low growl whisper in her ear as he continued to keep her pinned down with his body - his staff still firmly sheathed within her.
She shivered at his menacing tone and knew that she had hurt him. She had seen that she was hurting him before he threw her down and was glad for it. Why should she be the only one that was hurt? But even now it was obvious to him that he could still stir a passion in her that was equal to his own. But was it passion on his part or merely a male’s lust?
“How dare you use me in such a manner! I am your wife, not your whore!” She bit out with resentment.
He lifted his head and glared into her face. Searching for what, she could not say.
“Indeed, if you were my whore I would surely be more welcomed into your bed” He replied venomously.
That stung.
She gasped and again tried to buck him off and free herself, but he would not give. She could feel him growing hard within her again and cried out her frustration as she struggled beneath him.
“At least then I would have my own space and would rest easy in my own townhouse, without having to see your treacherous face all the time!” She spat out and then gasped at her folly. Even he froze.
“What did you just say?” He asked cautiously as they stared at each other.
She silently cursed herself for her stupidity and then scrambled for something to say.
She licked her lips nervously, drawing his eyes to her mouth.
“I-I spoke in anger…I didn’t mean…” She trailed off as his lips drew up thin and his face grew harsher.
“No…go on” he prodded her with sarcasm.
She opened her mouth to retract her statement but nothing came out.
“Are you so sure I would even bother to place you in a townhouse, do you deem yourself worthy of even that when it comes to my appetite?” He said with malicious intent to hurt her.
She gasped and then started to struggle again.
He in turn started to thrust himself in and out of her in mock slowness.
“Obviously not as worthy as she is” She ground out between her teeth but then held her breath realizing that she had spoken her thought.
Salvador paused mid-stroke and stared into her eyes.
“Pardon?” He asked with genuine confusion.
“N-Nothing” She stumbled out.
She started to close her eyes to block him out; her eyes flew open when she felt him grasp her face in both of his hands.
“Who is she?” He demanded.
“I don’t know what I was saying…it wasn’t meant to be spoken aloud!” She tried to defuse the situation.
Tears were streaming down her face as she envisioned Salvador buried between Allison’s thighs just like he was buried between hers now. Had he done this act with Allison earlier this day? Would he at least have the decency to bathe himself before coming to her?
She cried out her agony and fresh hot tears filled her eyes.
“Get off me!” She cried out in agony.
When she looked up to him she saw that he understood now. She regretted that she was so weak – weaker than other wives – but was also relieved for now she could vent her anger on him properly.
“Katherine…” He started warily.
“Don’t you Katherine me! Go to your whore if you want kindness, she has greatly assured me that she would keep you well pleased!” She spat out angrily.
Within a blink of an eye, Salvador had pulled out of her and had flung himself off the bed.
“That’s right Salvador - you no longer need to pretend your lust with me. I am nothing but your wife. Go to where you really want to be and give me my space!” She cried out with more hurt and rejection in her tone than the anger she intended.
Salvador was pacing the floor at the foot of their bed and stopped suddenly to hear her words.
With an agonized sob she screamed at him to go and then curled into a ball in the middle of the bed and cried into her pillow.
“She came to you?!” He cried out incredulously. “That bitch actually approached you!” He roared out.
“What does it matter now?” Katherine whispered into her pillow.
“It matters because I haven’t lain with her since before I left to retrieve you as my wife! I have told her that I will no longer have anything to do with her! I told her that before I left!” He cried out in defence.
Katherine sat up to glare at him through tear filled eyes.
He looked furious and at the same time confused.
“I swear to you Katherine, Allison means nothing to me - she never has!” He was suddenly pulling his pants back on and tearing apart their room for god knows what.
Katherine felt a spark of hope and then remembered the pain that hope and love can cause and tried to squash it. She couldn’t say anything, she could only sit t
here and stare at him as he tore through their room. Finally he ripped open a drawer and pulled out his dagger and slammed the drawer shut again.
“Salvador!” She cried out as she leapt off the bed.
He stopped suddenly and whirled around just in time to catch Katherine as she slammed into him to attempt to tear the dagger out of his hand.
“What are you doing?” She cried out.
“I’m going to kill her.” He said in a deceptively calm voice.
“No!” She cried.
He gently braced her shoulders and pushed her away from him and then started for the door.
She followed him, screaming her horror.
He gripped the handle and growled as Katherine slammed into his back and tried to pull him back into the room.
“Katherine, get yourself clothed.” He grunted his order at her.
“Please Salvador! You can’t do this!” She cried out.
He turned abruptly.
“I almost lost you because of that bitch. I can and will do this. Now get dressed!” He roared out.
Katherine took a step back in fright, giving him the chance to slip out the door.
She went to follow but then realized that she was completely naked.
She looked to the bed and saw her shredded shift lying on top of it; she couldn’t even remember him doing that. If she only wore a robe to go after him he would be even more furious.
Katherine quickly threw on a new shift and pulled a dress over her head.
The buttons in the back were not done up but she didn’t care.
She flew out of their chamber and down the hall to the stairs. She saw Salvador at the bottom of the stairs receiving his jacket from the footman.
“Stop him!” She cried out as she ran downstairs.
“Get back into your room Kat and wait for me.” He ordered without looking at her.
“No! Oh God…” She cried out.
She saw Peter and ran to him.
“Peter! You have to stop him! He’s going to kill her!” She pleaded with him while clinging to his arm.
“Kill whom?” He enquired as he threw a worried glance towards Salvador.