It might have been the wavering firelight, but the wizard seemed to have aged decades in the space of a few seconds. Tas’s gut twisted into even more knots at the wizard’s reaction, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what had the man so spooked. He wasn’t sure he could handle any more revelations without wanting to find a cave somewhere to curl up in and wait for the world to move on without him.
Lyuc placed a quick kiss on Yan’s forehead before turning and disappearing into the woods behind him.
Girik was the one to finally break the silence that followed. “What is going on?”
Yan turned frightened eyes in their direction, but Tas wasn’t sure the young man even saw them. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this before,” Yan replied, returning to trade tongue.
Yan stared at the spot where the wizard had disappeared for a long time before he seemed to shake himself out of his shock. When he turned to face Tas and Girik again, his jaw was set in a determined line. “Please eat the stew, Brother Tasnerek. You need your strength. And, both of you, please take the bed in the wagon again. Rest, recuperate. I don’t think Lyuc or I will be needing it or our bedrolls tonight. I’ll be back by the time you wake.”
Without another word, Yan bent and retrieved his short sword and dagger from beside the blanket and belted them on. Then he strode off in the direction the wizard had gone.
“What in the seven hells was that?” Girik asked in a hushed tone despite the fact that they were now alone.
“I wish I knew.”
Reluctantly, Tas climbed free of Girik’s embrace and slowly got to his feet.
“Come on. The fire’s nice, but the bed sounds much more appealing. I don’t think I can deal with anything more tonight.”
“What about the stone?” Girik asked as Tas turned and hobbled toward the wagon.
Tas grimaced and waved a dismissive hand. “He can sleep on the cold ground. See how he likes it. I pity any animal or person who tries to take him.”
Bayor whined from his place by Girik’s side, distracting both of them. “It’s okay, boy,” Girik said, rubbing the hound’s head. “Go. Hunt. You’ve been cooped up too long. Stretch your legs.”
He made a shooing motion, and the hound bounded off into the shadows.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Tas asked.
“He can take care of himself. The monster is gone, and if the other, Bryn, wanted to hurt him, she’d have done it already. He’ll be back in a little while.”
Tas nodded as he opened the door to the wagon and dragged himself inside. He slumped onto the small bench across from the stove and worked his boots off. Girik followed him inside shortly thereafter carrying a small brand from the fire and the bowl of stew Tas had left forgotten on the ground. After using the brand to light an oil lamp Tas hadn’t noticed before, he handed Tas the bowl of stew and hovered over him until Tas wearily shoveled every last bit into his mouth. The stew was actually quite good for campfire food, but Tas barely tasted it.
“Thank you,” Tas said wearily.
After handing the bowl back to Girik, he tugged off his robe, left it where it fell, and climbed up into the bunk again. He sank into the feather bed with a sigh of relief and lifted his gaze to Girik, who stood uncertainly a few feet away.
“Are you coming?” Tas asked.
“The bunk is pretty small, and you need your rest. I shouldn’t crowd you.”
“We managed before.”
“You were out cold and needed to be kept warm.”
“So if I said I was cold now, you’d stop arguing and get up here?”
Tas had said it teasingly, but Girik immediately moved to the bench, tugged off his boots, and climbed into the bunk. Tas scooted backward to give him more room. Girik was right. It was a tight fit, but being tangled up with all that heat and muscle was worth it, at least for Tas.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, he held Girik’s gaze in the soft light from the lantern. “I’ve been fairly selfish. I’m sorry. If this is too uncomfortable for you, I was mostly teasing about being cold. I can warm up well enough under the blankets, and I can grab my robe if they’re not enough.”
“I don’t mind,” Girik murmured. His voice dropped even lower as he said, “Not at all.”
The deep rumble from his chest sent an answering shiver through Tas’s, and his loins stirred hopefully.
He might be exhausted, but he wasn’t dead. They were completely alone, without even Tasnerek to eavesdrop. Tas had a big, beautiful man lying next to him. The closest brothers were miles away. The gods were the only witnesses he might have, if they even cared. And, he’d almost died two days in a row.
He placed a hand on Girik’s cheek, and his heart squeezed when Girik nuzzled into his palm. “I’ve been selfish,” Tas repeated. “I haven’t had to think of much beyond my own needs for a long time. Being one of the Thirty-Six, we don’t interact much with our flocks, beyond the ritual and the Hunt. I could use that as my excuse, but I’ve been very wrapped up in myself.”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind,” Girik offered kindly.
With a smile, Tas moved his fingers to trace Girik’s firm lips, eliciting a small gasp from the man, so Tas must have been doing something right.
“I have, but that doesn’t excuse me from showing gratitude for all you’ve done for me. You saved my life at least twice. You’ve cared for me, protected me, even given me a shoulder to cry on. I’ve never met anyone so generous with himself. Frankly I don’t know quite what to make of you.”
Or my feelings for you.
Girik drew Tas’s fingers from his lips and wrapped them in his large, calloused hand. “If you remember, I haven’t exactly gone unrewarded. And much of what I’ve done has been to protect the village too.”
“But you’re still here.”
“I couldn’t leave you with a bunch of strangers when you were too weak to defend yourself.”
Girik sounded offended, and that was not at all what Tas was going for. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to tell you how grateful I am and how amazing I think you are, but I’m not doing a very good job of it. Superficial interactions have always been easy for me. I suppose I know how to charm a crowd, or at least put them as much at ease as they can be with one of the Thirty-Six. But I have little experience with true intimacy or friendship… or anything more than friendship. You’ve taught me more in a few days than I learned in a lifetime.”
Tas nudged his leg between Girik’s and pressed his hardening cock to Girik’s thigh. He raised an eyebrow and smiled into Girik’s eyes even as he blushed. Licking his lips, he scooted closer so their faces were mere inches apart. “You said only a short time ago that there was much you would like to teach me. Do you still feel the same?”
Girik’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and took a quick intake of breath. “You’re probably still exhausted. Are you sure?”
Even as he asked the question, Girik’s big hand moved over Tas’s flank, making goose bumps rise all over his body.
“I won’t lie. I am tired. But I have a beautiful, kind, and generous man within easy reach. I’d have to be dead not to want him.”
“You’re the beautiful one, not me.”
“And you have no idea how extraordinary you are. Now stop arguing with me and start my lesson.”
Despite his denials, Girik had already draped himself over Tas, pressing his long, thick cock against Tas’s belly through the layers of cloth. Their faces were close enough together that Tas’s last words were breathed across Girik’s lips, and Tas had barely gotten the command out before Girik’s tongue invaded his mouth.
This time there was no fear of getting caught, no urgency, impending doom, or ritual that needed to be done. Tas didn’t give a damn if any of the strangers heard them either. He fully intended to surrender to hedonistic delight and make the world outside the confines of the wagon disappear for a while. Girik’s big body was a gift, a treasure, and Tas writhed feverishly, trying to touch every part of
the man at once while Girik’s tongue and lips did wonderful things with Tas’s mouth.
“Off,” Tas moaned when they finally broke for air.
He tugged impatiently at Girik’s shirt even as he rutted against Girik’s thick, muscled thigh. Divesting themselves of their clothing proved challenging in the narrow confines of the bunk. There was a lot of grunting and twisting and a few thumps against ornately painted woodwork, but eventually they both collapsed naked into the feather bed. Tas had to take a moment to catch his breath. The stew and rest had done a lot, but he wasn’t as recovered as he would have liked. He hoped his performance didn’t disappoint.
Luckily, Girik didn’t give him time to fully explore his anxiety before the man pulled Tas on top of him and captured his mouth again. Girik’s big hands traveled down Tas’s back to his ass. He cupped a buttock in each palm and kneaded, encouraging Tas to move against him. Tas’s hips had a mind of their own, grinding his cock against Girik’s belly, smearing wetness between them.
“Show me,” Tas gasped. “Show me what you wanted to teach me.”
Girik nuzzled his neck and licked a stripe up to his ear before drawing back to hold his gaze. “It has been a long few days, Tas. Maybe we should wait for more until you’ve had time to rest.”
Tas’s heart kicked as he held Girik’s tender gaze, willing the man to understand so he didn’t have to say the words out loud. Tas knew the moment realization dawned because Girik’s face fell.
“You don’t know if we’ll have that kind of time,” Girik murmured with resignation.
“I can’t make any promises. I care for you, Girik. I really do. But I want to do what’s best for everyone, and I have no idea what that is right now. I’m sorry.”
As he reached up to cup Tas’s jaw again, Girik gave him a sad half smile. “It’s okay. If my life has taught me anything, it’s that I should make the most of what I have right now so I have memories to cherish later.”
Pressing his forehead to Girik’s, Tas closed his eyes and sighed. “It isn’t okay,” Tas whispered, “but the best I can promise is that I want to be here with you more than anywhere else in the world. I don’t want to think about anything right now but you.”
Girik’s eyes became suspiciously bright in the lamplight, but he quickly nodded. “Anything you want.”
He pushed himself up, forcing Tas to sit back on Girik’s thighs. Cupping the back of Tas’s head, Girik murmured, “Watch the ceiling,” before he captured Tas’s lips again. Tas wrapped his arms around Girik’s shoulders and rocked in his lap, rubbing their cocks together between their bellies. They broke apart, and both of them took a moment to watch their rigid shafts moving against each other before Girik wrapped them in one big fist. Tas moaned and arched his back, only remembering at the last second to put a palm flat on the ceiling of the wagon to cushion his head. When Girik bent forward, captured Tas’s nipple between his lips, and suckled, Tas’s ballocks tingled and another pearl of precome spilled down his crown.
Before Tas knew what the man was doing, Girik wrapped Tas in his arms, twisted, and eased him to the mattress. He gripped Tas’s cock and stroked as he panted, “I want you inside me, Tas. Will you do that?”
It was hard to think with Girik pumping his cock, but Tas eventually caught up to what he was being asked and gulped. He stilled Girik’s hand with his own so he could form a coherent thought and didn’t make the question moot by climaxing too soon. Wide-eyed, he searched Girik’s face. “Are you sure? I mean, I haven’t done anything like that before, obviously.”
Tas grimaced; he sounded like a fool. But Girik only smiled and kissed him again.
“I’m very sure. I want you to hold me like you did for the ritual, but this time I want to feel you everywhere. I don’t want you to think about anything but how good it feels. I want you to come apart inside me.”
With a moan, Tas pulled Girik in for another kiss. He held Girik close to give himself a moment to calm down. Otherwise he might come from the man’s words alone. When he thought he’d mastered his body enough to not embarrass himself, he pulled back, held Girik’s gaze, and nodded.
Girik grinned and without looking reached behind him and pulled a corked vial from a small cabinet above the stove.
“Spotted this yesterday when I was looking for soap,” he said, smiling shyly.
He uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount of its contents into his palm. While Tas watched intently, he wrapped his fist around Tas’s cock again and smoothed the liquid up the shaft and over his crown. Tas shivered but put his hand over Girik’s again to halt his very thorough ministrations.
“If you want to save anything for what you’re talking about, you’d better stop,” he warned, and Girik chuckled warmly.
“Wouldn’t want that.”
Girik reached behind him, and Tas swallowed as his heart kicked up another notch. His imagination supplied him with plenty of images for what Girik was doing. And then he didn’t have to imagine anymore because Girik rolled over and presented that magnificent ass to him.
“Go slow. When you’re all the way in, give me a little bit to get used to you. But when I tell you, fuck me as hard as you want. Don’t hold back. I want to feel you all the way to my toes.”
Tas was so hot, he couldn’t even remember what it felt like to be cold. He had to pry his eyes away from Girik’s gorgeous ass and broad back to hold the man’s gaze to signal that he’d understood. The scars on Girik’s back made him pause long enough to kiss several of them tenderly before he took each of Girik’s buttocks in slightly trembling hands and pulled them apart. Breathing became difficult as nerves tried to pour a bucket of cold water over him. But as he ran a hesitant finger over the slick, puckered entrance to Girik’s body, lust and need swamped any other feeling.
After placing his crown against the hot, soft flesh, Tas closed his eyes, expelled a long breath, and pushed. Girik’s body resisted at first, but at Girik’s whispered words of encouragement, Tas gripped the man’s hips and pressed harder. Girik’s body swallowed his crown and they both moaned.
“More,” Girik panted.
Tas flexed his hips, trying not to be overwhelmed by the sweet torture of Girik’s tight channel. Black spots formed in Tas’s vision before he realized he’d stopped breathing and gasped for air. When Tas was finally all the way in, he pressed his damp forehead to Girik’s back and panted.
“You feel so good,” Tas gasped.
“So do you. Now move, Tas. Don’t hold back. Make me feel it.”
Again, Tas’s hips jerked almost of their own will. They drew back and thrust forward once, hard, sending sparks of pleasure over Tas’s entire body.
“Elan,” Tas grunted with his second thrust.
“What?” Girik asked before moaning and arching his back.
“My name… before the Brotherhood…. Say that name. Only here… like this,” Tas said between pants.
“Elan,” Girik whispered almost reverently.
Tas gave a few more slow, awkward, and blissful thrusts before his body finally settled into a rhythm with Girik’s. They rocked together on the feather bed, the blankets in a tangle at their feet. Tas was almost dizzy with pleasure, but remembering what Girik had asked for, he wrapped an arm around Girik’s chest and another around his waist and hugged him tight as he pumped his hips. He buried his face against Girik’s sweat-slick back and did his best to make the man feel it, even if he wasn’t sure he’d survive the effort.
Tas’s climax took him by surprise. The surge of pleasure set sparks dancing in his vision, and he cried out as he pistoned wildly before the world went black.
Chapter Nineteen
EARLY SUNLIGHT through the tinted glass above his head painted the inside of the wagon with even more color than it already had. The array of hues was so loud, Tas could almost hear it. Just one or two might have been pretty, but every part of the rainbow mashed together in one small space was far too much to deal with early in the morning. He grimaced and
closed his eyes against it.
“It’s awful, isn’t it?” Girik murmured beside him.
Tas turned his head and found the combination of Girik’s sandy blond hair and sky-blue eyes much more pleasant to look at.
“Good morning,” Tas said with a shy smile. His face flushed as everything they’d done the night before came rushing back. “I guess I passed out on you. I’m sorry.”
Girik cupped his cheek and stroked his thumb across Tas’s lips. “Don’t apologize. You were perfect, and I was flattered I could make you lose consciousness.”
“It might have had something to do with almost dying two days in a row.”
“You remember it your way. I’ll remember it mine.”
The murmur of voices outside the wagon broke in on their little idyll, and Tas’s smile fell. He’d spent an amazing night wrapped tightly in the arms of a beautiful man, an experience he never even dreamed of having only a few days ago. But he couldn’t hide in a dream forever. He had to face the strangers and the millstone around his neck that lay discarded in the grass.
Girik must have sensed the tension in his body, because he sighed and released Tas from his embrace. “What happens now?”
“I wish I knew.” He felt cold without Girik’s arms around him, despite the fact that Girik had buried them in a mound of blankets sometime in the night. “This seems to be a time of revelations for me. You know, I’ve known almost exactly what to expect and what to do each and every day since the Brotherhood took me. I never really appreciated the amount of comfort and security I found in that. I may have resented many of the rules and tried to find improvements to the rituals ever since I was elevated to the Thirty-Six, but I was never left without a rudder. I always knew what I was meant to do… or at least I thought I knew. Now I’m cast adrift, and I don’t have the answers anymore. It’s a very humbling experience. Perhaps that’s what the gods intended. I can’t deny that I might’ve needed a little humbling.”
The Priest Page 18