by Lily Thomas
And Daerrin had plenty of thoughts about what to do with her. She was beautiful from what he’d seen of her. Right at this moment though his thoughts were thinking of the pert breasts that kept rubbing up against his back as the horse moved over the terrain.
He’d been gone from the fire giant castle a long while now and hadn't had a female in some time, so her breasts were drawing a lot of his attention. Thoughts of those breasts bouncing next to his face while he drove into her kept entering his mind. His cock went rock hard, and he let out a hiss.
The only problem was that Daerrin was sure the human female would be unwilling, but he did have years of passionate lovemaking on his side. This would be a short battle if he played his cards correctly.
Her breasts kept bouncing against his back. Reaching behind him he latched onto her waist and switched her to ride in front of him.
She had a gag in her mouth and a fabric bag over her head. She’d started yelling at the top of her lungs earlier and driven him stark raving mad. Not to mention, he had a constant ringing in his ears, because of her incessant screaming in his ear.
Then she had decided to thrash about like a fish on a hook. She might look like a delicate flower, but she was one annoying female. Leave it to his enemy to raise such a defiant woman as his daughter.
Now she not only had her hands tied behind her back, but she also had her ankles tied together, because of her incessant thrashing.
She might just get herself dumped on the ground like a sack of grain and left to rot if she wasn’t careful. He didn’t have the best temperament, especially when it came to his enemy’s daughter.
“Do you think it wise to take the human female?” His commander, Ler, rode up beside him.
“Her father took my entire family from me, and now I will take his. By sparing his life, he will now have to live with the knowledge that I have his daughter. He will never lay eyes on her again. No human father can live a happy life when his daughter is in the hands of a heathen.” Daerrin couldn't help but rejoice that he had the luck of taking her captive.
“I was surprised such a hated man would bring his daughter to the border. It seems foolish, maybe even idiotic.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Why any of them had their families on the border with a war raging on, I can’t understand. None of those women were soldiers. They only got in the way.” Daerrin probably wasn’t the only giant looking for revenge against General Johnston.
“I don't believe you’re thinking this through all the way,” Ler mumbled, but only shrugged his massive shoulders. As far as he was concerned, Daerrin would be able to take care of any problems he caused by taking this human female.
Daerrin pushed his group of warriors farther than he usually would. He needed there to be space between him and her father. There were no other human troops nearby, but Daerrin wanted to be on the safe side.
Once to a distance he deemed safe, Daerrin called for a stop to set up his tent.
“We’re stopping?”
“Not for long,” Daerrin told Ler. “I have an idea I can’t pass up on.”
As soon as his warhorse stopped moving, the human female before him sat up straighter. At least, she was clever, but he would see if that lasted. She might do something stupid to the point that he’d have to get rid of her.
He left her sitting astride the horse, not caring if she fell or not. Hopefully, she was an apt enough rider and could balance herself, as the horse nibbled on the grass below its feet, occasionally shifting its rear end.
Within minutes his tent was up, and he strode over to the horse where she still waited for him. Stepping up to his horse, Daerrin reached up and scooped her up into his arms.
She wiggled but didn't get anywhere, as he only held onto her with a tighter and more forceful grip. Daerrin bent his head down next to her ear.
“You’re testing my patience with all this wiggling. I want you alive, but I’m not afraid to slit your throat if you tire out my patience.”
She froze in his grasp like a rabbit who’d heard a predator and hoped no one would notice her if she didn’t twitch a single muscle.
Knowing her father would come looking for her, he’d thought of the most satisfying idea. Daerrin had decided he wanted to leave General Johnston a little gift. A very thought-provoking gift.
Daerrin carried her into his tent and set her down on her feet. He placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her balanced, while he unsheathed his dagger and sliced the rope from her ankles and hands. Removing his hand, he then whipped the bag off of her head and cut the rope holding the gag in place.
One of her hands came up to her jaw, as she worked the soreness from her muscles.
Daerrin gave her a second to adjust before he demanded, “Take off your clothing.”
Her jaw hit the ground. “Excuse me?” She shook her head drawing his eyes up to her mass of fiery curls. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“You heard what I asked female. Take your clothes off.” His arms folded in front of his chest, and her eyes focused in on the movement.
“No.” Her jade eyes flashed with defiance.
He knew he would have to give her something to fear if he was going to get her to strip. “Fine.”
He watched, as her shoulders slumped with relief. He barely refrained from chuckling. She thought the discussion was over, but it was far from over.
Daerrin sauntered towards her. “If you do not, then I will.”
“Undress me?” She asked warily as she backed away, even though the tent wasn't huge. Her jade eyes stretched wide.
“Clearly, you need help, if you can’t do it on your own.”
“You wouldn't dare touch me.” Fire built in her jade depths.
He tossed her a wicked smile. “I haven't seen a human female naked before, but from what I hear giant males enjoy having them as bed partners. And if I have to undress you, I can't help what I might feel… or where my hands might wander. I haven't had a female in weeks.”
“I don't understand why you want me to undress in the first place.” Her fiery hair swirled around her shoulders, as she shook her head. It’d come undone with all that she’d been through, and he could see hair pins clinging onto the loose strands for dear life.
“You don't need to understand my actions. You just need to know my patience is growing thin and my temper knows no bounds.” Daerrin folded his arms in front of his chest, making a show of his muscles.
The human female sucked in a sharp intake of breath, as he saw some genuine panic trickle into the green pools of her eyes.
Chapter 3
“I don't require your help.” Roxanne rushed as she held up her hands to show him she would comply with his demands. “Will you please give me some privacy though?”
He grinned, as he shook his head.
Roxanne bit her bottom lip, as she watched him standing across from her. She feared what might come with taking her clothing off. Yet if he wanted to do something to her then she assumed he would have left her gagged, hooded, and tied. It would have made it much easier for him.
Taking her clothes off would be difficult, but it was better than him undressing her. With a slow exhale of air, she started with the ties at her bodice. Her fingers fumbled a few times, as she untied the strings, but she managed to get them loosened.
This wasn’t the first time she’d undressed in front of a man, but he wasn’t just a man, he was an intimidating fire giant glaring at her with his blood red eyes.
Once it was loose enough, she let the bodice fall to her feet. Taking another breath, she shrugged her way out of the last of the fabric that shielded her body from view.
Roxanne found herself staring at the ground around her shoes unable to look up. This was the first time she’d stripped down in front of a fire giant. She wasn’t inexperienced, but she felt so exposed and vulnerable. Clothes had been her only defense other than her sharp tongue, but that usually only got her into more trouble than it saved her from.
When the silence grew too long for her to bear, she risked a glance up to find him sucking in sharp intakes of air. His crimson eyes were glued to her breasts sending a slight thrill through her, which she quickly pushed away. There would be no thrills when it came to a fire giant. She would have to keep herself from being used by any of them.
Seeming to collect himself, after she slung an arm over her chest and a hand over her patch of feminine hair, he bent to grab a fur near his feet. Turning back to her he threw the fur at her.
Roxanne rushed to cover her body from view with the fur.
He nodded to the clothing she’d taken off. “Throw them to me.”
“Why don’t you pick them up if you want them so badly?”
“Your body makes my blood race. Do you want me to get close to you, to the temptation?”
Quickly, she bent to scoop up her clothing, as she heard him suck in another breath. He may not have seen a human woman naked before, but he sure seemed to be appreciating her naked form.
Roxanne glanced up to see him taking a peek at her naked bottom, which wasn’t protected from his view. She straightened up like an arrow and tossed him her clothing.
The fire giant caught all the material and then strode out of the tent.
Now she was left alone to wonder why he’d wanted her clothing in the first place. She frowned but shook it off. No matter how hard she tried, she would never understand the actions of a fire giant.
Taking a look at the bundle of fur in her hands she held it out to get a better look. A dress unfolded before her eyes. A fur dress.
It wasn't what she usually wore, but it was better than being naked in front of a bunch of fire giants.
Daerrin threw her clothes onto the ground and yanked an ax off one of his men’s saddle. Striding far into the forest he didn't stop until he found himself a thick tree trunk to hack at with the ax.
Hefting the heavy ax in his calloused hands, he hammered away at the trunk.
He couldn't believe he had been so bewitched by the sight of her naked form. All he’d wanted to do was step up behind her while she was bent over and enter her from behind. The image of her breasts bouncing as he drove into sent him into a fury against the tree.
“Something bothering you?”
Daerrin spun on his heel, his ax raised to attack.
His commander backed away, as he held up his hands. “I apologize for interrupting. I happened to see what you were carrying when you exited the tent and found myself intrigued.”
Daerrin smiled. “I plan to leave her clothing at the edge of our territory and let her father think the worst.” He wiped some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “He will now think his naked daughter is surrounded by a bunch of barbarians.” He still couldn’t figure out why the humans thought of them as barbarians. They had the same building materials, metals, and their way of life was pretty much the same.
“Ah… that’s what has you so rattled. She has an appealing body then?” Ler arched an eyebrow as he leaned up against a different tree inspecting the damage Daerrin had dealt to the other tree.
Daerrin growled deeply. “I didn’t expect to see such a shapely form under all those folds of clothing that humans insist on wearing. It makes their women look fat and ungainly. Unfortunately, she is anything but.”
“Sounds amazing, but let's not forget that taking your enemy's daughter between the sheets would be a mistake. Elizabeth will surely hear of it, and then Stryme will show you exactly how much he loves his human female by kicking your ass.”
Ler was correct, of course.
If he ever used his little human, he would pay for it as soon as they reached the castle. Elizabeth had turned out to be a great queen, despite the fact that she was a human, but he was sure once they were at the castle she would interfere with his plans for revenge. Though if he got to Stryme straight away, Stryme would understand his need for revenge.
“Elizabeth will surely force you to marry the human female if you slept with her. Those strange rules about intercourse never made sense to me.” Ler shook his head. This was why they both got along so well. Neither of them could understand the way humans behaved.
“Marrying her doesn’t sit well with me at all. I could never spend the rest of my life stuck to a human female. Especially, with one who is the daughter of the man who took my whole family in cold blood.”
Daerrin shivered just thinking about it.
It would be a betrayal to his now gone family members.
Ler strode over and slapped him on the back. “Well, think on the bright side. Soon we will be at the castle where you can slake your lust on a giant female of your choice. Just hold in there, until we reach the castle.”
That was the thing though. It was going to be a few more days still. All he had taken in was one small glance at her body, and he felt like he was a young boy again. Just the thought of her body had his member hard and throbbing.
He could last a few days. He was, after all, a fire giant general. He’d been taught to have self-restraint even in the most trying situations.
He just couldn't help, but regret asking her to take her clothing off. He should have left the tent before she stripped down, but issuing her a challenge had been too tempting. Daerrin had wanted to see how deep that backbone of hers went, and he’d discovered it went fairly far.
Roxanne had been quick to throw on the fur dress the fire giant provided her. She didn’t know how long she would have before he came back for her, and she hadn’t wanted to greet him in the buff.
Clothing was one of the few armors women had in this world, other than their wit.
She ran her hands down the soft skin of the dress.
Frowning she sat down on the ground as she thought about her day. Everything had just seemed to get worse, as the day continued onwards. The worry for her father kept plaguing her mind.
Had the bump on his head hurt him worse than just knocking him out? They could have accidentally killed him with such a harsh blow to the head.
And when would he be able to come looking for her? Roxanne didn’t doubt her father would search high and low for her once he’d woken up. He might not be well enough to set out to find her, with such a bonk so that he might need a few days of rest.
She might be doomed to be with these fire giants for days. Or her father might send troops out to find her, while he recovered.
Her mind flitted through the images she had witnessed earlier in the day. Images she had never before thought she would see. Men had their heads cut off right there in front of her. Men she had come to know in passing. There weren’t just faces, but people who she’d had interactions with.
The war had come to them, and it had come quickly and with a lot more bloodshed than she’d hoped for. She shuddered in horror, as she thought of the poor men who had lost their lives. Those poor women who were left alive only to watch the men being butchered in front of them.
Roxanne had no idea how any of them would ever be able to live a normal life. She had barely seen anything, and she knew she would have trouble living with it. Everything had been so vivid.
How could this fire giant sleep at night, after committing such atrocities?
Roxanne was sure this had not been his first time ordering so many to die. He had to be a heartless killer.
She thought back to when the fire giant had accused her father of killing his family. If his family had fought in the war than of course, her father would have killed them. She just wasn't sure why he was taking it a step further by kidnapping her and making it so personal.
It wasn’t like she had anything to do with his family or with this war. Did she look like a soldier to him?
Her father wasn't the aggressor he was the defender. He had been defending the border since the war started between Arcaern and the fire giants. The rock giants had found themselves an ally, and now Arcaern was being attacked by two sides, which split their forces, which meant they had more than one front to
defend.
Eventually, she found herself exhausted from worrying and focused instead on how revealing the dress was that she was now wearing. It was better than being naked, but it left little to the imagination.
It was short sleeved and had a plunging V-neck. The top of her well-formed breasts could be clearly seen, and the hem of the dress ended right below her knees. This would be the most scandalous design back in her world.
This wouldn't be the most fabulous dress to wear around the barbarous giants. If this one giant was as enamored with her body as she thought he was, she was sure some of the others would be drooling to get a piece of her as well.
She was new and fascinating, a toy to be played with. Yet the giant leader had wanted her dress, so she’d no option but to hand it over. She didn’t want his hands all over her as he took it from her by force.
A shiver ran through her. Roxanne couldn’t imagine his hands touching her bare skin.
What she wouldn't give to be dressed in layers upon layers of fabric. Now that her dress was gone she felt as though all of her defenses had been stripped from her, but she still had her will to survive.
Wiggling her feet in the soft fur shoes, she tried to get used to the feeling. Never before had she worn animal skins, and she would have to get used to the idea. She’d been raised with the most exquisite fabrics since furs were currently out of style. They were supple and soft.
Roxanne waited a few moments while twiddling her thumbs. Eventually, she decided enough was enough. She was sick of waiting while her worries grew exponentially.
Pushing back any dread she might have, she strode over to the tent flap. Pushing the flap out of her way she stepped outside only to halt dead in her tracks.
All around her fire giants were performing random tasks around the area they had made camp in.
A few of them glanced her way, their crimson eyes scanning over her, but she was a determined woman, and she wasn’t going to back down. They could kill her or worse, but a flimsy tent wasn’t going to protect her if they did want to bring her harm.