by Lily Thomas
Daerrin relented. Ler was the one person he could talk to now that his family was dead. He didn’t want to dwell on the fact that he was now alone, except for some aunts, uncles, and cousins. “The night we spent together was good, and I fear it won’t be the last time.” Last night he’d been able to forget the world and just enjoy the pleasure they’d shared together.
“Be careful, my friend. Not only could you accidentally insult our queen and king, but you could lose your heart to this human.” Ler chuckled, passed the supplies to Daerrin, and then slapped him on the back as he left to tend to other duties.
Ler was right.
This morning Daerrin had woken up wanting to encompass Roxanne in his arms. It had felt good to sleep next to her after their passionate night. Here he’d taken her from her father on a whim to get some revenge against the human general, but he was finding his captive to be more captivating then he would have ever thought.
Roxanne watched Daerrin walk back into the tent with a bundle of what she assumed were medical supplies. His face and eyes were guarded.
He bent down next to her and began to dig into the pack. He pulled out a long strip of cloth. As she watched him unroll the bandage, she couldn’t help but imagine those long fingers stroking her clit like they had last night.
“Daerrin?” Roxanne cleared her throat and glanced up at him, as he tended to her sprained ankle.
He didn’t respond, his eyes focused solely on her ankle. He wrapped a bandage around her ankle so that it wouldn’t move around and exacerbate its condition.
“It shouldn’t cause you any pain now… as long as you don’t try to stand on it.” Daerrin finally looked up at her.
“I won’t.” It still throbbed a little, and she didn’t dare try standing on it. The branch that had tripped her had seriously messed her ankle up.
Daerrin rose from his squatting position in silence and then left her to lie in the tent. He was clearly miffed at what she’d done, and he was rightly frustrated with her. She’d used both their desires to aid her in escaping.
What he didn’t know was that she had enjoyed their night together immensely. She was still having flashbacks to their passionate night in each other’s arms, and she couldn’t stop the flutter in her chest at the thought of joining him under the sheets again.
Chapter 10
It had been several hours since he’d left her sitting in the tent, or it at least felt that way.
When Daerrin finally strode through the tent opening, Roxanne couldn’t be any happier. At the moment, she was reliant on Daerrin for movement, and it made her regret her decision to bolt through the forest during dense fog.
Last night had not been the time or the place to try an escape, but she’d been desperate. Thoughts of her father kept plaguing her. She could only imagine how it must feel for him to lose his only child.
“I will have to carry you out of the tent.” Daerrin squatted down next to her sounding disgusted with the very idea of ever touching her again.
“Of course. Thank you.” Roxanne sat up so he could wrap an arm around her back and under her knees. As he lifted her up, her arms folded around his neck. His warm scent was mixed with sweat and horse. It drifted down to her causing her to want to breathe it in deeply, but she resisted the urge to bury her face in his shoulder.
Daerrin exited the tent and placed her on his saddle. Then he mounted up behind her on the horse and tucked one of his arms around her waist.
There was an iciness about him, and she wondered if she might have just ruined her blossoming relationship with the one person who’d been keeping her safe in this hostile world.
Men mounted up, their tents and supplies already packed up. A couple of fire giants jumped to pack up the last few tents, like Daerrin’s, as the fire giants headed out of the camp.
“It’s beautiful out here.” Roxanne tried to strike up a conversation, but he said nothing in return.
No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t get him to speak to her, so they spent a half-day in complete silence. It wore on Roxanne, but there was nothing more for her to say to him. If he didn’t want to talk, she couldn’t force him, but she could defend her position.
“What had you expected from me?” She huffed.
He said nothing.
“I’m a captive, and I saw an opportunity to escape.” She reasoned aloud, but still no response. “I know you would have done the same if you’d been in my shoes.” No one would want to be a captive for the rest of their life. He couldn’t pretend otherwise.
Daerrin jerked the stallion to a stop, and Roxanne was shoved against his forearm with the momentum.
“Thank you.” She grunted as she rubbed her sternum. “If you aren’t careful, you’re going to break some of my ribs.” She tried to dislodge herself from his gauntleted arm.
She expected a callous reply from him, but nothing came. Nothing. Was he ignoring her now?
Then Ler rode up beside them to talk to Daerrin, and Roxanne wished she knew what they were talking about, but they were speaking in their mysterious growls and grunts. All she was able to do was listen in with absolutely no clue as to what was being spoken.
Then Ler waved a hand, and another fire giant rider trotted up beside them.
She tried to read the expressions on their faces. The third rider seemed like he had an urgent message and both Ler and Daerrin’s expressions changed from eagerness to tight-lipped fury.
Whatever was going on was not any good, and it made her all the more eager to know what was being discussed.
Once they were done talking Ler guided the other fire giant warrior back to where the other warriors were waiting around just as anxious as her to hear what news had been brought to Daerrin.
“So what was that about?” Roxanne turned slightly to look up at him.
Daerrin glanced down at her, and she caught a glimpse of uneasiness in his crimson eyes. “I have been summoned to a battlefield.”
Roxanne’s ears perked up. A battlefield meant there had to be two sides, and one of those sides would be humans. This might be another opportunity for her to escape, and this time it might be a solid chance as long as her ankle didn’t get in her way.
The journey to the battlefield wasn’t long, which Roxanne was thankful for since she felt like she might burst with pent up excitement at any moment. There would be human soldiers nearby! All she had to do was make sure they knew she was important enough that they would get a reward for rescuing her. And make sure she didn’t accidentally get herself killed in the process.
She’d never been to a battlefield before and was nervous of what she might see. If she thought Daerrin had been cruel at the castle, she was sure she’d find a battlefield even more bone-chilling.
When they stopped to set up camp, Roxanne’s eager eyes searched the surrounding area for any sign of a human army, but there was nothing except more trees and fields.
She felt her heart deflate a little. Maybe Daerrin wouldn’t bring her close enough to the battlefield to get herself some help from human soldiers.
“I thought you said we were going to a battlefield.” Roxanne looked over her shoulder from where she sat on the ground at Daerrin who was tending to his warhorse.
“We are, but we will be setting up camp here.” He finished with his stallion and walked over to where she sat. “How is your ankle doing?”
“Help me up, and I can give it a try.”
Daerrin bent down next to her so she could wrap her arm around his shoulders. Then he slowly lifted her, and she placed her foot on the ground and gave it a little weight.
It gave her a few twinges of slight pain.
“It seems to be doing better, but not quite there yet.” She glanced down at the bandage. “I don’t know what you put on the bandage, but it’s doing wonders for my ankle.”
“If you keep off of it, you might have full use of your foot in no time.”
She smiled. “I’ll do whatever it takes to have full use of my fo
ot again. I don’t like being an invalid.”
“Let us join the other men for some food, and then we can head to our tent for some sleep.” His voice was empty of any emotions he might be feeling. All business from him.
Roxanne nodded eagerly. She wanted the day to keep moving forward because it meant she was getting close to the battlefield where she might find some friendly faces.
Daerrin swooped her up in his arms before she could blink.
“Oh!” Roxanne wrapped her arms around his neck. “I could probably walk. It’s not far.”
“I’d suggest you keep your weight off of it for as long as you can. The more time for it to heal, the better.”
Roxanne couldn’t argue with that logic. She just hated being carried around like an invalid in front of all the other fire giants.
But she figured it was for the best when it came to healing her foot, and Daerrin would probably not give her a choice in the matter anyway. If he insisted on her staying off her feet, he’d make sure she stayed off her feet.
He put her down where the fire giants had gathered.
“No fire?”
Daerrin glanced over at her. “In case there are any human troops around we don’t want to attract any attention to ourselves.”
Roxanne’s heart skipped a couple of beats. They were so close, but she still had no idea where the human troops might be or if they were even close enough to help her.
She’d just have to remain patient, assuming that was even possible.
The men passed around some dried meat and biscuits. It wasn’t the best dinner they’d provided, but it was better than nothing, and she accepted what was offered.
Even when they went back to the tent to sleep, Roxanne couldn’t rest. She tossed and turned, earning herself a few irked grunts from Daerrin. There was too much excitement pumping through her veins for her to settle down.
Her fog attempt had been plain stupid, but with a human force nearby? Now that was a shining opportunity in this nightmare she’d been thrown into. She couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by when it was so close. She could almost smell her freedom.
Her ankle wasn’t even on her mind anymore. There was still a slight throb, but she would force herself to run on it if she had to. If she ever saw a human soldier, she would run into his arms gladly, pain or not. Nothing would stand in her way of sweet freedom.
Daerrin’s warmth pressed up against her back, and her heart gave a small twinge as it twisted in her chest. He was a brutish fire giant, but in bed, she’d enjoyed his strong arms and skilled foreplay. He’d also been sweeter than she could have expected. Daerrin could have let her die at least three times now, but he hadn’t.
Roxanne hardened her heart. Once she got back to her people, she’d be able to find another bedmate like him, just as skilled if not more so. It might take some trial and error, but she’d forget about Daerrin in no time. She was sure of that.
“Wake up, Roxanne!” Daerrin’s barking voice interrupted her pleasant dreams, dashing away the fond images of her father.
Cracking her eyes open she found Daerrin hovering above her, and then he dropped a small bag onto her stomach.
Grabbing the small leather bag, she opened it to find it full of dried meat. Yet again she would be enjoying the pleasures of dried meat for her breakfast. She missed the refinement of a human castle.
What she wouldn’t give for some eggs, jam and toast, and a steaming cup of tea to wake her in the morning. Instead, she had Daerrin rudely waking her and dropping her breakfast onto her lap.
“Thanks,” Roxanne mumbled as she looked at the piece of dried meat held between her fingers.
“Don’t want it?” Daerrin’s crimson eyes zeroed in on her. “If you don’t appreciate what you’re given, I’d be happy to take it away from you and let you starve.”
“I want it.” Roxanne clutched the bag to her chest. She may not want dried meat every morning, but she wanted something to keep her stomach occupied.
Standing she kept most of her weight off of her complaining ankle. She didn’t want to put too much strain on it until she had to use it to escape. Supposedly, they were close to a battlefield, and she wanted another chance at leaving Daerrin far behind.
“Where…” Roxanne trailed off as Daerrin turned on his heel and left the tent. “Fine then.” She shook her head, as she took a bite of dried meat. “Rude much.”
She couldn’t force him to talk to her, but he was proving that she’d wrecked anything there had been developing between them. She wouldn’t be able to use her body again on him. He’d never trust her, and he’d always be on his guard.
She chewed the dried meat with more force than necessary and bit her tongue.
“Damnit!” It was an un-ladylike proclamation, but when had she ever shown much decorum? She’d been raised by a father mainly, and he was a general, so her upbringing had been harsher.
Roxanne still couldn’t believe any of this was happening. She'd been taken captive by a fire giant, and now she had… feelings for him? How else could she describe it?
When he entered the tent or slid between the sheets to cuddle up against her, all she felt was warmth and comfort when she should despise his very presence. His scent sent her mind reeling in confusion. But she felt like it was a betrayal of her people to feel this way towards a fire giant. They were supposed to be enemies, not lovers.
The giants, all giants, were below them. Nothing but mindless barbarians. Yet Daerrin was showing her a glimpse of their more tender side. He was rough around the edges, but he’d lost his family, so it was understandable. His hatred might be misplaced, but there was a small section of her heart that went out to him.
She couldn’t imagine losing her father. She’d be entirely alone in the world with no one but distant relatives to turn to, but she wouldn’t seek revenge on people who had no part in his death.
Roxanne stopped chewing.
Was that how he felt? Alone and scared? But unwilling to show it in case someone thought he was weak?
Then again, did she really care about a fire giant’s feelings?
He might be alone and scared, but that didn’t give him the right to abduct her because now she was alone. Maybe not too fearful, but she was alone.
Within an hour they were back on the move, and Roxanne felt an urgency running through the fire giant warriors around her. She hoped that meant they were getting closer to the so-called battlefield, which she had yet to lay her eyes on.
“How much further do we have?” She tried to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“Don’t humans have a saying about that?”
“About what?”
“Something about patience being a virtue.”
Roxanne snorted. “I’ve never been the patient kind.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
She rolled her eyes. “So how much longer.”
“Don’t get any ideas, Roxanne. I’m not about to let you run again.”
Her lips pursed in frustration. She was right about him watching her even more.
She kept trying to engage Daerrin in conversation, but he just wouldn’t budge on handing over any information.
“Are you this mad because I used my body to seduce you?” She paused briefly. “Or are you angry because it worked?” But that would mean that the moment would’ve meant something to him. Why else would he feel betrayed by her actions?
“Remember when I first caught you and gagged you?”
“Yes?”
“Keep talking, and I’ll gag you again.” He threatened.
“Fine.” She sulked as she gazed angrily at the forest passing by them.
He couldn’t care about her. He was a fire giant general, and she couldn’t see him crying over her betrayal of their tentative trust.
She might enjoy his brawny arms enveloping her, but that didn’t mean she had any feelings for him. A shiver ran over her. She couldn’t even think about falling in love with a fire giant. There w
as no possible life for them because one of them would have to give up their life to live with the other. It would be impossible. They should just forget about that night.
A couple more days passed, and Roxanne still found herself enduring a cold shoulder from Daerrin. Still, she’d seen no sign of any human troops, and she was starting to wonder if it had all been a cruel lie.
Maybe a horrible lie to get her hopes up about being rescued.
As they exited the forest they’d been traveling through for the past couple days, they entered the largest camp of fire giants Roxanne had ever seen. Now, this was an army, and it was impressive. Maybe terrifying was a better word.
Fire giants looked up from where they sat or worked, and she could feel all of their eyes glued to the sight of her. These men had probably been at the front line for most of the war and probably weren’t keen on seeing a human, no matter the sex.
Roxanne shrunk into Daerrin’s chest, as more fire giant warriors took notice of her presence. She might be confident around him and his men, but an army this size, with who knew how many fire giants who’d lost family in the war? Here, she was not safe.
Daerrin’s arm slowly tightened around her waist. At least he wasn’t done protecting her or reassuring her, even if he wasn’t speaking with her. She felt a lot safer with Daerrin’s arm tight around her waist.
Daerrin felt her heart hammering away under his arm. He didn’t like the glares she was being cast by the fire giants in the camp. It would be a lot harder for him to keep an eye on her when he was called to battle.
Somehow he had to see to her safety.
Elizabeth, their human queen, had guards now that the war had been inevitable. Stryme wasn’t sure if it was necessary or not, but he’d wanted to be careful with his queen’s life.
Maybe Daerrin could recruit a few trusted eager young men to guard Roxanne. There were a lot of young men in the army that were desperate to prove themselves to a general. He’d have to see to it later if time permitted.