by Jayne Castel
“Please, Bridei,” she whimpered.
Gripping her firmly against him, he thrust into her.
A sharp, stinging pain knifed through Hea, and she gasped. It did hurt—his flesh had invaded hers, driving to her core. She clung to him, eyes squeezed shut for a moment, her body tensing.
“Be still,” Bridei murmured in her ear. “The worst should be over now.”
Hea nodded, although she did not believe him. After a moment though she relaxed her body and became aware of the delicious, deep throbbing at the point where their bodies were joined, an odd, rippling pleasure that almost felt as if she was being tickled on the inside.
“Oh,” she whispered. “What’s that?”
He gave a soft laugh, withdrew slightly and slid with her once more. “What … this?”
Hea gasped before letting out a soft moan. “Bridei … I …”
But the time for speaking was over. He thrust into her again, and again—and she was lost. Hea arched back, her breasts, barely covered by her tunic thrusting up at him, her nipples like two hard berries. Bridei bowed his head and suckled one of her breasts through the thin material. Then, with a grunt of frustration, he grabbed the hem of the tunic and pulled it up over her head, exposing her nakedness to him.
Hea had never been naked in front of a man before, and under normal circumstances would have looked for something to cover herself up with—but not so now. She was lost; carried away on the crest of a wave. She wanted Bridei to see her nude body; she wanted him to touch it.
“Hea,” he groaned her name like a prayer. “You’re magnificent.”
In a wordless response, she spread her legs further and wrapped them around his hips, pulling him hard against her. The rippling pleasure was building inside her, reaching for something she could not name.
Bridei lost control. He thrust into her again and again, all restraint gone. Moments later, she watched him throw back his head, his cry of release echoing through the dwelling.
They clung together in the aftermath, their ragged breathing and the gentle crack and pop of the hearth behind them, the only sound. After a short while, Bridei pulled back from Hea slightly, pushing a lock of sweat-damp hair out of his eyes. He stared down at her, his gaze devouring her flushed face, dark eyes, and bee-stung lips. Despite that he had just climaxed, he felt himself harden inside her once more.
Hea’s gaze widened, and he responded with a rueful smile. “I meant for our coupling to last longer than that … I forgot myself.”
She gave him a dreamy smile in response. “It was wonderful.”
“Yes … but I wanted to give you more.”
Confusion flitted across her face, and Bridei felt an uncharacteristic pang of self-recrimination. This woman was a force of nature—untamed and incredibly responsive—yet despite that she was still an innocent. Even though he had apologized to her about insinuating she was the king’s whore, part of him had not believed that she was still a maid. How could such an attractive, earthy woman never have taken a lover? Yet their coupling had just proved it.
His comment just now had confused her; she had no idea what it could be like between a man and woman. She thought their frantic, wild coupling was the only experience to be had. A slow smile spread across Bridei’s face—he would enjoy teaching her that there was so much more pleasure to be explored.
Hea noted his smile and frowned. “What?”
Bridei’s smile widened. “I’m just reflecting on the fact that the night is still young, and there’s much I want to show you.”
She gazed up at him, her full lips parting slightly. He stared at them, hunger curling up from the pit of his belly once more. His shaft was now rock-hard inside her again. In wordless answer, her thighs tightened around him.
Their gazes locked, and desire pulsed between them.
Bridei’s smile faded. He was done talking—he wanted to spend the rest of the night letting their bodies get to know each other. He picked Hea up, holding her hard against him, and carried her across to the furs.
Hea stirred, waking slowly. She lay on her belly and awoke to the feel of a man’s leg slung over her back, pressing her into the warm nest of furs. Bridei slept next to her, his breathing slow and deep.
She remained there for a few moments, savoring an incredible sense of well-being. Never had she felt so relaxed; her limbs felt loose and weightless, her head clear—and the dull, pleasant-ache between her thighs was a reminder of what she had spent the night doing.
Hea sighed softly. She had not understood Bridei when he had told her there was more pleasure to be had. But he had shown her what he meant … repeatedly.
Heat flushed over her at the memories of what they had done together, of how he had pleasured her … of all the ways he had taken her.
The night had been magical, unforgettable—and Hea wished she could snap her fingers and stop time.
No moment could ever be as perfect as this one.
Life would never be the same.
Breathing deeply, she rolled over onto her side, dislodging Bridei’s leg as she did so. Outside, the day was breaking. Pale streams of sunlight filtered into the dwelling from the top of the door and cracks in the shutters, and the muted sounds of voices reached her as Bebbanburg began another day.
Hea propped herself up on an elbow and stared down at Bridei’s sleeping face.
Freya save me, a man shouldn’t be this beautiful.
Awake, Bridei mac Beli’s face was harder, his expression more often than not arrogant. Asleep, the noble lines of his face were impossible to ignore. Gently, Hea reached out and stroked his stubbled cheek.
Bridei stirred at her touch, his eyes opening—his dark gaze spearing hers.
Chapter Twelve
Mark My Threats
“Morning,” he said, his voice gravelly with sleep, “my flame-haired temptress.”
Hea smiled back. “And good morning to you too—my honey-tongued lord.”
Bridei laughed softly, before stretching. Hea’s gaze slid along the length of his body, admiring his long, muscular limbs and the thatch of dark hair at his groin. She would never tire of gazing upon him.
Bridei sat up, pushing his hair off his face. “It’s late,” he murmured before giving a jaw-cracking yawn. “I should go.”
“Do you want to break your fast first?” Hea asked. “I have some bread dough rising—I can cook you some on the griddle.”
“No need to go to any trouble.” Bridei leaned forward and kissed her before he climbed off the furs. “I should join my men. Today is important—it’s the day all will be decided.”
Hea watched him reach for his clothes, admiring his tight backside as he did so. “It’s no trouble,” she murmured. “I was going to make bread for myself anyway.”
Bridei glanced over his shoulder and favored her with a disarming smile. “I have to get back.”
She watched him dress, her gaze tracking every moment. She did not want him to leave, for this magical encounter to end. Yet like a dream that fades with the dawning of the sun, she could feel him slipping out of her reach.
“What will be decided today?” she asked, forcing herself to focus on the present. “I still have no idea why you’re here in Bebbanburg.”
Bridei buckled his belt and glanced up at her. “I traveled south to claim my independence,” he replied, “but it appears your king is intent on denying me.”
“You want independence?”
Bridei nodded before reaching for his vest and shrugging it on. “The lands to the north have no ties to the Angles or the Saxons. It is the land of the Picts—Ecgfrith must give it back.”
Uneasiness churned in Hea’s belly, shattering her sense of well-being. “Have you spoken privately with Ecgfrith?”
Bridei nodded. “Last eve, before coming here. He refuses.”
A chill feathered over Hea’s naked skin, and she wrapped a fur around her. “What will you do?”
“Speak with him once more today.”
<
br /> “And if he insists you will remain his sub-king?”
Bridei met her gaze once more, his brown eyes glinting. “I will never accept it.”
Hea swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.
What have I done? Her breathing quickened and she started to feel queasy. I’ve just lain with my people’s enemy.
“I received warning from the spirit world yesterday, Bridei,” she said after a few long moments. “The shadow of war looms over this land.”
Surprise flickered across his features before he frowned. “Between whom?”
“It wasn’t made clear to me—however, with the demands you’re making it now falls into place.”
His frown deepened. “My demands? Do you disapprove, Hea?”
Her own gaze narrowed. “I’m an Angle—of course I do.” She watched him lace up his vest, the movements deft. “This is my land; I don’t want to see it threatened.”
“And Fortriu is my land—I want to see it freed.”
“No, it is part of the kingdom, Bridei. Your father swore fealty to Ecgfrith, whether you wish it or not.”
Bridei had finished dressing. He now stood still, watching her—too still. Hea realized she had succeeded in angering him.
“My people will not suffer a southern ruler,” he said coldly, “and neither will I. Ecgfrith has one last chance to change his mind—or there will be war between us.”
Hea stared at him, her heart pounding, her belly clenched. A few moments earlier she had felt the happiest woman alive, and now she felt miserable. With just a few words, the pair of them were now on opposite sides.
“And where does that leave us?” she asked. Her throat constricted, but she fought down the urge to weep. She would not show Bridei mac Beli her tears.
That made him pause, uncertainty flickering across his handsome features. “What do you mean?”
“Last night … is that it?”
His mouth compressed. “I didn’t plan for it to happen, Hea.”
She pulled the fur tighter around her, as if it were a shield. “Really? Why else did you come here? To offer your condolences for my mother?”
The sharpness in her voice made his brow furrow. “I don’t know why I came here,” he replied, his tone wary. “I just needed to see you. Some things you don’t plan—but that doesn’t mean either of us should regret last night. I certainly don’t.”
Hea’s lip curled. Of course he did not. It was so much easier for men—they did not have to bear the consequences of such things.
Seeing her reaction, Bridei took a step toward her and flashed a charming smile. “You could always come north with me and live in Dundurn.”
Hea stiffened. She had never met anyone who spoke so thoughtlessly as Bridei. “You can’t just say that,” she managed finally. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t I?”
“Bebbanburg is my home. I serve Ecgfrith—and believe it or not, I am loyal to him.”
A shadow crossed Bridei’s face. “So loyal you’d spread your legs for his northern enemy—a Pict.”
A chill silence followed his words.
Hea drew herself up, a red haze obscuring her vision. “Get out.”
Their gazes fused and held for a few long moments—and unlike the night before, Bridei did not try to make amends. The air was raw between them, full of things unsaid, yet to say any more would just worsen the situation. Perhaps Bridei knew that, for he nodded curtly, turned and strode toward the door.
Hea watched him leave, the door shutting behind him with a hollow thud.
She did not move for a long while afterward.
King Ecgfrith of Northumbria took a sip from his cup and watched his northern guest. Bridei did not look in good humor today. He sat, a few feet away at the table upon the high seat, and had hardly touched the trencher of food before him.
“Is the venison not to your liking, Lord Bridei?” Ecgfrith asked.
Bridei glanced up. “The meat is good,” he replied curtly. “I’ve no appetite, that’s all.”
They had gathered for the noon meal—the last meal they would share together before the Pict leader and his band departed for the north. Ecgfrith had seen Bridei’s men, including that red-haired traitor, Heolstor, getting their horses ready earlier that morning. No matter the outcome of their discussions, Bridei did not intend to stay on another night at Bebbanburg.
Ecgfrith took another sip of mead, hiding a smile. Bridei’s black mood pleased him. However, as he looked around the table, he became aware that Bridei was not the only one who looked strained. Hea, whom he had summoned here for the noon meal as well, was staring down at her trencher, her expression pained.
“Ecgfrith.”
His wife’s soft voice reached him, drawing the king away from the study of his seer. He turned his attention to Irmenburgh, frowning. “What?”
For once she actually met his gaze, although her blue eyes were timid. He thought of the first time he had seen her, years ago now. He had been smarting over the disaster of his first marriage. His first wife had been a dark, fiery beauty, but her passion had been reserved for God, and she had refused to lie with him. He had hoped his second wife, Irmenburgh, would be cut of a different cloth. He had heard she was pious, but then a lot of Angle and Saxon princesses were raised that way; as his own sisters had been.
His heart had sunk the first time he set eyes on her. His new wife was a thin, mousy woman, who had all the sensuality of a turnip. She had been better behaved than his first one, for she had not refused him. Although bedding her had been like rutting a corpse. She gave nothing in return, and after a few passionless couplings, he had started taking this pleasure elsewhere, as he had done before her arrival.
These days, he and Irmenburgh conversed little, and she rarely offered an opinion on anything. As such her manner today surprised him.
“My Lord, Think well on how you treat Bridei,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “He was once like a son to us.”
Ecgfrith sneered. “For you perhaps. Since you’re barren, a Pict fosterling was the best you could hope for.”
His wife flinched. “Bridei meant something to you as well—that was why he could anger you so. He has grown into a powerful man. Be wary of making an enemy of him.”
Ecgfrith went still. “I don't need a woman's advice,” he growled.
She stared back at him, her face paling, yet she did not back down. “Really? You constantly ask for Hea’s counsel.”
Ecgfrith stared at Irmenburgh. If they had been alone, he would have struck her for being so bold. “She has skills you do not.”
“But I am your wife.”
“You know little of the world beyond these walls, and nothing of what it means to rule.”
Irmenburgh held his gaze, and he was surprised to see anger flare in the depths of her eyes. “I’m a daughter of kings—I know just as much as you.”
Ecgfrith’s temper flared. He slammed his fist down on the table before him. “Hold your tongue, woman!”
Silence descended upon the table, and all eyes swiveled to where the king and queen sat together. Ecgfrith found Bridei mac Beli watching him.
“I grow impatient, Lord Ecgfrith,” the Pict said, his voice carrying across the table. “Come … tell me your answer.”
Beside Bridei, the red-headed warrior, Heolstor, cast his leader a look of censure—but Bridei ignored him. His gaze did not waver from Ecgfrith.
“Why the urgency?” Ecgfrith asked, taking another sip from his cup and trying to settle the fury that still seethed in his belly. He would deal with Irmenburgh’s insolence later.
“I wish to return north.”
Ecgfrith forced a smile. Clearly Bridei knew he was beaten and wished to slink home like the cur he was. This visit, and his arrogant demands had all been a bluff—one that did not intimidate Ecgfrith in the slightest.
He put down his cup and steepled his hands before him, his smile turning apolog
etic. “Have you forgotten so quickly?”
Bridei shook his head. “I forget nothing of what passed between us, but the matter didn’t end there. I give you one last chance, Ecgfrith, to recognize my birthright and acknowledge me as a sovereign in my own right: King of the North.”
Ecgfrith threw back his head and laughed. “Once again, you speak of this ‘birthright’. What’s that exactly? A man should earn what he has. The blood that runs through your veins doesn’t give you the right to claim a land for your own. That land is mine, and always will be.”
A heavy silence fell upon the heah-setl. Further down the table, Ecgfrith saw Rinan grin, clearly delighted by his king’s firm stand. Opposite the blond warrior, the seer’s face was strained. Hea’s gaze flicked between the two leaders. Her expression was almost pleading.
Ecgfrith turned back to Bridei. “That is my final word. You can leave Bebbanburg as soon as you are ready.”
Bridei said nothing. Instead he pushed himself back from the table and stood up. Next to him, Heolstor did the same, his expression grim.
Bridei’s dark gaze speared Ecgfrith. “Thank you for making your position clear.” His voice was calm, although his tone was flat, belying the rage that simmered just beneath the surface. “However, your decision will have consequences. I won’t let this matter lie. Ready your fyrd, Ecgfrith—and prepare for war.”
Ecgfrith waved him away. “Enough … I tire of your threats. Be gone from my hall, before I have my warriors drag you out.”
Bridei went still, his expression turning hard. “Mark my threats, for I don’t make them idly. The next time you and I meet, it will be on the battlefield.”
Chapter Thirteen
Opposite Sides
Hea strode down the King’s Way, her skirts flapping around her legs and hampering her stride. She was eager to be gone from the Great Tower of Bebbanburg, to return to her home where she could lock herself away.