by L H Whitlock
“That’s all right,” Nora responded. “But bring him back.”
Rikar howled with laughter and Grave cut off the call before his friend could tease him again.
“I will walk you to your house,” Grave said. “It’s going to start storming.”
Nora smiled. “Thank you.”
Nora’s hand settled into his as they started down the dirt path overgrown with weeds as few besides himself regularly traveled this far down the road.
“Is Rikar married?” Nora asked.
Grave found his eyes lingering on the purple flowers growing in the field and thinking that the color matched Nora’s long wavy hair.
“No.”
“Oh, that seems surprising to me. He is so outgoing.”
Grave was silent for several moments. “This isn’t exactly a good place to meet people. He’s had a few girls over the years, but none have stuck long term.”
They walked for a while, hand in hand, in silence.
“What about Helic? You said he is on Ever, getting technology. Does he have a family?”
“Helic has a family with Rikar and me, but none of his own, not yet.”
“Oh…”
“Helic went through a certain type of abuse that makes intimacy hard.” Grave knew his friend wouldn’t appreciate him discussing his personal matters with anyone, he was a private man, and thankfully, Nora didn’t press him further. Grave’s mind wandered to his friends. The arena had messed them all up. Rikar had lost a woman he loved in the arena; a pleasure slave Vulnatro dished out to the winners of the day. Grave had gotten close with her as well, not in an intimate way, but in a little sister/mate of his kin kind of way. Her death shook Rikar and drove him into a dark place. He only came out of it when they were free and were able to honor her with building the sanctuary.
Her name had been Kilta, a woman captured from Ever. She would stay awake late at night whispering dreams of a place she and Rikar could escape to. It came too late, but this place would have been perfect.
Helic had suffered in another way entirely. He was highly popular because of his beauty and Vulnaitro would sell him hourly to rich lords and slavers, both men and women. He had a forgiving nature and pretended as if he had moved past Vulnitro’s atrocities, but the truth was that Helic had just as hard a time around people as Grave did. The only difference was that Helic’s trauma was mostly in intimacy, where Grave’s was more at the straps of a whip.
Dusk drew closer, and the roar of a wulgor pierced the still air, the sound coming from far away and not a threat.
Nora smiled up at him. “Will you come for dinner?”
Grave’s chest tightened. “With Deon and Lit-ta?” He should have moved past what they said about him, but he still had no desire to hang out with them socially.
“Well, or we could do something private.”
Grave signed a deep breath through his nose. Nora deserved someone social, someone who wanted to be around people. But that wasn’t him, and he didn’t think it ever would be. The fact that she would alter her original plans for him both humbled and angered him at the same time.
Grave stopped and flipped up his hood. Nora, realizing he was no longer walking, turned to him.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have even asked.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and Grave caught the back of her neck and pulled her to him, crushing his lips to hers. His hands roamed possessively over her back and hips, drawing her closer to him. Fire swept through him, and while he tried to hold it back, it flared with a vengeance, overtaking him.
Vanilla and feminine spice wafted through his senses, turning what he had meant to be a goodbye kiss into one that promised to quench his lust. Nora’s surprised squeal turned into a moan, and her hands settled on his chest. At first, he expected her to push him away, tell him that he was being too aggressive, but instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
The last of his will broke, and his need for her roared to the surface. He lifted her slight weight easily, then directed her legs to wrap around his waist before he eagerly sought a covered area off the path.
His hands roamed feverishly, his lips moving across her face, feathering her pink cheeks, her eyelids, chin, neck, shoulders, anywhere he could reach. His hands cupped her ass, his ears enjoying her responding gasps.
His forward advance stopped when Nora’s back was against a tree. All around them bushes flowered and thick natural grasses grew unhindered, the only sound breaking the early dusk was their breathing and groans, no more. The only witnesses to their private affair were the bugs flicking their lights in a show to attract a mate.
Grave managed to subdue himself and pulled away, his breath heavy, matching Nora’s as they both sucked in some much-needed air. His eyes locked with hers. He half expected to see fear—he did have her propped against a tree with his need pressed between her legs—but instead, all he found was a heat that matched his own. Still, he needed to hear it first; he wouldn’t scare her again.
“Is this too rough?” he rasped, sounding more beast than man. He hated how his voice changed when his adrenaline was up. But that was another symptom of the nanos that ran through his blood. It was meant to strike fear in his opponent.
“Not at all.” Her hands wrapped around his neck, but he denied her pull.
His hand went to her belly, feeling over the round surface. “Am I hurting you or the baby?”
“Grave,” Nora groaned. “You are not hurting me or the baby.”
“Are you sure?”
“Are you going to get on with it?”
“Gladly.” Grave hiked up her dress, his fingers searched for her underwear, but was surprised when he was met with warm flesh.
“You’re not wearing undergarments?”
Nora’s cheeks flared pink, and she bit her bottom lip. “Um, well, everything’s just so sensitive right now, and they don’t fit very well anymore.”
Naughty curiosity had Grave smirking back. He cupped her breast and felt her hardened nipple through her dress. Nora gasped, her head tilting back. Grave nipped her exposed neck, unable to resist the silky skin.
“And no bra.”
“It does not fit right anymore.”
Pulling down the front of her shirt, he exposed her breasts to him. her nipples were hard and darker than before, striking against her pale skin.
Grave captured the peak in his mouth, tasting her to his fulfillment.
Nora’s fingers tangled in his hair, and he resisted the urge to lock those little hands behind her back. One day she would be ready for that, but not yet.
His other hand snuck between her legs, gliding over her clit, circling and circling until he was content to hear her pleas for more. Her back arched and her hips bucked against his hand. He enjoyed the sensation of her riding him for her own pleasure.
He dipped his finger into her sheath, finding her tight and wet for him. He slid two fingers inside, helping her get ready for him.
Nora gripped his shoulders, her breath heavy and murmuring his name. He found he liked that tone.
It took only a moment for him to release his belt and drop his pants around his knees. Though he knew they were alone—no one traveled into the woods this far from town, especially at night—he still liked the fact that his cloak was large enough to offer Nora some privacy.
Readjusting Nora against the tree, he thrust forward, sounding his own groan as his cock buried inside her. He paused for a moment, enjoying the feeling of Nora, the smell of her, the warmth. But most of all he enjoyed the way his chest seemed to tighten and ache just thinking of her.
Nora moved beneath him, drawing him out of his trance as he thrust forward, over and over. He used his positioning to ensure he didn’t add any weight or pressure to her stomach, but from this angle, he was able to fuck her harder and more thoroughly then he had been before. If he was too rough, Nora never said so, but from her gasps and encouragement, he didn’t think that was the case.
He crushed his lips to he
rs as he felt his muscles clench and his control release. This feeling of her in his arms, of her completely trusting him was one he hoped he would never lose.
27
Nora tried to focus on wiping down the countertop of her already clean kitchen, but her mind wandered back to Grave, and the woods and her face burned again.
She couldn’t shake him from her mind, and she kept rushing to the window every time she heard the slightest rustle outside. When was he coming back? How long did it take him to do a perimeter check? She had insisted on going with him, but he had insisted even stronger that she get some food and rest and he would get her for the next lap.
After rushing through dinner with Deon and Lit-ta, Nora excused herself and rushed back home, not wanting to miss Grave’s return.
It felt like it had been forever, and there was nothing for her to do. Her garden was already weeded, and the produce had already been picked. Her entire house was wiped down and dusted, and now she just stared off into space waiting for her hooded man to return.
It surprised her that she was not more nervous or scared around him and that she had allowed him to take her against a tree in the middle of the woods, but something about it felt so wild, naughty and right. Grave may be huge and intimidating, enhanced with illegal drugs that burned through his veins and heightened his adrenaline and aggression. He may be an ex-gladiator, incredibly skilled in the arena, but there was also this other side of him that he didn’t seem to recognize. The look in his eyes when their gazes locked. The tenderness in his touch, and how he was so worried about her. The way he watched Shade and breathed in the air that gave away a softer side. She found that she loved both sides of him. Both the tormented gladiator/fighter and her protector.
Love. She paused at the thought. Did she really love him? Could she love someone so quickly?
The sound of boots scuffing dirt came from outside, and Nora rushed to the window, peeking between the blinds in hopes of seeing Grave coming her way. Instead, there was a tall, slender man wearing red pants and a green shirt tucked in.
Nora bolted away from the window, her heart racing. She peered through the peephole and watched the stranger approach. Her mind raced with Grave’s lessons in self-defence. He was going to beat her and rape her, just like the other guy tried to do. He was hired to kill her for revenge because she had gotten them in trouble.
Her hands shook, and she swallowed a lump of saliva. When the man was only a few steps away, Nora snagged the pan off her cooktop, raised it above her head, and flung the door open.
Before the stranger had a chance to attack, she swung the pot, catching his nose.
He screamed and staggered back, his hands clutching his face.
“What the fuck you bitch!” he screamed.
Nora dropped the pan, her legs shaking.
“I–I’m sorry! I thought… Aren’t you here to rob me?”
He wiped his hands on his shirt. Blood poured down his face and neck, dirtying his collar. “I was fucking seeing if you wanted a security system. You fucking broke my nose, you whore!” the man screamed, blood spilling into his mouth and coating his teeth.
“Oh, moons! Let me get a rag!” Nora raced inside and opened a drawer, tossing items out as she searched for a rag. She turned to go back outside, but the man had followed her inside and stood only several feet away.
Nora screamed out and jumped back when he lunged forward.
“I’m going to break your nose you bitch, an eye for an eye. You’ll learn quickly how this place works.”
He raced forward, and Nora circled the other side of the island, keeping the counter between her and her attacker.
“I’m so sorry.” Nora cried, desperately. He raced around the other side, blocking her from the door. Nora made a break for the bedrooms. He followed, hot on her tail. She slammed the door shut behind her. The wood crashed into the man’s face, and he stumbled backward into the wall. Nora stared in horror for several seconds, then slammed the door and locked it. She slowly backed away, one hand covering her mouth, the other covering her stomach.
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” The man outside screeched, and the door jostled as he either slammed into it or kicked it.
Nora’s entire body shook, and her eyes stung. How could she just assume that man meant her harm? Well,one thing was certain; he obviously wished her harm now.
She wanted to cry at what this place had done to her, making her assume the worst in people, but then she wanted to cry for the types of people who were actually in this place. No, no, she had to remember that she had met a lot of good people and any encounter she had with violence was quickly corrected, and those who caused it punished and vanquished.
The door jostled again, and she backed up into the wall. Glancing over she saw the window. That’s my way out! She was just about to open it when the man outside shrieked, and she heard boots stomping over wood, bodies slamming into walls, fists connecting with flesh. The she heard the man’s kicking and thrashing growing quieter and quieter and then the sound of someone being dragged through the house.
Curiosity raced through her, but fear kept her frozen in place. Several minutes passed, minutes that felt like forever before she heard boots making their way down the hallway again.
They stopped in front of the door, and the handle rattled, then the handle broke off, and the door opened.
Grave stood in the threshold, one hand clutching the knob, a look of surprise widening his muddy eyes.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, looking down at the handle.
Nora couldn’t find the words to respond, and the two stared at each other until Grave broke the silence.
“Did you break that man’s nose? Then slam a door in his face?”
“I didn’t mean to. Well, I guess I did mean to break his nose, but that’s only because I thought he was going to rob me. He said he was selling a security system or something. I don’t even know what that is? People come to your house to sell stuff? Then he rushed inside and told me that he was going to break my nose, an eye for an eye. So I ran in here, and I slammed the door, and it happened to hit him. But then he tried to kick it in!”
Nora realized she was rambling and tearing up, but she couldn’t seem to do anything about it, the words just rushed from her lips until she was gasping for air.
Grave cocked an eyebrow, and the side of his mouth tipped into a grin, exaggerating the harsh lines of his cheek, then he bellowed with laughter.
Nora had never heard Grave laugh like that, and she found herself smiling along, even though she was not sure what the joke was.
Finally, he wiped the corners of his eyes and sighed. “I am going to make sure you never leave my sight again.”
Nora’s heart raced, and she rushed into Grave’s arms, enjoying the strength in them and how she felt safe pressed against his chest.
“Is he going to be okay? Am I in trouble?”
“He is going to be fine. Miss Yulle is looking at him, and he will remember this as a lessen of approach. He has a temper, so I wouldn’t approach him for a while. He is a really good man. Been here a while and sells security cameras and locks. I explained to him what happened to you and why you reacted the way you did. When he calms down, I am sure he will see reason. Now, as for you being in trouble, I don’t think any true punishment is in order, but I can think of a few things we can do instead.”
Nora’s eyes widened. “Grave!”
He smiled at her and picked her up. “Come, let’s go home.”
“But I am home.”
“This isn’t home for you anymore. You will live with me from now on, so I can make sure you don’t get in any more trouble. My heart can’t handle it.”
Nora’s heart jumped, and she snuggled against him, allowing him to whisk her away.
28
Grave walked through town, annoyed that he had been pulled out of his bed and away from Nora’s warmth. Vivid Flor hung high in the sky, bringing the realization that he couldn’t rememb
er the last time he had slept so late, or so well.
Sleeping with Nora curled into his side, suited him. He enjoyed spending most of his days next to her, too, his hand on her stomach, feeling for the little boy growing within.
He had gotten a call from Rikar telling him that Helic was back and had a shipment of tech for him to look through before they released it to the civilians. His job was to check for hidden weapons or things that could cause harm and disrupt the order of the sanctuary. Or if there was something that the med bay needed or the town as a whole needed instead of allowing it to be hoarded by some individual. Grave took great care to ensure everyone saw the benefits.
He walked Nora back to her house so she could work on the garden and change before meeting up with Lit-ta and Deon to pillage through the new shipments. He found that he was protective of Nora and wanted her to be in someone’s company he could trust instead of being alone.
Nora had encouraged him to leave his cloak behind, and he did so for her. Now his mood darkened, and he regretted the decision.
Up ahead, he saw the market teeming with people, all eager to get their first look at the new shipments.
The crowd split as he approached, giving him a wide berth.
Grave’s teeth clenched. That damn woman was making him crazy. Why had he listened to her suggestion? His mind provided a flurry of reasons, but he pushed them down. Emotions and feelings weren’t always safe for him around other people, and until he knew their effect on him, he would tread carefully.
The citizens whispered as he approached, some stared, others diverted their gaze. The ones that gaped at him received a warning growl and fled to a safer distance.
The thickest of the crowd surrounded the receiving docks. As Grave approached, he heard Helic’s accent drift through the air, followed by a swoon of feminine sighs.
Grave couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Helic always did attract unwanted attention because his unique looks, and as the ladies commented, it was his “divine” accent too. If only they knew that Helic hadn’t always had that accent but developed it after years and years of what their master called electrotherapy. In truth, it was torture, and Helic was lucky all it caused was a whitening of his hair and a change in his pitch.