“It doesn’t matter, Kelton.”
“Maybe not to you, but it does to me.”
“Look, I’ll set the situation right with Cameron and, believe me, when I’m done he’ll think the world of you.”
“How?”
She looked for adequate words, tactful expressions that wouldn’t set him off or undermine him, but he cut her short.
“Hang on! What situation are you talking about, and how come you call our lord by his first name?”
This definitely wasn’t going to be easy. Deciding to ride it out with patience, she seized his hand again.
“Sit down, and listen to me.”
The pout on his face deepened, but he complied. As he settled next to her, she drew in a long breath.
“I can’t tell you everything that happened to me since I left home, but you need to understand that I’ve been through a lot, and I’ve changed. I’m not the same woman you used to know.”
“You look the same to me.”
“Yet I feel very different. I’ve seen and experienced bad things, scary things, and I don’t view the world the same way.”
“I knew letting you go on this journey was a bad idea. I told you as much, but you didn’t care to listen.”
“I needed to do this on my own.”
He stroked her fingers. As gentle as his touch felt, it didn’t spur any emotion in her, not even a twinge of desire. But his warm hand soothed her tension and reminded her of the good man he was, the lifelong companion he had been to her, the betrothed she had to set free.
“Kelton, I’m breaking my pledge to you.”
She stiffened her shoulders, waiting for the outcry that would signal the end of their relationship. When he kept silent, she glanced at him and saw a look of resignation on his face.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I feared as much, Ariana. Ever since I entered your aunt’s house and spotted you. I’m not sure why, but I sensed it would come to this.”
“I’m truly sorry. Whatever happened, you’ll always be my best friend, and I never meant to hurt you.”
“That’s the strange thing, you see. You aren’t hurting me because I don’t mind if our pledge is broken.”
What? Now this was unexpected. Keeping her hand in his, she shifted her body to face her not so betrothed.
“What are you saying?”
“Please, Ariana, let me explain before judging me. All right?”
“Go on.”
He looked squirmy at present, his usually soft features crumpling as if she stood ready to let fly at him.
“I’ve always believed you to be the woman I wanted to spend my life with, despite some concerns I had.”
“What kind of concerns?”
“Well, you know, like when we were...”
His forehead turned red before her eyes, and his sweaty palm stuck to hers. For the first time since their childhood, she thought he looked embarrassed or ashamed to speak to her.
“Come on, Kelton, tell me.”
He blew out a constricted breath while stretching his neck until she figured he’d sprain a muscle.
“When we were mating, I rarely had the impression that you enjoyed it. I might be wrong, but that’s the feeling I got, and it always bothered me. I wanted to make you happy in every way.”
Sensations from their joining flooded her. The mild pleasantness, the rubbing, the chaffing. Overlapping the memories of Kelton’s ministrations, pictures of the Lord of the Clans’ hard face tore at her guts. The grip of his hands around her thighs, the wetness rushing out of her, the overwhelming feel of his huge cock inside her drenched pussy.
Heart fluttering from the vivid recollections, she realised the truth would only hurt Kelton, so she plastered a soft smile on her face.
“I enjoyed our times together. But I also believe that some people are better suited for each other, and we aren’t.”
He appeared relieved by her admission, whether he bought her half-truth or not. In spite of the grin quirking his lips, she still felt that the issue wasn’t resolved, and she mustered her most gentle voice.
“Have you met someone else?”
She knew she had hit home when he dropped his head to stare at the dark street. The light from the surrounding houses casting shadows on his face, he pushed a pebble with the tip of his foot.
“Yes.”
“I’m not mad, Kelton. You can tell me about her.”
This time, she didn’t lie. The unbelievable relief she felt at having broken her pledge matched only the deep satisfaction of understanding he wouldn’t be alone. Someone else would take her place, and make him much happier. Someone who deserved his love.
“Her name is Brangaine. She lives right here, in Frahern. I met her four days ago when we arrived hoping to find you. I’ve barely left her side since because I can’t seem to think straight when she isn’t around. How strange is that? We talk a lot, but she’s also shown me much of this place. She’s even agreed to leave Frahern and come back home with me.”
The way he spoke reminded her so much of the frolicsome boy she had played with years ago that tears of nostalgia sprung to her eyes. He broke off his tribute as soon as he saw them and produced a handkerchief from his pocket. When she took it, his face drooped.
“Dear Creators, I feared the news was too sudden. Have I offended you? Because, you know, hurting you is the last thing I want to do. Forgive me, Ariana. I’m such an idiot.”
“You haven’t offended me, and you’re not an idiot. I’m just glad you found the right woman for you.”
He fidgeted like a young boy while she dabbed her cheeks with the clean piece of cloth he’d provided.
“So, Kelton, does this mean that if I hadn’t asked first, you’d have broken our pledge anyway?”
“Probably, unless it hurt you too much. In that case, I’d have forgotten about Brangaine and married you.”
Kind-hearted and selfless. Those were the two words she’d use without having to think about it if she had to sum him up. In spite of his love for the new woman in his life, he’d have let her go to keep his promise. A true sacrifice she wouldn’t have made. Her tears dried up, she released his hand.
“You made the right choice, Kelton, and I’d be proud to be your best friend for the rest of your life.”
He threw his arms around her neck to hug her tight. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
While he pressed his face in her hair and squeezed her back, she took the opportunity to ask him the personal question that intrigued her since his mention of the way they used to mate.
“So, do you satisfy her?”
He grasped her meaning because his grip slackened. When he straightened up, his sheepish expression brought a grin to her lips.
“Ariana.”
“I shouldn’t ask, but we’re best friends now, and I’m curious.”
Still looking a trifle awkward, he pulled away, but his dreamy gaze told her a lot. “Yes, I know I do.”
“Good. That sets my mind at ease.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you like a brother, and I want the best for you.”
She stood up as he pocketed the handkerchief she held out. Wrapping her arm around his, she drew him close to her.
“Let’s get back to Aunt Moyna’s place. She must be back by now, and I’m not sure she’ll be comfortable in Cameron’s company.”
“Tell me about it. He’s a giant, isn’t he?”
“That he is.”
She hadn’t taken two steps when Kelton abruptly halted their stride. Open-mouthed, an air of utter disbelief enhancing his features, he regarded her as if the skies had just been ripped apart.
“You’re leaving me for him.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Although a whisper, his words seemed to resound all over the square. She flinched, afraid that her answer would change her world forever. If she said it aloud, wouldn’t her admission somehow turn her
sexual games with the Lord of the Clans into a relationship? A real one.
“Yes.”
He inhaled loudly. Eyes filled with concern, he took hold of both her arms as he drilled his gaze into hers.
“You can’t, Ariana. He’s our lord. Besides his duty to his people, you know he has to marry the daughter of a clan leader. Or possibly a princess from one of the kingdoms. And I don’t believe for an instant you’d be content being his mate and living in his wife’s shadow?”
The sombre picture he outlined made her skin crawl as though bugs were creeping up her flesh. In spite of her current happy time with Cameron, these blessed days wouldn’t last. He’d have to marry at some point, and what would she do then? Beside her, Kelton carried on.
“Let’s pretend you agree to be his mistress. He’ll still get tired of you someday, and he will send you away because you’re just a tribeswoman. Even if he cares for you, he’ll do exactly the same.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“And it doesn’t bother you? By the Mighty Gods, how can you think like this? What will you do when it happens?”
“I’ll come back home, and be the healer I’m supposed to be. But let’s not dampen my spirits, Kelton. Right now, I’m very happy for you, and that’s more than I could ever ask for.”
He didn’t add another word the whole way back. He just held her arm to lead her up the street. When they entered the house together, her shaman was busy reading a parchment, but her aunt was nowhere in sight. Neither was Cameron, and a dreary feeling crept up her stomach.
“Where’s our Lord?”
Appearing annoyed to be drawn away from his obviously enthralling reading, her mentor looked up.
“He went back to his camp a while ago.”
“Did he leave a message for me?”
“No, but he appeared to be in a hurry.”
He had abandoned her. The temples, the attack at the barn, and his almost dying hadn’t deterred him, but her running off with Kelton had. Cameron didn’t know she spirited away her former betrothed to set things straight with him. All he saw was her choosing another man over him.
A bitter taste irritating her throat, she turned tail and ran outside. Nothing mattered but the man who might already be gone and out of her life. She dashed toward the forest, legs pumping, heart leaping up and down, and mind ablaze with a panic she hadn’t anticipated.
At this precise moment, she couldn’t have cared less about the Darkening, Kelton, or her future. All she felt was the loss of him, the bottomless abyss she’d fall into if he never put his arms around her again.
Running past the supple tree she had noticed earlier, she sent a silent prayer to the Mighty Gods. Please, light my path. Please, don’t let me get lost. With the mantra on the tip of her tongue, she trampled through darkness till a glimmer between trees drew her onward.
In spite of the campfire burning, the sight of the deserted clearing thickened the knot in her throat to the point of hurting. She darted her gaze around. She panted like a king’s courier bearing cataclysmic news until she spotted him sitting at the base of a fir tree.
A fierce surge of relief almost brought her down to her knees as he stood up. She stopped thinking. She walked to him, their gazes meeting, acknowledging, and clinging to each other.
When she got close enough to feel the heat emanating from his body, she reached up to trace the scar on his cheek with a single finger. His gray eyes glittered as he pressed her back against the trunk of the fir tree. With the rough bark for support, she closed her eyes.
She felt his deft fingers raising her skirt. He cupped her buttocks in his hands, and lifted her up. Lust rushed through her body as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Breaths coming in quick rasps, she rested her arms on his broad shoulders while he nuzzled her neck.
His hot tongue on her flesh conveyed the force of his desire. She pulled her legs tighter around him when one of his hands left her butt. The light sound of his pants dropping to the ground caused her to open her eyes. Leaves murmured in the nearby trees, caressed by a mild current of air.
He gripped her buttocks with firm hands. She heaved from the sudden touch and sighed with the keen sensation of her own desire wetting her folds. Muscles tense, nipples erect under her shirt, belly hard with anticipation, she yearned for penetration... and roughness.
The shimmering flames from the fire he’d built seemed to taunt her. Springing and writhing, they beckoned her to take the leap of faith, to surrender to the heat shooting through her limbs. She stared at the hungry blaze while he licked the tender line of her neck.
Then she stared no more.
He drove his cock inside her. The huge erection filled out her pussy and made her clutch the back of his shirt. A whimper of pleasure bolted out of her, straight into the night. Fingers clenched under her ass, he pulled out only to cram her again with the whole length of his shaft.
She wailed this time, mind numb with enjoyment, pussy crying from the potency of the hard flesh. Her panting tearing the silence of the clearing, she clung to his shoulders as he pressed her more forcefully against the trunk. Their bodies coupled. The fire flared up.
Blind to her surroundings, she squeezed her lips tight when he began sliding in and out of her. The mere feel of his long dick took her breath away, and his intense thrusts stole her soul.
He groaned in her ear. She purred like a lioness in heat. While maintaining her grasp around his waist, she spread her thighs as much as she could, and he dug into her as if the world would end.
She cried out. His short, fast strikes inflaming her, she revelled in the heady sensation seizing her loins. He buried his head into the crook of her neck, and the pressure made her pulse quicken. Nerves fraught with expectancy, she opened herself up to the power of his love.
He rammed his cock into her as pleasure gushed forth to devour her. The back of her head rubbing up and down against the bark, she sensed urgency in the increasing speed of his stabs. A violent need to ravish, a hankering to make her explode with bliss.
Her limbs trembled under his assault. Her flesh vibrated, bashed by his unyielding cock, overwhelmed by the mighty tide rising from her insides. So hot that her moans turned into an unbroken howl. So powerful that tears of joy blurred her vision. Flattened against her, he grunted like an animal, quivering with passion. When he shoved his erection deep inside her once more, she lost it.
The blast took her by surprise. One moment he planted his engorged dick into her pussy, the next she fell apart. She heard herself bellowing from absolute pleasure, fingers clawing into his shoulders, head banging against the trunk of the fir tree. She agonised under the ferocity of the orgasm shattering her body.
He uttered a rough cry when she climaxed, his forehead bumping against her collarbone. But she barely felt it as her inner muscles clamped his cock, and she soared toward pure happiness.
Bodies hanging onto each other, they breathed in fits and starts until her back against the tree began to sting a little. She loosened her grasp on him, and he lowered his arms to let her feet touch the ground, but he didn’t release her. His face inches from hers, he stared at her.
His slackened features still held the intense satisfaction she had given him and her heart softened with love. The brilliant silver of his eyes contained an emotion she hadn’t seen before, an untamed passion that robbed her of thought. When he slowly bent down, she believed her heart would burst.
His tender lips on hers felt like the caress of sunshine, after the ravening intensity of their mating. Without hurry, without pressure, he stroked her with the tip of his tongue.
She let him discover her mouth, enveloped in his warmth. Although light and gentle, his kiss deepened until he parted her lips.
His touch so soft that she palpitated with the need to melt into him, he fondled her flesh. He petted, he dandled, he licked, and she drifted on the blissful power of his devotion. When he drew away, she instantly missed the fervent heat of his lips and tongue.
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“You give me such unbelievable pleasure, flower, I have no words.”
She didn’t either because the savage sensations he created in her had no name. More than anything, she wanted to be kissed again, but he let go of her to pull up his pants. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood in front of her like a lord and master about to pass judgement.
Apparently, their moment of passion was over. She smoothed her skirts down as the beat of her pulse decreased to an imperceptible splat. He didn’t move while she glanced up at him, so tall and cold in the shadows of the fire. The blandness of his voice made her shiver.
“So, how’s your betrothed?”
Of course, it had to come to this sooner or later. Although aware that she only had one word to pronounce to set his mind at rest, a part of her deeply enjoyed seeing him jealous.
“Kelton is fine. I’d even say happy. We had a long talk about our future, and he’s back at Aunt Moyna’s house now.”
“So how come you are here?”
She looked at the ground. Moss formed a greenish mat all around her, her feet crushing dead leaves from the previous fall.
“My shaman told me you came back here in a hurry. I thought you had abandoned me.”
He removed his hands from his pockets to flap them against the sides of his legs, and his miffed sigh made her raise her gaze.
“Inaudible shrills aside, are you suffering from any other hearing impairment? Or loss of memory perhaps?”
“No, but—”
“There’s no but. Didn’t I say I’d come with you up north?”
“You did.”
“Then why in the name of the Creators would you imagine I abandoned you?”
She shuffled her feet as unsought warmth slithered up her face. Although she didn’t break eye contact, she had to join her hands together.
“I’m not sure. I had the impression you might figure that now Kelton is here he’d escort me instead.”