Grave (The Sanctuary Series Book 1)

by L H Whitlock

  Heat washed up Nora’s neck. “Um, I mean…handsome.”

  Grave studied her for a moment then tightened his grip and pulled her along. His larger steps were hard to keep up with, and Nora found herself laughing as she nearly had to run.

  “Grave! Your legs are too long! I can’t keep up! What’s the rush?”

  Grave slowed his steps. “Sorry.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were excited.”

  Grave’s lips dipped into an inquisitive frown. “I guess you could say I have a heightened level of anticipation.”

  Nora laughed. “That’s excitement, silly!” She went to slap his arm playfully but stopped when she remembered how it had triggered Grave before.

  “Silly?”

  Nora laughed again and purposefully brushed her arm against him, enjoying the resonating heat that came with the contact.

  Grave walked with her side by side until they came to the wall and a set of concrete steps. He paused at the bottom of them and motioned for her to follow him.

  Nora gasped as the forest filled her vision. For the most part, the trees had been cleared around the wall and used to make houses, so she could see a fair distance. Grave motioned for her to join him and they climbed another set of stairs to the top of a watchtower. When they got to the top, Nora was nearly out of breath, but it was well worth the extra steps.

  Starlight basked the tops of the trees in white light and off in the distance she could make out the darkened, glittering surfaces of lakes. Mountains rose in the distance, their white caps glowing. The light of several moons glowed in the sky. From Yunnika, she could only see one or two other moons, but here she could see five of them. She turned in a circle to capture the images of them all.

  “That is Ever.” Grave pointed to a distant blue ball. “The largest is Yunnika, although Haddena appears the biggest this time of year. The other two are the uninhabitable Forra and Blitz.”

  Nora hugged her arms to help preserve warmth and stared up at the star-filled masterpiece. “It’s so beautiful up here, and the sky is so clear tonight.”

  “Yes, that’s why I thought it would be a good night to show you.”

  “Thank you, Grave.”

  He pulled her close and wrapped the cloth of his cloak around her, sharing his sanctuary. She pressed close to the heat of his body, to the hard wall of his chest.

  She knew the stories of him, knew his past, even Grave admitted he was a monster, yet she felt safe and secure with him. He would never hurt her and the gentleness he held her with only reassured that.

  Her heart raced from their nearness, and her body ached in a primitive way. She wanted to be even closer to him, though she was already close enough to hear the strong beat of his heart.

  Be bold, be bold, be bold. She released an anxious breath and turned so that she faced him, then wrapped her arms around his torso. Warmth engulfed her, and his masculine, earthy scent surrounded her. She loved that he didn’t wear any cologne, or fancy, smelly perfumes. She smelled only him and loved the ruggedness of it. He smelled of a man who spent most of his time outside in the fresh air, walking amongst the trees, dirt, and grass. He smelled of a man who worked with his hands, who stood and fought when others did not.

  His arms wrapped around her more delicate form and smoothed over her back somewhere between that of a lover’s caress and that of a friend’s. Her heart lodged in her throat, and her knees wobbled with need. If his timid affection had her like this, what would she feel like if his hands turned intimate?

  Be bold, be bold, be bold. She didn’t need to be meek little Nora anymore, not when Grave gave her the confidence to be so much more. Reaching up, she grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled his mouth down to hers. Though he could have easily denied her again, he bent, allowing her to press her lips to his and her heart jumped with excitement.

  His lips were softer then she imagined, and the scruff of his chin brushed against her face, reminding her of the rough man in her arms. Her muscles clenched and desire coursed through her, hardening her nipples and dropping between her legs. She went to pull away but Grave’s arms wrapped around her, melding her to him. Then his lips returned to hers with increased intensity.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the way his embrace fully surrounded her and his giant hands caressed her. His mouth moved over hers with intensity, sending tingles all the way to her toes.

  When Grave pulled away, she felt dizzy, like her body and mind had just been slammed back together after getting lost in waves of lust.

  “Grave,” she murmured, her thick, heavy words unrecognizable in the chilly air. “I um…” Be bold, be bold, be bold. His dark eyes pierced through her, making the blood pulse in her veins harder and harder, and her heart slammed inside her chest. Be bold, be bold be bold.

  “Yes?” The thickness of his tone threw her mind into the bedroom, bringing up the images of naked bodies on soft, cool sheets, of nails scraping the skin, and of private whispers.

  “Will you teach me how to fight?” she blurted out.

  The side of Grave’s lips twitched, and his eyes glimmered with humor. “What?”

  Nora wished she could pass out and pretend this wasn’t happening. She didn’t have the confidence to say what she really wanted to say, and the question she had meant to ask earlier had just rushed out of her mouth at the worst possible time.

  Heat rushed up Nora’s body. Not the kind that came after kissing a hot stranger, but the kind that came with ruining a perfectly good kiss.

  “I just…” She played with the hem of her sweater. “I was just thinking that after what happened with Dexter and Griff that it would be good for me to know how to fight a bit. Nothing like you do, but just enough to keep me on my feet.”

  Grave laughed, the sound scaring a few nesting birds into the air. Distracted, they both watched as the birds flew off into the distance.

  “You want me to teach you how to defend yourself? Me? Nora, I could hurt you.”

  She shook her head. “You won’t.”

  “Nora, you remember what happened the last time I got sent over the edge, right? It’s not safe.”

  “You were just triggered by the conversation we were having.”

  “Fighting is the trigger for me. I am not a good man, Nora. I keep away for a reason.”

  Nora took Grave’s larger hands into hers and brought them up to her face to nuzzle. She loved the roughness against her cheek, how he seemed so warm even though he didn’t wear gloves. “You’re not a bad guy, Grave. You’re a survivor.”

  “That he is!” Rikar said as he stepped up into the lookout. “This is my favorite spot in the whole camp. I wondered when Grave would bring you here.”

  Nora jumped at Rikar’s loud, cheery voice. He wore his usual trench coat and a beanie atop his head, but this time, long dreads leaked out around the brim. His black beard was longer than before but still trimmed with sharp edges. His brown eyes were soft, and the light of the night sky reflected off his cheekbones.

  “Rikar,” Grave welcomed.

  “Hi,” Nora said shyly, tucking herself closer to Grave and suddenly feeling like a teenager getting caught kissing her boyfriend in the back of the store.

  Rikar gave her a teasing wink. “I think it’s a great idea for you to show her a few moves, Grave.”

  Grave groaned. “How long have you been listening?”

  Rikar bared his teeth in a grimace. “Well… I sorta popped my head up when the two of you were sucking face.” Both Grave and Nora groaned in response. “Then I didn’t know if I should just come up or leave. I kinda waited too long after that so I decided to just say something before things got a bit too…awkward.”

  Grave grabbed the edge of his hood to lift it over his head.

  “No, leave your hood down. That’s a great first step, by the way, kudos, Nora, for getting him to remove that damn thing.”

  “This again?” Grave said, his voice sounding like grinding rocks.
>
  Rikar held up his gloved hands. “Sorry. You’re right. Anyway…” He studied the two of them for a minute. “I’m beginning to think my coming up here was a mistake. Maybe I should have just left. Oh, well. You guys planning on staying or leaving?” Rikar leaned his elbows on the railing and looked into the trees. “I love those mountains. When Vivid Flor kisses their peaks, the colors are simply beautiful, the complete opposite of Heddena. That’s how I knew this place was my sanctuary.”

  Grave grinned. “Fine. We’re leaving.” He ushered Nora to the stairs with a firm hand on her lower back. Once they were on the ground and had started down the path, Nora turned to Grave.

  “So, are you going to train me?” she asked, choosing to ignore what had happened between them before Rikar interrupted.

  Grave sighed. “I’ll show you a few basics.”

  Nora gave a little skip of celebration. “Thank you! I’ll feel much better, knowing a few things. At least I’ll know where to start if I get attacked again.”

  “You won’t ever be attacked again.”

  “You don’t know that. There are a lot of dangerous criminals here.”

  Grave stopped her and took her shoulders, forcing her to focus entirely on him and his scarred face. “None more than me.”

  19

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Grave asked as he looked at Nora who stood on the other side of a small clearing in the forest. There were still a few hours of daylight left and the late golden rays of Vivid Flor shone through the trees. A few rays gleamed through, illuminating patches of moss and thick blankets of flowers.

  Grave had always seen Nora at night, and she was even more stunning in the daylight. The shine of Vivid Flor sparkled on her pale, flawless skin, and her eyes looked brighter. Grave never understood the legging craze that had been going around for years—the comfort style that was somehow accepted during all occasions—but when Nora wore leggings that clung to her toned, shapely legs and showcased her perfect ass, well, he began to appreciate the trend. Her shirt was baggy and hung to mid-thigh, and her rain boots stopped just below the knee, the style left over from the mid-day drizzle that ended a few hours ago.

  Pulling her hair back and securing it into a messy bun, she nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes! I want to be able to win a fight!”

  Grave chuckled. Her eagerness threatened to rub off on him. “The goal is not for you to win a fight; it’s to cause enough damage that you can get away.”

  Nora quirked her lips. “Right, right. Sorry.”

  The wind rustled the fabric of his cloak from where he had hung it over a low-hanging tree branch. The breeze brushed across his neck, and he felt a chill run down his back. He always wore his hood up, so he never felt the breeze on his face or the warmth of Vivid Flor on his back. Now, he stood in front of Nora, his scarred arms showing, and the bulkiness of his body unconfined. Nora had no idea how vulnerable he felt. If anyone from town saw him, they would run in fear, yet Nora didn’t. She smiled at him causing feelings he had shoved down long ago to stir and roar to life.

  “The first move I’m going to show you is how to strike with an open palm.”

  Nora nodded at him with wide eyes looking like a buchin frozen in the path of a predator.

  Bending his fingers at the knuckle and holding his hand open and tense, he brought his hand to the middle of his chest and thrust upward in demonstration. “You want to catch them with the heel of your hand and aim for a vulnerable spot like the face, eyes, or neck. The best would be the nose. You need the least amount of force to create a significant amount of pain.”

  Nora bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Now, you try.”

  Instead of practicing the basic motion as Grave had expected, Nora rushed forward and thrust her hand upward. He grabbed her wrist and tossed her off balance, she wobbled and caught herself before she landed in the dirt. Wiping off her palms, she looked at him with furrowed, frustrated brows.

  “I did it wrong,” she said weakly.

  “You must never initiate an attack on your opponent. You want to catch them off guard or deflect an attack. I am much too large and much too skilled to be attacked from anywhere within my line of vision. Do not run at me. Instead, wait until I bend toward you and try to grab you. Now, stand in front of me.” He motioned with his hand.

  Nora stood, and Grave rushed forward then leaned in to grab her. Nora struck up and her palm caught his chin, pushing his face away.

  Nora squealed in surprise and Grave found his lips tugging into a smile. “Good. Next time, aim for the nose. That’s a good first step. But, do you think that attack would prevent me from grabbing you?”

  Nora shook her head.

  “Good, because it wouldn’t. The next step is a kick to the stones.”

  Nora’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “The weakest part of a male is their balls. If a hit to the nose is not an option or doesn’t finish the job, a knee or kick to the groin should give you a few moments to escape.”

  “I’m not going to kick you in your…” Her face flushed red. “I’m not going to do that to you.”

  Grave smiled at her attempt to protect him. “If any man ever makes you feel uncomfortable or comes at you, I want you to promise me you won’t worry about hurting them. That is your prerogative. Cause them as much pain as possible then run.”

  Nora nodded. “I promise. Now, what’s another move that doesn’t require me to…” She shyly let her words trail off.

  “Let’s say I grab you and pull you toward me. What do you think you do then?”

  “Um… I guess I push away or try to tug free?”

  Grave leapt forward, grabbed Nora’s arm and yanked her to him. She yelped and instinctively tugged away. He wrapped both arms around her and hugged her to him, enjoying the softness against his hardened body and the sweet, flowery smell of her purple hair.

  “It may seem natural to try and pull away when someone grabs you, but once they have you, you have very little chance of escaping. You must never allow them to grab you. If you do, thrash around and throw your weight. Make it as uncomfortable for them as possible. And scream.”

  Nora relaxed into him and sighed heavily as she rested her cheek on his chest. Arousal stirred, tightening his muscles and rushing blood to his groin. He scolded himself. He had never gotten aroused in combat before and allowing himself to become so now would be dangerous for Nora. He hadn’t expected training her to be so intimate, and he found the mixture of desire and his demons to be strong, pulling him both ways.

  “Instead,” he said, forcing himself to continue, “use their momentum to fuel your attack. Rush into them and push, kick, or punch. The hope is to knock them off balance and gain a window to escape.”

  “I want to try,” Nora said, pushing against his chest. The feminine retreat only fueled his growing desire, and he wondered if he should call it quits before he lost his control. He unraveled his arms and allowed her to assume her position.

  Grave rushed forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him as he did last time. Nora proved a quick study and ran into him, pushing him hard. Though her attack wasn’t enough to throw him off balance, he took a step back anyway and revelled in her proud shout.

  “I did it!” She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling.

  “You did.” He knew she thought she had done well, but she was much too small and meek to survive an attack unless she trained and trained again. Even then, he would go about every day in fear that she would fall victim to this place. He vowed then and there that he would never leave her side.

  “What if someone gets me on the ground?” Nora asked.

  “If someone has you on the ground you want to kick the assailant back. If they’re directly above you, use both feet and thrust your hips for extra power.”

  Nora nodded. “I think I can do that.”

  “Good. You want to try it?”

  Nora nodded, and Grave rushed forward, swooping her off her feet. In o
ne fluid movement he had her lying on her back. Her surprised gasp was the only tell that he had moved too quickly, too aggressively, and he cursed himself for it. This was the reason he didn’t want to train her. Even if he tried to be playful, he was too rough.

  Nora broke the silence with a breathy laugh and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly. Desire swept through him. He pushed her back to the ground and kissed her.

  Her breathy moans fueled his fire. Without thinking, he dropped down atop her, covering her with his weight. Her hands roamed his sides, tangled in his hair, and gripped his shoulders. He groaned into her mouth, lavishing her with nips and swirls of his tongue. Her breasts heaved with her breath, flattening themselves against his chest, and he drew a hand up to caress her. She was smaller than a palmful but absolutely perfect and so soft he wanted to yank her shirt off and take her into his mouth.

  Nora stirred beneath him with a restless desire that matched his own. Images flooded his mind. Him holding her down, making her scream as he lapped between her legs. Tying her hands to his headboard and taking her long and hard. Her on her hands and knees with his fist tangled in her hair and he drove into her from behind. His cock pulsed and he broke the kiss. He dropped his head into the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent, but that did nothing but stir his desire even more.

  Nora’s heavy breaths left small puffs in the cooling air as she held him, her arms tight and her hands stroking his hair. The strokes of a gentle lover. Guilt whirled in his chest. He wasn’t a gentle lover. He wanted her badly, and he wanted to take her long and hard until she cried his name with release after release.

  Grave pulled himself off of her and held out his hand. Nora looked up at him, propped on her elbows, with her hair falling around her face in messy waves, the hair tie having fallen out. Her blue eyes were dark with desire, her lips swollen and pink.

  He groaned and rubbed his eyes, trying to fight off the images that tormented him. He needed to get away fast before he acted on his growing desire. What he needed was a cold shower and a long perimeter check where he was alone to pull his thoughts back to a safer place.