“I would never hurt her.” Dom shook him again to drive the point home.
“How marvelous for you.” Uriah reached up to straighten his hat. “Given the girl’s irritatingly bossy personality, I’m afraid the rest of the world is unlikely to share that noble sentiment.”
Dom bared his teeth again, roaring into the man’s face.
Uriah rolled his eyes. “Yes, I think you’ve said that already. You’re just repeating yourself now.”
“Oh, cut him some slack, Rai’.” Ransom advised. “This probably isn’t his first language.”
The pirate took on an exaggerated thoughtful expression. “I wonder how you say: ‘Eat shit and die’ in Giant?” He wondered aloud, a glint of manic suicidal stubbornness in his eye.
Ransom snorted. “It’s probably just a lot of grunting and throwing handfuls of dirt in the air to show dominance.”
Dom’s temper finally snapped and he turned to hurl the pirate down the hill. The man hit the underbrush with a loud crash, finally coming to a rest several yards away.
“That didn’t sound good.” Ransom tilted her head to the side, listening for her partner and looking almost amused. “You dead, ‘Rai?” She waited a moment for his reply, smiling. “If you’re dead, can I have your hat?”
Unfortunately, Taylor chose that exact moment to reappear. She frowned slightly at the scene. “Is everything okay?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Uriah assured her with utter confidence, rising to his feet and brushing the leaves from his coat as he climbed back up to them. “Why?”
She blinked in confusion, but decided to let it drop. “Okay, are we ready to get going again?”
Dom glared at the pirate for a moment longer, making sure the man knew just how lucky he was that Taylor had arrived to save him. “I’m ready.” He assured her.
Uriah readjusted his stupid hat. “But I will be so sorry to see you both leave.” He made a sad sound. “Frankly, I’m half considering just leading you in circles so that I can retain the pleasure of your company.”
Dom waited until Taylor’s attention was elsewhere, then grabbed the man’s hat and tossed it into the woods as hard as he could.
The pirate’s eyes locked with his and for the first time, Dom could see beneath the carefree exterior. Something dark stirred inside the man. For a moment, Dom suspected the pirate would go for his swords, but instead he took a calming breath and turned to Taylor. “You know, I’m glad to see you safe.” He assured her. “My men have been hearing the most ghastly stories for weeks now.” He turned back to Dom. “Reports of a murderous ogre, pillaging our beautiful countryside.”
“Those poor people.” Ransom agreed, holding a hand over her chest in mock horror. “And this used to be such a wonderful and safe kingdom too.”
Uriah nodded, with fake regret. “But of course, I’m sure you had a good reason for killing all those people, Mister Giant…”
“…the children…” Ransom added.
“…whole families.” Uriah met his gaze again challengingly. “Because otherwise… well… it’d just be murder.”
“But of course, it’s not like you knew them or anything.” Ransom casually took a bite of food. “You’re not even from here. We don’t know anything about you.”
“And the chances that you ate one of Taylor’s family is…”
“…minimal.” Ransom finished for him. “Probably didn’t even happen. Because just think of how…”
“…awkward that would be for you if you had.” Uriah started off to retrieve his missing hat. “Knowing that you had murdered her only family. Why… that would cause her such unimaginable pain.”
“She probably cried.” Ransom thought out loud. “She seems like a crier.”
“How could she not?” Uriah helped his partner to her feet and escorted her from the scene to join him in locating the hat. “You know how close she is to them.”
“’Was’ with them. How close she was to them.” His partner corrected. “They were taken from her. By a monster.” She paused. “Who probably wasn’t you, Dom, don’t worry.”
Uriah nodded in agreement. “There’s no way of knowing for sure, of course, but we all have to believe that.”
Ransom shrugged. “What other choice do we have, really?”
Uriah held his hand over his heart. “But that poor sweet girl. Having to live with that.”
“I couldn’t even look at someone who had killed my family.” Ransom rounded a small bend in the trail, still helping hunt for her partner’s missing hat.
“Well, to be fair, Dove, you couldn’t ‘look at him’ either way.” Uriah paused at the bend, looking back at Dom for a long moment. “But even if you could, their deaths are all you’d ever see in that monster’s eyes.”
The pirates disappeared around the corner.
Taylor frowned up at him. “What was that about?”
Dom shook his head. “Nothing.” He started to pack up the camp. “Just more pirate bullshit.”
“Ah.” Taylor nodded, as if that explained everything. Then she paused. “For the record: I don’t blame you for anything you might have done in this war.”
He looked down at his hands, unable to find a suitable response to that. “I do.” He finally whispered, then stalked from the scene.
Chapter Eleven
Something was wrong.
Taylor could feel it.
She had no idea what it was, but something was deeply, deeply wrong with her.
She had woken up this morning, feeling like she was on fire. Her rather enjoyable dream about Dom had come to an abrupt end and she’d awoken with a start. She sat bolt upright in her blanket, too scared and pained to make so much as a sound. It felt like her skin was burning. Like someone had dumped smoldering embers all over her in the night and they were scorching her flesh.
The sensation had almost disappeared once she’d attained full consciousness, but the ghost of the pain remained. It still covered her entire body, particularly… certain areas.
She was guessing that it was sunburn. Just how she’d managed to get sunburned in areas covered by her uniform was anyone’s guess though.
Perhaps it had been some sort of toxic plant?
That was also a possibility.
Once, as a prank, Ryle’s wife Anna had added a few Uroxith leaves to Taylor’s soap. She’d itched for days!
Oh, how they’d laughed!
Taylor still missed that girl. She was as close to a sister as Taylor would ever have. But now she was gone.
Taylor pushed the maudlin thought from her mind and shrugged off her jumpsuit, tiptoeing into the river. The water was cold, made especially so by the fact that every inch of Taylor’s skin still felt heated. The water did little to sooth the discomfort though, which was strange.
She set about washing the grime of their travels from her skin. It had been awhile since she’d had a free minute to take a relaxing bath and she didn’t intend to miss this opportunity. The way her week was going, it might very well be the last bath she would ever take.
She put her head back in the deep, slow-moving water, soaking her hair and imagining all of her stress getting carried away by the current.
But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, that heated sensation just wouldn’t quit. If she hadn’t been running for her life and trying to oversee the rescue of an entire kingdom, she’d probably be worried about it.
It didn’t feel… natural.
It felt like something was missing in her and she had no idea what that could possibly be.
Taylor wasn’t the type of person who…
Her thoughts were cut off with a squeak of pain, as her arm suddenly felt like it was on fire again. She swore, frantically moving away from the spot in the river, just in case some hidden creature had attacked her. But she saw nothing lurking beneath the surface of the clear water.
She glanced down at the wound in question, which was already red and blistering. She swore again, gently prodding at
the injury to see if there was a stinger or dart inside which had to be removed.
But there wasn’t.
It was as if her skin itself was burning of its own accord.
It hurt so badly that a tear formed in her eye and she doubled over in pain, swearing again.
Taylor had no medical training, but even she knew that, generally speaking, it wasn’t good when a person’s skin caught fire for no reason. In fact, it was probably very bad.
She took a deep breath, determined to keep calm about this. She had been through worse than this, right? It was just some silly allergy or something.
But deep down, Taylor didn’t think so. The rational side of her mind was grasping for an explanation, but a deeper more primal side of her seemed to be screaming at her to do something. But Taylor had no idea what.
Behind her, something crashed through the underbrush and barreled out onto the bank, as if expecting a fight.
Dom towered there, braced for battle and looking for someone to kill. “Are you okay?” He asked her quickly, eyes still scanning for foes.
“Y-y-yes.” She finally got out, surprised to see him. “I was just…” She let out another soft cry as the blister on her arm grew worse. “Ow!” More tears came to her eyes. “I don’t… I don’t…” She stammered, then looked up at him. “Don’t tell Ryle.” She warned him, trying to spare her brother the worry. Until they knew what this mystery affliction was, he didn’t need to know.
Dom’s brow compressed in thought, then looked lost for a moment, as if just recognizing the fact that she was naked. Granted, she was floating in the deep water, so it wasn’t like he could see anything, but that didn’t seem to matter to him.
His heated gaze made her feel like she was about to burst into flames, water or not. The pleasure washed over her like liquid fire, warming her already hot skin to the point of pain. She swore again, fighting against the feeling, trying not to cry out.
It was an intense burning feeling all over her body, which she couldn’t explain.
Dom shook his head to clear it, then started forward into the water towards her.
She shook her head frantically. “No! I don’t know what this is, so you could catch…”
He kept walking, the water flowing over his hard muscles. He had no difficulty standing in the deep water, looming over her like a solid wall of muscle while she paddled to stay afloat. He reached out to gently hold her against him, lifting her from the water.
She panted in relief, her panic subsiding. “I think it’s gone now…” She breathed. “I don’t… I don’t know what that was.”
“Fighting against The Pyra is playing with fire, Tay-lore.” He assured her, his voice deeper than usual. “You could get hurt.”
She looked up to meet his gaze, once again feeling lost when she gazed into his eyes. “I don’t know what that means.” She whispered, suddenly very aware of being naked and pressed against his warm hard body.
“I mean,” he reached down to take her arm, “that the Mountain chooses our destinies. And we should be thankful and listen to its wisdom.” He silently surveyed her wound.
“Okay.” She agreed, still having no idea what that meant but caring less and less about getting an explanation. The chilly water dripping from her skin seemed to beg her to press more of her body against his heated warmth. Taylor hated being cold, and right now, she was shivering. “My arm is…” She began.
“I know.” He cut her off, meeting her gaze again with understanding eyes. “I know, Tay-Lore.” He assured her. “We have waited too long. We need to…” He swallowed and closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to maintain himself. “I will not pressure. If this is the path you mean to take, I will help you.” He traced a finger over the blisters and she instantly braced herself for the pain which would result… but instead, it felt… good. Like some kind of salve being applied to the wound.
She let out a shaky breath of relief.
“It’s okay.” He assured her, his deep voice rumbling in the most attractive way. “I’ll take care of it.” He gently pressed his lips to the burn.
And Taylor almost climaxed right there. It was the single most erotic moment of her life.
It was like everything in her suddenly exploded. She bit her lower lip, trying to keep from moaning and failed. It was a low sound of pure relief and exquisite pleasure.
Heat began to build beneath her skin again, tracing its way to her tightening breasts and between her legs. This time though, the heat made her feel powerful. Like she was finally doing what her body expected. And far from being painful, this time the fire beneath her skin seemed to be pulling her towards him.
She pressed herself closer to him, the loincloth he wore doing nothing to hide the thick evidence of his arousal. She moved against him, rubbing her breasts across his chest, as if trying to ease the tightness and warm their stiff points.
He took her face in his large hands, redirecting her gaze up at him. “You no longer wish to fight this?” He all but whispered, as if afraid to scare her. “You accept me as yours?”
Taylor was too far gone to even hear him now, fumbling with his loincloth and reaching for his body. She wanted to feel him. She needed to feel him, forcefully thrusting her hips against him, all but pleading for him.
Her hand closed around him and he let out a low growl of pleasure, his entire body shuddering. “That’s right.” He assured her softly. “This is how it’s supposed to be.” He moved his hips against her grasp, reaching down beneath the surface of the water to touch her.
His fingertips brushed against her core and Taylor just about lost her mind. She struggled against the waves of pleasure it brought, trying to keep her sanity.
She bit her lower lip harder in an attempt to keep her mind together.
She could do this…
She could do this…
His large hand moved, gently pushing her legs wider and allowing his fingers greater access.
The frigid water she was standing in did nothing to cool the heat collecting beneath his touch though. In fact, if anything, it seemed to make her hotter.
The water dripping down her skin suddenly evaporated in an instant, as he caressed her. Her chilly shivers were gone now, replaced with the trembling hands of adrenalin, excitement, and passion.
The water surrounding him seemed to begin to boil and heat, as if warmed from beneath. He ignored it, his own skin growing hotter and hotter in her grasp. She pressed against him tighter, moving her hips against him and feeling his heavy breath.
He redirected her gaze up at him again, his fingers still doing the most amazing things to her body. He drank in every inch of her face, seemingly noticing every tiny indication of her pleasure and rejoicing in it. “Good girl.” He praised, running his hand down her face. “This is how it’s supposed to be for us. This is how it was meant to be.”
Taylor opened her mouth to reply, but found herself unable.
The heat between her legs seemed to grow more and more intense, until she was panting. The water around them was uncomfortably warm now, somehow reaching a steady boil despite the current.
But Taylor didn’t care.
She gasped for breath, moving against him, her eyes locked with his.
“Dom…” She finally cried out, climaxing hard. Her entire body convulsed like it had a mind of its own, shaking her thoughts lose until it seemed like the entire world was his touch and the sensations it brought. She rode out the aftershocks, shuddering against his large palm.
When the climax finally stopped, she was left gasping for breath. “W-w-wow.” She whispered.
He nodded. “’Wow’ indeed.” He agreed, sounding like he was seconds away from climax himself. He bent down to kiss her. Her lips parted and he kissed her deeper, bending her back into the hot water. She clawed at him, trying to pull him closer still.
He broke the kiss after several moments. “We are meant to be together, Tay-Lore.” He traced a finger down her face. “It’s the will of the Mo
untain. That’s what this means.”
She swallowed hard. “Yeah…” She agreed. “Obviously. ‘Cause the mountain is… you know… awesome.” She pulled him closer for another kiss. “Always liked it.”
“The Mountain tells us who we belong to. Gives us the gift of The Pyra.” He assured her, gently planting a series of kisses across her face. “Tells us what we should do…”
Taylor frowned slightly, trying to understand that. It sounded like he was saying…
He wasn’t in control of himself.
And Taylor’s world collapsed once more.
That stupid fucking Magic Wand!
She swore under her breath, trying not to cry in frustration and anger.
Not at Dom; with herself. Ryle had warned her not to get involved with Dom until they understood what the magic wand thing did exactly, but she hadn’t. The man was just too hot and amazing for that! She couldn’t help it!
But now she had inadvertently used its powers to control him into this. His “Mountain” was undoubtedly just the outside influence of the Wand, controlling him and making him do this with her.
He was still someone’s prisoner.
And in that moment, Taylor hated herself. Well… it was hatred mixed with mind-numbing pleasure because Dom’s warm hand was still insolated between her legs and was very welcomed, but self-hate nonetheless.
She used up what little self-control she could muster and pushed away from him. “We… we can’t do this.”
He frowned in confusion. “I think we already have.” He argued. “The process has started. If we stopped it now, it would…”
“No.” She shook her head and started for shore, feeling like her legs each weighed a ton. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, because everything in her was telling her to throw herself into his arms and screw every inch of the man. But she could be strong. She could do this! Dom didn’t deserve to be mistreated. Even by her. “It… it wouldn’t be right.”
Travels With a Fairytale Monster Page 16
