Tamed by the Troll (The Perished Woods Book 1)

by Tracy Lauren

Words catch in my throat and I don’t quite know what to say. The thought of getting to Pontheugh is a powerful lure.

  “You must be hungry,” Brom says suddenly. “Do you feel well enough to eat?” He rises from the bed and as he pulls away, I find myself starkly aware of the absence of his warmth.

  My mind is foggy, but when he turns toward his modest kitchen I’m pulled from my thoughts. “Brom! Your back!” I exclaim, jumping out of the bed. I stumble, my legs weaker than I expected. But Brom is there to stabilize me.

  “Back in bed, little one,” he reprimands.

  “Your back, Brom! It looks terrible! What happened?” I press as he guides me back down onto the soft mattress.

  “It’s nothing,” he says, waving away my concern.

  “Nothing? It looks like you caught the brunt of an explosion—” I gasp. “Brom, did I do that to you?” I ask, horrified.

  He shrugs but won’t meet my gaze.

  “We have to take care of that. It needs a healing ointment,” I insist.

  “I’m all out,” he tells me carefully. “No matter, we can get more in Briarmere.”

  He turns away again, heading to the kitchen. I can’t help but stare at the purply and blistered wounds. A deep feeling of guilt weighs heavily on my insides.

  I steel my resolve. “When do we leave?” I ask, feeling determined to begin setting things right.

  “As soon as you’re well enough to travel.”

  “Tomorrow then,” I say confidently.

  Brom smiles and shakes his head. “Let’s give you a couple days to finish healing. I don’t want you falling back under halfway to Briarmere.”

  “A couple days? Sure.” I nod. That will give me time to think. I want to help Brom. I want to get to my Aunt Ellyn. I’ll have to find a way to do both. I just hope I can still strike a deal with the witch even after she finds out…I’m no virgin.

  Chapter 18

  Brom

  The night before our journey is a difficult one. For it’s the last night I’ll have Adelaide here in my bed with me. And yes, I have kept her in my bed. I could have put her back in her place before the hearth, instead I insisted she have some small comforts while still recovering. She agreed, albeit reluctantly. My embarrassing admission is how deeply relieved I was when she accepted the sleeping arrangement. I don’t have many more days with the woman and already I miss her scent. Not to mention the way she seeks me out once she’s fallen into a deep sleep, unconsciously sliding closer to me for comfort.

  I don’t know why the thought of her impending absence troubles me so. I should be glad to rid myself of such a troublesome girl. Still, there’s something about her that’s grown on me. I chalk it up to my loneliness and try to push the feelings aside. But the human makes it hard to do so. Ever since she awoke, I’ve noticed a shift in her behavior. She’s trying to be more than just her anger. She even thanks me every time I bring her food and water. Though she almost acts surprised I’m caring for her at all. Adelaide must truly think I’m a monster if she believes I’m going to force her from my bed and put her to work in the kitchen after her brush with death. The girl’s still weak from days of cursed slumber. It would be unconscionable to make her work.

  Regardless of what she thinks of me, the change in her is apparent. I caught her trying to finger comb her long red locks this morning and offered to brush it out for her. To my utter surprise, she agreed. I nearly thought I had misheard her and was going to order her into submission if only so I could help with her tangles, but no. She made space for me to sit with her on the bed and pushed her hair back over her shoulders waiting for my aid.

  I learned something important in that interaction however: I must maintain my distance from the girl. To my surprise, she found pleasure in my ministrations to her hair, letting out a moan as the brush massaged her scalp. The sound escaping her lips set me on edge and I put the brush away quickly afterwards. I was aroused…drawn to Adelaide in a way that has been brewing since I first saw her. In a way that intensified the moment I kissed her.

  Oh, that kiss. It haunts me. It was so painfully perfect. Unfortunately, Adelaide seems to have no memory of our passionate moment. Yet here I am, in the middle of the night before our journey, and I can’t seem to push it from my mind.

  “Are you still up?” Adelaide whispers to me.

  I bristle at the sound of her voice. Lying in the dark, sharing my bed with Adelaide, mentally reliving that kiss…it is difficult to think of anything beyond my desire. I grunt to let her know I am awake, but I do not trust myself to speak, lest she hear the lust in my voice.

  “I can’t sleep. I’m nervous about tomorrow,” she confides.

  Feeling the need to console her, I break my silence. “You have nothing to worry about as long as I’m with you.”

  “I just don’t know what to expect from these woods. My parents warned me about them my entire life and now I’m about to journey into their depths.”

  “You are right to be wary. If you were confident I’d think you were a fool.”

  “Are you confident?”

  “Of course I am, I’m a troll.”

  She chuckles in the dark and the sound draws me to her. I roll to face her, finding her silhouette in the dim candlelight. I feel the bed move as she matches my posture.

  “I’d say you’re the one who sounds like the fool, but I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.”

  “I’ve noticed,” I tell her, my voice gentle. She tenses in the dark and it takes Adelaide a moment to recover from our open discussion of this new side of her. Anger has been her armor. Now that she is stripping it away, she seems raw and exposed.

  “How long will it take to get to the witch in Briarmere?” she asks, changing the subject back to our travels.

  “A week, at least. Depends on what obstacles we encounter.”

  “Obstacles?”

  “Think of all the things your parents warned you about. Those obstacles.”

  “Oh…” she says, sounding fearful. “I am scared, but I trust you.”

  Her words hit me like a physical thing, but it’s what she does next that truly throws me. Adelaide reaches out and finds my hand in the dark, lacing her delicate fingers in with my larger ones. It’s an awkward fit—humans have one too many fingers—but still, I find her touch enthralling.

  It’s the last thing I need before releasing her. Hell, it’s the last thing I need before bringing such a defenseless creature into the Perished Woods. I can’t allow myself to venture down this path any further. I can’t lose sight of the fact that despite her vulnerability since the sleeping curse, when it comes down to it, Adelaide does not like me. She has no wish to remain here with me. And regardless of this momentary lust, I do not wish for her to remain here either. I have no use for such a terrible slave and nothing will ever come of this misplaced attraction to her. I must break this habit now, before it becomes a real problem.

  “Get some sleep,” I tell her roughly, pulling my hand away.

  Regretfully, I turn away from her, reminding myself why I shouldn’t be having these feelings. I agreed to take her to her family. I’ll be giving the girl up soon, now’s no time to foster a sentimental attachment. Especially since I’ll need all of my wits about me after we leave the safety of my village tomorrow. Our journey beyond that point will be dangerous. If I allow my focus to wander I’m liable to get us both killed.

  It’s best I play the rest of our time together safely. Still, I can’t help but feel guilty for my cold demeanor. Despite my better judgment, I break my silence once more. “We leave in a few short hours, Adelaide. My full attention must be on our journey,” I explain.

  “Of course,” she answers quietly.

  “You must tell me now if you plan to disobey me out there,” I add. “This isn’t about a power struggle, little one. If I ask you to do something it’s for our safety.”

  “Okay…” she answers, sounding unsure if she can hold up her end of the agreement.

  “You
say you trust me, Adelaide?”

  “I do.” Though her voice is shy, her answer sounds confident.

  “You’ll be asked to prove it before this journey is done,” I warn. She lets out a shaky breath and I press once more. “Do you think you can do it?”

  “I’ll try,” she answers, sounding less confident.

  We lie there like that for a long time, both of us lost in thought. I know when she finally falls asleep though, because she scoots even closer to me under the covers, her cool human flesh grazing my own.

  Now that she’s sleeping, I turn, facing her again in the dark and breathing in my fill of her delicious scent. I will miss this.

  Chapter 19

  Adelaide

  Brom has been acting weird all morning. He’s quiet and standoffish and it makes our awkward relationship feel that much more strained. I don’t know where we stand.

  For me, things changed after I woke from my nightmare. I’m trying to be a kinder, less angry version of myself. I feel like I owe Brom. He cared for me the whole time I was under the sleeping curse. I relied on him then, more than he’ll ever know. Which is why I am willing to give him my trust. But now that he’s taking me to Pontheugh I feel like I owe him even more.

  Despite his original claim on me, Brom has decided to set me free. I don’t want to continue being this toxic and angry girl, arguing with him at every turn. I want him to know I’m grateful. Besides, life is so fragile and short. I’m tired of wasting all my time being angry. I want to find a way to be more. It’s hard though, I’ve been angry for so long. It’s the only emotion I remember how to use.

  So yeah, I’m doing this for Brom as a way to show my appreciation, but I’m doing this for me too. Because I want more. I deserve more.

  “We’ll need to get supplies for you in the village,” Brom tells me. “They won’t have anything human-sized, but we’ll have to make do.”

  “The village? You’re planning on taking me through the troll village?” I ask, hiding neither my shock nor dismay.

  He bristles at my reaction and his jaw twitches angrily, but he makes no snarky reply. My cheeks flush with the realization of how rude I must have sounded.

  “I just meant…I mean, isn’t that a little dangerous?”

  “To travel into the village of monsters?” he asks, baiting me.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  He grunts, having no desire to call me on my bullshit. “You’ll need a cloak and a pair of gloves at the very least.”

  “I don’t have any coin,” I remind him.

  “I guess you’ll have to owe me for it,” he says, a smile teasing at the corner of his mouth.

  “Just put it on my tab,” I tell him, letting my humor shine through.

  Brom gathers the supplies necessary for our trip, the majority of which are weapons he slings over his back or ties at his hips. Other than that, he brings only a few apples and some dried meat. I have nothing to pack and so I shift awkwardly on my feet, feeling ill prepared for what lies ahead. Brom closes up his satchel, then it’s time to leave.

  “You won’t run, will you?” he asks as we step out from under the bridge.

  “No,” I answer. It’s a valid question.

  “Then I will not tie you to me this time. Not unless you give me a reason to.”

  I nod, letting him know that I understand. Then we’re off. We cross the bridge and I look back, feeling a weird sense of sadness inside me. I won’t miss this place, but watching it vanish behind the trees solidifies everything that has happened the past week or so. My village is gone, and everyone I have ever known is gone with it. My time here with the troll started out frightening, but lately it’s been a safe haven…a holding place at the very least. One last stop before the real journey begins. Today we leave it all behind to travel into the great unknown in the hope that there is something better out there for me.

  Brom is stoic as we travel and I’m lost in my thoughts. Every now and then I cut my eyes to his back. He swears he’s fine, but I see places that have yellowed and there are oozing cracks running rampant along the wounded parts of his flesh.

  I’m still worrying about it when we reach Brom’s village. One minute we’re walking through an ordinary, unremarkable stretch of forest and the next my senses are battered with the sounds and smells of a vibrant town inhabited by trolls. I gasp in shock, hurrying to get closer to Brom’s side. He looks down at me from his towering height with a smirk on his face.

  “We’re here,” he says. The village must have some magical cloak or safeguard around it, for it popped up seemingly out of thin air.

  “You could have warned me,” I hiss in a low voice. I wring my hands together, wanting to reach out and hold onto Brom, but my pride stops me short.

  “Come,” he says, placing one heavy hand on my shoulder, urging me forward. I’m almost grateful that he keeps that physical link between us, but something about his touch feels cold and callous.

  I swallow hard and force my legs to press me onward toward the lively town center. We pass homes on the outskirts, not so different in appearance from the ones in my village. The main distinction is the scale. While the domiciles are still modest, they are clearly a better fit for trolls than humans. The materials used to create them are more roughly hewn as well and there is a natural look about them that I’m not accustomed to. Some of them are even built right up against live trees, with branches spreading out over the rooftops. There’s a quaint beauty about the place.

  Nearby, I can hear the steady flow of water. There seems to be a wide stream running through the middle of the village. Somewhere I can hear the turning of a water wheel.

  Close to us, a door swings open and a woman comes out…a woman troll, that is. Her sudden appearance startles me and I stand there gaping at her. She stands over a head taller than me and her eyes go wide as she takes me in. In her hands she holds a wicker basket, filled with laundry needing to be hung. She cuts her eyes to Brom and the look she gives him puts me on edge.

  “Good morning, Malkyn,” Brom calls to her, raising his hand in greeting.

  “Brom, looks like you’ve been earning your keep down at the bridge,” she says with a fang-filled smile. I narrow my eyes at her, wondering what that’s supposed to mean. Scrutinizing the woman a little more closely, I find myself curious about the female version of Brom’s kind. This Malkyn is as green and tough looking as Brom, perhaps with a few more curves to her bulky troll frame. Her eyes are smoky and her hair thick, but tamed in an intricate style. There’s an obvious beauty about her, despite how different she is from a human.

  Her gaze stays locked on Brom as we pass her home and she doesn’t get back to her laundry until my captor and I are nearly out of sight. I frown, wondering if Brom is considered attractive among his people. I know he told me the fae thought something of him…and not even I can deny a certain masculine appeal he has.

  “Helewys, Ysmay! Look who’s in town!” I hear a voice call. An old and weathered-looking troll rises from his work in his garden, wiping his hands free of dirt. I hardly have a chance to wonder who Helewys and Ysmay are before two youthful-looking troll women are poking their noses out of the front door of their home.

  “Carac, it is good to see you, old friend. Your garden is looking fine this season,” Brom compliments.

  “Hello, Brom!” the women call in unison.

  “I’d stop to talk, but I’ve got business to attend to,” Brom tells the family, motioning toward me.

  “Keep up the good work,” the one called Carac says, giving a gruff nod in my direction.

  “You’ll have to come for dinner when you aren’t so busy, Brom!” one of the women calls as we continue down the road. Despite myself, I can’t keep the frown from my face…though I don’t know why I should care that the women of this town seem to be fawning over Brom.

  The deeper we get into the village, the less we are stopped by those who know my troll. Though everyone seems to know him. There isn’t a single tr
oll we pass that doesn’t offer Brom a greeting, or at the very least a nod of acknowledgement. And the looks I get are something else altogether. I’m frowned upon, as if I’m the monster—a criminal who has no business in their midst.

  I feel myself getting defensive again and cross my arms over my chest, wanting to yank free from Brom’s vise-like grip.

  “This is it,” Brom says, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “What is this place?” I ask, looking at the small shop we’ve come to a halt in front of. But Brom doesn’t answer. Instead, he pulls a length of rope from his hip and reaches for my wrists.

  “What are you doing?” I gasp, looking up at the troll with accusing eyes.

  “Have you already forgotten what we discussed, Adelaide?” he questions, not looking up from binding my wrists. I clench my teeth, having no desire to answer. I know he wants me to trust him, to follow his orders. Hell, I agreed to it. So I allow Brom to tie my wrists loosely and I don’t protest as he wraps the rope around a piece of wood railing. I do, however, refuse to look at him.

  “Good girl,” he tells me. My nostrils flare in outrage, but I swallow all the angry words I have brewing just beneath the surface. “I will be back shortly.”

  And just like that, he leaves me on the busy road, tied to a rail, like I’m his damned horse. Trolls pass. Some of them sneer at me, I hear others whispering about humans. While I’m outraged, I’m also beating back my fear. Trolls are frightening beasts and my time with Brom hasn’t desensitized me to that fact. It causes me to watch all those who pass with great scrutiny.

  Brom isn’t gone long when a group of youngsters, reminding me of a bunch of teenage boys, stop not far away. Though they are clearly much younger than Brom, they stand as tall as a full-grown human man. They have the same leathery skin as their older brethren, along with the well-tended hair and piercings adorning their ears and noses. And perhaps I’m being paranoid, but something about the look in their eyes is predatorial. They watch me with great interest, talking quietly amongst themselves and laughing wickedly every now and again. When they begin to approach me, my heart races in my chest and I start working to undo the loose knots Brom left me in.