Tamed by the Troll (The Perished Woods Book 1)

by Tracy Lauren

  “Me? I would simply drag you to my lair and hogtie you until you surrendered yourself to me.”

  “What a clever plan,” I tell him sarcastically. “Because that worked out so well for you last time.”

  “It may not have worked, but damn if the view wasn’t a pleasant one,” he says, giving a playful tug to the front of my dress, reminding me of the gaping neckline.

  For a moment I forget myself. I forget how deep we have trekked into the Perished Woods and the terrors that filled the night. Instead all I can feel is Brom’s masculine body holding me, a dangerous mixture of strength and tenderness, and for the first time in longer than I can recall…I feel sexy, maybe even a little aroused. I open my eyes to study him, only to find his own gaze searching my face. He runs one of his strong hands through my hair, something he does often, unconsciously offering me a comforting caress. Somewhere in the distance a bird begins to chirp and another answers its call. Morning is here.

  “It is time to go, Adelaide,” Brom says suddenly, surprising me. I’m not ready to step out of this safe little bubble we’re in, but the troll has plans. “There’s an inn ahead. It’s a long distance, but I want you to sleep in a bed tonight. Hell, I want to sleep in a bed tonight.”

  “A bed does sound nice,” I agree. Then I blink a few times, registering his statement. “Brom, we’re in the Perished Woods, traveling deeper into its core. Who would run an inn in a place like this?”

  A low growl escapes him, seeming almost involuntary.

  “Goblins,” he answers.

  Chapter 27

  Brom

  With great reluctance, I release Adelaide and rise so that I may pack up our camp. The fire I built up last night to keep the will-o’-wisps away still crackles and burns and I throw dirt on it to quell the last of its flames. Adelaide lingers close to my side as I roll up the sleeping mat and offer her a few traveling biscuits for her breakfast.

  “We need to cover a lot of ground. We’ll have to eat as we walk,” I tell her. She nods in response, her expression looking determined. “You must be tired, little one. Are you sure you’re up for this?” I ask.

  She runs her fingers through her hair and straightens her dress. “Despite our recent adventures, I’m usually a real tough bitch, Brom.”

  “That fact hasn’t escaped me,” I laugh.

  “Good. Then lead the way,” Adelaide commands.

  The morning is new as we begin to walk and mist clings to the ground. Adelaide puts on a brave face, but jumps at the slightest of sounds coming from the forest, her ordeal from last night likely still fresh in her mind.

  “You believed you could save your parents last night, when the wisps took hold of you?”

  She nods. “At first.”

  “And what came next?”

  “After that I think the wisps grew angry with me for not following their call. Then I could hear—” Adelaide clears her throat and forces the words out. “I could hear my parents lost out there. I knew they were dead, but I was sure they were wandering the woods. I wanted to go to them, to help them, but it was frightening…like it was them, but still not. I know how crazy that sounds, but it felt so real in the moment.”

  “The wisps are dangerous in that way. They cannot cause you physical harm, but they can poison your mind until you’re beyond reason, then they lead you into the woods.”

  “What happens after that?”

  “No one knows. Once a person follows a wisp they are lost forever.”

  “Brom, I just want to say I owe you my gratitude for…everything you did last night,” she tells me. And while I don’t know if she’s thinking of our kiss when she says it, I know I am.

  “I should have warned you earlier of the things we might encounter. Tell me, little one, which of the Perished Woods beasts are you familiar with?”

  “I’ve heard of fae, trolls, and goblins of course. Centaurs and witches too…”

  “Werewolves?”

  “Yes, I’ve heard of them.”

  “Gollums, gargoyles, orcs?”

  “Obviously I’m no stranger to orcs and I’ve heard of gargoyles as well. But I admit, there are a few I don’t know much about. Like gollums and goblins. And the information I do have…well, I’m afraid a lot of it is just stories.”

  “I will have to school you regarding the goblins before we arrive at the inn,” I tell her. “Are there any other creatures you know of?”

  “No,” she tells me. I shake my head in dismay. Her lack of knowledge regarding this part of the world is concerning.

  “We could come across anything out here Adelaide—cyclopes, basilisks, satyrs, banshees. There are all manners of animals that should not exist and yet they do. This is the place they have chosen to make their home, like the manticores and chimeras.”

  “And those are just the things people know of. Many believe there are other creatures that have remained hidden for centuries. One wrong turn and we could find ourselves face to face with some unknown beast. I myself have come across massive webs, large enough to ensnare a troll. Though I have yet to discover the builder.”

  Adelaide whimpers at the laundry list of dangers I provide and she hugs herself tightly, her expression apprehensive. A sudden breeze filters in through the trees and the mist clears away, exposing roots twisting up from the ground. They look eerily like hands reaching for anyone who might pass. Adelaide inches closer to me, linking her fingers with mine as we continue along the neglected path. I try to focus on the forest around us rather than the way such a simple touch makes the blood pound in my ears.

  “There is also the wandering dead to worry about,” I tell her, “and the wild men who hunt these woods.”

  “I’ve heard of the dead, but what do you mean by wild men?”

  “Humans, or nearly so. Warped by generations of life in this cursed place. I’ve come across them before. Nothing more than rapists and pillagers like the orcs. They’re vicious and nomadic. If you see anything that looks like a man out here, Adelaide, don’t trust it.”

  She nods, taking in the severity of what I tell her.

  “As for the goblins…” I trail off, thinking on how best to describe the dangers surrounding them while Adelaide watches me with grave concern. “It is very important that you don’t fuck them and definitely don’t suck on their cocks.”

  Adelaide stops in her tracks and her mouth falls open. Her lips move, as if trying to figure out what to say in response.

  “Goblins are ugly things, no bigger than your hip perhaps, but that does not stop human women. Hells, even the fae have been known to fuck a goblin,” I explain.

  Adelaide shakes her head in disbelief. “Brom, of all the things you might need to warn me about, I hardly think this is one of them.”

  “So you say. Still, it’s important you know, in case any of them try to lure you—”

  Adelaide interrupts me with a scoff, disbelief worn plainly on her face.

  “You might not understand because you’re a virgin,” I tell her. I’m met with a shrill and short-lived laugh, but I press on, not wanting to make Adelaide linger in any unnecessary discomfort during a discussion that is sure to be frank.

  “You see, when a male is aroused and his cock is stimulated, there’s a fluid that comes forth. This is called cum,” I explain, feeling awkward about having this discussion in such a clinical manner. While I could talk to Adelaide about my own cock and cum all day, describing the goblins in this way feels emphatically wrong. As I go on, her face begins to lose its color, doing nothing to ease my nerves. Still, it is important she understands.

  “Females are drawn to goblin cum, especially humans. Its effect is like a drug. Imagine the confusion you felt last night over the wisps? A goblin’s cum can make a woman lose her mind for the rest of her life. I have heard stories of women starving to death or dying of thirst because only goblin cum makes them feel sated. Come in contact with it and you will be a shell of your former self.”

  “Scary. Still, I can
’t imagine that being a problem for us, Brom.”

  “Let’s hope not. I’d hate to murder an entire inn’s worth of goblins. It wouldn’t be hard, but still…messy work.”

  Adelaide smiles up at me, still gripping my hand.

  “What?” I question.

  “You know, for a troll you’re a real knight in shining armor.”

  “You’ve made that joke before,” I remind her.

  “Maybe I’m a little bit serious this time,” she says with a shrug, leaving me feeling like the conversation was a success.

  Chapter 28

  Adelaide

  We’ve had no breaks today; all of our eating and drinking has been done on the move. I’m dog tired, particularly because of our lack of sleep last night. The only thing that keeps my legs moving is the fact that the sun ducks low in the sky. Soon it will be dusk, followed by dark, followed by will-o’-wisps.

  Lingering in the back of my mind is the understanding that every step we take brings us closer to the witch. I have no idea how she will react once she learns I am not a virgin. Still, there must be something of value that I can offer her. But it’s hard to focus on that looming problem when there are so many others facing us in this moment. This is a game of survival, I’ll just have to cross each bridge once I get to it…and hope there are no surprises hiding underneath.

  “It won’t be long. Still, it will be dark before we arrive,” Brom tells me, speaking to my fears. I groan in dismay.

  “You will be safe, Adelaide. Just keep your eyes on the ground and they won’t be able to force a connection with you.”

  I nod but otherwise offer no response. I’m scared now. I’ll be even more scared come dark. There’s no reason to waste my breath telling Brom what he already knows. But he still frets over my silence.

  “If it would make you feel better, I could carry you,” he offers. I blink up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to be proud, little one.”

  “I’ll let you know once it gets dark.” The idea of being carried through the Perished Woods is a tad embarrassing, but I’m grateful for the offer and I let a shy smile peek out. Brom squeezes my hand in comfort and I feel the tension in my chest easing.

  “Do you want to stop for a quick meal?” he asks.

  “I’d rather keep moving until we’re safe at the inn.”

  He nods in agreement.

  “Looking forward to that bed?” I question, trying to keep my mood light with a little conversation.

  “And a meal,” he answers wistfully. “I think they might even have a bathing tub in the room,” he adds, cutting his eyes to me and waiting for a reaction.

  “Gods,” I breathe out with longing. “Let’s walk faster.”

  Brom rumbles with laughter.

  “Is it a hot bath?”

  “It is.” He smiles wickedly and his answer elicits an involuntary groan from my lips.

  “That’s the first thing I’m going to do when we get there,” I declare. Without warning, Brom reaches down and scoops me up into his arms.

  “Brom! What are you doing?” I exclaim as he breaks into a jog.

  “The first thing I’m going to do when we get there is watch you take a bath. I think that warrants a little more speed.”

  I roll my eyes at the troll, but I can’t keep the smile from my lips. Both of us are laughing when he sets me back on the ground.

  “I can carry you, you know. Not just if you’re scared, but if you’re tired,” he offers, and though his tone is usually boisterous, there’s something else I detect in it now…something that almost seems shy and unsure.

  “We’re both tired, Brom, there’s no reason you should have to do extra work.”

  “I wouldn’t mind, it isn’t like you weigh anything. I’ve caught fish heavier than you, little one.”

  “Brag.”

  We stand there staring at each other with goofy smiles plastered to our faces and I feel a little silly and nervous, like a girl being courted for the first time. I can’t think of a single witty or flirtatious thing to say. Just as I’m about to open my mouth to speak, I hear something cut through the air followed by a loud thwack.

  Simultaneously, our gazes shoot to a tree next to Brom. An arrow is embedded in its trunk, the shaft and fletchings still quivering. Scarcely a second elapses before there’s another whistling in the wind, I look at Brom in time to see an arrow lodge itself into his muscled shoulder. My scream of horror is drowned out by his battle cry. Without looking at his wound, he rips the arrow from his body and blood sprays the forest floor. In a swift motion, he pulls his axe free and ushers me behind him.

  I search the direction the arrows came from. Sprinting toward us are four figures, each wielding broadswords. Their mouths are open in a rally call, but I can’t hear anything beyond the pounding of my own heart. At first I mistake them for something troll-like, due to their size alone, but it’s soon obvious that they aren’t trolls at all.

  Their faces are smeared with blood-red paint and on their necks, they wear heavy collars, decorated with bones. Behind their fearsome garb however, I can see the tone of their flesh. It isn’t so different from mine. They look human. These must be the wild men Brom warned me about.

  In a flash, Brom rushes forward to meet them and I stumble back, bracing myself against a tree. I’m terrified to watch but can’t bring myself to look away. Everything up until this moment has happened with lightning speed and now, as I wait for weapons to clash, it feels like I’m caught in eternity.

  Brom swings his axe high, winding it over his head. He handles it with such precision and still, I’m shocked when his blade slashes into the torso of the first wild man to meet him. I jolt at the savagery of it. The man crumples and the others work to encircle my troll. Brom spins his axe again and the others are on him like wolves. Metal clashes and Brom uses one powerful leg to push a wild man away. The man tumbles back onto the ground and I find myself wishing I had a blade to drive into him while he’s down, but I have nothing, so I watch in horror.

  Brom somehow twists a sword from one of the men, driving it into his partner, leaving only two. Hope flares within me and I picture the moment when the others are dead and I can dive into Brom’s arms. But the one who stumbled before jumps onto Brom’s back and I hear my troll bellow in pain. Brom throws the man, much like he did the orc once upon a time, and his bones crack against a nearby tree, leaving him lifeless. But even from my vantage point I can still see a knife protruding from my troll’s back. One thing I don’t see, however, is Brom’s axe. And as the last wild man dives for Brom a new fear rears up inside of me.

  What if he loses? What if the wild man kills him?

  The thought hadn’t occurred to me before this moment, but seeing Brom locked in a skirmish with no weapon in his hand and a blade sticking out of his back shakes the earth beneath my feet and before I have time to think I’m sprinting into the fray.

  Ahead of me, they fall to the ground, rolling. Brom lands on bottom and the wild man hovers over him, fighting to bring a knife down onto my troll. Before he has the chance, I dive onto his back, reaching around to claw at his face. It’s only a second before I’m thrown free, but my distraction served its purpose. Brom had time to recover.

  The wild man stands, his mouth snarling and his eyes a vibrant blue. He dives in my direction, but Brom’s axe stops him in midair. A scream escapes me as his body slams into the ground. I look up to see Brom standing over me. He’s covered in blood and sweat, his usually coiffed hair looks wild and disheveled, but what stands out the most is the ferocity glowing in his yellow eyes. He takes a step toward me but falls to his knees and I scramble to him, meeting him halfway.

  I reach for my troll, but he holds me at bay. “What were you thinking?” he growls, giving my shoulders a shake. I answer by closing the distance between us. I had only meant to hug him, that was my only conscious thought. But instead, when I wrap my arms around his neck, grateful for his life, my lips find his and I kiss him. It’s a despera
te kiss, punctuated by sobs. Brom doesn’t miss a beat, his fingers dig into my hair and all that ferocity of his finds its way into our embrace. It’s a kiss I don’t want to end, a kiss I don’t want to think about or even question. But not all my wishes get answered, because Brom pulls away.

  “We have to go. These ones might be pack scouts, there could be more coming this way,” he warns.

  “But you’re hurt!” I protest.

  “All the more reason to not waste time here. Come on!”

  “Wait!” I shout, stopping to grab a knife discarded by one of the wild men during battle. Brom takes hold of my free hand and together we run through the ever-darkening forest. At first adrenaline fuels me, but eventually that surge of energy wears thin. Still, we press onward. Despite his injuries, Brom remains watchful of the forest around us. Night comes on quickly and our frantic hurrying keeps me from thinking for too long about the will-o’-wisps.

  When I eventually see lights ahead of us I gasp and stumble to a halt, fearful that it is the wisps I see.

  “It’s the inn,” Brom pants. I can hardly see him in the dark, but from his silhouette I can tell that his usually proud shoulders are slumped. He’s had no rest and he’s been wounded in battle. I can’t imagine how he’s been able to run all this way and still be standing.

  I look at the lights in the distance and can see the inn beginning to take shape. It’s a beacon in an otherwise dark wood, and even though I know goblins reside in this place, the lights coming from the windows seem warm and welcoming. Seeing our goal within reach elicits one last wave of energy. I hope it’s enough to get me through the door.

  I tuck the knife I’ve been gripping tightly into the belted waist of my dress. “Come on, we’re almost there,” I encourage.

  “Wait,” Brom says, sounding winded. He reaches into his pack. Pulling out a dark cloak, he fastens it around me and pulls the hood over my head. “Put these on too.” He hands me a long pair of gloves and I tug them on hastily. They aren’t the best fit, but it doesn’t matter. All I can think of is getting inside that building.