Seeing her husband talking to a group of men, Lilith walked toward the woman, wondering if anyone was going to stop her. No one did. She lowered her voice to ask, “Karre? Are you all right? What’s happened here?”
“Small misunderstanding.” The woman gave a derisive laugh. “Nothing to be concerned about. How’s your guy been treating you?” Karre leaned to the side, studying the newcomers. “Which one was he again? The big guy?”
“I found the way out. It’s at Battlewar Castle in the dungeons,” Lilith whispered. Karre’s easy smile dropped and her eyes narrowed. “I tried to leave to bring back help, but it’s too guarded.”
Okay, so it wasn’t a complete lie. There was no reason to say she hesitated and got caught in Sorin’s trap, that he let her find it to test her.
When Karre didn’t answer, Lilith continued, “Have you seen Jayne or Paige?”
“No. You’re the first.” Karre’s smile lifted somewhat, though her eyes stayed focused in concentration. The expression appeared to be more for show than a real emotion.
“I promised Jayne I’d try to get word to everyone. I’ll draw you a map and write down the code to my home dimension. I’ll find a way to get it to you, just check your chambers. Someone at Divinity headquarters should help anyone who comes through the portal if you tell them what happened. If you see Jay—”
“Sh.” The single, quick syllable cut her off. Louder, Karre announced, “Yep, beautiful weather for a ride into battle.”
“My lady,” Sorin said behind Lilith. She wasn’t sure which “lady” he spoke to, so she didn’t answer.
“My lord.” Karre bowed her head, the action mocking when done with rattling chains. Lilith opened her mouth to speak, hoping to reassure the poor woman. Karre cut her off when she began to hum a playful tune as if she hadn’t a care in the universe.
Sorin took her arm and led her from Karre. The knee-length flaps of his black long tunic brushed against her. His faster gait caused her to stumble and swing back as he held her tight. He stopped and she caught herself.
“You look pale.” Sorin placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head.
“Just tired. The horses didn’t stop and I’m not accustomed to sleeping in moving carts.” Her neck muscles twinged and she turned away from his touch to get more comfortable. Though, in a way, she was happy for the aching muscles. They had distracted her from the ache in her chest and loins. Seeing Sorin, so thick and proud, astride his giant horse did things to a woman. Had they been alone she might have jumped from the cart and knocked him to the ground to have her way with him.
“The speed was necessary,” he said. “Sir Vidar sent word that we were to hurry.”
They stood in the courtyard, surrounded by the bustle of the newly arrived guests. Horses were led away by young boys. Servants welcomed the men, ushering them inside. Friends greeted friends.
“Was that the rider we met two days ago?” Lilith remembered seeing the rider, but no one had told her anything. As the only woman on the voyage, she’d been lacking in conversation. Though she did overhear a very inappropriate conversation about hanging genitals and severed heads.
“It was.” He nodded.
“I wondered.” She hoped to keep him talking, but already she felt him slipping away.
“You should have asked.” Sorin took her arm, gentler than before, and led her inside the keep. Though like Battlewar in concept, the main hall was smaller and lacked all decorations.
“What’s happening to Karre? Why is she tied up?” Lilith asked when they found seats at the high table.
“A misunderstanding,” a deep, resonate voice answered, leaving no room for further questioning. The knight bowed toward Sorin, acknowledging him before doing the same to Lilith. She nodded once, struck by the strangeness of his hazel eyes. Flecks of gold gave them an animalistic property.
“Lady Lilith, may I introduce Sir Vidar.” Sorin motioned to the man. “This is his home.”
“Only until the king assigns it to another,” Vidar answered. “My lord, if you would come with me?”
Sorin looked as if he’d touch her, but instead he merely turned to follow Vidar, leaving her alone at the head table. Feeling a whole new set of curious eyes examining her, she tried to smile for the people of Spearhead. They did not smile back.
* * * * *
“Did you find out why Karre’s been chained?” Lilith sat on Sorin’s bed in the small guest chamber, her eyes on him the second he opened the door as if she’d been waiting for him to arrive. “Sorin?”
He sighed at Lilith’s panicked question. When would she learn that the Starian men did not harm their women? What business was it of his if Lady Karre enjoyed being tied in the courtyard? Had she actually been abused, most likely the people of Spearhead would have revolted against Sir Vidar in protest.
“I did not ask,” he said honestly. Weary from a long evening pouring over maps and organizing the armies, all Sorin wanted to do was rest. Well, resting wasn’t all he wanted to do. He could think of at least a dozen other things that all included his wife naked and impaled on his cock. However, after his drunken blundering in the stairwell, he couldn’t bring himself to touch her. “It is between Vidar and his wife.”
“What did you talk about, then?” Lilith made no move to go to her own adjoining room. “Your war?”
Sorin pulled at his boot, flinging it aside in frustration. It wasn’t his exclusive war. He didn’t lie in bed at night thinking of ways to start battles—at least not often. “It’s been decided that we ride south at dawn to join an encampment of soldiers not far from the borderland marshes.”
Lilith moaned, rubbing her neck. “Do we have to leave so soon? I haven’t recovered from the last journey.”
“You will remain here.” He tossed the second boot and rolled back on the bed, his feet planted on the floor. “It is too dangerous. Sorceress Magda has yet to show herself, but they found tracks near the marshes. It’s not safe for you at the encampment.”
“You want me to stay here alone?” She crawled to sit close to his head and look down at him. Blonde hair framed her, cocooning his vision so all he could see was her face.
“A small contingency of soldiers will be left behind to guard the fortress. They will protect you.”
“You can’t leave me here,” she insisted, her eyes widening. “I don’t belong here. These—”
“You keep saying that, Lilith, but you do belong here. I’m here. You’re my wife and I want you close.” He closed his eyes, unable to keep looking at her without touching her. Three days without her body next to his had been too long.
“Don’t you mean you want me prisoner?” The bed shifted and he felt her pulling away from him.
“No,” he stated flatly. “You made your choice. You cannot be trusted to remain at Battlewar. Had you not tried to leave, I would have let you remain there.”
“Sorin, can’t you understand? I’ve spent the last three days trying to think of how to explain it to you. It’s not that I want to leave you.” She pushed up from the bed and began to pace. “You have your job, your war, your life here. I’m nothing. I hate approving menus. I hate being asked which color of linen to put on the beds. My idea of a décor is leaving stacks of books on the floor next to my bed. I can’t stand listening to two women fight over who saw a trinket first at market, and I definitely don’t want to be the one to decide who should get it.” He watched her agitation grow, not knowing what to say. “I want to learn things. I want travel to other dimensions. I love my job. I love the books and the scrolls and the meticulous research. I love observing other cultures. I miss pasta and pizza and room temperature controls. I miss pullovers and cotton pants. I miss,” she shrugged helplessly, tossing her hands to the side, “so much.”
He clenched his teeth, not liking her words but respecting their truth.
“And I’m sure it’s the same for the others. If you force us to stay, then we’re nothing more than slaves you traded minerals
for.” She stopped pacing and stood before him.
Sorin hated the look in her eyes, the desperate pleading for him to understand. He understood, but how could she ask it of him? How could he let her go? Forget what it would do to his reputation and honor. How could she expect him to go on without her? Every instinct told him to cling to her, to force her to care for him. He was a man of action and power. He bent men to his will with the force of his reputation proven in battle. His reputation didn’t impress her. Nothing about him impressed her. So, how could he make her stay without force? Never before had he been so conflicted. He knew right, but every part of him begged for wrong.
“Don’t say anything now.” She came back to the bed and sat next to him. “I know what I ask conflicts with your culture, but please consider it.”
He nodded once, not speaking.
Lounging beside him, she ran her hand over his heart, first tracing the red crest on his chest before following the valleys of his muscles down to his flat stomach. “Thank you, Sorin.”
He refused to move as she pulled at his tunic, working it up over his thighs. Then, dipping her hand beneath the thick black fabric, she continued her teasing caress along the flesh of his abdomen. Her fingers felt cool compared to his body heat.
Lilith concentrated on the movement of her hand, watching the bump it made under his tunic. Sorin drew his hands behind his head, eager to see what she’d do next. Normally he was the one to touch her, seduce her. His breathing deepened. A delicate fingertip traced his navel before sliding up the center of his stomach. His tunic stopped her progress and she had to change routes, moving along his side to his hip.
“You’re always so warm,” she whispered thoughtfully. “It’s like you burn a couple degrees hotter than everyone else.”
His cock pressed against his breeches, lifting them visibly.
“Maybe you do,” she continued, her fingers becoming heavier against him as they glided down to cup his growing erection.
* * * * *
Lilith held his tunic as she brushed feathery kisses across his stomach. The familiar smell of him filled her head, potent and raw and so very male. Everything about the way he moved, looked and tasted bespoke of something primal. Unable to resist, she drew her tongue over his flesh, eliciting a small groan from Sorin.
She held his cock in her hand, marveling that it could already be so hard and ready for her. Her body became wet in response. Small, animalistic noises escaped him as she continued to stroke and kiss. He shifted as he reached for his waist to tug at the laces along his hip. The material beneath her massaging hand loosened to give her a better feel of his shape.
Sorin put his hand back behind his head, letting her have her way. She kissed harder, biting and licking along his hipbone. The faster she rubbed his heavy arousal, the more his breeches bunched. They pulled down to expose the tip of his cock. The mushroomed head was so close, so smooth and tempting. Her lips willingly answered the call, opening wide so her tongue could lick a torturous trail along the ridge joining salty tip to thick shaft.
His body shifted and his hips rose from the bed. She kissed the tip, rolling her tongue down the length of his shaft. He jerked and moaned, clearly past the point of going slow. Hands delved into her hair, pushing her down to take him deeper.
Lilith braced her hands on the bed to keep him from pushing her down too far. As she sucked, his grip lessened and he let go. She rolled his balls in her palm gently. Her entire body tingled and ached. She didn’t want to think about anything beyond this moment.
“Come here.” Sorin groaned. Taking her by the arm, he pulled her off his arousal and up his body.
Lilith lifted her skirts and straddled his waist, as Sorin made quick work of her corset top. Warm hands slid up her gown to cup her breasts, pinching and rubbing the nipples until she writhed on top of him. Her pussy ached, wet and needy, ready to be dominated by the handsome warrior beneath her. There was an urgency to their touches, a desperation that hadn’t been there before. She couldn’t help thinking this might be the last time they were together. What if he didn’t come back from battle? What if she never felt the touch of his hands? Saw the steamy glaze to his passion-laden eyes? Or felt the confident thrust of his body in hers?
Lilith gasped, torn between the momentary pleasure and the unexpectedly deep pain that racked her heart. How could she have thought of leaving him? Just the thought of never seeing him again tore at her chest until she wanted to scream with the agony of it. She closed her eyes tight, fighting back the bittersweet tears, not wanting him to see her cry.
I love him.
The thought she’d been trying to suppress since first she saw him came surging forth.
I love him. I love Sorin. Don’t go tomorrow. I won’t be able to take your leaving.
There was no point in saying the words out loud. He didn’t put stock in love. He was a warrior. Her warrior.
She lifted up, all inhibitions gone. She wanted him inside her, needed to feel their connection. All thoughts left her at the intimate brush of his arousal. Three days had been too long a time to go without him.
Lilith pushed down, impaling herself on his length. The thick probe stretched her wide, forcing her to go slow as she fitted him inside her. Once deep, she moved her hips in small circles, rocking around and around, hitting that sweet spot of pleasure inside her pussy.
Sorin grabbed her thighs beneath the gown and held on tight. He lifted her up, controlling her as he slammed her down hard only to let her lift up once more. Lilith rose above him only to have him jerk her down as he arched off the bed to meet her thrust for thrust.
She gripped his hands through the material, enjoying the wild ride. Suddenly, she tensed and fell forward, shaking with release. Tremors erupted all over her body, making her limbs weak. Her heart raced, pounding so loud it echoed in her ears. Sorin bucked beneath her, growling as he held her flush against his cock. He jerked in violent climax.
When he let go, she fell next to him. Neither of them moved, as they lay with disheveled clothing and limbs sprawled at odd angles. Sorin breathed heavily next to her, the harsh sound holding her attention.
Lilith didn’t want to love him. What did she know about loving a warrior in a primitive land? This place wasn’t her place. She hadn’t lied to him about that. She hated directing servants and all the other things a Lady of Staria was supposed to do.
But Sorin is here, her heart argued. What does all the rest matter if you get to have him?
Sorin’s hand brushed her cheek softly, drawing her gaze to meet his. “Good eve, my lady. You rest. I will take the other bed.”
Lilith reached out, grabbing hold of him to keep him from leaving. “Don’t go.”
Surprise filtered over his face. “You wish to do it again. I thought you were exhausted from our journey.” Though obviously tired, he looked willing.
“No, you need rest.”
Sorin’s surprise turned to confusion and he nodded before starting to sit up once more. “Very well.”
“Stay,” Lilith said when he would leave. She pulled on his arm. “I wish for you to stay with me.” He lay back down. Lilith let go and climbed up the bed to crawl under the covers. He turned his head, angling his neck so he could watch her. She patted the pillow next to her. “Sleep.”
“Together?”
“Yes, my lord, together. Sleep.” She again patted the bed. He pulled out of his clothes, tossing them aside before joining her under the covers. Lilith tried to close her eyes, but felt his attention on her and finally opened them.
Resting on his side, his arm bent under his head, he studied her. “I have never slept with another in my bed.” Lilith would have giggled at the admission, except that he looked so serious telling it. “It is not done except in poor homes.”
“And what is the reasoning for that?” She ran her hand over the bulges in his arm.
“Women normally demand their own space, so that we husbands do not take too many of our husband rights.
Additionally, if there is an attack, the ladies will be safer away from the main door to the bedchambers.”
Lilith did giggle that time. She couldn’t help it. “That has to be the sweetest reasoning, though I think I am safe enough next to you.” She laughed harder. “I thought it was because I snored that you kept leaving my side.”
“I have never heard you,” he assured her. “So, where you come from, is a shared bed the custom?”
“Yes, it is.” Lilith felt giddy. This was perhaps one of the very rare times he asked about where she came from.
“I cannot do anything about our station, Lilith, but I will speak to the servants. I do not want you to hate your life here, but please understand, I can’t let you go.” He didn’t touch her and she let her hand slide from his body.
“Why?” Lilith held her breath. Say you love me.
“You know that answer. Honor. Duty. Tradition. Reputation. You are my wife. We belong to each other.”
Say you love me.
He didn’t.
“We should sleep,” Lilith said, trying not to choke on the words. “You have to ride in the morning.”
“I will do right by you,” he persisted.
“Good night, Sorin.” Lilith closed her eyes and pretended to go to sleep, telling herself that at least this time he stayed.
* * * * *
Sorin did not want to leave his wife. Her gentle presence throughout the night had soothed him, and he’d slept deeper than he could ever remember. Perhaps it was knowing she was so close at hand, that all he had to do was reach out and touch her to assure himself that she hadn’t left him.
However, as he looked down at her sleeping form, over the flushed warmth of her cheeks, the long line of her neck exposed by tousled blonde hair, he shivered. In the early morning hours he couldn’t fool himself with dreams. She didn’t want to be here. If he hadn’t stopped her, she would have left him. She would leave him still.
He didn’t like the fear he felt in going off to fight. Never had he hesitated when riding off into battle, not even the cold wintry morn of his first bloody fray as an untried youth. It wasn’t the sword or even death that frightened him. It was the thought of Lilith finding a way to leave him and never coming back.
Lilith Enraptured (Divinity Warriors 1) Page 14
