by Missy Jane
In the end, he wasn’t able to wait until sunrise. He woke her with kisses, and had her beneath him twice more during the night before finally falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Astrid again woke to the scent of food, but it was the same as before. She immediately remembered where she was and all that had happened. Warmth along one side of her body told her Orestes was still beside her in bed. She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked to the lone window. Bright light speared through the small space between the window covering and the wall.
“Good morning. Are you hungry?”
She turned her attention to the large man at her side and her breath caught. He was so handsome. She still couldn’t believe this wasn’t all a dream.
“No, not yet.”
He nodded and slowly pulled the blankets down until her breasts were revealed to his hungry gaze. He licked his lips and her nipples automatically hardened for his touch. The sight made him grin.
“I am, but not for anything on yon table. I think I see the perfect berries for breakfast right here.”
His playfulness surprised a laugh out of her—a cracked, rusty sound that had gone too long unused. Orestes paused with his head bent halfway to her breasts and stared at her.
“Orestes?”
“That was wonderful. Do that again.”
“What?”
“Laugh, darling. It does my heart good to hear it.”
That made her smile but she couldn’t find a reason to laugh again. He watched her face a moment before finally shrugging and turning his attention back to her breasts.
The first swipe of his warm tongue had her gasping and digging her fingers into his thick hair. He hummed against her skin and slid his hands up her sides. He held her body to him as if afraid she would try to get away, and she almost did laugh again because nothing was farther from her mind. Why would she try to run away from paradise? That was exactly what she’d found here in—of all places—a Master’s bedroom. The unreality of it all nearly blinded her to the pleasure. But then he pulled her nipple between his lips and grabbed her attention.
“Oh…”
He moved his body over hers and she let her legs fall open to accommodate him. That easily, she was his. Had she really feared this man just yesterday? Not even a full day had passed and she was trusting him with her body again.
A hard knock on his door, followed by the knob being jiggled, broke into her thoughts. She pulled her hands from him when he slowly sat up.
“What?” he hollered.
A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door but she couldn’t understand a single word. Orestes didn’t seem to have that problem. He growled low in his throat and moved off the bed. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them to her neck before placing a swift kiss on her mouth.
“Sorry, my sweet, but I must see to this. Remain covered.”
He waited for her to nod before he grabbed his clothes off the floor and pulled them on quickly. Then he unlocked the door and opened it wide. Three of his brothers stood in the hallway.
“Come in,” he said, but it was anything but welcoming.
Kephas, Goran and Dunstan strode into the room and looked around. Their gazes found Astrid almost immediately and she fought the urge to jump from the bed. Orestes stood between her and his brothers with his hands on his hips, but he was also in the way of the door.
“What is it?” he asked. “What has happened?”
Kephas shrugged his massive shoulders and matched Orestes’s stance. “An attack on the village of Angor, right at the border. Right now, it appears to be a mix of creatures, including human men.”
“They’re still fighting?” Orestes asked.
“No,” Dunstan replied. “But they were spotted as they rode away. Two of the Kevan were in a neighboring village and heard the warning bell ring. They saw the destruction and followed a trail to the border.”
“Who was supposed to be guarding that area?”
The brothers looked at each other uncertainly, as if none wanted to voice the name. Astrid remained mute. She couldn’t imagine any of the Masters disregarding his duty to the kingdom.
Finally Goran spoke up. “It was Nel’s responsibility to patrol that area of the border these past few days. He had checked in on schedule but now there is no sign of him.”
“Nel…”
Astrid watched Orestes’s frown fade into an expression of concern. She tried to remember Nel. It was rare for her to look up into the faces of any of the Masters so she didn’t always note the differences between them. That had never been the case with Orestes. He had fascinated her from the first time she had seen him. But thinking back on Nel now, she realized he resembled Orestes more than the others. Though they considered themselves brothers, as did everyone in the kingdom, the men weren’t joined by blood. They had no mother, no father, no kin in the way of humans.
The Gargoyle Masters were the creations of the King’s wizards and no one but the King, the wizards, and the Masters themselves knew exactly how they had come into being. It had been many years before Astrid’s birth but she’d heard whispers. After a series of horribly violent battles in the borderlands, the King called his wizards together. They remained locked up in the castle battle-room for many days and nights, and when they emerged, the Gargoyles emerged with them, fully grown.
Now she looked from one face to another and knew somehow Nel and Orestes were more connected than the others. Kephas placed a hand on Orestes’s shoulder.
“I’ve already sent Petros and Haldor in your stead, brother. Take your ease with your woman and we’ll keep you updated.”
His woman? His woman?
She immediately noted how no one, not even Orestes, blinked an eye at Kephas’s words. Was she the only one taken aback by them? The Masters never seemed to have women. At least, not one at a time for any length of time. To be called a Master’s woman was unheard of and…intriguing.
Chapter Five
“You’ve grown quiet.” Orestes chuckled at his own words and the confusion on Astrid’s face. “Well, more quiet than usual, that is.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and set her cup of water aside. He had made a place for them to picnic before the fireplace, covering it with many hides lest her fragile skin grow cold. So far she seemed to be enjoying the food and his nearness. He had finally allowed her to put on one of his shirts after making love to her again, laughing at how it draped her like a sheet. A quiet word in their native tongue to one of his brothers secured her clothes for the coming days, but they had to be handcrafted. For now, he would simply enjoy her in his garments.
“Um,” she said quietly.
“Yes?”
“I have a question but I don’t want to anger you.”
She looked so honestly worried that he found himself moving toward her without a second thought. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his chest.
“Astrid, I swear to you, there is no question in creation that would make me angry enough to harm you in any way. I can’t promise I won’t be upset, or even that I will answer all of your questions. But I can’t think of anything you could ask to really anger me.”
She looked up into his eyes and gave a slow nod before taking a deep breath. For a moment, the movement of her breasts distracted him. Though his shirt billowed away from her, it was a white shirt with loose buttons. Even the barest hint of her cleavage enticed him.
“Well, it’s about your brother…Nel.”
He stiffened and she began to pull away, but then he tightened his hold and softened his expression.
“What about him?” he asked.
She searched his face a moment before continuing. “You seem very close to him. Perhaps more so than the others?”
Ah, so she had noticed. He would have chuckled over her cleverness if they weren’t discussing such a sore subject.
“Yes. I love and cherish all eleven of my brothers. But Nel and I were created together. In human terms,
we would be twins if we had been born of a woman. As it is, we do many things together…usually.”
“But not lately? I don’t remember seeing him much in my time here.”
“How long have you worked in the castle?”
Her brow furrowed and he ran a finger between her beautiful brown eyes to soothe the wrinkled skin. When she glanced at him his breath caught. Would he always feel so arrested from a mere glance?
“Not for very long,” she replied, and it took a moment for him to realize she wasn’t answering his internal question but the one he’d asked her aloud. “Simon took me from the village just after Samhain. I had been working at the pub during the festivities but once they were over I had no other work.”
“Samhain was nearly a month ago. You say Simon took you. Did he do so against your will?”
She shook her head but frowned uncertainly. “No…not really.”
He lifted a brow in question. “That’s not the sort of thing one would normally be unsure of.”
She smiled weakly. “I know. What I mean is, he didn’t kidnap me but he did lie about where I would be working. I didn’t realize he meant to bring me into the castle until we were already here. It was dark and storming. I simply followed his lead and didn’t even know where he had led me until I met Master Wynnston the first time.”
“Where did Simon say you would be working?”
“One of the wizard’s homes. He said he worked for a protector of the realm, but I swear to you, he named one of The Twenty. I can’t remember now which one. I had no other work and hadn’t eaten in a couple of days. I really couldn’t refuse his offer.”
“And what were the terms he offered?”
She sighed in remembrance and it hurt his heart to hear such a sad sound from her lips.
“Too good to be true for certain. I really should have known better. He swore I would be fed every day at least once, perhaps twice on Sundays. He said I would be given two dresses to start and whatever was needed to keep them mended. He also said I would have fresh straw for my bed every month.”
Anger boiled in Orestes’s veins. So little. Food once a Gods-be-damned day? Straw for her bed and only two simple dresses she would mend herself? And Simon hadn’t even kept such meager promises to her. She had been lured by nothing and received even less.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly, hoping she wouldn’t mistake the anger he couldn’t keep hidden as directed at her. Though he really didn’t want to know, he had to question her further.
“Astrid…did you receive any of that at all? How often have you been fed and where have you slept?”
“He did give me one dress, but I’m sure you saw it didn’t last well through the work and everything. I slept beneath a counter in the kitchen and I only ate when there was enough left after the last meal.”
He closed his eyes and breathed through the urge to roar in outrage. “After the last meal. You mean after my brothers and I had already eaten? You were given scraps from our table?”
When she didn’t immediately reply he opened his eyes to find her frightened gaze locked on him. She was trembling but he had been so angry he hadn’t even felt it. He pulled her onto his lap and was happy she went willingly. With one hand, he gently cupped her face and held her gaze with his own.
“Never think I’m angry with you. That’s the farthest from the truth. I’m angry because of how you’ve been treated. I swear my brothers and I would never have allowed it if we had been aware, and all I can do is beg your forgiveness for our negligence.”
She melted into his arms. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Now you will have feathers rather than straw for your mattress and all the food you can eat at any time you feel hungry. And though I prefer you naked, you will soon have silks and satin to cover your skin.”
She stiffened and a look he could only decipher as fear crossed her face. “So much?”
Her fear confused him but he nodded. “And more if you desire it. Why does that frighten you?”
“Is this a cruel joke? Do you plan to give me so much only to take it away as easily?”
He didn’t mean to scowl at her but knew he had when she cringed.
“Of course not. Have you not learned enough of me these past few hours?” he asked. Tears immediately sprang into her eyes and he felt like an ass. “No, my sweet, don’t cry. I’m sorry. There’s no need to cry.”
Was there anything that rendered a man as helpless as a woman’s tears? He’d faced fully armed monsters three times his size and never batted an eyelash. But the sight of Astrid’s tears terrified him.
“Astrid, please…please don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry. I just…why am I even here? With you?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her question. Had in fact expected it at some point. The problem was he didn’t know the answer.
“I’ve already told you I think you’re beautiful. I’ve watched you serve our meals these past few nights and you intrigued me. I’m only sorry I waited so long to speak to you. I have no excuse for not realizing how you were being treated.”
She shook her head and waved that away with one hand as if it was of no account. But to him it was everything and something for which he would always carry guilt.
“How can you find me even passably pretty with all my scars? And before that glorious bath? I was such a mess.”
Her mention of the bath brought the sight of her glistening wet skin to mind and his cock responded beneath her hip. Her eyes widened and he knew she felt him hardening.
“Does that tell you anything? I promise a man’s body cannot lie in such a way.” When she chewed on her bottom lip, he growled. “I’d be happy to chew on that lip for you.”
Her mouth popped open in surprise and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You look so remarkably scandalized. Even after all we’ve done to each other.”
A pretty blush filled her cheeks but she smiled and it eased his heart.
“I suppose that’s true. I never knew such things were possible…or that they would feel so wonderful.”
She tentatively placed her small palm against his bare chest, all the while eying him warily. He remained still to see just what she intended to do. After a minute of him not reacting, she finally rubbed a spot over his heart, then moved her hand farther out. She smoothed her palm all over his chest, pressing lightly against his nipples. His breathing sped up and his cock hardened fully. She squirmed a bit on his lap but never tried to leave it. Not that he would have let her.
He was still naked from the night before and her warm thighs against his lap were heaven. Soon she brought her other hand into play and ran them both up to his shoulders.
“You have such a large, strong body. I could touch you forever.”
“You don’t find it intimidating?”
She shook her head but smiled a little. “Not anymore.”
“Good. I would never hurt you.”
Her hands froze on his chest and she looked him in the eyes. “I know, Orestes. If I know nothing else, I do know you’re a trustworthy and honorable man.”
“Does it bother you that I’m not human?”
She started to shake her head but then stopped and shrugged. “Not really, no.”
“But?”
“Well…there are so many things I don’t know or understand about you. But I know it isn’t my place to ask—”
“Stop.” He placed a finger over her lips. “When it’s just the two of us, and especially here in my room, we are equals in all things. Understand?”
She shook her head and he frowned at her, dropping his hand from her mouth.
“Orestes, I could never be your equal in anything.”
“That’s not true—”
“Yes. It is.” She looked around his room a moment. “Take your books, for example. You are a very intelligent man. I’m a peasant with barely any understanding of the writ
ten word. I know I’m blessed to be here with you now when you could have easily chosen any other woman. I’ll never forget that.”
He blew out a breath in frustration because he knew he wouldn’t be able to easily convince her of how wrong she was. Before he could respond, she used her small hands to cup his face.
“I’m not complaining and I don’t mind. I know you are a great protector and I appreciate every second of your attention. I just want you to know I won’t take it for granted. When the day comes that you no longer desire me in your bed I’ll go without a fight. And I’ll take the memory of your touches with me gladly.”
Then she surprised him by leaning forward to initiate a kiss for the first time. He took the coward’s way out and allowed it. What could he say that wouldn’t be a lie when she had read the situation so clearly? He’d never even had a woman in his bed before. He usually traveled to Keva for his liaisons. Astrid was breaking down barriers she had no clue existed and asking for no promises from him. A greater man than he might have offered them anyway, but he feared giving her false hope when he knew he would be going to battle soon.
His brothers had granted him two days of rest and play only because he had so recently returned from patrolling the Eastern part of the kingdom. He needed the time to reenergize and be at full strength. No one but he and his brothers, the wizards and the King knew of the energy within the Gargoyle castle. It held an inherent power that fed their strength and quickened their healing processes. They were almost indestructible when within the castle walls. If injured, they had only to return to the castle, no matter how grave the injury.
So despite his initial desire to look for Nel immediately, he knew he should wait the two days. He would need every ounce of strength. Not to mention the added benefit of being with Astrid during that time.
