by Alisa Adams
The ride back to the castle was leisurely. Many of the warriors Seamus and Angus had brought with them rode back quickly, taking the bandits and Seamus with them. Angus kept himself and a few men back to guard the women as they rode for the dangers of the open world were still present. There was never any true safety in the wilds of the Highlands. Sarina had mixed feelings as she rode. She had been elated when Seamus returned to her, yet she felt guilty for welcoming the death of her brother. Nothing had ever prepared her for this cauldron of emotions and her mind was troubled as she rode through the scenic route.
Still, in a way, she was glad this had happened for it had allowed them to rescue Emily. The girl would have to get used to being free again and Sarina was determined to help her. She worried about Seamus too for he had suffered many wounds and she had heard of men dying because of injuries suffered in battle. So, although she had been rescued, she still wasn’t able to relax.
They returned to the castle and Donald rushed out to greet them. He helped Martha off her horse and then embraced her tightly, weeping openly, saying how sorry he was for letting this happen.
“Ye tried tae defend us and ye almost fought off men half ye age,” Martha said. “Ye are my hero.” She leaned in and rubbed the tip of her nose against Donald which seemed to mollify him. He announced that he had arranged a feast to be prepared for the returning entourage and Sarina’s stomach began to rumble. She went into the chamber and filled her plate, though she had to encourage Emily to do the same. The girl stared wide-eyed at the food but made no motion to take it.
“You don’t have to be afraid, Emily, take as much as you think you can handle.”
Emily licked her lips and filled her plate up with as much food as the hungriest warrior and Sarina wondered where it would all go. The girl was mostly skin and bone due to neglect from the bandits.
“Seamus is being tended to as we speak,” Martha said, coming over to Sarina. She went on to explain that there were skilled healers in the Highland tribe who would cover his wounds with a poultice to prevent them from being infected and would clean the blood off his body. “They’re well experienced in these matters as Highlanders have a tendency for war,” Martha explained.
Sarina nodded, her fears subsiding somewhat. “When can I see him?” she asked.
“Eat food and recover yeself. Ye hae been through a lot. It will nae be long before ye are reunited,” she replied.
Sarina nodded and finished her meal. Emily was sitting beside her and gorged herself on the food, eating like a wild animal. Her plate was soon emptied and she went back for more, but Sarina could only handle one plate. She was exhausted and drained. While she had been held captive, she at least had something to focus on, but now that she was free all the turmoil and anguish came rushing through her like a sharp wind.
Sarina pushed herself up from the table and left the chamber, walking to a small room at the rear of the castle where Martha had told her Thomas’ body was being held. The room was cold and dark for there was only a narrow slit for a window. Thomas’ body lay on a table and was wrapped in the same cloak. Sarina pulled the cloak apart and stared down at his face. His open eyes stared back at her, empty and lifeless. She placed her fingers over them and brought his eyelids down.
“Why did you have to do this, Thomas? You have torn apart our family. I once had three brothers, now I only have one. You sent me here to murder my husband and in the end, it is our family who has suffered. I wonder, did you see the error of your ways when you were fighting Seamus? Did you realize that this path of violence would only end in death and misery? Why didn’t you listen to me? Why didn’t you give peace a chance?”
As she spoke, her words turned into wails and she was filled with anger. She curled her hands into tiny fists and beat on Thomas’ chest, her blows landing with heavy thuds. She did this a few times before her anger was replaced by sorrow and she collapsed over the body of her brother, weeping fretfully.
“You offered me hatred when all I wanted was love and I feel as though I should not mourn you for what you have done, but you are still of my blood, and one day I will tell my children about you. But I… I cannot tell them of the man you became. That is not the brother I wish to remember.”
She sniffed and wiped away her tears then composed herself before she left the room. She took one last look at Thomas and then closed the door behind her. In other areas of the castle, the Highlanders were celebrating a great victory over the bandits. She was sure that the feast would last all through the night, but she didn’t much feel like being in the company of others, so she skulked away upstairs to the chambers she shared with Seamus.
After changing her clothes and brushing her hair, Sarina felt like a new woman. She saw the box with the dagger that had been meant for Seamus and opened it. The pristine metal gleamed under the light that shone through the window. Then she heard the door open and turned to see Seamus walking in. He still looked in pain, but the blood had been cleaned and a bandage had been wrapped around his left arm.
“If ye wish tae kill me, now is the time,” he said, smiling. Sarina smiled back and then closed the lid of the box.
“I was just thinking about how I had been sent here by Thomas to kill you and yet it is he who has been killed.”
“I am sorry for ye loss, but if I had nae killed him he would nae hae stopped until we were all dead.” Seamus groaned as he perched himself on the bed. Sarina left her dressing table and joined him.
“I know. His heart was filled with evil. I don’t know when it happened,” she lamented. “The fond memories I have of him were when I was much younger. In the recent past, he has had a black heart and I think it is a mercy for him that he is at rest now. At least he is reunited with Mother, Father, and Matthew.”
“Aye and maybe he can reflect on his sins,” Seamus said. “What dae ye wish tae dae with his body?”
Sarina rested her head on Seamus’ shoulder and sighed. “I don’t want to think about that now, but I should probably take him back to be buried at home. I do long to see Harold again. He deserves to know the truth about what happened.”
“Dae ye think he will be a problem?”
“Harold? No… He has always had a kind heart. Once he learns the truth, he will see there is more wisdom in peace than in revenge.”
“I’m glad. I dinnae want tae fight again tae soon.” Seamus chuckled. Sarina chuckled too and gently laid him down on the bed. She lay down with him, careful of his wounds. His body had been washed and cleansed and it smelled of fresh water and herbs which the healers had used to treat his wounds.
“I was afraid today. Afraid that you wouldn’t come back,” she admitted. Her hair fell in curls around her face. Seamus reached up and brushed them back with his hand, his fingertips caressing her cheek. She nestled into the touch, closing her eyes at the comfort she felt.
“I was afraid tae. Afraid when I heard ye hae been taken. I could nae hae lived with myself if ye hae been harmed.”
“But you saved me,” she said gently.
“In many ways, ye saved me tae,” he replied and pulled her had down so that his lips could meet hers. A fire bloomed in the pit of her stomach as she melted into the embrace. Her long hair fell around his head and she pressed her body into his. His hand wrapped around the back of her head and down her spine, stroking her long hair until his hand found the small of her back and held her close against him. She felt petite in his arms and he enjoyed the warm feeling that emanating from his strong muscles.
“There is still one delight of married life that we hae nae yet experienced,” he said, his voice a soft growl in between kisses.
Sarina giggled. “Are you sure you’re well enough for that? You have sustained many wounds,” she said. Seamus gripped her even more tightly and she yelped, feeling the tension in his rigid body.
“Oh, aye,” he said and then attacked her with passionate kisses. Her breath was muffled as his mouth clamped around hers and he used his strength to turn aro
und so that he was on top of her. Sarina was filled with a mixture of excitement and fear. She had thought about this moment a lot, but now that it was happening, she was unsure how she should be feeling. Was she going to be good enough for this experienced man? Would she know how to please her husband? She wanted so badly to be perfect for him, but at the same time, she was unable to think straight because of the emotions coursing through her body and mind.
“Seamus,” she moaned as he kissed her neck and a hazy feeling rose through her mind. His hands were ardent, roaming around her body as though something had been unleashed. He was all over her stomach and arms and when his palm grazed her breast, a pleasurable sensation shot through her and she opened her eyes. Seamus chuckled, amused by her reaction as he slowly dragged his thumb over her nipple again. The pleasure was almost agonizing, but she didn’t want him to stop. Her body was his and he seemed to know exactly what to do with it.
“Oh Seamus,” she moaned again, this time a little more deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck and let her body yield to him. He buried his face in her breasts after he tore away her clothes, his leathery hands running over her soft, milky skin. For a brief moment, she felt self-conscious, but that feeling was quickly pushed aside as she saw the pure desire in her husband’s eyes. She may well not have thought she was the most beautiful woman in the land, but he did. She could see it in his eyes.
He drank her body in, even the parts of her she thought imperfect. He dragged his hand along the curves of her hips, over the rise of her breasts, and down her stomach to her thighs, and the dark hair that lay between them. Sarina squirmed and blushed as he looked at her there and instinctively tensed her legs to keep them together. Seamus placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed then dragged his hands up and down her burning inner thigh which acted as a key and her legs parted.
Seamus gave her a wolfish smile as he teased her by delicately moving his fingers up and down each thigh. His palm was hovering over her femininity, making her throb and pulse with desire. She had never known how much she needed to be touched by a man before that instant and she found herself grabbing his wrist and placing his hand against her to stem the frustrated tension that built inside her. The release was instant and palpable. Tingles surged all through her body and her skin prickled with hot sweat and when Seamus plunged a finger inside her she ascended to a whole new realm.
Sarina dug her nails into Seamus’ muscular arms and gripped him tightly as she tried to brace herself against the powerful sensations currently coursing through her body. It only took one sly movement of Seamus' finger to create a whole world of pleasure inside her. Soon enough, her chest was heaving, her heart was hammering, and her skin was flushed. Her eyes fluttered closed as she surrendered to these feelings and suddenly, she realized the joys of losing her virtue.
Sarina’s mind cracked and fizzed as Seamus stroked and curled his fingers, beckoning the pleasure out of her. She started to convulse and she was sure that something was wrong because her entire body began to shudder and shake. Seamus’ hot breath brushed against the nape of her neck as he leaned down to taste her skin, moving his mouth to suckle on her breast which only added to the intense feelings as she lay there and let him conduct a symphony with her body. Her lips trembled and her heart danced and she cried out for mercy because something unstoppable built to a crescendo inside her and left her breathless.
It was as though something cracked inside her mind and she felt a warm glow spread between her thighs. Seamus murmured his appreciation and continued to stroke for a little while longer before he extricated his finger and kissed her softly.
“Oh, Seamus, that was wonderful,” she whispered.
“It’s only the beginning, my love,” he replied and then started to undress. She gazed at him as he peeled away his clothes. She didn’t care about the scars or marks on his skin. It made him a man, a powerful man who would do anything to protect the people he cared about. She placed her hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating under his flesh. She dragged her fingertips down the thick bed of hair that narrowed on his flat stomach, pointing down toward his manhood. She gasped as she saw it, thick and long. The thick hair at the base was the color of autumn leaves. She was filled with an urge to touch him.
Breath caught in her throat as she grew closer to him. She jumped a little when her hand finally made contact with his manhood, she wasn’t sure why. As soon as she held him in her hands, she heard Seamus moan with pleasure and realized that he was having the same reaction she had to his touch. She tried to take note of what movement caused what reaction. His powerful body was under her command. He grunted and groaned and each hot breath hit her skin. He nuzzled into her and began to bite her ear lobe which made the pleasure grow again.
Through incoherent moans, Sarina heard her name grumbled and this made the pleasure flare inside her. Seamus put his hand against her core again and her entire body convulsed, the pleasure even more intense than before. She could feel the warm tip of him against her thigh as she stroked him so close to her body.
“I need ye, Sarina,” he said tersely as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. Sarina gulped. This was all exhilarating, but it was still unknown to her, yet she knew she wanted it more than anything.
“Take me, Seamus. I am yours,” she breathed. Seamus grinned and caught her lips in his own, kissing her tenderly. He looked down, shifting his body slightly, and Sarina braced herself for what was coming, but nothing could have prepared her. Her mouth gasped and opened into a wide circle while her eyes closed. She winced, but Seamus was gentle, despite being a brutal, powerful Highland warrior. She knew she was safe with him.
Suddenly, he was inside her and a whole new sensation made her eyes shoot open. He thrust himself in with one grunt and their bodies were entwined, moving as one. Sarina clutched his body tight. Pain and pleasure blurred, mixing into one sensation. Sarina bit her lower lip and turned her head to the side. At first, the pain was so sharp that tears welled up in her eyes, but then the pleasure took over and a warm feeling spread throughout her body, emanating from the center and reaching everywhere, making her toes curl.
Seamus’ body was heavy upon hers. She was so tiny compared to him and it felt as though she was disappearing underneath him, being taken to a whole new world where nothing else mattered apart from their love. Her body writhed as his hands clamped down on her. His movements became jagged and unpredictable, becoming rawer and more primal, as something seemed to come over his face. Sarina held onto him tightly and the bed creaked under their weight. Their breaths became one while her body tingled and pulsed all over as a crescendo built inside her again. Seamus wrapped his arms around her tightly, sliding one underneath her back to make her body arch up and this brought him even deeper inside her.
Sarina was left breathless. A smile spread across her face as she looked up at the man she loved and saw every strong muscle taut and tense. This was a man who would fight for her, defend her, protect her, and love her. She was overwhelmed with her feelings for him and pressed her lips against his, finding his tongue once again. This pleased Seamus and his movements became even more ardent. His powerful hips moved like a predator and Sarina took a moment to look down to see where their bodies joined. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was to be a woman and she knew that she never wanted to do this with anyone other than Seamus.
Seamus’ hand came up to her hair and gripped her head tightly, pinning her down. His face twisted and snarled and she could feel his every sinew tense. His breaths were hot and hard and so were hers. She knew something was coming, something akin to the feeling that she had experienced when he touched her with his fingers. Her body thrummed with pleasure. She felt something explode inside her with such force that she was left drained and delirious. Seamus followed with a few slower thrusts. Sarina’s own body went tense and she shuddered as another wave of intense pleasure flowed through her and then she relaxed, moaning and utterly satisfied.
Her
husband bowed his head and kissed her on the neck, then smoothed her matted hair away from her face and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love ye with all my heart. I’ll never let any harm come tae ye, Sarina. Ye are my wife, and I cherish ye,” he said.
“I love you too, Seamus,” she replied and embraced him tightly. The emotions were so powerful that they welled up inside her and made her cry. When Seamus realized this, he looked at her in confusion and wiped the tears away.
“I’m not sad,” she said, “I’m just filled with so much love for you. When I was told to come here, I never thought I would ever be this happy,” she explained. Seamus kissed her and rolled off onto his back. Sarina draped an arm over his broad chest and rested it flat against his heart, enjoying the steady rhythm of its endless beat. Their bodies were clad in sweat and her skin was still flushed. Her thighs were wet and she ached deep inside her, but remnants of the pleasure still lingered and that was enough for her to ignore the pain.
Seamus’ arm fell down and rested on the curve of her hip. He stroked it idly and she realized how they fit together snugly. It was as though they had been made for each other.
“You know, I used to have this idea of the ideal husband,” she said.
“And that was me?”
“No,” Sarina said, laughing lightly. “He was an English gentleman who was charming, chivalrous, rich, generous, kind, compassionate, had good prospects, and a compassionate heart.”
“Ah.”
“But now I realize that was the dream of a foolish girl. I found a man I love, who loves me, who would do anything to defend me, who would fight for my life, and seek justice of those who have wronged me. You’ve been nothing but kind to me since I arrived here, Seamus. I know that our first foray into marriage hasn’t been easy, but I think we are going to enjoy a long and happy life together.”
