by Jenika Snow
“God, why am I allowing this?” she said softly in a voice that was a little strained. He wished he knew what she spoke of, but soon he’d correct that. Soon she’d speak his language, and he could tell her that she was his irrevocably.
Her hands were tightly woven in the hides, had the material wrapped between her little fingers hard enough that her knuckles were white. He rubbed her, applied enough pressure that he started to feel her wetness seep through the material, and growled out in approval. He wouldn’t fuck her, not until he knew she was ready and willing for him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make them both feel good in the meantime.
“So soft and sweet, wet and mine, wife,” he said right by her ear. The way she trembled for him, tried to push him away yet pressed her ass closer to his groin, told him that this female was strong-willed as much as she was giving. He didn’t expect her to give in so easily, or at least he didn’t want her to.
Stian didn’t want a weak female. He was a warrior, and because of that required a woman that could give as good as she took. She’d need to be able to protect herself and take a life if need be.
“You’ll make a good wife, a good mother to my strong sons,” he whispered against her ear. He would teach her his language, show her how they could communicate with each other eventually. Until then they could use their bodies to say what they needed. He removed his hand when she started shaking slightly, grabbed her chin, and turned her head so she was looking at him.
She said a string of words, soft, low, but heated and aroused. Agata lowered her gaze to his mouth, and spoke again. “So crazy that I shouldn’t be wanting the things I do at the moment.”
He watched her lips move, loved that they were full, pink, and slightly glossy because she kept licking at them.
The way she spoke told him she was right here with him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and he heard her inhale deeply. “Soon, Agata, soon I’ll fill you with my seed and make you big and swollen with my sons. You’ll be mine until the gods take the sun and moon away.” He leaned back and rested against the hides, pulled her close and keeping her tightly to him. He meant everything he said, even if she didn’t know what he said. She would though, and then she’d realize that although he was a beast, a bastard by all accounts, he’d never let her go.
****
Days. It had been days since she’d been taken to this hut, woken up with a chain around her ankle, and realized that her life was not hers anymore. She’d barely spoken since that night he held her, touched her, and whispered things in his language that probably meant she was his. He had no intention of letting her go, that was clear by the way he watched her like a hawk, always making sure he knew where she was. Right now she sat on the chair in front of the fire.
The nights were becoming almost frigid in temperature, and the days were so chilled that she found herself in front of these flames watching Stian. When he did leave the hut it was for short intervals, but he’d always keep her ankle tethered to the wall. It was a masterful knot, with leather and metal worked into it, making it iron tight and unbreakable. Right now she watched him clean the flesh of a pig, gut it and slice it into several pieces and sizes. He hung up some, preserving it by drying it out, and she’d even seen him going to a small shed type building a few feet from the hut. Smoke billowed out of that hut, and she had to guess it was a smoke hut of some sort.
Since waking up in this weird world Agata had been thinking a lot about what that old woman said. The few times she’d looked outside all she saw was thick woods surrounding her, but she felt the breeze come from the distance, and knew there had to be water close. It was strange being able feel that, to know that the water equaled the extra chill in the air.
She’d picked up on some phrases and words over the last few days, knew basic things, and realized that the language he spoke, although different from the Norwegian she’d studied, wasn’t completely foreign. Some of the words were different yet similar enough, and she’d pieced them together, and figured out what he’d meant.
He had a few pieces of pork on a slab of metal, and moved it over to the fire to place it on the flames. The scent of cooking meat, the aroma of bacon, filled her nose and had her belly twisting in hunger.
“I want to go outside, get some fresh air.” She pointed to the door. “Outside.” Then she pointed to herself. “Me, Agata.”
He didn’t respond, just continued to move the meat, cooking both sides, and grabbing a few potatoes and tossing them right on the flames.
She wracked her brain for the words she’d learned in the short time she’d been here. The vocabulary was very limited, but she finally remembered some of the words he’d understand.
“Sol. Uti.” Damn, was she even saying that right? She’d said, or meant to at least, “sun” and “outside”. She couldn’t put the words together, but she hoped he’d understand easily enough.
He set the small knife down and looked at her. For several seconds he didn’t say anything, but then stood, unhooked the chain from her ankle, and grabbed her hand. He led her outside, and the sun, which was just starting to set, blinded her momentarily as it pierced through a space in the trees.
The air was cold, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. Stian pulled her close, had his arm around her shoulders, and his body heat engulfed her. The air felt nice on her face, and even if she’d felt it through the windows in the hut, there was something different about having it wash around her.
Glancing in each direction, she tried to look like she was just looking around at the scenery, but in fact she was trying to remember which way she’d gone for the town. The problem was she couldn’t remember because the feeling of his penetrating stare on her was unnerving. Rubbing her sweaty palms on her thighs she glanced at him.
“Vat?” Water. She pointed into the trees, and wracked her mind for the word for sea, but she couldn’t think. He didn’t move, didn’t even speak for several seconds, then tilted his chin toward the left, and she headed that way. He was close behind; she could feel him, sense him.
When the trees parted about five minutes after they’d started walking, she felt her eyes widen at the sight in front of her. Just down a small decline was the shore of a wondrous body of water. Agata couldn’t see past the large mountains that lined either side, and because the water curved toward the right, but she’d assumed this was a sea. The waves brushed along the rocky beach, and she took a step closer, only to be pulled back by Stian.
“Haksi vonki, konna.”
She’d understood the dangerous part, because in her time with him he’d drilled that word into her. But she couldn’t understand the other section. Maybe there were animals, or even the villagers that were dangerous? “I wish I knew what in the hell was going on, what you were saying, and where in the hell I was.” Facing him again she started to head back to the hut, knowing he’d follow. She just knew he’d always follow.
When they were back at his home she looked around, really taking in everything, categorizing all the details that were out in the open. So the water was to her left, and presumably the village might be to her right, but she wasn’t sure about that. This was going to be tricky, and getting away from Stian would be hard, but she had to try. If she didn’t she’d never know what in the hell happened to her. She needed to leave this place, and surviving this situation was of utmost importance. This wasn’t her home, wasn’t where she was supposed to be even if her body heated whenever Stian looked at her.
She moved back into the hut and went over to the pallet. They’d be sleeping soon, and although she hated knowing that he made her sleep beside him, wrapped his thickly corded and muscular body, there was also a part, maybe even a sick and deranged one, that liked the feeling of his big body holding her tight. He wanted her, and that was clear by his actions and the fact he always seemed to have a hard-on.
She spotted her purse tucked in the corner. She was pleased he’d grabbed it, and it was the first time she’d seen something famil
iar in this new world. Feeling this small little bubble of elation fill her, she grabbed for it and opened the zipper. Inside she had her iPhone, a pair of earbuds, her wallet, and other small things she usually kept with her at all times: deodorant, a few tampons, gum, lotion, tissue, and even a pack of Lifesavers. She looked at where Stian stood, but he was back to cutting the pork and moving it over to the fire.
Agata pulled out her phone, her heart pounding. The thing was still charged, just barely, but it was the fact it had no bars, no little lines that told her she had service that cut her deep. But it didn’t matter because she knew she could still call 911 if there was no service. She dialed the emergency number, looked at Stian, and for some reason she hesitated. When she hit that last number she put it up to her ear, but there was only dead air. Agata tried again, and once more before finally giving up and tossing the phone back in her purse. She took out a stick of gum, and was in the process of putting it in her mouth when she felt Stian’s gaze on her. He was always watching her it seemed.
He walked up to her, took her purse before she could react, and grabbed the phone out. Agata didn’t move, didn’t even react, just found this strange amusement as he stared at the iPhone. He turned it around, upside down, and started tapping on the screen. Music started blasting from the phone, and he promptly dropped it on the ground. She couldn’t help it. She started laughing at the sight of that He-Man suddenly taken off guard by the music. The more she watched him the more she realized he was either a very good actor, or he seriously had no idea what in the hell a cell phone or iPod was.
Tears of amusement tracked down her cheeks, and she was surprised she could find any kind of happiness in this situation. But when this dark look crossed his face and he turned to grab a hand ax from the shelf, faced the phone again, and brought the metal down on it, she sobered instantly.
She jumped as pieces of her phone crushed beneath the onslaught, and shrieked when he brought down the ax again and again until there was nothing but remnants of her phone and case on the floor. Eyes wide, mouth hanging open, and her shock filling her, she watched Stian, saw him toss the ax back on the shelf and cross his big arms over his chest like he was proud of what he’d done. He muttered something under his breath, and it sounded satisfied, like he’d just made his first kill or something.
“What the fuck,” she said to herself, lowered her gaze to the pieces of her cell, and then looked back to Stian. “You broke my expensive as hell phone.”
He huffed out, and gestured for her to come forward for her to eat. For the next twenty minutes she ate, watching him and keeping herself on alert. This man was dangerous, yet he hadn’t harmed her. He clearly wanted her, yet he hadn’t slept with her, hadn’t forced himself on her. This was a strange, screwed up situation, but she would be strong. She had to stay strong.
Chapter Six
Stian crouched in the underbrush, watching as a goat wandered around, grazing. It had clearly gotten away from the village, but no one had claimed it or searched for it as of yet. He’d take it as his own to feed his woman, make her nice and plump, because he’d be filling her with his children very soon. There was no use in waiting. He was getting older, and he’d always wanted a family, but because of his reputation, because of the brutal nature of his life, he’d never been given the chance to show a woman that he could be good to her.
Winter was fast approaching, and he wanted to have as much extra food and supplies stocked up as possible. It was always harsh and cold, but he knew this winter would be a lot warmer, and a little less lonely now that Agata was here. But it would take time for her to realize that she was truly his, that he’d always ensure that she stayed his. She knew nothing of him, of his world, and whether she was dropped down on this world by the gods themselves made no difference. He’d found her, would claim her, and he’d make her see that this was her home now.
He drew his bow back, aimed it at the goat, and in a fluid motion released the arrow. It landed in the side of the animal, a clean shot that had it dropping instantly. Stian slowly rose from his position, moved over to the lifeless creature, and just as he was about to lift the animal and put it over his shoulder to carry back home, the sound of a twig snapping far too close to him had him on alert and spinning around.
He now had his ax in hand, his gaze scanning the area, yet he didn’t catch any movement. Another snap, this one from the opposite direction he’d first heard it from. He spun and looked behind him, swept the perimeter of the forest with his gaze, and knew that although he couldn’t see what was out there, something watched him, waited. It was that tightening in his neck, that rush of adrenaline, and the feeling that eyes were on him.
“At ease, warrior.” The female voice came from behind him, and he turned and saw an elderly woman looking up at him. She was clearly blind given the milky color to her eyes and the scars that lined them.
He kept his ax ready though, because despite the fact she was an elderly woman, there was this power that came from her. Perhaps she was a seer, a person that could see the future of others?
“Who are you?” he said and scanned the woods behind her, and to the sides, making sure she was alone.
“I’m but an old woman.”
He doubted that. Stian had this feeling she was much more. It was a tingling in his body, a tightening of his skin. It was an instinct he went with to stay alive, and it had served him well.
“You’ve been out here alone for many moons, have you not, Stian?”
The fact she knew his name was surprising, especially since he knew she wasn’t from the village. He’d grown up around those people until he’d come into adulthood. He knew all the elders, and she was not one of them.
“I know you’re lonely, know you’ve been banished for things that were not maliciously done. I know you have found a great treasure, a woman that may or may not be of your world.” She lifted a greying eyebrow and smiled.
He didn’t question many things, but he had questioned his woman, and where she’d come from. She was clearly not of his village or area given her attire, language, and the other items she had in her possession. He tightened his hold on the handle of his ax, then lifted it and sheathed it at his hip. “You know of my woman and the strangeness of her, of where she came from.” He didn’t phrase it like a question.
“I do, warrior.”
They stood there for a moment, neither speaking after that, but both watching the other. “Is she a gift from the gods?” Stian might be many things, but he did have faith in the gods, in the great Odin, the father of all, and maybe they were smiling down upon him, even after the lives he took.
“Treasure what you have, warrior.” She turned and left him then, and for the entire time she moved through the woods he watched her. She disappeared through the trees, her small, almost frail body becoming no more.
Stian grabbed the goat and hauled it over his shoulder. Making his way back to the hut, he thought about what the old woman said. He wished he could speak with his female, know where she’d come from, what she thought, and explain the reasons why he would not let her go. He got to his hut, tossed the carcass on the ground by the smoke hut, and went into his home to see Agata sitting by the fire, her hands extended as she tried to warm them.
The weather was changing drastically, and he was already prepped, already prepared to keep them satisfied, well fed, and protected. He stared at her, desire coursing through his veins, and his cock instantly hard as she looked at him with this wide-eyed innocent expression. He’d refrained from touching her the way he wanted, and although she was still so cold at times toward him, while in bed she melted against his body.
“Come here, wife,” he said, knowing she knew at least a few small terms in his language. The way her throat worked as she smiled, the fact she curled her fingers into her palm, and the way she stood slowly, told him that she, too, felt this intense heat move between them.
When she was close enough he reached out and wrapped his hand around her waist
and pulled her forward until she slammed into his chest. “I want to show you what I want, what I need from you.” Looking into her blue, round eyes, seeing her hesitancy, yet her desire as well, had his cock jerking, growing harder. “I want to show you that you’re mine in the most physical of ways. Sex. Desire.” He leaned in an inch so their lips were only inches apart. “I want to fuck you, wife.”
****
Desire moved through Agata’s body like a train, fast, hard, and violently. She’d only been here for a few short days, knew she had to leave eventually, but also that she’d never felt the kind of arousal she did when with Stian. It made no sense, annoyed and pissed her off to a point, but the fact remained that she was here for a reason. She just didn’t know what that reason was.
His big hand was around her hipbone, his face so close to hers. He smelled wild, untamed, like the forest that surrounded them. Despite her being here against her will, not even knowing where here was, she did admit she’d never felt this kind of freedom before.
It did feel strange given the fact she was in this current situation, and had a chain still wrapped around her ankle. She’d even gone looking for weapons, and surprisingly found many, just not in her reach. What if someone or something had come in here and tried to hurt her while he’d been hunting? What if she couldn’t get away or defend herself because he’d had her tied up? All those thoughts had crossed through her mind, but she also had been able to look out the window and see him still, even as he hunted.
She believed he never went far from her, maybe as a proprietary thing, or because he didn’t trust her. But either way until she figured out a way to leave, playing along and staying on the side of him that lavished her with this wicked, erotic attention was probably in her best interest.
