by Leilani Love
Katrina’s eyes were half closed, her shoulders sagged. If Bryan had to guess, it was simply her stubborn will that kept her standing, more so than the wall she was leaning on. Before she could utter a protest, he bent down and picked her up in his arms, causing a small shriek to come from her. Bryan carried her the few steps to one of the chairs at the table and carefully placed her on it.
When he put her down, he noticed the blush on her cheeks. “Thank you.”
Bryan smiled, her tone had a bit of a pout. “You’ve been in bed for days, and the only thing I’ve been able to get into you has been broth. It’ll be a day or two before you’re ready for solid foods. Your body is a little weak from fighting the fever and not having any sustenance.”
He watched as she frowned at the information, all the while looking around. The wolves were still out, and he didn’t really expect them back until later today. They were never gone too long, but most of the time when they went hunting he could expect them to be gone for at least two days.
His sister had told him that his house needed more color, saying it looked like a man lived here with no intention of taking a wife. Bryan had never considered taking a wife. Instead, he would visit a widow in his town who took care of his needs. He now found himself wondering what Katrina thought of his home. Was she comfortable here? Did she just see it as a man’s home?
“Are you hungry?” Bryan asked after she seemed to come to whatever conclusion she had been mulling over.
“Yes, please,” Katrina replied before giving her attention back to him. “I need to get back on my way to Camelot. His parents must be really anxious. Could I impose upon you to take me there or help me get a ride?” I will make sure you’re paid for your troubles.”
As he heated up the broth for her on the fire, he watched her out of the corner of his eye. Bryan knew she was not being honest about something. Had she kidnapped the baby for a ransom? Was she selling him to someone else? He couldn’t come up with a reason why a newborn baby wouldn’t be traveling with his mother, or with his wet nurse. Katrina was obviously none of these.
“You will need to regain most of your strength before you travel anywhere. In a few days, I can travel with you to town and put you on a carriage to Camelot,” Bryan said as he made up her bowl.
She didn’t say anything as he walked over to her with her food, she just watched the baby on the floor. She was exhausted from her small walk, and she was frustrated with his answers, but for him, it was interesting to watch her think about all possibilities.
After he fed her a few bites, she finally asked him the question he could see brewing. “When’s the next time you expect a carriage to stop by. Maybe I could arrange something…”
Bryan shook his head, “It will be a long while. It’s winter, and my home isn’t near the main road. There are one or two that still come up here, but I don’t know when.”
Her shoulders slumped and when he went to feed her another bite she shook her head. “You need to eat Katrina. Your body is hungry, even if you are too busy pouting to want anything.”
“I’m not pouting,” she said, glaring at him.
When he chuckled, and raised an eyebrow, she huffed and dutifully opened her mouth for the next bite. He got her to eat a little more before he caught her eyes trying to close. Putting down the spoon, he stood up and scooped her out of the chair to carry her back to the bed.
“You do not need to carry me,” she said, as she looked up at him.
“True, but I fear you’ll fall asleep before you get to my bed.”
A blush spread on her cheeks, and he watched her face as she tried to look anywhere but at him. He bit his cheek to keep from smiling about her obvious discomfort, either at needing his help or the fact that she was sleeping in his bed. The rules of court were simple, and he knew that if she were caught in his bed, innocent or not, the rumors about that situation would ruin her.
Outside the confines of the castle, they were not as strict, but the fact that she was in his shirt and his bed would be damning, and she would be ruined. Bryan had seen her naked, and that was compromising no matter where they lived. “The baby will be taking another nap soon. Would you like me to put him in bed with you for a bit?”
“I would like that,” she whispered, as he put her down. He tucked her in, propping up the pillow, so she could sit up while holding the baby.
When he got Arthur from the floor, he smiled. “You make sure you behave. I don’t think she’s up for one of your fits just yet.”
The face Arthur gave him almost made him smile. If he didn’t know any better, the little lad understood what he said and didn’t appreciate it. When he walked into the room, he stopped to admire the beauty in his bed. Her brown hair had blond highlights. He liked it down and framing her face. He had an image of her in his bed, a soft blush on her cheeks, as she welcomed him with an inviting smile.
Arthur made a sound bringing him back to the present, causing him to shake his head. Having thoughts about a woman, who might have kidnapped the baby, in his arms was not the best thing for him to be lusting over.
“Here you go,” he said, as he gently placed the baby into her open arms. She smiled down at the baby, her face relaxing.
Arthur gave Katrina one of his rare smiles that lit up his face. “You are good with babies. Do you have any?”
“No lass, I’ve never had one of my own. He’s a good lad, who only fusses when he is wet or hungry. The milking bag was something I’d only seen used for animals before,” Bryan said.
Katrina smiled down at the baby in her lap. “I’ve actually never seen one before, until they gave him to me and loaded us up in the carriage.”
“Who loaded you into the carriage?” Bryan said leaning forward, curious if she was finally going to reveal more about herself.
Katrina opened her mouth before closing it again. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him. “Arthur’s father put me in the carriage. Since my lady went into labor early the wet nurse wasn’t traveling with us. We were lucky one of the groomsmen had used something similar and had modified it for the baby.”
Bryan nodded. She was lying to him. He wasn’t sure why, but as long as she was, he would need to be careful. “I’ll check on you both in a little bit.”
Katrina let out a slow breath, as he walked out of the room. She knew she’d almost slipped and said something she shouldn’t. She had to keep him safe. Katrina smiled down at the baby. When they put him in her arms the first time, she could barely stand the idea of holding him. But when she was running from those men in the woods, she would have given her life to save him.
She should fear Bryan. He was a giant of a man, and she was defenseless against him. But he had taken care of her, and Arthur. He hadn’t pushed, even though Katrina was positive he knew she was lying to him. She was a horrible liar. The Queen had often said she brought her with her, because she needed one person who would tell her the truth. “Your mother used to like laughing at me when I was a kid. Said we could never get away with anything, because everyone knew when I was lying.”
Arthur watched her intently, and she felt guilty for her thoughts on the ride to Merlin’s. “I made a promise to keep you safe and I will. Your parents must be really worried about you.”
The Queen was her friend, and she had been so excited when she told her she thought she was pregnant. It was a hard pregnancy, made harder by Morgana who had been the only dark spot in her friend’s life. Katrina sent up a small prayer to the gods that she would get Arthur to his mother soon.
Arthur yawned, blinking his eyes slowly, and she smiled as she laid the baby next to her, mimicking his yawn with one of her own. As she closed her eyes, she put her hand on his belly hoping soon she could go home.
Chapter 7
Katrina woke the next afternoon to see a big wolf standing over the baby. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming, as she tried to figure out how to move the big animal. Where was Bryan? Was he dead?
T
he wolf turned toward her, its golden-brown eyes peering at her curiously. As she frantically searched around the room, she noticed the small fire that Bryan kept in the room was still lit. Maybe she could use that to get the wolf away from the bed. As she eased herself to the bottom of the bed, she rallied all her strength to stand up and tried to figure out how she could use the fire to scare the wolf off.
As she stumbled off the bed, she let out a small squeak, and the wolf took a step toward her. Katrina looked around trying to figure out what she could grab to scare the wolf away, when she saw Bryan appear in the doorway. A sigh of relief escaped her, and she whispered his name trying to get his attention.
Bryan turned, and the grin on his face faded when he saw her. When he rushed to her, she put her hands up. “The wolf! We need to get it away from Arthur.”
Bryan frowned, confused, before finally saying, “Minx, out!” while pointing to the door.
When the wolf huffed, Katrina felt a moment of panic thinking Bryan might be delusional. When he simply pointed to the door and said out again, she blinked watching the wolf walk out the door without incident.
Before she could ask one of the many questions rolling around in her head, Bryan was next to her, his arm coming out to help her stand. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself getting out of bed?”
“There was a wolf standing over the baby––” Katrina started to say, when she realized that the wolf had listened to him. She took a step back causing him to let go of her. “The wolf, it listened to you.”
Was he a warlock like Merlin, or maybe he was a demon working with those men who had attacked her? “I’ve raised that wolf’s mate since he was a pup. When the two mated, she moved in. Minx’s’ pup died last year, and she seems to really love watching Arthur.”
“You let a wolf near him?” Katrina practically shrieked the words.
Arthur let out a cry after her shriek, and she realized she must have either awakened him or startled him. As she took a step forward, she felt Bryan’s arms slip around her pulling her close. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, again, and her hand had nowhere to go but his chest. His skin felt warm under her hand. He wasn’t hairy but instead had a light trail of hair that disappeared into his pants.
“I would never let anyone hurt you or the babe,” Bryan said against her ear.
Katrina tilted her head to look up at him. His face was so close, she could feel his breath on her lips. She knew she should fight against him, but at this moment, she couldn’t remember why. Her breath caught in her throat, and she started to wonder what it would feel like if he kissed her.
The sound of Arthur whimpering snapped her out of her thoughts, and when she pushed gently, he released her easily. Her legs steadier than they were earlier, she made it to Arthur’s bed. She bent down to pick him up, holding him to her as he fussed.
She looked over at Bryan who was watching her. “You have two wolves?”
“I have four,” he said calmly, as he kept an eye on her. “Do you remember the day you were attacked by those men in the woods?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding as she went and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Do you remember how you got away from those men?” She frowned thinking about it. The man was holding her, and she was trying to think of how to get away. She remembered hearing a growl, and a flash of white before he let her go. It had been a wolf that saved her.
“He was attacked by a white wolf,” Katrina said. “I didn’t see much after that, just white fur and then I ran.”
Bryan nodded, taking a step toward her, putting his hand on her elbows as she held the baby to her. “Snow saved you and then followed you into the woods and lay against you. He was the reason the two of you didn’t freeze to death. With the snow falling, I might not have been able to find you after you ran away.”
Katrina sort of remembered a white figure coming toward her. She didn’t think it was a person, but she was so tired and cold by then she couldn’t be sure. But, the wolf that was just in here was a darker wolf. “You have four wolves. One of which you claim saved me.”
She felt Bryan reach up, push a piece of hair and place it behind her ear. “I would say I did it all by myself, but there were a lot of men after you, and I would never have been able to save you on my own.”
For some reason, that confession made her smile. She didn’t realize how close he had moved as he spoke until she realized the only thing between the two of them was the baby. Her mouth suddenly dry, she licked her lips as her eyes met his. A blush spread on her cheeks when she realized he was watching her mouth. “Are you sure they will not harm us?”
Bryan smiled down at her. “Are you brave enough to let me show you?”
Her spine straightened, and she nodded. “Let me put Arthur down.”
Before she could move, Bryan took him from her arms. When he smiled down at the baby in his arms, she felt her heart skip a small beat. “Can you stay in your bed while I introduce Katrina to your friend Minx?”
It almost looked like Arthur smiled back at him, which was silly. He was too young to smile at him let alone understand what he had said. She watched him place the baby gently in the crib before stepping closer to her. When he stood before her, she gathered her courage. For some reason, him finding her weak upset her.
Chapter 8
Bryan watched the emotion on her face. It was like she was battling something internally. Once she agreed, he offered her his arm, and together they walked into the living room. Snow and Minx were both lying by the fireplace. The other two were in the barn.
Snow stood up, and he felt Katrina stiffen next to him. Minx yawned, appearing bored, but he noticed how she kept an eye on them. Except for his family, the wolves had always made themselves scarce around people. He hardly ever had a guest that stayed more than a day, but the circumstances that had brought Katrina were not normal.
“Snow,” he said, calling the wolf to him.
Katrina moved in behind him as the wolf came closer. He couldn’t blame her for being scared. Snow was big for a wolf. If he stood on his back legs, Snow dwarfed him. When Snow stood before him, he looked at Katrina curiously.
A hand up in the air Bryan said, “Sit.”
Snow gave him a look that let him know he didn’t appreciate being talked to like a common dog. After a long moment, Snow decided to humor him and sat down. Bryan looked over his shoulder at the woman who was half hiding behind him. “I promise Snow won’t hurt you. Would you like to pet him?”
“Pet him?” she barely squeaked out the question, and he laughed.
“Yes. Pet him,” Bryan said, as he reached out and petted the wolf to show her it would be all right.
He could feel Katrina stiffen next to him, as she pulled herself to her full height and took a step to stand next to him. Snow must have sensed what he was doing because he put his head down in a rare submissive position and patiently waited.
Bryan watched as Katrina finally reached out and touched Snow on the top of the head. He saw her smile when Snow bumped her hand encouraging her to continue. When she finally spoke, he heard the awe in her voice. “Thank you, for saving me Snow.”
Snow bumped her hand, and when he stood up, Katrina pulled her hand back, a small gasp escaping her. Snow walked around her rubbing himself on her, and marking her with his scent before he bumped her hand again with his nose and licked her.
Snow had marked her as part of his pack. Katrina might not have understood the symbolism of what he’d just done, but Bryan did. Bryan trusted Snow’s instincts better than his own and decided if Snow trusted Katrina, he could too.
That didn’t mean he was going to stop asking her questions. “Minx over there is Snow’s mate. There are two more that are in the barn. When I rescued Snow as a pup, his brother was with him. The two never left, even after Snow was well enough to do so.”
Katrina looked up at him and gave him a smile. “So, you’re often out saving those in need.”
He blushed at her wo
rds of praise. When her smile grew, he shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I did what anyone else would do,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder, feeling uncomfortable.
She shook her head. “No, not everyone.”
Bryan cleared his throat. He heard a sound form Arthur in the back room, and he gave her a nod before walking back to him. “He’ll be wanting to eat now.”
Bryan went and picked up Arthur. “You’re about to complain that we are taking too long to feed you, huh, little laddie?”
Arthur let out a sound of complaint that made him laugh. Bryan turned to see Katrina watching. Her face had softened again, and that look on her face made his chest swell with male pride. Bryan could get used to that look.
“Would you like to feed him in bed?” he asked her, as she continued to watch.
Katrina wrinkled her nose, and Bryan couldn’t help but grin. He had an image of her as a child making that face when her mother or father tried to get her to sit still. “Would it be all right if I fed him in the front room?”
Bryan nodded and offered her the baby when he got to her in the doorway. Once Arthur was settled in her arms, he put her hand on his back and walked her to the living room in case her legs decided she had been up long enough.
Once Katrina was settled in the chair, Bryan took care of getting her the milk and even brought a new changing cloth from the one’s he had cleaned. Hopefully, soon the snow would stop, and the merchant would stop by, otherwise, he would need to start cutting up one of his old shirts or blankets.
The snow lasted for a few more days, and Bryan felt his feelings for Katrina grow. Since Katrina had only the one dress, she had started wearing his shirts while washing it. She was adorable, but he knew that she was embarrassed about not having something more appropriate to wear.
The wolves left a few days ago for a hunt, and after the fifth day Bryan felt himself worrying. They very rarely left for longer than three days at a time, so when the morning of the fifth day started, he found himself watching outside for them.
