by Asa Maria Bradley, Gina Conkle, Lisa Hendrix, Anna Markland, Emma Prince, Harper St. George
It wasn’t until she’d climbed all the way down that she noticed Ora standing there with a strange look on her face. The woman pulled the cord, and the door above them closed with a bang, and two hulking shadows separated themselves from the darkness behind her. Ora smiled.
“What are you doing?” Merewyn’s heart pounded. She didn’t recognize either of the men who’d stepped into the light.
“Putting you in your place.”
One of the men grabbed her while Ora held up her candle to light a yawning black hole in the earthen walls. A large wooden rack of shelving had been pushed to the side. The passageway hadn’t been there before when she’d hidden from Eirik and the other Danes in this very same cellar last autumn.
“Let’s go while we still know the entry at the other end is clear,” one of the men said.
Ora nodded and ducked inside. “Your brother had this dug out after you were taken. He wanted his family to have an escape should we be invaded again. I suppose he didn’t much care if the servants escaped, given how he handed us over.”
Merewyn was trembling, but she made her voice strong as she spoke. She wouldn’t allow herself to believe that they’d harm her with the threat of Eirik’s retribution hanging over them.
“Eirik has treated you well. Not one of you has been harmed. I’d even say you’re treated better than you were by Alfred and Blythe. No one has struck you.” Her brother’s wife had never held back her anger when she’d felt one of the servants had wronged her.
Ora laughed. “Reason it how you want, traitor. You chose the Danes over your own people. Any self-respecting woman would’ve killed herself before letting her attacker get a baby in her.”
“This is wrong, Ora. Taking me and doing whatever it is you have planned won’t change anything.”
“Nay, it won’t change anything, but Alfred ordered you taken and I’ll deliver you to him. Then I’ll be back with him where I belong,” Ora said.
Merewyn gasped. “You’re lovers?” It came out as an accusation.
The woman laughed. “Aye, he sought me out quick enough when he found out his wife was a cold one.”
“Then he left you,” Merewyn pointed out. “He left you. Think about what that means. He didn’t know that Eirik would treat you well. He doesn’t want you, Ora. He doesn’t care about you. He’s only using you.”
“That’s none of your concern. Now be quiet or I’ll have them quiet you.” Ora turned and disappeared into the passageway.
Terror took Merewyn’s knees out from under her, but the man at her back just lifted her and forced her to walk forward. Blood rushed in her head, blocking out the other sounds as cold fear held her in its grasp. Ora’s body blocked the candlelight, leaving the narrow passage in suffocating darkness, like a grave.
* * *
Eirik called for the gates to be thrown open as soon as he was close enough to be heard. The men on the wall hurried to obey, calling down to the men on the ground. There were no outward signs of attack, and Eirik wasn’t certain if he should be relieved. He drew his horse up just short of charging through as he waited for the gates to be thrown wide.
“Where is Merewyn? Get Magnus,” he called to the men on the wall.
When the heavy gates were finally opened enough that he could fit through them, Eirik charged forward on his horse. He called for Magnus, but the warrior was already running toward him from the sparring field. “Where’s Merewyn?”
“She’s inside with Ora. They’re taking inventory of the cellar.”
“How long has she been there?” Eirik asked.
“Not very long. I just saw her myself a little while ago.”
Eirik dismounted in front of the hall and pushed through the doors. “Take some men and go to the passageway entrance in the forest,” he called back to Gunnar. Gunnar nodded and turned his horse around, his men following him out.
“Jarl Eirik.” Magnus caught up to him again in the hall. “What’s happened?”
As he walked, Eirik explained what the Saxon prisoner had said. His gaze roved over the servants where they worked at the hearth. They looked innocent, glancing at him with curious expressions as they went about their work. His men rushed in, armed and ready to thwart a potential uprising. Magnus called for a torch, and in moments it appeared in his hand. A man rushed forward to pull the cellar door open, but there were no sounds coming from within the cellar. She wasn’t down there. She was gone.
His heart pounding, Eirik charged down the ladder. Magnus came behind him with the torch, revealing the gaping hole of the passageway. The thought of her being dragged down the narrow passage twisted a knot of anguished fury in his chest, the breath squeezed from his lungs. Eirik took the torch in one hand, holding his sword in the other, and made his way through the narrow passage with his warriors at his back. When he came out the other end, the clearing was empty. For one terrifying moment, he had a glimpse of his life without her. It was bleak and dark, and a hollow opened in the pit of his stomach.
Losing her wasn’t an option.
Chapter Four
Merewyn slowed her steps on the slippery rocks. One man had already crossed the river with Ora just behind him. The other man held Merewyn’s arm and navigated the treacherous river crossing in front of her. This was her only chance to escape. Pretending to slip, she jerked free of his grasp and shoved him forward so he lost his balance and fell into the rushing water.
Ignoring the cries for her to stop, Merewyn turned and hopped onto the bank, where she ran back the way they’d come. She pushed at the branches that tore at her clothing, not even slowing when they scratched her face and caught her hair. A stitch lanced through her side, but she didn’t dare stop or slow her pace. She’d given herself a head start, but there was no way she’d be able to outrun them for long.
Gripping her belly protectively, she pushed her way through a low grouping of branches and almost fell to her knees with relief when she nearly ran into a horse. Frightened by her sudden appearance from the trees, it reared up.
“Merewyn!” Eirik’s voice reached her as she ducked out of the way of the horse’s hooves. Before she’d managed to straighten herself, he had jumped down and pulled her into his arms. “Are you hurt?” he asked as he buried his face against her neck and held her tight.
“Nay. I ran when we got to the stream. One of them is chasing me. Ora is behind this. She said that my brother ordered it.” The words came out in one long rush together.
With a hand on each side of her head, he pulled back to look at her. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?” At her nod, he asked, “How many are there?”
“Three. Ora, and two men I’ve never seen.”
He nodded and spoke over his shoulder. “Gunnar, take her home and keep her safe.” Then he looked back at her. “I’m going to find them. Go with Gunnar and I swear to you I’ll make this right.” He gave her a hard kiss and then handed her over to his brother before mounting his horse and following the path she’d left behind. Most of the men followed him and a few stayed to escort her back to the manor.
“Come on,” Gunnar said, and he was surprisingly gentle as he lifted her up to sit before him on his horse. “I’ll go slowly, but you must tell me if you’re in pain.”
She nodded, but further conversation was beyond her. Very soon they were riding through the gates. Everything looked unchanged from when she’d left it under an hour ago. Had she been sorting mugwort with Sempa such a short time ago? Did the servants all despise her as much as Ora had? Servants and warriors alike were all looking at her as if she was separate from them. Something they wanted no part of.
When Gunnar dismounted, he lifted her down slowly and kept her in his arms as he took her inside. The servants stood in the background, opening doors and clearing the way for him, but Merewyn couldn’t bear to look at them. How many of them had been involved in Ora’s scheme? Gunnar didn’t stop until he laid her down on her bed.
“Mistress?” Gunnar turned at Devona’s voice and
put his hand up to hold her back. She stood just inside the doorway. As she glanced from one to the other, her fingers nervously plucked the belted twine at her waist. “Are you harmed?”
“That’s enough, girl.” Gunnar walked to close the door, but the girl held her ground.
“Wait, Gunnar,” Merewyn said. His hand had been on the door, but he paused at her command.
“A warrior said that Ora had taken you. Is that true?”
“It’s true.” Merewyn could detect no guilt on the girl’s face.
“On my life I didn’t know her intention when I gave you her message.” Devona’s gaze didn’t waver as she continued. “When you first came back, she told us to shun you, and I’m ashamed to admit I was so afraid of her that I did as she said, but I vow that I didn’t know she intended to take you away. None of us did.” Devona stepped back, and another servant appeared in the doorway. One by one they voiced their concern for Merewyn and affirmed that Ora had acted without their knowledge or consent.
By the time they’d finished, Merewyn had the beginnings of a smile on her face. Gunnar ran them off and shut the door, telling her she needed rest, but she only shook her head. “You needn’t stay here with me until Eirik gets back.”
“I vowed to keep you safe. I know you believe them, but I won’t believe that the servants aren’t a threat until we question them, which we’ll do when Eirik returns. Until then, I’ll stay here.” He stood next to her door like a sentry, with his large arms crossed over his chest.
“This is twice you’ve saved me.” She settled back against the headboard and stared him down. “Thank you.”
“Perhaps you’ll consider stopping your tendency to need saving.”
She wasn’t certain, but she thought she saw a glimmer of humor in his amber eyes. “You’re not as rough as you want everyone to believe.”
“I don’t care what everyone believes.”
That was nonsense, so she went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Perhaps you should marry. It’d take a special woman, but I think the right one could smooth out your hard edges.”
He barely controlled his snicker as he shook his head. “Just because Eirik is a besotted fool doesn’t mean we all want that.”
That was also nonsense, so she didn’t let it stop her. “Perhaps Devona. She’s a lovely girl.”
He merely shook his head, and she realized that wouldn’t work at all. He didn’t need someone biddable. It’d take someone who would stand up to him. Perhaps someone like Kadlin, who’d stood her ground when she’d refused to obey her father—a jarl, no less—when he’d wanted her to marry Eirik.
“Kadlin. She’d be a perfect match for you.” Much to Merewyn’s surprise, he didn’t laugh or shake his head or do any of the things she had expected. A look that could only be described as pain came over his face, and he looked down to avoid her.
“Dear God,” she whispered to no one in particular, and rose to her feet. “You love Kadlin?”
After a moment, he looked back at her, and the pain was still there. “I went to see her before we left. Spent the night with her.” Even as he spoke, he was shaking his head.
“What happened? Did she…did she tell you to go?” She’d only been teasing him, but she waited for his next words as if her life depended on it.
“She told me she loved me. I have no place back home, and I can’t ask her to leave her home to come here. We’re ill-suited.”
“Oh, Gunnar.” Before she could say anything else, voices from the hall alerted them to Eirik’s return.
Gunnar’s head whipped up. “Say nothing to Eirik.” When she hesitated, he said, “I’ll have your word on this, Merewyn.”
She nodded, but before she could say anything else, Eirik pushed open the door. “Are you certain you’re not hurt?” he said as he crossed the chamber and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m fine. What about you?” She touched his face and then ran her hands down the fine mesh of the chainmail that covered his torso.
She was almost afraid to ask, but she needed to know what had happened. “What of Ora?”
“Jumped into the river. She said she’d rather die than come back here. The men fought to the death.”
She closed her eyes at Ora’s unnecessary death. Eirik rubbed a hand up and down her back and said to Gunnar, “Ora indicated she acted alone, but organize the servants for questioning.” Gunnar agreed and left them alone.
“I was so worried,” Eirik whispered, and pulled at his chainmail.
Merewyn helped him pull it off, and ran her hands over his chest, savoring his solid strength.
“Are you certain you’re not hurt?” he asked, his eyes full of concern.
“I’m fine. Better than fine.” She smiled up at him. “I think Ora was the reason the servants were cold to me.” The warriors would come to trust her in time, she was sure of it.
Eirik buried his hands in her hair and pressed his forehead to hers before bringing his mouth down on hers. “I love you, sweet girl,” he whispered when he pulled back to take a breath. “If I had lost you…”
“But you didn’t.” She took his face in her hands and brought him down for another kiss. He was home. Everything was as it should be.
Did you enjoy To Tame a Viking?
Read Enslaved by the Viking to see how the romance began.
“From this day forward, you are mine.”
The moment Merewyn sets eyes on the warrior standing atop a Viking raiding ship, something inside her stirs. By all rights, she should fear him, should run from him, yet she cannot help but be drawn to him.
Eirik has never before taken a woman captive, yet Merewyn inspires a longing that calls to the darkness within him. He takes her back to his homeland as his slave, where they finally succumb to passion. And as the lines between captor and captive blur, Eirik realizes they have crossed into dangerous territory…
About Harper St. George
Harper St. George was raised in the rural backwoods of Alabama and along the tranquil coast of northwest Florida. It was a setting filled with stories of the old days that instilled in her a love of history, romance, and adventure. By high school, she had discovered the historical romance novel which combined all of those elements into one perfect package. She has been hooked ever since. She lives in Florida with her family.
She would love to hear from you. Please find her online at:
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Discover Harper St. George’s Booklist
Viking Warriors
Eirik & Merewyn / Enslaved by the Viking (Viking Warriors #1)
Gunnar & Kadlin / One Night with the Viking (Viking Warriors #2)
In Bed with the Viking Warrior (Viking Warriors #3)—Coming January 2017
Outlaws of the Wild West
The Innocent and the Outlaw
Book 2 coming Summer 2017
Standalone Novellas
His Abductor’s Desire
Her Forbidden Gunslinger
Contemporary Romance
Dirty Work: An Anthology contains the novella “Revved”
Premiere: A Romance Writers of America Collection contains the short story “The Fallout”
Visit www.harperstgeorge.com for more information.
