by Hannah West
Darcee had mostly been on bedrest this past week but she was going mad and she needed to get out. While her body was sore, stiff and bruise everywhere she knew nothing would befall her thanks to her new friend.
The wolf it turned out was a she and was quite the protector. She had never left her side for more than an hour to eat and go out for a quick run. Darcee had named her Kara, for her beautiful coat coloring.
Sometimes Dacree wondered if Kara missed being in a pack, missing her family. She had told Alrek this once before falling asleep and he had told her when she awakened that Kara was the last of her pack. He had talked to some villagers who were old hunters. The rest of the giant wolves hadn’t been seen in over ten years.
“She must have been a pup when her parents were killed. She known no other life,” he said to her.
“Well then I shall be her pack and she can stay with me,” Dacree had said with a tilt to her chin.
Alrek had held up his hands in surrender. “I would ask for no better protector for my wife while I am gone.”
A message from the king came regarding her step-mother and it had left her on edge. Alrek had left three days ago and was to return tonight with the decision of her punishment.
Dacree had no forgiveness for the woman and wished her a painful death.
Musing what she would do to the horrible bitch, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and prepared to stand. But as she told she felt a warm slick wetness between her legs.
Looking down in horror the front of her night gown had blood on it.
She was having her menses.
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she dashed them away.
So there was to be no babe.
She had looked forward to it when the healer had come to see her after her husband had brought her home. She had told the healer her flow was late and the healer had said it could be or it could not. It was a miracle that she had lived at all after her fall and days in the forest.
There was a brief knock on the door and when Darcee didn’t answer Sarina looked in and saw Dacree standing by the bed crying, the front of her gown dotted with blood.
Quietly she closed and bolted the door, then walked over to her friend. Without a moment’s thought she had Darcee in her arms.
“There is no babe,” she whispered in Sarina's hair by her ear. “Now he shall not forgive me.”
“Sometimes our bodies are not ready for us to have babes yet,” Sarina said gently. “I want a babe but God has yet to gift me and Adrian with one. One day he shall for me as he would for you.”
She pulled back to look over her friends face with watery eyes. “I think tis the best for this time. You are hurt and so much is changing around you. Alrek will not be angered I promise you. He will come to understand.”
“He told me when he married me. All he would ask of me is an heir. He needs me for naught more and I do not think I could still the cold touch of his hand in my bed again.”
“Was it that bad,” Sarina asked.
Darcee nodded. “It was painful and I felt…numb when he was done. He wouldn’t even look at my face.”
Sarina sucked in a breath and let out an angered sigh. “There is much joy in the act and even pleasure if you do it right. I would have expected better of him.”
“Tis true?” Darcee asked.
Sarina nodded. “You can even use it to bend your husband to his will, but with Alrek the way he is, well…” she trailed off.
Dacree sighed. “If I wanted this to work between us, if he could forgive me for not being with child, do you think it could bring us closer together? I am ashamed to admit I am jealous of you and Adrian. I wish for such from Alrek even if a small part of me hates him for what he has done.”
A bright smile light Sarina’s face as a plan formed in her mind.
“What you need to do is make him beg for it. When he returns today he will want nothing more than rest. So you shall order a bath to be ready and waiting, then you shall be waiting for him in his rooms. On his bed, in as little clothing as possible.”
A flush stole over her face and took away her ability for speech.
Sarina grinned like a cat.
“B-but I am on my-”
Sarina cut her off with a wave of a hand. “That will not matter if he truly wants you. Just remember you must tell him the truth first and then use your charm to lure him to you.” She looked Darcee up and down. “But you need a bed first. It is a good thing most of your bruises are fading.”
“I am just not sure…”
“Do you want what I and my husband have?”
A nod.
“Then this you must do.”
Chapter Fourteen
The ride hard been hard on him and his men. They had ridden hard over the sleeping land to meet William at Dungrave Abby. This meeting with William had not been a festive one. There had been an outbreak of fighting in the south do to a few Saxon lords who had risen up the forces to oppose him.
King William was heading south himself with his newest fleet of men to squash the rebellion. His secret weapon?
Having his god-daughters wed the men and bring them to heel.
Apparently the king and the queen thought themselves fine match makers for the nobles. However upon seeing the two of the three young ladies that were the king’s god-daughters he believe they could bring the men to heel. These two were real sisters and daughters of a lesser lord. Each with platinum blonde hair pulled back in sharp styles and piercing grey-eyes that cut to the soul.
They were as trained in the arts of acting and manipulating as his men were in killing. They were the queen’s pride and joy.
Frightening.
Alrek shuddered thinking of them again in all their perfection and was once again glad for the wife he had.
A thought had been eating at him since she came back and he had been waiting for her to talk to him about it, but she had not.
After her fall he had asked the healer, but she wouldn’t say a word.
He would have to ask her, he had to know.
He kicked his horse to go faster, the sooner he got home the sooner he would find out.
Suddenly the thought hit him. He had thought Blackmoor as home.
A grin stretched across his face.
He had finally found a home.
It had been a long time since he had found one.
…
The hour was late when he and his men rode into the inner bailey lit by oiled torches. The sun had since fallen and Alrek slid from his horse, eyes drugged with sleepiness.
“Welcome back, my lord,” Jacob, his squire, greeted at the doors to the main hall.
“Well met, boy,” he said with a tired smile.
“A bath is being prepared for you, my lord, and should be ready soon. If you would take a seat by the fire spiced wine awaits you,” Jacob said with a smile before he bowed and headed towards the kitchen.
…
“He is waiting by the fire, my lady,” Jacob said with a sweet smile of Darcee.
She smiled back after taking a deep breath. “Let the plan begin. If he asks after me, please tell him that I turned in early and that I wasn’t feeling well.”
The lad nodded and she headed up the stairs to her husband’s chamber. She peeked around to make sure she was along and then she enter his room closing the door behind her. She had spent most of the day cleaning his chamber and setting everything up for tonight.
If everything went as planned then the differences between them wouldn’t matter anymore and they would be placed upon the road to a happy union.
Dacree shimmied out of her dressing gown and looked down at the silky shift Sarina had given her that framed her chest and lifted her breast up temptingly.
She was embarrassed but with a deep calming breath she placed herself in the middle of his large bed and breathed in the scent of lavender. Placing herself just right she settled in to wait for her husband.
Chapter Fifteen
/> Water dripped from the ends of his braids down his neck and slowly inched its way down his bare back to pool on his lower back before tracking to the edge of his new trews.
Alrek closed his eyes for a brief moment before leaving bathing chamber connected to the kitchens.
He was home and it left a warm feeling in his gut like good whiskey.
He catch Jacob rushing from the main hall and swung an arm around him.
“No, my lad, tell me something. Tell me how my lady wife fairs.” He smiled thinking about her flashing violet eyes ringed in honey when she was angry.
It had gutted him to see her so hurt. But it tormented him that he knew once again he had driven her to do something life threatening.
“She is hail, my lord, but has been over tired of late. She is currently resting in her chambers last I checked on her,” Jacob said seriously.
“Oh,” Alrek said quietly. Was he disappointed he wouldn’t see her tonight?
Damn it to the gods, he was!
He let his arm drop from the lad and he stopped for a moment.
“Would you give her a message when she awakens for tomorrow? I doubt she will speak to me.”
The lad nodded with a small smile.
“Tell her I need to speak with her soon.” With that Alrek turned to go back to the great hall. He felt the need to drink more than he had before his bath and he was going to.
Sitting in the overstuffed chair he had brought down for his wife if she felt the need to get out of her chamber, he took up the bottle of drank left on the side table and drank straight from the bottle.
At the bottom of his second bottle he was feeling much better and stumbled off to his cold bed. He took his time going up the long flight of stairs, having to use the wall to help hold him up.
He reached for her door about to knock on it but his hand froze mere inches away and he slowly drew it back.
Nay, she needed her rest. He could at least spare her a drunken talk tonight.
So he turned on heel for his door and tripped over the untied lace of his boots and went sprawling into his own door with a loud crash!
He groaned as he got back up to his feet and reached for the handle to open his door. Tossing it open he slipped out of his boots and trews throwing them over a nearby chair. Notice a fire already lit in the grate he trudged over to the water basin and splashed shockingly cold water on his face.
He was about to fall into bed when he noticed someone into. He rubbed eyes disbelieving eyes and stood still in stunned silence.
His little wife was laying nearly naked on top of the coverlet to his bed.
He rubbed his blurry eyes. He must have had too many drinks or mayhap his mind was playing a trick on him.
He grinned and swayed slightly. Why not enjoy it while it lasted? He knew he would never find his real wife this way.
He swaggered over the bed and sat down on the edge, reaching to caress her sleeping face.
He smiled softly when his fingers met warm flesh and he closed his eyes enjoying the sensation. He had missed touching her. She was all the soft goodness in the world and he was all the hard and sharp.
She was his match made in every way.
Alrek opened his eyes to see her striking eyes stare at him all softly with a small smile tilting the corners of her mouth.
“You finally came to bed,” she said softly, searching his face.
Bloody hell, she was real!
He jerked back and stared at her in disbelief, his drunkenness quickly wearing off.
She lifted herself up on an elbow with a quizzing look. “Are you alright?”
“Aye,” he choked up roughly. Shaking himself back to the present.
She reached out a small hand toward him and clasped it to his arm.
“Alrek,” she said softly, her eyes filling with tears. “There is no babe. I am sorry.”
Shocked by her tears more than her words he scooped her up and gathered her into his arms. He rocked her back and forth, telling her all was well. She just quietly cried.
“Tis fine, my girl. It is not the end of the world. We have all the time in the world,” he said gently.
Big teary eyes stared at him uncannily. “But a babe is why you married me. You need your heir.”
He sighed heavily. “I will need an heir, Darcee, but right now you are more important.”
She studied his face and asked. “Do you mean this, Alrek?”
He cracked a grin at her. “I am happy with it just being to two of us for now.”
She smiled timidly. “I am glad. I have begun to feel at certain way for you.”
“Have you now,” he asked as he tucked her head beneath her chin.
She nodded.
“What was this new feeling telling you?” he asked as casually as he could.
“That I need to get closer to you,” she said in a soft tone. “That I have too.”
Something warm settled into the pit of his stomach and warmed his heart. “Does thing mean you are willing to try that partnership idea of yours again?”
“Aye,” she said with a sigh. “But I must warn you I now have a plan that will let me conquer all of you.”
He pulled back and looked down at her lazy grin. “Aye?”
“Oh, aye,” she breathed, turning in his arms to straddle his lap. “And it starts here. Are you willing to trust me?”
He nodded suddenly feeling drunk again but not on ale. “But are you sure you are well enough?”
“I have been told that I am, if you are interested.”
As she slowly started to move on his lap he groaned.
“I am indeed, my girl.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Then lets us find out how to make our marriage work, Alrek,” she said softly.
After a moment she asked, “Alrek?”
“Aye, lass,” he asked.
“I love you,” she whispered before she kissed him sweetly.
“As I you,” he groaned.
