by Amy Star
Her late night trainings wore her out completely, so she was often sound asleep when he finished his work and crawled into bed in the early hours of the morning. By the time she woke up in the morning, he was already back at work on the cottage before his trainees showed up to continue their lessons. They were physically so close, but she felt as though she wasn't spending any real time with him and she missed him deeply.
The only thing that kept her from feeling a true sadness at the distance between them was the feeling of the life growing inside of her. Knowing the baby was coming, the physical manifestation of their love for each other, was all that she needed to remind herself that their love was the most beautiful thing in her life. Everything he was doing, he was doing to keep them safe. She couldn't complain. Still, she longed for the day that the cottage would be complete and his free time would belong to her once again.
That day came more quickly than she'd even dared to dream. One night, after weeks of work, he came to the tent earlier than he usually did, but instead of slipping soundlessly into bed beside her and holding her until he fell asleep, he woke her gently, full of excitement.
“Kalia, Kalia my dear! Wake up! Wake up! I've something to show you!” he cried excitedly.
“What's going on? Is something wrong?” she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up slowly.
“Everything's alright, darling! Get up and come with me. I need you to see something,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her from the warmth of their bed.
It was rather disappointing, as she'd been hoping he would get into the bed beside her. She'd missed him so much and her body craved his. When he woke her up, she'd the faint hope that it was because he wanted her. The fact that he was leading her in the opposite direction of their warm bed didn't reassure her.
Still, he seemed like a man on a mission so she grabbed her wrap from the chair near the bed and let him lead her outside. She looked down at her hands nervously. They'd not had enough time to heal from her last training. Still, he seemed too excited to notice. She took her hand from his and wove it through the crook of his arm, tucking her injured hand safely out of sight.
He looked positively ecstatic, like her little brothers did when they'd found a snake or a pine cone they were so wildly excited about that they had to show her right away. His emotions were infectious and she felt them rippling through her, temporarily pushing the sadness she'd felt when he didn’t seem to want her, out of her mind.
He led her to the cottage and to her surprise, he swept her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold. She gasped in surprise but savored the physical closeness to him. His scent and warmth surrounded her and she thought it must be very much what heaven would feel like. He didn’t say anything until they were inside. Gently, he set her back on her feet in the large and open space that included the kitchen and the main living space.
She looked around, speechless. Her eyes took in every detail he had so carefully accomplished in such a short amount of time. The walls were stone, yet the space still felt so warm and inviting to her. The window frames were painted a crisp shade of white, making them pop out from the grey stone. The large panes of glass in them were something that was rare in the homes of their people but she loved them. Looking through them drew the night sky from the outside in and gave the home the feeling of being connected to the nature that surrounded them, much the same way that the tent made her feel.
The fireplace he had built was just like the one that she'd seen in her dream. It was large and open, with a hearth where she and their children would sit and bond together. She pictured herself sitting there, telling them stories or singing them songs and she felt tears begin to form in her eyes. This, she knew, was a home where they would grow old together. She couldn't believe she'd ever doubted his ability to make her a place where she would feel happy and safe.
In the center of the kitchen, was a hand-crafted table and she could tell that he had labored on it. The legs scrolled elegantly and looked very much like the roots of a tree growing out from the floor and she pictured them there, eating and laughing as a family, sharing the details of their lives and the special, quiet moments that make life worth living. That thought was too much for her and tears that had been threatening to fall, spilled down her cheeks.
The entire time she'd been taking in every inch of the home that he had made for her, Luke had been watching Kalia. He had not said a word, merely waited for her to react. Her tears, though, were too much for him to hold himself back any longer. He strode across the room and pressed his hand to her cheek, dashing away her tears with his thumb.
“Do you not like it?” he asked gently.
“I love it. Oh darling, it's just how I dreamed it'd be. It already feels like our home. There are not even words in ours or any other language to describe how you make me feel. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for loving me,” she whispered. Her tears continued to flow, but the look of love on her face told him that they were tears of joy.
“I'm so glad. I told you I would make this the place you wanted. I didn't want to break my word to you,” he said solemnly, gently running his hands through her hair as he spoke. She leaned in to his hand like a cat, wanting to be as close to him as she possibly could.
“I couldn't have asked for more. I see our lives in these walls,” she said. As she spoke, he reached out to take her hands in hers. It was then that he noticed their condition. She tried to pull them away, but he held them tight, examining the cuts and bruises, made to look all the worse by the swelling and the blood that coated them.
“What happened here?” he asked quietly. Though his voice was low, the edge in it was unmistakable. His eyes were locked on her ruined knuckles and he didn't even blink, putting her on guard for the fight to come.
“I don't want to tell you,” she said honestly.
“What happened here?” he repeated, giving her the impression he wasn't so much asking her a question as demanding an answer.
“This is such a beautiful moment. I don't want to ruin it by fighting and we'll fight if I tell you the truth. I suppose I could lie to you, but I don't want to do that either,” she said bravely, squaring her shoulders to face him. She knew he loved her, but she was afraid it was exactly that love that might lead him to overreact.
“I'm afraid I need you to tell me what happened right now or I may just lose my mind. Did someone hurt you?” he asked, holding her hands so gently that she could barely feel them, yet she knew that they were there, cradling her wounded hands.
“No, it's not anything like that. No one hurt me. I promise you,” she blurted out, not at all sure what to say next.
“The only time I've seen wounds like this is on young warriors at the beginning of their training,” he said, the anger on his face clear. “Who is it? Who have you gotten to train you in the ways of the warrior?” he demanded.
“No one! I've no one training me. You told me that you wouldn't,” she said honestly.
“Don't play coy with me. I know that any one of my trainees would do anything that you asked of them. They are all in love with you. If you asked, they would train you in a heartbeat. Have you been meeting one of them at night for lessons? Which one is it? I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him for putting you and the baby in danger. The elements of training are harsh on the body. Our baby could have been hurt. Who was thoughtless enough to enable you in this hair-brained scheme?” he roared, looking murderous.
“None of them would do something so foolish as to defy you and I wouldn't ask them to,” she cried.
“Then who is teaching you? Tell me the truth. Who has helped you to break your promise to me?” he demanded, his anger clearly coming from a place of love and concern, but she still didn't like to be dictated to.
“It's not like that. I didn't break my promise to you. I swore I wouldn't ask you again about teaching me to fight and I haven't. What I've learned, I've learned from you,” she cried, too upset at his words to keep he
r emotions in check.
“I haven't given you a single lesson in fighting. I would never put you in danger like that. I would never do that,” he growled.
“I know you didn't realize you were, but it was all you. You've been so busy with the men and the cottage I didn't have to work very hard to hide it from you. I simply lingered around as you give the boys their instructions. Then, in the night when you've been working on this place, I simply practiced what I learned during the day. I've never been out of ear shot of you and I've certainly not been meeting any other man in the night,” she snapped at him. She could tell by his expression that it came as a blow to him that he had been enabling her efforts himself.
“Are you telling me your hands have been in this condition for days and I never noticed?” he asked, looking horrified.
“It's not that bad at all. You know how quickly we heal. I simply went to bed with them a little torn up and woke up with them perfectly healed. I never put myself or the baby through anything that we couldn't handle,” she said, trying to comfort him.
“How could I not have known this? I love you and I sleep beside you every night. How could I not have known you were putting yourself through this? Have I been that distant from you?” he asked, looking stricken.
“I know you've been busy. Everything you're doing, you've been doing for us. I understand that. I'm just happy that you haven't noticed until now,” she admitted.
“What do you mean?” he asked in confusion.
“I thought perhaps you were so distant because you find me a bit repulsive in my growing state. It's been weeks since you have made love for me. You're so delicate with me, as if you're afraid to touch me. I haven't known what to think,” she said in frustration.
The look on his face was of horror. He looked as if she'd slapped him across the face. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her body to his, holding her close as though he was trying to physically draw the hurt from her.
“Dearest, no! How could you ever think such a thing? I love you. Every day, knowing that our child is growing inside of you only makes me love you more,” he said as solemnly as any vow.
“I've never doubted your love for me, Luke. What I doubted was if you still want me,” she admitted, a little ashamed at saying such a thing aloud.
“No, Kalia. Every day, it's all that I can don't to be with you constantly. If I had my way, we would spend every moment of every day lying naked beside each other, exploring each other’s bodies. In my dream world, I would spend every moment buried inside of you. Honestly, I feel like a bit of a lecher for the sheer strength of my desire to sleep with you. You're doing this amazing thing, growing a human life, and all I can think about is guiding that sweet mouth of yours to my cock or spreading your long legs wide open and thrusting in and out of you until we are both too exhausted to move.
"Those are the thoughts that I'm consumed by, whether I'm training the warriors or working on this place. Every moment of my life, a part of my mind is consumed with thoughts of you and your body and all the glorious pleasure I draw from it,” he admitted, looking so passionate that she couldn't doubt the words he said, yet they just confused her more.
“Then why has it been so long since you've been with me? I've been going mad, wanting you so much that I've nearly thrown myself at you right in front of your men as you run about, doing such physical displays for them,” she demanded.
“You're pregnant! I know it must make you exhausted and uncomfortable. I didn't want to add to that. I wanted to give you your peace,” he said, looking a little shocked at what she'd said.
“Is that what you think your lovemaking makes me feel; exhausted and uncomfortable? Darling, being with you is the most invigorating thing. I never feel more beautiful than when I have you within my body. I never feel more alive than when your skin is pressed to mine,” she cried, suddenly feeling the heat rising in her body.
“My sweet girl, I never intended to make you feel that way. I never thought you could doubt that I wanted you,” he sighed, wrapping his arm around her.
“I just thought you didn't find me attractive anymore. I couldn't help it. You don't know what these hormones do to me,” she admitted, leaning against his strength.
“Let me prove to you just how untrue that it,” he offered, then his lips crashed down on hers.
His kiss wasn't gentle and she didn't mind at all. Then he pulled back and smiled down at her wickedly. When his mouth returned to hers, his kiss became gentle, almost teasing. He used his tongue to trace her lower lip.
When she sighed with pleasure at the sensation, he took advantage to slide his tongue inside to continue his exploration, tenderly advancing and retreating in such a way that shivers of pleasure rocked her body. His mouth left hers suddenly then, though his hands were braced on her hips, maintaining their connection.
“Are you cold,” he asked wickedly, as his lips traveled to the crook of her neck.
“No, I'm most definitely warm,” she stammered, though gasps of pleasure made it hard to get the words out.
“Good,” he said as he gripped her hips tighter and lifted her so that she was perched on the edge of the table, giving him easier access to her.
She was so shocked by the sudden motion that she didn't see him grabbing for the edge of her nightgown. He made no effort to undo the buttons on the back of the garment. Instead, he gripped the seam and tore it right in half. He let out a growl and yanked the shredded fabric from her body.
She'd not bothered with undergarments when she went to bed because the pregnancy made her so hot in the night time. Finding her suddenly naked before him pleased him greatly as he growled in approval, burying his face in her quivering chest. His mouth latched onto one of her breasts, teasing and sucking the nipple until she could no longer keep from crying out in pleasure. Only then did his tongue gently travel from one tight bud to the other. He continued his tender exploration until her hips were bucking up off the table, so eager was she for him to enter her.
He pulled back with a predatory glint in his eye and said, “Eager, aren’t we?”
“You know I am. Please, let’s go back to the tent and make love. I want you. I need you now,” she said as she sneaked her hands under his shirt, exploring the hard lines and lean strength of his core muscles.
“Oh, we are not going back to the tent, my dear,” he purred as his lips returned to the crook of her neck, tracing the space with his tongue and making it rather difficult for her to form a coherent thought.
“Please,” she whispered. “I can’t wait anymore!” To prove her point, she extended her hand and caressed his manhood through the fabric of his trousers. “You're just as eager as I am. I can feel your desire for me. Take me! Take me now!” she cried.
“Oh, I intend to,” he said as he pulled his shirt up and over his head, exposing his bare chest before stepping between her legs.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, unable to believe that he was actually planning to take her right there on the table.
“I think you know exactly what I'm about to do,” he smirked as he pressed closer to her.
“On the table?” she gasped, as turned on as she was shocked by his plans.
“I intend to feast on your body, my love,” he said as he bent over her, returning his mouth to her chest. He stroked, licked, and sucked until she couldn't stand the sensation any longer. She writhed beneath him, her body so desperate for his that she could barely control it.
Luke, for his part, was absolutely wild in his desire for her. He took advantage of her nakedness to run his hands over every curve of her body. They came to rest on her buttocks, pulling her willing body against his. She cried out in frustration that the fabric of his pants separated her skin from his. He laughed as he moved his hand to her inner thighs, causing her to tremble in anticipation. He then used his fingers to touch the center of her desire and she nearly bucked up off the table as his fingers entered her. As he slid in and out of her, all she could do w
as grip his shoulders and pull herself closer to him. Though she enjoyed his attention immensely, she still ached to have him sheathed within her. She whimpered as her hips moved in anticipation.
She bit her lip to keep her shrieks of pleasure in check and the sight was too much for him. He needed her right then. He took a step back from her and removed his pants and undergarment. The sight of his naked body there in the moonlight was too much for Kalia and she began to literally shake in her desire for him. He didn't make her wait any longer.
He stepped to her again and gently positioned her buttocks at the very edge of the table, giving him better access to her feminine core. He stepped between her legs and used his thighs to spread her wider, opening her before him. His hands gripped her hips tightly as he pressed in to her as she gasped at the glorious sensation of being filled by his tremendous length.
To her relief, he didn't make love to her gently. After the days of craving him, she wanted the wildest part of him and that was exactly what she got. He tightened his grip on her hips to keep her just where he wanted her and he began fucking her wildly. She couldn't remember a time where he had been so lost in his own passion and that made her even hotter. His raw desire moved her, reassuring her he had never, not even for a moment, ceased to want her. His grunts and moans of passion emboldened her, giving her the knowledge that this big, strong warrior was a slave to her body. Her hands, which had been resting on his shoulders, traveled down until she found her target. She rested them on his perfect ass and squeezed tight.
The act was enough to throw him completely over the edge. Though she'd not thought it possible, his pace increased, his inner animal instincts completely taking over as he fucked her relentlessly. His hands shifted from her hips to her ass and he lifted her completely off the table as he pumped himself in and out of her, holding her at just the angle he wanted. Being completely at his mercy was the most sensual experience of her life and she could feel herself losing control.
