Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4)
Page 7
“Ida?” Fiona asked with a soft smile.
“I’ll walk with her. I have some things to discuss,” Ida said, looking down bashfully.
“Of course. Just keep your eyes open,” Fiona replied.
“I don’t—” Sean began, but Myna poked him in the side.
“We need to detour to a healer, Master,” Myna said, stopping him from objecting further. “Someone wasn’t nice to the glass they held.”
“Oh... right,” Sean said. He had forgotten he needed to keep up appearances because Roberta was still close by. “Just be careful,” he said when Myna led him down the hall, away from Ida and Sam.
Finding themselves on the street a few minutes later, Sean looked at Fiona, “Are you going to heal me or am I going to?”
“Ryann is going to,” Fiona said, “once we get you home. We’ll be leaving you two alone tonight.”
“Thank you,” Ryann smiled at Fiona and Myna.
“Right,” Sean coughed, blushing deeply as they started walking.
~*~*~
Sean felt awkward walking next to Ryann with Myna and Fiona walking ahead of them. I’m interested in her, but this isn’t the deep love I felt for Fiona or the affection I had for Myna. I just hope she doesn’t feel bad about this afterward... We’re Life Bonded now, so we’re going to grow to love each other like I did with Myna. At least I don’t feel bad about having multiple partners anymore like I did when Fiona first mentioned it...
Ryann glanced at Sean and saw his uncertainty. “Sean, if you don’t want—”
Taking her hand, Sean shook his head, “It’s not about wanting to, Ry. You’re beautiful, so it’s definitely not about want. I mean… fuck.” Sighing, Sean took a deep breath, “I just worry you’ll hate me afterward, that you’ll reconsider and think choosing to come back was the worst thing.”
“Oh,” Ryann said, her lips curling up at the corners. “You always tried so hard to not look at me, or any of us... we thought maybe you didn’t find us attractive. Fiona and Myna have done their best to reassure us, and over the last few days, you have seemed to relax during baths. It was so hard to imagine you wanting us in a physical way, which I was grateful for at first, but then I started wondering if my past made me unclean to you.”
“No, Ry... no,” Sean said, squeezing her hand and gently pulling her closer so he could put his arm around her waist like he did with Fiona and Myna. “As trite as it might sound, you have your own beauty. I noticed, but I didn’t want you to think I was lusting after you. You had enough of that before, with what you suffered with Oriv. I was worried that even looking at you would make you uncomfortable.”
“You really don’t find my body disgusting?”
“No, not at all. Honestly, none of you are hard on the eyes. I’m just not the sort who would be looking, commenting, or trying to use my position to coerce or encourage more. In a way, I should thank you. You taking your time made accepting this easier for me. A few tendays ago, I would have panicked at this, but now I’m a little worried for you, even if my libido is getting really excited about what tonight is probably going to be.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind if I take the lead?” Ryann asked with trepidation.
“If that is what you need, Ry, I’m fine with it. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable or upset.”
“Okay. I just remember you guiding Myna,” Ryann said and leaned more into his side as they walked.
“Everyone has different needs,” Sean replied.
“What are yours?”
Going bright red, Sean coughed, “Nothing, really. I’m good.”
Ryann’s smile grew wider. “Really? No needs at all? So all your talk when they are kneeling—”
“I like it,” Sean quickly cut her off. “Not saying I don’t... just saying I don’t have any specific needs.” Frowning, he sighed, “Okay, maybe there is one. I really enjoy bringing my partner to climax before me. It makes me feel good to know I can do that.”
“Okay,” Ryann whispered, “I’ll make sure you get what you need.”
Sean coughed as his face flushed brighter, other parts of him getting a sudden rush of blood, too. “Can we drop this until we get home?”
“Okay, Sean,” Ryann giggled.
Fiona and Myna smiled, having heard the entire conversation. Walking hand in hand, the pair were glad that Ryann was joining them in their love of Sean. They exchanged a look, both wondering about the same question, but neither knew the answer.
~*~*~
Fiona and Myna stopped just inside the house. “What happened?” Fiona asked in alarm, rushing forward to Chastity and Andrea.
Sean’s good mood vanished when he entered the house, instantly soured by seeing someone he cared for crying. Ryann felt the shift and let go of his hand, so he could do what he needed to.
Chastity was sobbing hard into a handkerchief, unable to speak, so Andrea did for her, “Her brother died last night.” Andrea paused, clearly not wanting to say more.
“He was one of the guards?” Sean asked, the shock of the moment cutting through his anger.
“Yes. We ran into a Sergeant who was investigating the off duty guards that attacked you.” Andrea continued to rub Chastity’s back. “Her brother was one of them.”
The floor felt like it had fallen out from under Sean. Grabbing the closest chair, he leaned against it while one hand went to his mouth. “Oh, fucking hell.”
Chastity looked up at him, the tears falling fast. “Why?”
“I…” Sean did not know what to say.
“Why was he there? He never should have done anything like that.” Covering her face, she began to cry harder.
The weight he felt from the guilt of killing her brother faded with her questions. She did not blame him, but was upset that her brother had tried to kill them. The anger he felt before at whoever sent them reignited. Stepping forward, Sean knelt on one knee before Chastity, while the others circled around behind her and tried to soothe her.
“Chastity, I don’t know. I’m sorry for this.”
“No, not you... he was dumb... his fault,” Chastity sobbed. “He tried to kill you, Myna, Ida, and Ryann. Stupid moron…! He was going to kill, and for what?”
Reaching out, Sean placed his hand on her knee. “I don’t know, but Sergeant Carmady is going to find out. We’ll find out and make sure they pay. Whoever started this chain of events will pay.”
Chastity lunged forward, grabbing him around the neck with her arms and burying her face into his chest. “Please... I ask so much. Always asking, never giving. But please… please make them pay. Make them pay as much as he did.”
Sean put his arms around her and held her as she cried into him. “I will, don’t fear. We will do everything we can to make them pay, Chastity. No one hurts one of us and gets away with it.” He pulled her gently to him, so she sat on his knee as he held her.
“We will,” Myna agreed vehemently.
“Yes... you are with us, and we will not let it go unanswered,” Fiona agreed.
“We all have reasons to pay them back,” Ryann nodded.
Andrea fidgeted, wishing she could answer like they did, but she was not sure she could do anything to help.
“I’m going to put you to bed,” Sean said softly. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“I hate them,” Chastity cried. “I don’t want to feel like this, but I hate them.”
“Shh,” Sean whispered to her. “Don’t give in to it. We’ll handle it for you. You stay as pure and as innocent as you are. Now sleep; sleep and rest.” Sean gently tapped into the Bond, using just enough energy to make her pass out.
“I’ll get her—” Andrea began.
“I’ll take her,” Sean said, speaking over Andrea in a soft voice. “Andrea, if you’ll sit with her? If she starts to have nightmares, soothe her, please.”
“Of course,” Andrea said, following him after Sean picked Chastity up like a princess and carried her down the hall.
~*~*~
Leaving Chastity with Andrea, Sean made his way to the front room. Hearing Ida and the others talking, he slowed his pace.
“He means it,” Myna said.
“Sean feels like her brother’s death is his fault,” Fiona corrected her. “We need to support him, but also try to shield him from himself. I’ve watched him— he is driven to give us everything he thinks we deserve, and he sets a bar far above what any of us would reach for ourselves.”
“Any attack aimed at any of us is something he can’t accept,” Ryann added. “It’s hard enough for him to allow me to be his shield.”
“When you died and Ida fell, I could see the rage in him. They said he crushed the one man’s chest, but that’s not telling the whole story,” Myna said. “He broke a bronze-banded shield, the arm behind it, and the chest of the first man he reached. That blow didn’t just kill the man; it staved in his chest as if his ribs were dry twigs. In that moment, he would have challenged the Queens themselves if they had stood before him.”
“Which is why we need to guard him from himself,” Fiona said. “If he challenges the wrong people, it will hurt him and us, and in hurting us, it hurts him again. We need to guide him, caution him against rash action.”
Sean started walking again, letting his footsteps land a little more heavily so Myna and Fiona would hear him coming. Entering the room, he saw the four of them watching him. “She’s asleep.” Taking a deep breath, he met their eyes one by one. “I won’t let anyone take what we have. Not even me. I am going to make the people who stand in our way hate their lives, but I won’t act rashly. If I did, it might hurt you, and I can’t let that happen.”
“Thank you,” Fiona smiled. “We will do everything we can to help you.”
“I know,” Sean replied softly. “Ida, are you okay?”
“Yes,” Ida said. “I’m sorry to worry you. I just wanted to speak with mother to make sure she understood things. We are still helping Chastity’s mother tomorrow, yes?”
“Yes,” Fiona and Sean said together.
“Yes,” Sean said again after sharing a smile with Fiona. “We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.”
“You should sleep,” Myna said. “Go rest, Master.”
Sean felt a nudge. Looking to Ryann, he caught her uncertain look. “Ry? Would you like to cuddle?”
Ryann paused, glancing at Fiona and Myna, who gave her small nods and encouraging smiles. “Yes... yes, I would like that.”
“Goodnight,” Ida said, a touch of sadness tingeing her voice. “I’m going to have a cup of tea before bed.”
“We should have some, too,” Fiona said, touching Myna’s shoulder.
“Yes. It would be good to have a cup before bed,” Myna nodded.
Taking Ryann’s hand, Sean’s brow furrowed at the other three before he led Ryann toward the bedroom.
Chapter Seven
Closing the door behind Ryann, Sean felt like a teen at prom. Dude, what the hell? It’s not even your first time on this world, so why do you have butterflies? Taking a deep calming breath, he gave Ryann a smile and got a nervous one back in return.
“Sean, can I get you to sit over there?” Ryann asked, pointing to one of the two chairs in the room.
“Of course,” Sean replied, crossing the room to sit down.
Ryann swallowed hard as she began to undo the buckles that held her armor on. Her fingers fumbled at some of them, her nervousness becoming evident. Finally pulling the chest covering off, she set it next to the bed. She met his gaze, and seeing his own nervous smile helped calm her. The other armor pieces came off quickly, making Sean shift in place.
“We’ve seen each other nude dozens of times now, so why do I feel like a virgin?” Ryann muttered under her breath.
Sean smiled, losing some of his own nervousness. “Can I help with that?” he asked when she began to take her belt off.
Ryann slowed, “Not yet.”
“As you wish.”
Placing her belt aside, Ryann sat on the edge of the bed and held out a long leg toward him. “You can help me with these?” She wiggled a booted foot at him.
Getting up, Sean stepped over and took her boot in hand, unbuttoning it. It took him a little longer because he fumbled with the tiny buttons, earning soft laughter from Ryann. When he got them undone, he slipped the boot free and dropped it next to her leathers.
Lowering her foot, she lifted the other one to him. She had a bright smile on her lips as he took it and began to unbutton it. “Would you be willing to rub them?”
Sean smiled, dropping the second boot next to the first. “Delighted.”
Scooting back on the bed, Ryann left both of her feet dangling off the edge. Sean dragged the chair over so he was seated directly in front of her. Reaching down, he pulled a box out from under the bed and picked out a small vial. After he opened it, he let some of the liquid fill his palm.
Ryann looked at him with a raised eyebrow, not exactly sure of what he was doing. “Sean?”
“Just relax, Ry,” Sean replied as he rubbed his hands together. Taking her ankle with his left hand, he used his right hand to gently rub the top of her foot, the oil helping his hands glide across her skin.
“Oh,” Ryann murmured, relaxing as his fingers and thumbs ran over her foot.
Sean took his time, first paying attention to her ankle and the top of her foot. Once he had spent several minutes there, he dug his left thumb gently into her heel. Ryann’s sigh of happiness made him smile and focus. He spent time working on each section of her foot, frowning briefly when he felt small crunchy areas in her sole. Rubbing at them, he felt them began to break up, and Ryann sighed happily each time he did. He reached out to feel with his Shaping, and discovered they were deposits of uric acid crystals. Using the thinnest trickle of energy he could manage, he used his energy to break them up easier. Ryann shivered slightly when he did.
“That feels amazing, Sean.”
“Almost done with the first foot,” he told her.
“Hmm, if you can make my other foot feel that good, I can’t wait.”
Sean did not know how long it took him to massage both of her feet, but by the time he finished, Ryann was limp and happy. Going to the basin in the corner, he gave his hands a quick rinse.
“Ry,” he asked softly when he came back over, “did you want me to massage your legs? Or maybe your back next?”
“Hmm, that sounds wonderful,” Ryann murmured and began to unlace her shirt. “Help?”
Sean started undoing the buttons on her pants. “Lift?” She did as he asked and he slipped her pants off her. His gaze lingered on her toned legs as he dropped her clothing to the floor.
“Sean, take this,” Ryann said, pulling his attention up.
Inhaling sharply, Sean closed his mouth as he took her shirt and added it to the pile. “Umm, back or legs first?”
“Legs?” Ryann asked, looking uncertain again.
“Gladly,” Sean said. He picked up the vial of oil again and took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Just relax and let me work.” With his hands oiled up, he began at the top of her ankle, massaging the oil into her skin.
Focusing on his task, he stayed a gentleman, even when he got her to strip off her underclothes. Hands moving firmly, Ryann soon relaxed under his him, now laying completely naked before him. He carefully worked on her thighs, keeping his hands clear of her sex, though she spread her legs a little wider to give him access.
“Roll over for me,” Sean whispered.
Ryann gave a sigh of disappointment and did as he asked, forgetting the scars on her back. Sean stared at her scars for a long moment before reaching out with his hands and energy, massaging her shoulders. Anytime his fingers moved to a spot where her flesh was scarred, he smoothed it out with his energy. Ryann did not seem to
realize what he was doing, and his smile widened when he thought about how happy she would be.
Ryann shifted a little when his hands touched her hips some time later. Strong fingers kneading into her firm ass made her clench up in fear, but she relaxed again after a moment.
Shifting toward her, he took her right arm and began to massage it. “Almost done, Ry. How do you feel?”
“Wonderful,” Ryann murmured sleepily as she drifted on a cloud of euphoria. “You are so gentle and firm at the same time.”
When he finished with her other arm, he only had the front of her torso left. “Ry, roll over for me, please?”