Chapter Seven
The Sun
They sat on the floor in front of the fire, eating smoked meat and slightly stale bread with only a pitcher of water to quench their thirst. Aveta had little in the way of food since she had been caring for Alaunus the last two days.
“I am sorry,” Aveta said softly, staring into the fire.
“Why?”
“Your change.”
Alaunus took her hand. “It was not your doing.”
Aveta was not sure she agreed, but she kept her silence.
“Aveta.”
She looked up at him when he spoke her name.
“You saved my life. Without your intervention, I would have been dead by dawn. Even if you could not accept me as I am now, I could not blame you for doing everything within your power to save me.”
“I do not want you to hate me,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “And I fear that someday you will. Not only have I changed you, but I have bound our life forces together.”
Alaunus pulled her into his lap, pressing her against his bare chest. “I could never hate you,” he replied. “And I wanted to be bound to you for the rest of our lives. It was you I had to convince, remember?”
She smiled slightly at his pointed reminder of her previous reluctance.
“I love you, Aveta,” he stated, lowering his head to kiss her. “As long as I have you, I have no regrets.”
The last of Aveta’s fear melted away. She twined her arms around his neck, opening her mouth beneath his. As their tongues dueled, Alaunus got to his feet, lifting her as though she weighed nothing at all. He carried her to the mattress and laid her on the blanket.
He removed his trousers and stripped her nightdress from her body. Stretching out next to her, Alaunus gathered her into his arms. His hands stroked over her bare back.
“Your skin is the softest thing I have ever touched,” he murmured. “How did that escape my notice?”
Aveta did not bother to answer his question, trailing her fingers over his chest, her mouth following in the path of her caress.
He groaned as her hands continued lower to his stomach and below. “Aveta.”
She shivered as he ran the tips of his fingers down her spine, his touch light. Her heightened senses made every stroke of his hand, every sound from his throat, incredibly arousing.
Aveta suckled his nipple, flicking his flesh with her tongue. Alaunus groaned again and tangled his hand in her hair. His other hand kneaded her breast, his fingers tugging lightly at the tip.
It was a slow exploration, each of them experiencing the new intensity of the sensations. Alaunus lifted her leg, draping it over his hip, and slid inside her. Her back arched as he moved within her and she tilted her head back to look into his eyes.
Once again she saw that the hazel depths glowed with an unearthly light. Alaunus rolled her beneath him, his hips moving in a slow and steady rhythm. His mouth met hers, the kiss as languorous and unhurried as his thrusts.
As the pleasure began to build, his lips moved from her mouth to her throat. Aveta sensed his intentions and, remembering the bliss of his first bite, she tilted her head to bare her neck. She was confident he would be able to control his hunger.
Once again she felt the edge of his teeth pierce her skin as he began to drink. The bond between them opened and Aveta felt as though their souls merged, two pieces melding into one.
Her legs twined around his hips as he drank from her. Pleasure grew quickly and the climax hit her unexpectedly. One moment the wave was building and the next it had overwhelmed her, making her head spin and leaving her breathless.
“Again,” Alaunus demanded against her neck. “Come for me again.”
His lips latched onto her skin once more, calling forth the bliss.
Aveta lost track of how many times she found her release. Even after Alaunus stopped drinking from her, she crested again and again.
When he finally found his own pleasure, Alaunus collapsed on the mattress next to her, curving her limp form into his chest.
Exhausted from days without sleep and more pleasure than she thought herself capable of experiencing, Aveta tucked her face into his shoulder. “I love you, my Fin.”
Then she drifted into the peaceful sleep of the blessed.
The next morning, Bran and Caderyn arrived with the dawn, their banging on the door dragging both Aveta and Alaunus from the warmth of her bed.
Alaunus’ father was overwhelmed by the news that his son was once again brimming with good health. Even Caderyn seemed awed by the ‘miracle’ that Aveta had wrought.
True to his word, Bran agreed to wed the pair the next day. He even embraced Aveta, placing a kiss on her forehead. “You have given me two gifts beyond any price I could pay,” he stated. “My son is alive and well by your hand and you carry my son’s child. These are blessings I will always remember.”
Caderyn was less effusive, but he did nod in approval before walking out the door of her cottage.
Alaunus did not want to leave when his father mentioned it. He argued with Bran, stating, “As she will be my wife tomorrow and she already carries my child, no one will care if I am here tonight. I doubt anyone will notice.”
“Son, the village knows of your illness. Many have prayed to the god and goddess for you, offering sacrifices on your behalf. You must show your gratitude to the people who have given so much for your good health.”
Alaunus sighed because his father had a valid point. “Very well. I will go into the village with you today, but I will return to Aveta’s cottage after nightfall.”
Bran’s frustration faded at his son’s words. “I felt much the same when I wed your mother. Though she still lived with her parents at the time and her father was determined to keep me away from his daughter until after the vows.” The older man laughed at the memory. “Not that it helped. Your mother would sneak out of their home every chance she had.”
Aveta kissed Alaunus and bade them all farewell, watching from the doorway of her cottage as they walked toward the village.
As the trio disappeared from view, a shadow passed over her garden. A chill crept up her spine when she glanced at the sky and realized that the expanse of blue held not a single cloud.
She shivered, but not because of the cool morning air. A sense of foreboding filled her when, one by one, the birds singing around her cottage fell silent.
Aveta was certain that the evil that harmed her beloved was far from done. A final battle would be fought and she had every intention of leaving the field victorious.
Somehow, she understood that her fate, and the fates of those she loved most, depended upon the outcome.