Chapter Six
Trouble was close. Stephano’s shoulder blades had been tingling for hours. The night before they’d even had their first cold camp. Maeve, everyone’s favorite, hadn’t made them a meal. Instead, she’d handed out the dried, salted meat of some unknown animal and a hard biscuit. Travel rations had never tasted so good. The men were once again being babied by a woman he wanted but couldn’t lay a hand on.
Except he had. He’d done more than lay a hand on her.
That kiss. He rubbed his hand over his mouth recalling the sweet taste. Why do I never kiss women? He wanted to pull her to the side and devour her. Kissing Maeve was…addictive. The way she’d clung to him did odd things to his technique. He always prepared women. First light touching. Then a bit of playful roughness, if they indicated they liked that. Then he’d start the heated caresses meant to tease them into accepting his considerable size and appetite for pleasure. He made sure they were taken care of, but he also made sure they were hot and willing to give him anything he wanted.
That hadn’t been the deal with Maeve. The little snip of a woman had him salivating even now thinking about how hot it was to kiss her. He’d been putty in her hands. He’d done everything she’d wanted. The way she’d made little whimpers when he’d stroked her pussy… He’d nearly gone off. A grown man, coming in his breeches? And from barely touching a woman’s pussy—through her dress? Baffled didn’t even begin to describe how he felt about that.
But he wanted more. Gods, did he want more. And if he was one thing, he was a judge of when a woman was ready. Maeve practically glowed with unfulfilled passion.
Not that he’d had a moment alone with her to ease that heat.
Her brother, not a stupid man, had started to sit across from him at meals. Brennan’s gaze had lingered on Stephano much longer than before. No longer was she allowed to wander. A good thing in his opinion. Until it also made being alone with her impossible.
The need to fuck her was only second to the need to feel her climax in his arms. It’s the time without sex. I want her to be so hot she’ll allow me to take her the way a man really wants a woman—hard and deep—showing her I can give her pleasure, right from the first deep thrust. The mere idea of Maeve weak with pleasure and submissive to his every fantasy had him pulsing. She was already at that point. With a kiss. But so was I. Why was that? Her kiss? Her body glued to mine?
The unanswered questions made his frustration level, already high from not having her, so high Ajax had stopped speaking to him. Even Garret, the little bastard, wouldn’t sit near him. Maeve hit him too many times by mistake with her pots, or a spoon, or a cup to make it accidental. Especially since it was usually on the back of his head. The sneak did it when no one seemed to notice. Or if they did, they chose to pretend they didn’t.
“It’s a band of slavers.” Brennan’s announcement stopped them all in their tracks.
Startled at the idea, Stephano moved his mount closer to Maeve. “Slavers? Where do they sell the slaves?” Maeve was playing with her reins and kept her eyes on her brother. He was forced to do the same.
Brennan shrugged. “Back in the north. This area is ripe for them. They attack the small clans, mostly independent families, little more than tent people. They’re easy targets. So are the farmers. Anyone isolated, alone is a target. They won’t attack a group our size,” Brennan finished, sounding more confident than Stephano liked.
“Are we talking Dark Faye?” Ajax pulled his short sword.
Stephano agreed and pulled his longer blade, wishing he had a blade to give Maeve. I should have taught her some self-defense instead of trying to bed her.
Maeve glanced at him, her pretty face filled with worry. No, she’s too small. She stays with me. I’ll have to make sure she’s not harmed. He frowned at the idea. He’d never guarded a woman before, or anyone, for that matter. He fought in battles. The idea of having to fight one with her there made his gut clench. Any chance blade, any fucking chance anything and she’d be… She’ll be fine. I can damn well make sure of it.
“No. If it were them, we’d have no warning,” Brennan assured them.
Ajax didn’t appear to buy that any more than he did. He’d felt the dark magic of the Faye. It had soured his gut, making him feel ill. There was no such sensation now. But how close do they have to be to feel it?
“Best be prepared,” Stephano advised.
“Garret,” Alrick muttered the one word with a tilt of his chin and Garret loped off back the way they’d come, through the sparse trees.
Stephano shared a look with Ajax. If the pup didn’t return, Stephano would go after him. They’d barely gotten the little bastard back. He glanced at Darren and saw the wolf’s brother stared hard at the spot where Garret had disappeared.
“He’s the quietest hunter I’ve ever met. He’ll find out what the problem is, then find us,” Alrick assured them.
“We’ll know who it is before too long, either way. They can’t hide out here,” Brennan explained, nodding at the surrounding hills littered with small, bent and twisted trees. “But this terrain can make it difficult to see clearly.”
“We keep on?” Stephano asked.
Brennan dipped his chin in what could have been a nod and moved his horse up the trail.
Not happy, Stephano started to pick a path along the rocky stream bed.
The forest had become lean, but the land was choppy with low hills. The countryside they’d left was riddled with rabbit holes, too, both of which would slow pursuit. His mount stumbled more than once in the hidden burrows. Ahead the trees appeared darker and smaller, but there were huge rock slides on either side of their trail and an enormous bramble patch. The sky was a gray mash of water-heavy clouds that hung there, holding in the downpour so the air felt heavy. If it rained it would provide more cover for them. It would also make it harder for Maeve. She was too small and fragile to be on this trek. For the hundredth time he wondered what it was about her that captivated him.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, avoiding looking at any of them. She did that, kept to herself. More than not being able to talk, he thought she liked quiet and often sought it. Of course, that gave him time to find her alone, but she wasn’t safe by herself.
At a whispered word from her brother that Stephano didn’t catch, she pulled open her satchel and withdrew a long, coarsely woven piece of material. She wrapped it around her head, hiding her bright hair and most of her pretty face and gown. It reminded him of a burqa.
He studied the new look, then jerked his chin at Ajax. If they were trying to hide her, then they needed her in the center. They both moved to cover her on both sides.
“What’s with the cloak and shawl?” he asked her brother.
Brennan hesitated then shrugged. “This signifies she has something. They will think she is an untouchable.”
She was untouchable, at least for now. As soon as he got them to a quiet, isolated room, he was going to touch—wait. “What does that mean? Something?”
Brennan tossed him a frown. “It means they won’t come close.”
Stephano wasn’t satisfied with that, but from up ahead, Darren gave a low whistle, stopping them. The horses stamped and shook their heads. They’d have to stop soon, or walk and give the beasts a break.
“We move to higher ground?” Darren called. “Or through the pass?”
“We stay low.” Brennan gestured to the hills rising in front of them. “Between those. The path we need goes through this pass. It leads us to a bridge over the Yellow River. We need to go across it, get supplies, and head north from there if we hope to get to the gate.”
Maeve was trying to get her brother’s attention by plucking at his sleeve. Brennan didn’t shift his gaze, ignoring her to the point of making Ajax and Alrick frown. He knew he was scowling. Maeve didn’t interrupt her brother, and she never put her ideas forward—well, she couldn’t speak, but still, she never showed a sign of disagreeing.
“What is it, Maeve?” Ajax asked before he could.
She shifted in her saddle then shook her head, ducking it the way she had when avoiding answering.
Ajax studied how nervous Brennan worried his reins. “What is it?” His horse pawed the ground. Stephano reined it in. It tried to nip at Maeve’s mare.
Brennan avoided everyone’s eye. “The slavers can be dangerous.”
“And? Will they attack? What are their numbers?” Stephano demanded. “We need facts, man.”
“They move in groups, usually no more than ten, but none as well-armed as we are. They don’t take on a fight,” he muttered, but the glance he gave his sister was filled with worry. “Not the ones from this region, at least.”
“From this region… So you believe they aren’t from here? Or with your sister here, they might attack?” Brennan grimaced with a shrug that ignited Stephano’s temper. “Either way, we can’t chance it,” Stephano snarled. “We need up high, out of these woods and not in there”—he gestured to the canyon—“where anyone above us has the advantage.”
“The canyon will protect us and slow them. There are parts that are sheltered by the overhanging rocks. We’ll stay under those. They won’t see us. We’ll be able to hear them. We have the advantage if we stay low. I know it seems wrong, but I’ve been through here before. If we go up high, we’re exposed from all sides.”
Stephano relaxed somewhat and exchanged a frown with Ajax, but focused back on Maeve. Her eyes were too wide, her face too pale, but she seemed to nod ever so slightly. For me to follow Brennan? The man hadn’t led them wrong yet, but he’d kept this from them. Stephano guessed since he’d interrupted his seduction of his sister.
“Fine. We do it your way. The first sign of trouble, we ensure Maeve is secure.” Stephano kept the censure from his tone by sheer willpower. If she were mine to watch over, I’d never lead her into peril.
“Of course,” Brennan snapped.
“Alrick, bring Garret back in.” Ajax cast an eye to the clouds. “It’ll rain soon. That’ll aid us, and slow them. Whoever they are,” he clarified, giving Stephano a firm frown no doubt meant to back off on his aggression toward Brennan.
“Rain will hide our trail and slow them down,” Brennan agreed. This time he spoke more to Maeve then them. She didn’t appear reassured, but gave her brother a small smile Stephano took for her acceptance that they were going the right way.
Why do I feel we’re not?