Chapter 11
After the Snow Fall
Kerensa did not know how long he was gone, but she was beginning to get concerned about what had happened to Heath. Snow had started to fall outside, and it was now coming down faster than she had ever seen it before.
When the door opened, the young woman nearly sprang off of the bed, “I was so worried!”
Heath looked at her like she was a new species, “You were worried about an ice dragon in the snow?”
“Oh, well, you. I didn’t know where you went. You could have gone anywhere and done something reckless.”
“I think you are mistaking my actions with your own. I’ve never barreled into a situation without thinking.” Heath moved to the fire and began to put it out. “Speaking of thinking, have you made your decision?”
“What decision?” The young woman couldn’t keep up with the change in conversation as she was still stuck on Heath’s disappearance after trying to rush her.
Heath’s eyes were like the ice outside, lovely cold as they bore into hers, “About Chadwick. It is clear you still love him, no matter how much you try to convince yourself you don’t.”
“What?” Kerensa looked at the shifter like he was speaking another language. “I don’t understand.”
Heath sighed, then moved over to her just as he had done so many times before during their lessons. “You told me that story yesterday. After you two kissed. It is obvious you still love him, but you are trying to hide it from yourself because you don’t think it will work. And if something is impossible, you don’t think it is worth trying. But I am telling you that it is not impossible. You just need to open up and let yourself believe that everything will be alright. I can assure you that it will be. You have the brains to make it work, no matter the obstacles.”
“Where did you get this idea?” Kerensa could not follow the shifter’s train of thought. It explained some of what he had said earlier, but she had no idea what Heath was trying to do.
Heath sighed as if the entire thing was a pain, “When I first met you, I thought you wanted to be a man. It seemed obvious to me that you felt more like a man than a woman. You would not be the first woman whom I have encountered who felt that way. I tried to help and support you so that you could become the man I thought you wanted to be. After yesterday, I realized that you wanted to be more, to do more, so that you could find a way to be with Chadwick.”
Kerensa pressed her eyes closed and opened them, thinking that she would wake from a bizarre dream. “Is that why you insisted on calling me he and him, no matter who was around?”
Heath nodded.
“And now you are convinced that I am in love with Chadwick?”
Heath simply looked at the young woman.
Kerensa scratched her head trying to untangle her thoughts and feelings. “If you believe that I am in love with Chadwick, why did last night happen?”
“You had so many words to convince yourself that love was not worth it. The physical aspect of love is critical for lovers to be together. You needed to learn about the beauty of being physical so that you would stop fighting it.”
Kerensa simply stared at him.
Heath watched her for a moment before continuing, “Of course, it is nothing like what it will be when you are with Chadwick next. It will just help you be comfortable and warm with him. I can assure you that if you take the same passion and desire into your next encounter-”
Kerensa cut him off, “I can’t!”
“See? You are already saying you can’t instead of trying.” He took her hand in his, “Promise me that you will try.”
“Absolutely not!’ She pulled her hand out of his, “I am not in love with Chadwick!”
Heath sighed, “Why do you keep denying it? You are only going to hurt yourself.”
Kerensa stood up quickly as she protested, “I am going to deny feelings I do not have.” Her leg hurt, causing her to stumble.
Before she knew it, Heath’s arms were around her keeping her from falling. He was stroking her hair, his voice melancholic, “Please. I need you to be happy.”
Kerensa gripped his arms, “I am happy.”
“Stop fighting what you feel. I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”
“I am not fighting my feelings, nor am I hurting. I am right where I want to be.”
Heath’s hand stopped moving.
Kerensa felt her hands tighten around the shifter’s arm as she asked, “Why does my happiness matter so much to you?”
The handsome shifter’s voice was almost too low to hear as he whispered, “Because I love you.”
Kerensa couldn’t help but laugh, “Then stop fighting what you are feeling.”
Her teacher pushed her out to arm’s length, “Why are you making fun of me?”
“I’m told it is what you do to the person you love.”
“What?” His expression was hopeful and fearful at the same time.
“I love you Heath. Almost since the moment you started talking to me. You have been everything I never thought possible in a living creature. You are kind and cool, affectionate and firm, intelligent and dear. I love you Heath. Even if you are a bit slow to-”
Kerensa was not allowed to finish talking as Heath’s arms pulled her into him and began to kiss her. A minute later as he pulled away from her, he murmured, “Enough words.”
Kerensa gave him a sly smile, “Please Heath.”
The shifter moaned and lifted her off the floor faster than she could have anticipated. By the time she was on the bed, all of her clothes had been removed. Heath’s mouth was near her ear, “Again.”
Kerensa smiled as she arched into him, “Please Heath. I want you. I want to be physically full of you.”
“Looks like I won’t have much to teach you when it comes to words. But what about actions.” He cupped her breast in his cool hand, and Kerensa responded automatically. As soon as her nipple began to harden in response to the cool, she felt his tongue gently playing with it.
“Oh gods!” She ran her hands through his hair as he began to cup her other breast.
“Try again,” Heath pulled his body away from hers.
“Please Heath. Oh gods, please!”
She felt him slide between her legs and penetrate her as he continued to play with her breast. Immediately her body tensed and she pulled him to her as she peaked.
“Again,” he said. Kerensa began to speak, but felt him plunge into her again. The only sounds she could manage were of pleasure as she peaked again.
Heath let up a little, playing with her body as she panted under him but as soon as she seemed to catch her breath, he ran his cool hands up her sides, causing her to shiver. As her body responded to his touch, he roughly thrust into her again. Each time was a slightly different experience, but after 15 minutes, Kerensa was sweating and panting as if she had just run several miles.
“I-oh gods-I” she arched up into him as Heath smiled down at her. He was intentionally distracting her from getting a thought out of her head. As she moaned and pressed her body into his, the shifter slid his arms under her shoulders. Putting his mouth near her ear, he whispered, “You have thought enough with words. Today I will teach you how to think with your body.”
“Yes! Yes!” She ran her fingers through his hair, and began to kiss his forehead. Kerensa kissed everything she could until he finally covered her mouth with his own.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but at some point Heath seemed to slow a little.
“Is the lesson over?” She asked, holding him to her. Though he was still inside of her, she could feel that he was a little softer than he had been.
“I think you will find that even I get tired after so many days of activity and worry.”
Kerensa tried to roll on top of Heath, but ended up sending both of them over the side of the bed. Reaching up she pulled a pillow down and placed it under his head. “Then I think it is time for me to advance to a slightly harder level of learning to think with my body.” She slid down, gently caressing him with her warmth and wetness. To her delight, he closed his eyes and moaned. Two more times and he was hard enough that she was able to easily slide him into her.
She looked down at him and watched his reactions to each of her movements. Leaning forward, she allowed her breast to be a few inches from his chest. Suddenly, he leaned forward and began to suck on one of them. The unexpected pleasure caused her to tense and press further into him.
Heath groaned and arced his back. Kerensa watched and felt the pleasure of him harden more inside of her. As he peaked, she repeatedly pulsed against him as she matched his tension.
Heath pulled her down and they kissed, even after both of their bodies had relaxed.
Without any warning, Heath stood and picked her up. Throwing her on the bed, he lay down on top of her, pushing her legs apart.
Kerensa began to protest, “I really-really don’t think I can-”
“Don’t worry. I can’t either. Right now.”
Gently he kissed her and let his hand roam over her body. It was arousing, but so soft that Kerensa was content to let him explore without pressing for more.
As he kissed her neck, she finally asked, “Don’t you have something you need to do?”
“I’m doing it.”
Running her hand through his hair, the young woman could not suppress a smile. “I mean you had a reason for being on the ship. Don’t you need to see it through.”
“I do, but they are not expecting me for weeks.”
“Weeks!” she exclaimed.
He stopped toying with her body and looked into her eyes, his showing concern and disappointment, “Does that not work for your schedule?”
For a brief moment, Kerensa had no idea what to say. Then her lips spread into a wide grin, “Well, I do have to let me family know that I am alright. How about a few days?”
Heath looked down at her with a sly smile, “I guess that will do for a start.”
With that, and to Kerensa’s surprise, he began to press into her again. With a grin on her face, she looked into his beautiful eyes, “I love you, Heath.” She continued to murmur his name as he threaded his fingers in her and held her arms above her head.
“I love you too, Kerensa.” They did not need any more words as their bodies merged.
The End
Taja’s Dragon (Preview)
By: Lisa Daniels
Chapter 1
Nothing out of the Ordinary
Taja pulled the bundled-up items to her chest and tried to speed up, despite the crowd around her. The market was always impossibly busy at this time of day, and the acting stable master knew it. Still, he had told her not to be late after giving her all of the chores. Hating that the real stable master had been needed at the noble’s country mansion for a few months to deliver two new foals and take care of them, Taja took comfort in the fact that it wouldn’t be much longer before he returned. She just had to hold out for another week or two and then everything would go back to normal.
Her blonde hair shone like sunshine, a few stray strands dangling beside her face as the young woman pressed forward. It would be her twenty-first birthday soon, but she had no expectations. The stable master was the only person in her life that actually seemed to care about what happened to her, and he would not be back in time. Not that she wanted to celebrate. The stable master had been like the father she had never known, so she just wanted him to come back so the nightmare that had been her job without him would end. One of the other stable hands had taken to harassing her in the stable master’s absence, and the acting master wasn’t about to do anything to stop the boy. Taja had plenty of experience keeping boys like that away, but it was wearing on her. That and her mother’s steady decline into the bottle. Taja didn’t feel sorry for herself. She just needed that one ray of sunshine back that had made life worth living.
Taja was not a tall woman, just barely over five feet tall. The first impression people had of her was that she resembled a large doll. Despite working outside, her skin was pale and soft. Her large brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes that combined with her unnaturally yellow hair, hinting that she was perhaps not fully human. The perfect symmetry of her dainty features was striking, and it had gotten her into plenty of trouble when she was young. It was only after she met the stable master that Taja had calmed down and started trying to make a better life for herself. That had been three years ago. Until that point, she had been a complete mess, sleeping with any boy who would give her gifts and expensive items. Her mother had used her daughter as much as possible, turning expensive gifts into high debts with many of the taverns. The stable master had given the young woman something worth living for outside of her different types of abuse.
It was times like these as she was darting through the crowds that Taja was really thankful for being so small. She was able to more easily slip through spaces between people.
Still not fast enough. I’m going to be late. Her mind was already calculating her distance and current rate of speed. Moving her legs a little faster, she shifted to the outside of the crowd. It was risky, particularly since she would be moving so close to the carriages and horses, but it was the only way she was going to get through the crowd in time.
As soon as she reached the outside of the crowd, Taja’s speed more than doubled. With a grin on her face, the young woman hurried past the throng.
Without warning, one of the people moving in the opposite direction stepped into her. He had been trying to step out of the way of a noble lady, and did not notice the young woman trying to get by on the other side.
Taja lost her balance, and fell. Instinctively, her arms tightened around the things she had brought, trying to keep them from spilling all over the road. Scrambling to get up without dropping anything, Taja looked up. A horse was making its way quickly right toward her.
With a little gasp, the stable hand tried to crawl out of the way without getting the things dirty.
“Seriously? Is that stuff more important than your life?” The voice was unfamiliar, but warm. The accent was light, but it was obvious that the owner of that voice was not from the area. And he was clearly male. Taja felt a pair of hands on her waist and she was suddenly lifted off of the ground. Clutching the items to her chest, she couldn’t believe that someone had stopped to help her. Her mind registered the miracle as a warm and firm body pressed against hers. The sound of the horse’s hoofs rumbled past her as she tried to fully comprehend what had just happened.
As soon as the horse was past, she heard the rider calling it to stop. The warmth moved away from her body as she tried to get a hold of herself.
An angry voice was so close to her, and Taja knew it was the rider. “Do you know what you almost did to my horse?”
Taja turned to look, to apologize, but someone else spoke first. “Are you a fool or an idiot? Oh, yes, I see, you are one of the noble. A bit of both, then.”
Taja’s eyes went wide as she turned to look at the man who had pulled her from the ground. Her gaze went back to the noble, and his expression read the way she felt. Neither of them had heard a noble insulted so publically before. Her head turned and she saw the people in the crowd starting to watch them.
The noble had found his voice. “How dare you insult me!”
“Ah, you make it all too easy. A woman is knocked into the street, and you yell at her for what, exactly? Being in danger? Blaming the victim is easy, but it is also very clear who the villain is in these cases.” He tilted his head to the side. Taja couldn’t see his features very well, but his stance suggested that the man was accustomed to power. He was not tall for a man, but standing this close to him she could tell he was about 5 foot 8 or 5 foot 9. His body was not bulky, but remembering what he had felt like as he held her, she knew that the man was muscular. Sinewy, her mind supplied.
The man’s clothing was very nice, which meant that he was at least upper class, if not something higher. His hair was an inch or two long, a style that she had never seen before. Though it was a dark brown color, it shone, highlighting the fact that he was clearly more than just a commoner.
The noble moved his hand like he was about to strike when the young man held something up at him. Taja couldn’t see what it was, but from the look on the noble’s face, the man who had rescued her was far above the noble’s level.
With her concern growing about who the man was, as well as knowing that she was again at risk of being late no matter how quickly she moved, Taja slipped into the crowd and continued toward work.
The rest of the trip back to the stables went much smoother, and Taja made it back with a little time to spare. The acting stable master frowned down at her, eyeing her muddy clothing, but there was nothing he could say since she had returned with everything before the items were needed.
Knowing that smiling at him would only anger the man, Taja lowered her head and inquired, “What would you like me to do next, sir?”
Apparently she had struck the right tone and posture because the man had no insults for her. When she risked looking up at him, she saw his beady eyes looking around. Unlike the stable master, this man was clearly out of shape. His stomach hung over his pants in a way that suggested his body was trying to escape the confines of clothing. His hair was long and greasy. This was pretty normal for stable hands given what they did, but it generally took a full day’s work to look as bad as the man did early in the morning. It was clear from the man’s features that he was once handsome. Time and his ego had led to his decline, a fact that had not improved his personality. He couldn’t have been older than early forties, yet he acted like an old man with a grudge against life.
“Damaris, sir,” the simpering voice of the boy who had been harassing her grated on Taja’s ears. The look of annoyance on the acting stable master’s face nearly matched the way she felt.
Damaris turned to the stable hand, his expression one of barely contained rage at being interrupted. The stable hand saw his mistake and immediately started to bow to the man. His hair was a dirty blond color that might have been nice if he tried to keep it clean.
Taja doubted the boy cleaned more than once a month, a fact that had often helped her as she could smell him coming. The boy was 17 years old and very self-assured, although Taja had no idea why. His face was always covered in pimples and scabs. His nose was nice, but the way he grinned made him look very unattractive. The boy also had a very uncommon name – Semaj – as if his parents were trying to force a better future on him than he was ever likely to have. Semaj’s personality alone would keep him down his entire life.
The boy was bowing lower. “Damaris, sir,” he simpered, “I was wondering if you would like for the two of us to work together.”
Damaris looked down at the stable hand, then turned his gaze to Taja. “I bet you would like that, wouldn’t you?” His question was directed at Taja.
Fighting the urge to violently shake her head, Taja tried to keep her voice level. “I only want to complete my work today to your satisfaction, sir. If you wish for me to work with others, I will make sure to be more efficient.” If she had flat out denied wanting to work with Semaj, Damaris would have put them to work together just out of spite. If she had said she wanted to work with the boy, Damaris would have some very nasty words, and probably some physical punishment for showing interest in the boy. As it was, all Taja did was hint that she didn’t mind, but the choice was entirely up to Damaris.
He gave a huff, then looked between them. “Semaj, I dare say you are trying to get someone else to do your work. Panding duty for you for your hubris.”
Semaj’s face fell as he realized that he would not be able to see Taja again for at least a day, perhaps more. It was clear that he wanted to argue, but there were worse things than panding. “Yes, sir. I will make sure it is done well.” He tried to use the same flattering words that Taja used, but there was bitterness in them. Damaris missed the boy’s expression and had already lost interest in the whole affair. He wiped his grimy hand on his nose as he looked down at Taja, who still stood in readiness to do as he said.
“Go home, Taja.” She had to fight to keep her eyes trained on the ground. His words were a shock, but she knew that he could easily change the orders. “You look like a pig who escaped the slaughter house and found a river of mud.” He laughed at his own words and walked away. Taja grinned. Damaris wanted to make sure she knew that he wasn’t doing it out of any satisfaction derived from what she had done, but because of the way she looked. Considering she would usually look much worse than she did after falling in the road, Taja knew the real reason he was sending her home – he was too lazy to figure out what she should do.
It doesn’t matter, her thoughts were very clear. The acting stable master didn’t care if she was there or not, but it gave her the time she needed to finally recover from being overworked for months on end. Her heart was light as she turned toward the door to leave.
A hand grabbed her upper arm and forced Taja to turn around. “I am waiting for you, Taja.” Semaj was too close, his blue eyes looking down at her too eagerly.
With a smile, Taja told him, “You can do so much better than me, Semaj. Even your name shows that you will do well someday. Why don’t you focus on the women who deserve your attention instead of an old lady who works in the stables?” She smiled up at him.
The young woman had to fight the shudder that tried to pass over her body as his eyes took in her body again. He wanted her to know that he was thinking about what she looked like under her clothing. “I can clean you up, make you feel young again.”
Taja slipped out of his grasp with a dainty laugh, “You know that you are in a worse state than I am right now. I dare say you will want to wash up as soon as you get home after all of your work for the day.”
She knew very well that he had done virtually nothing, leaving the work to others, but the look on his face showed that he didn’t understand the real meaning behind her words. “Perhaps if you were willing to wash me, I would enjoy bathing.”
She frowned at him, “That is the duty of your wife, not a stable hand. You had best be careful or you will give me the wrong idea.”
Semaj stepped toward her. “Maybe I want you to get the wrong idea.”
She turned and moved away as his hand shot out again to grab her. “Semaj, you are such a tease. Now if you will excuse me, my mother needs me-”
“I need you.” His voice was firm.
On the other side of the barn several older servants entered. Their voices carried across the barn, forcing Semaj to adopt a different pose. Taja frowned at the boy and shook her head. The men saw it and immediately headed over to talk to the pair.
“Taja, is Semaj bothering you again?” The first man to approach was smiling, but there was concern in his voice.
“Indeed he is, sir, but it isn’t anything I can’t handle.” She bowed at the man. He worked with the lord, so his concern meant something, but she also knew that he would not be there if anything happened.
He gave her a quick bow. “Well, you let me know if he becomes too much and I will have a word with Damaris.”
She bowed low. “Thank you very much for your concern. I shall keep that in mind.” Taja knew full well that Damaris would do nothing if the matter was brought to his attention. She just had to wait for Braylon to return, then everything would be fine.
As she raised her head, she gave both of the newcomers a gracious smile and said, “Have a very pleasant day.” With that, she turned and left.
From a little distance, she heard the men talking as they walked in a different direction. “She really is a pretty young thing, isn’t she?”
“Yes. It seems a bit harsh to put a beauty like her in the stables, but can you imagine what it would be like if she were inside?” They both laughed. “It has been enough of a challenge just having her working close to the lord’s home. We’ve had to make sure that the young master doesn’t find out about her because he will certainly try to…” their voices trailed off.
Taja sighed. It was always the same, people always thought of her looks first. It was like she wasn’t even a person, just a plaything for others to use as they saw fit.
Suddenly a warm voice went through her thoughts. “Seriously? Is that stuff more important than your life?” “Blaming the victim is easy, but it is also very clear who the villain is in these cases.”
Taja shook her head, trying to clear out the images and any residual feelings. The man hadn’t gotten a look at her, or he wouldn’t have done what he did. He would have kept a hand on her, making sure she could not escape. Anyone who could intimidate a noble the way that man did was in a high position indeed. He would certainly have required payment for what he had done.
“My life is worth less than that,” the young woman muttered as she walked toward home, “but it doesn’t mean I don’t hope for better.”