Chapter Twelve
Audrey couldn’t leave him like that. It was curiosity mixed with concern. Though that was stupid, because she didn’t care about him at all. Either way, watching him now, his body shaking and his breathing labored, she knew she had to go inside and try to help.
She rounded the hut toward the front door. She almost tripped over the food basket. Cursing under her breath, she picked it up and knocked on the door.
“Go away!” Morgath screamed from inside.
“It’s me, Audrey. Let me in.”
“Go the fuck away, Audrey!” he raged even worse, his voice cracking with desperation.
“I’m here to help.”
“You can’t help. You’ll make it worse.”
“Make what worse?”
He growled, and she heard him throwing things at the wall. The sound of glass shattering and wood splintering made her take a step back and consider leaving. He was clearly not well. But then she shook her head and tried the door handle. It was locked, of course.
She banged on the door with her fist.
“I will not leave, and I’ll keep banging until you let me in.”
“Stop it with the racket! The noise is driving me insane!”
She kept banging harder. Eventually, she heard him stomp to the door. He unlocked it and threw it open.
The sight of him stole her breath.
His chest was heaving, his muscles taut and glistening with sweat. His hair was plastered to his face and neck. His cock was rock hard underneath his briefs, the fabric stretched tight over the more than generous length. There was a wet stain at the tip, where his arousal was leaking through.
Audrey could see how his thick member throbbed, barely concealed by the thin material.
The outline of every ridge and vein was visible as it pulsed with his heartbeat.
The bulge was enormous, pressing against the fabric so hard that it looked painful, and the wet spot was spreading as she stared at it.
She swallowed heavily and looked up at his face. From up close, he was even more handsome and rugged. His dark eyes were wild and unfocused, his jaw clenched so tightly that she could see the muscles jump beneath his skin.
“You don’t understand,” he said in a strained voice. “You must leave.”
“Then tell me. Make me understand.”
She pushed past him, and he stepped aside just to avoid her touching him. He closed the door and just stood there, with his back to her. She could see his shoulders trembling as if he was about to break down.
She placed the basket on the table and looked around the hut.
The mess was shocking. Broken jars and vials were scattered across the floor, shards of glass glinting in the candlelight.
Herbs had been torn and spread everywhere, their scent almost suffocating in the enclosed space.
Furniture was splintered, a chair broken against the wall, a table overturned in one corner.
“What’s happening, Morgath? The girls told me a potion went wrong. Did you drink some kind of poison?”
He merely growled and didn’t turn to face her.
Audrey sighed and looked inside the basket. She found bread and dried meat, along with water and a flask of beer.
She held out the flask to him.
“You look dehydrated. You should at least drink something. Then you should eat.”
“I can’t eat.”
But he took the flask from her, his hand shaking as he brought it to his lips. He gulped down the beer, his throat working as he swallowed.
She watched in fascination as some of it spilled over his chin and down his sweaty chest, the liquid running in rivulets down his stomach and disappearing into the waistband of his briefs.
The sight of him like this made her pulse quicken and heat pool low in her belly.
He was insanely hot right now, his body on full display, and his need so obvious it was impossible to ignore.
She shouldn’t think about him that way, especially since he was clearly sick, but she couldn’t stop herself.
Her eyes traced the lines of his body, the way his muscles flexed as he drank, the way his cock twitched and strained against the fabric with every breath he took.
She was a bold woman, so of course she had to ask.
“What’s with the constant erection? Is that from the potion you drank?” She chuckled. “Did you create some sort of Viagra concoction?”
“What is Viagra?”
She waved him off.
“Honestly, Morgath. Just tell me what happened. Maybe I can help.”
He grunted and walked past her, entering the small bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, droplets running down his jaw and neck.
“Your presence here only makes it worse.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.
“Well, tough luck. I’m not leaving until you’re honest with me.”
“Why the fuck do you care?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m your bride, after all, and we’re stuck together.”
At that, his features softened. He ran a hand through his wet hair and over his face, closing his eyes as if trying to gather himself.
“You’re the problem,” he said, not looking at her. “Since I brought you into my home, I haven't had a second of peace.”
Audrey opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.
“Just to be clear, I don't like you. Your attitude is awful, and you drive me mad with your constant defiance.”
He paused and gripped the edge of the sink.
“But your body does something to me. I’m always hard, to the point where I can’t think or focus on my tasks. So, I tried to make a potion to deal with it, something that would stop me from getting hard from simply being in your presence or merely thinking about you.”
He let out a bitter laugh.
“It backfired, as you can tell, and did the exact opposite. Now I’m so hard that it’s painful. It’s a constant, throbbing ache that won’t stop no matter what I do. I can’t think straight. I can’t work. I’m useless like this.”
Audrey was shocked. For a minute, she didn’t know what to say. She just stared at him while her mind raced to process what he’d admitted.
Finally, she cleared her throat.
“I see. Have you tried taking care of it? I mean, yourself. With your hand?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing. But it only alleviates the pain for a few minutes.
Then I’m hard again, sometimes even harder than before.
” He ran his hand through his hair again.
“Nothing is working. I tried to make an antidote, but I can’t focus.
I keep messing up the ingredients, my hands shake too much to measure properly.
I can’t think clearly enough, and magic is about precision. ”
“Oh…”
“I get stimulated by the simplest thing,” he groaned, frustrated. “The touch of fabric over my cock. The memory of your scent. It’s a nightmare. Please leave, so I can figure this out. If nothing else, it will probably pass on its own in a few days.”
Audrey did her best not to show how amused she was. It was hilarious that he’d been constantly horny because of her and tried to fix it only to make it a hundred times worse.
It was so hard not to laugh. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep it contained.
“I’m not leaving. In fact, I’ll stay put and help you through it.” She gestured at him. “Clearly, you’re dehydrated and you need to eat something. I can run you a cold bath if you want. I’ll apply cold compresses, on your cock even, if it helps.”
He growled at her, but it seemed he didn’t have the strength to protest.
She moved past him to reach the clawfoot tub.
“I’ll run you a super cold bath.”
She accidentally brushed his arm with hers, the contact brief but electric.
Morgath grabbed her by the waist, his grip firm and desperate. He threw her against the wall and bracketed her body with his. They were so close that the length of his cock pressed against her stomach.
Audrey could feel every ridge and throb of it as it pulsed. The heat of his body was overwhelming, making her feel like she was burning up. She shuddered as her pussy gushed, a rush of juices soaking her panties straight through.
“I need you so badly right now,” he said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think I can stop myself. Just leave, Audrey.”
He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, the touch tender despite the desperation in his voice. His hips pushed into her, grinding his cock against her stomach.
Her skin flushed, and her breath quickened like she couldn’t get enough air. She was trapped between the wall and his solid body, and everything inside her was screaming at her to run.
“I will stay and help you,” she whispered, surprised she still sounded like she knew what she was doing. “I’m your bride, Morgath, and you will accept my help. Now…” She placed her hand on his chest and pushed gently. “I’ll run you a bath, and we’ll take it from there.”
He hung his head, his forehead almost touching hers. He released her and stepped back, his hands falling away from the wall.
“All right, but don’t touch me again. Stay as far away from me as you can, or I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Audrey turned to the tub, her hands shaking. She turned the water on, making it as cold as possible.
She smirked to herself.