Chapter 6
Chapter Six
After Vor gently coated all Snow’s wounds with the salve, he fished out an old, clean pair of hose from a chest at the foot of the bed.
“These should lend some protection,” Vor said before pulling one of the legs over Snow’s foot.
Once they were on, Vor helped Snow stand. The hose were entirely too large. Vor cursed under his breath before he knelt at Snow’s feet, eyeing their conundrum. He pulled a knife from a sheath nearby, and Snow tensed.
“Hold your peace,” Vor murmured before cutting each leg of the hose at Snow’s thighs.
He tossed the waistband of the hose into the fire, and it caught aflame, curling as it burned. The leftover legs drooped down to the floor, puddling around Snow’s feet.
“This won’t work,” Snow said.
“Just wait,” Vor said before digging into the chest again.
He came out with an old belt and an even older sword belt. He cut both leather straps to fit around Snow’s upper thighs before cutting new holes for the buckle to fasten into. Vor secured the new smaller belts around Snow’s thighs and tugged the hose back up and under the strips of leather.
“They’re not too tight, are they?”
“No,” Snow said, looking down at his makeshift leg protection. They were actually quite interesting. Almost sexy. The tight feel of the belts around his thighs was erotic—and only seemed to make his nudity above them all the more obvious.
“Good,” Vor said, lifting his gaze to meet Snow’s. “This should help protect your wounds for the night, hopefully.”
With Snow’s legs managed, Vor pulled a white shirt from the chest. “You can wear this until we can figure something else out. It should wear like a nightshirt on you.”
Vor pulled the shirt over Snow’s head and down. Snow ran a hand over the cloth, surprised at how soft and fine it was.
“Is this yours?”
Vor nodded. “Yes… Though it no longer fits me and my many muscles.” He grinned. “It looks infinitely better on you.”
My many muscles. Snow stared into Vor’s face, again thunderstruck at how large the alpha was.
Snow had never seen any man as big. He gazed down at the shirt and estimated the difference fourteen years of hard labor had caused, though it wasn’t easy to determine. Snow fingered the fine threads again.
“Was this what you were wearing when you were captured?”
Vor cringed. He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out and pushed a few of Snow’s tight curls away from his cheek and tucked them behind an ear. “Ready for supper?”
Snow’s stomach answered for him.
Vor chuckled as he rose and gathered Snow’s hand. “Feel well enough to walk? Or should I carry you again? I know you dislike the latter.”
Snow scoffed all while secretly hoping he’d be tossed over one shoulder again. Being manhandled was actually quite stimulating. “I can walk,” all while leaning closer and hoping to be snagged into those large arms.
Instead, Vor held Snow’s hand as they left the bedroom. Snow gazed down where those hands met, Vor’s much larger one engulfing his. A smile came to his face seeing them clasped together. It was silly but viewing that big alpha hand wrapped around his made him deliriously happy.
As they approached the other alphas, Snow hid himself behind Vor, a hint of embarrassment creeping over him realizing they all likely knew what they’d been doing during that bath. Had they heard his shameful cries of pleasure as Vor fucked him? If not, Shen might have shared what he’d witnessed.
Either way, they likely knew.
But did it really matter if they did?
Snow twisted his free hand into the fine linen of Vor’s borrowed shirt.
It hung low on Snow, falling halfway between his knees and his ankles.
It had to have been what Vor had been wearing when he was captured.
It wasn’t the shirt of a peasant; he was sure of it, but then Vor had said he’d been close to the highborn, so perhaps that made sense.
Snow had detected displeasure at his question, so he’d let it be, fearing more silence if he asked more questions.
Maybe Vor would open up and tell him that tale one day.
One day.
That again implied he’d be there for more than a single night. That his remaining there seemed a forgone conclusion was oddly satisfying. Snow’s gaze drifted up to Vor’s profile, sure he’d be going nowhere without the alpha at his side.
When he peeked around Vor, Snow noticed the men lazing about the fire with crudely carved wooden bowls and spoons clutched in their hands.
Some sat on stiff wooden chairs. Shen and Hwa lounged on large satiny pillows on the floor.
Regardless of where they were, all eyes were on him, curiosity shining in their gazes.
It wasn’t only curiosity circling within their stares, though.
As Snow met Shen’s gaze, he saw the same lust he’d noticed in Vor’s bedroom. It appeared in several other eyes—all but Klaus’s. No, Klaus’s gaze was solely on Lazlo… and Lazlo’s kept tripping to Klaus’s, too.
Snow gasped inwardly. They stared at one another like lovers did—with hunger in their eyes. The way he stared at Vor and Vor stared back.
Two alphas, though?
Alphas mated omegas, not other alphas. Although…
they’d been imprisoned in the cottage alone, supposedly without omegas, for some time.
Perhaps they’d turned to one another to slake their lusts a time or two.
Yet, the way Klaus and Lazlo gazed upon one another spoke of something more than just meeting a need.
It spoke of affection. A fondness which may have been born from their shared need.
Vor led Snow back to the same chair he’d sat in before filling two bowls with whatever Lazlo had made for their supper. Vor handed one over to Snow, along with a spoon and a hunk of warm bread and retook his spot on the stool, facing him.
“If this is your chair, I’m happy to sit on the stool,” Snow whispered.
“Nay,” Vor said. “You sit there where it’s comfortable.”
Snow frowned at Vor, sensing he wouldn’t win that fight.
He curled his legs under him and drew in the scent from the bowl.
The aroma wasn’t all that appetizing, but his stomach was clenched with hunger.
Holding out hope, he tasted a small amount.
The flavor made him wince. While it wasn’t the worst thing he’d eaten, it was nowhere near the best, either.
“Mmmm… What is this?” Snow asked, forcing a smile. “I’m unfamiliar with this… hmm… interesting dish.”
“I tossed together some bits and pieces from the root cellar. Whatever we had plenty of,” Lazlo replied. “Apples, beets, carrots, sauerkraut, and a bit of pork fat to flavor the broth.”
That didn’t sound inherently bad. The sauerkraut was an odd choice, but still within the realm of reason. So why did it taste… of the sea? Too much salt?
“Oh, and I added some fish to add more meat,” Lazlo said.
“Which fish?” Owan asked, looking aghast.
“The fermented fish no one ever uses,” Lazlo replied.
All of the alphas groaned, most shoving their bowls aside.
“It might not have been so bad had he used herbs and spices to mask some of the stronger flavors.” Shen eyed Lazlo. “Are there any spices in here?”
“Spice wouldn’t save this. I vote we allow Lazlo to do other things besides cook,” Vor muttered before shoving another spoonful between his grim lips and wincing.
“I think he ruined dinner on purpose,” Hwa said, dropping his spoon into his bowl. He turned an evil gaze to Lazlo and rose to one knee, reaching for the dagger at his hip. “Perhaps he needs to be taught a lesson for such insolence.”
“Calm,” Shen said, placing a hand on Hwa’s arm. “He’s had little practice over the fire.”
“Because the lazy bastard gets others to do it,” Hwa argued.
“Exactly,” Shen replied. “You’ve traded cooking duties with him, have you not?”
Hwa’s face turned red, piquing Snow’s curiosity all the more.
Shen smiled at Hwa. “We’ve all traded with him. We can’t blame his lack of experience on him. Plus I cooked last night, so everyone is comparing my exemplary meal to this dreck. Perhaps I should teach him a few techniques and help him improve.”
Hwa settled back on his pillow. “I don’t think anything can improve his cooking.”
“Agreed. I vote we allow Lazlo to continue providing his services in exchange for cooking duties from here to eternity,” Owan announced, a lecherous grin growing on his lips. “I’m willing to take his next shift, too.”
“Nay,” Klaus snarled.
“If it gets me out of cooking?” Lazlo asked Klaus, one brow raised high.
Klaus snarled again but didn’t reply. He glared down into his bowl, muttering to himself.
“What kind of services does Lazlo provide to get himself out of cooking?” Snow asked.
The alphas fought smiles but did not answer. Snow gaze went from alpha to alpha, but none replied.
He scoffed. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”
“Lazlo has many skills,” Shen finally said, smirking. “We shall leave it at that.”
Lazlo’s cheeks turned red as the other alphas agreed that he was indeed skilled.
At what, Snow wasn’t completely sure—but he had a guess.
As an odd tension filled the air, Snow forced a few more bites but couldn’t eat much of the tasteless goop, even as hungry as he was.
Luckily Owan’s oatcake he called bannock was tasty and filling.
The mug of ale Owan handed him was even better.
“Do you all make your own ale?” Snow asked. “It’s delicious.”
“Greer’s recipe. We make several barrels at a time,” Vor replied. “And go through it much too fast for a larder to keep up.”
Greer hefted his mug. “And we save a bit to make a fine brandy I learned off some traveling monks near Francia. I might let you taste some later.”
“Oh! I’ve always wanted to travel to Francia,” Snow said. “What took you there? Were you a merchant before you came here?”
Shen and Owan snickered.
“Shut up, ye,” Greer growled. “Nay, I wasn’t a merchant. I was a… traveler of sorts. I never stayed in one place too long.”
“He was a highwayman,” Shen corrected. “He robbed merchants of their goods and gold. He couldn’t stay anywhere too long or chance being arrested.”
Snow gasped. “You were a bandit?”
Greer rose to his feet and bowed. “One of the best bandits there ever were.”
“Until he attempted to rob the wizard,” Hwa said. “As Klaus mentioned earlier, he might be the only one of us who actually belongs in this prison of ours.”
“The stinkin’ rich get richer while the poor get poorer,” Greer said. “I don’t see the problem in the reallocation of their funds.”
“Did any of those funds actually make it to the poor—or just your own pocket?” Vor asked Greer.