Chapter Sixteen
-DECLAN-
The last thing I wanted to hear from Stewart was the news he had shared with me that morning, after spending an evening in the tavern.
News that I had no choice but to share with Astrid after the king requested that both Gustav and I watch over her from now on, due to rumors of unrest among the Norse communities.
“’Twas said by one of the king’s men in a drunken state that when he'd been imbibing with Gustav, the MacGreggor laird boasted you would soon be his,” I divulged as we made our way toward the cottage in which she currently resided.
Few torches still burned, and most of the village had gone to sleep, leaving us alone in the stillness of the evening.
“He claimed the king just bided his time for now so that you might see to your duties.”
“A lot of foolishness can be spoken when one is in their cups,” she reminded softly, no doubt praying as much as I that those were not King Alexander’s intentions.
“Aye,” I agreed, yet my worry about where all this would lead only grew, and I knew it did for Astrid, too, whether she would admit it or not. She might claim she had developed a friendship with the king, and I believed it, yet still.
Gustav was proving more difficult to predict the more I was around him.
Since the night he’d sat with us by the fire, he hadn't sought us out again nor made any advances toward Astrid.
Nevertheless, despite seeming amiable enough to us both, I distrusted his thoughts when it came to her, convinced he wanted to both slake his lust and, at the same time, cut her down the first chance he got.
“Whether or not ‘tis true Gustav and the king have been having private discussions about me,” she said, “I’m certain I will have a say in the end, Declan.” She nodded firmly. “That I have earned that at the very least.”
“’Tis impossible to know what you could truly earn in all this, lass,” I warned softly, lest her eyes not remain wide open. “You must remain verra vigilant if not wary.”
“To what end?” she said just as softly as we headed into an especially dark woodland area. “If ‘tis true, what choice will I have but to comply? We all knew the risk in this so—”
Before she uttered another damning word, I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the forest until we were alone in the darkness. Then, I continued leading her along until we were behind a sizeable moss-covered boulder behind an equally large tree.
“There is no risk because I willnae let it get that far,” I ground out softly the moment I knew there was no chance of being overheard. “You are my wife now, and ‘twill be said before such happens.”
I reeled her against me and cupped her soft cheek, never so grateful to have her in my arms again.
To feel her warmth and breathe in her sweet scent.
My vision had adjusted to the darkness, and I could make out her luminous gaze, simmering with the same desire I felt, despite our precarious circumstances.
“Our vow was binding, Astrid,” I reminded her, shaking my head, “so ‘tis impossible for you to marry another.”
“Binding to your God and us mayhap,” she murmured, her voice wobbly, now that she was free to confess her real fears. She leaned her cheek into my touch. “But I’m not so foolish as to think the king wouldn’t find a way around that if he genuinely is discussing such things with Gustav.”
“Och, nay, ‘tis binding and—”
“Nothing is binding when it comes to politics and the king’s will, no matter what country he rules,” she said, no longer leaning into my touch, but speaking firmly, seeing things clearly enough.
Her tone grew firm rather than emotional as she drew on an inner strength I had come to admire.
“And if that is the case and ‘tis his final say, you will not reveal anything.” She shook her head.
“You will not put your clan, our clan, at risk like that, nor will you put your father at such risk, for ‘twill land squarely on both of your shoulders in more ways than one.”
“But ‘twould nae be legal,” I repeated, growing more upset by the moment, my heart aching at the thought of it. “So ‘twould nae be binding.”
“And ours and ours alone to know,” she reminded, resting her hand on my chest. “A weight we must bear for our clan if it comes to that, which I do not believe it will.” She spoke with assurance now as she steered my hand to her chest over her cross. “So says this if you can feel it.”
I couldn’t help but round my eyes at its warmth. “God speaks to you, then?”
Astrid inhaled raggedly, as if not entirely sure I would be able to feel it, reminding me what else was under my hand.
“I would say your God and mine alike speak truth to my words as my talisman hangs just beneath the cross under my tunic.” Resting her hand over mine, she searched my eyes, pleading with me.
“Trust our path, husband. Our fate. And all will be well.” She shook her head.
“I don’t doubt it for a moment, nor should you.
All we should do is stay the course and trust our fate because it has already proved kind, leading me to you. ”
“Aye,” I murmured, finding as much comfort in this as I knew she did.
Yet even as I trusted her words, our deities, and Fate itself, knowing the safest thing I could do right now was escort her back to her cottage, I could not help but cup her cheek again and kiss her softly.
Just a kiss, I swore to myself, yet I should have known when I felt her plush lips beneath mine, it would be too much. She would be too much. It had been nigh on a week since I managed a brief, stolen kiss, and weeks since I gave her the sort of kiss I craved.
Needed.
So I tilted my head, closed my mouth more firmly over hers, and delved my tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth. Groaning in what sounded like relief, her hand twisted in my tunic, pulling me even tighter against her, and she met my tongue with hers.
As much as I roared at myself to stop, knowing this was far too risky, it soon became impossible when she clamped her hand around my arousal through my trousers. Beyond impossible when she began stroking me.
“We shouldnae,” I vehemently ground out against her lips.
“Nay,” she agreed hoarsely, her voice as thick with desire as mine while she continued stroking, her grasp strong, steady, and unrelenting.
“’Tis far too dangerous,” I groaned raggedly, flicking my tongue against hers.
“’Tis,” she agreed, inhaling deeply as if desperate to breathe me in. Taste all of me on her tongue and in her throat as if her mouth stroked me in place of her eager, unrelenting hand. “But I need you, husband, like I have never needed anything. So deep inside me, hot and hard and—”
“Bloody hell,” I growled.
At my breaking point, needing her hot sheath gripping me like nothing else, I spun her and yanked her trousers down past her perfectly rounded arse.
Helpless to do anything but slake my lust and hear her sweet groans of pleasure, I encouraged her to brace her hand on the moss-covered rock, freed myself, and thrust deep inside her, basking, reveling in her deep-throated moan of approval.
Grateful for the slight incline to compensate for our height differences, I pressed closer, my front to her back, covered her hand with mine, and kept easing in and out of her, relishing the feel of her warm, soft flesh pressing back against me, just as eager.
Just as lost in how we made one another feel.
Kissing and nipping the side of her neck, I tried to take it slow and be as gentle as the last time we lay together, but reining myself in was a struggle.
Especially when she whimpered and squirmed against me, craving me with the same fierceness. The same near-animalistic ferociousness that she voiced with a breathy demand. “Please, take me now or—”
Whatever she was going to say next whooshed out of her mouth in a gasp of shivering pleasure when I thrust hard, slaking my desire in a whole new way. One we both needed right now to drive away all the bad possibilities that might lie ahead.
That might rip us apart.
Unlike the last time, I wouldn’t last long.
It would be impossible, as I took her hard, cushioning her against the rock, feeling that same primal need to claim her I had felt before, giving in to the wildness she pulled from me.
A side of myself I didn’t know existed, when a few short thrusts later, she buried her cry of release against my arm, taking me with her before I knew what hit me.
I had done well when we last lay together not to pour my seed into her, but this time, I had no control over it.
All I could do was lock up deep inside her, bury my groan of pleasure against the side of her neck, and mark my territory.
Despite being so very wrong, nothing had ever felt so right as the cold wind gusted against our blazing skin, snow began falling softly around us, and we struggled to catch our breath.
Although I wanted to remain that way for as long as possible, immersed in the extraordinary ecstasy she brought me, it was too risky. So I steered her lips back to mine, gave her one last lingering kiss, and found the strength to finally step away.
Remaining silent, we adjusted our clothing, neither of us wanting to return, but alas, we had no choice. All we could do now was hope Stewart was wrong and remain vigilant around Gustav in the coming days, now that he would be near us so often.
“Trust in Fate, Declan,” she eventually murmured as we made our way back through the dark woodland and neared her cottage a short time later. “Because I have no doubt it will continue steering us together.”
I could only pray as we begrudgingly went our separate ways once again, and the next day came soon enough, with Gustav by our side per King Alexander’s request. As usual, he seemed amiable as ever, yet I caught the way he looked at Astrid every so often when the king wasn't looking. Saw both his desire and anger.