Chapter Ten
The next weeks were spent wandering through the forest, toward Mother Mountain.
Thanred knew of a spot in the foothills, on the south side of the peak, where there was a small brook and a dell.
There was a cave there that he’d seen in his childhood, when the Dranark would go on their pilgrimages. Before they had all lost their faith.
No one ventured there anymore.
There they would be safe. He would build a home for them there. There were creatures aplenty he could hunt and berries growing in the surrounding forest. If he hadn’t already, he meant to breed her there and that is where they would make their new life. Together.
But her question haunted him. Through the days as they walked, talking and sharing stories. Through the nights when he lay next to her but could not sleep. It stayed wedged inside his mind, casting a dark shadow on his joy at having found her and claimed her as his.
When they came to the place, Royla’s excitement boiled over. She ran through the dell, spinning around with her arms out, her face to the sun, smiling at what would be their new home.
He told her to go into the woods and gather some berries, even fashioning a basket out of long grasses for her.
But as soon as she’d disappeared among the trees, his heart became heavy in his chest. He looked around the clearing, then up at the peak of Mother Mountain where a storm raged.
He thought of what it might be like seeing their offspring playing in the long grass.
A tightness clutched at his throat at the thought.
How would that end?
He could be happy. Of that he was certain. He would do his best to assure her happiness, too. But what about their children? There would come a time when they would want to spread their wings. There would come a time when they would crave more than just their parents’ love.
One day they, too, would want to seek a mate and what then? They could not return to the place of his childhood. Nor would they be able to go back to her palisade. They would be garshen, just like him. The unwanted.
This made an anger burn inside him: at the hopelessness of their situation, at Dodlin, at how cruel life could be.
He tried to close his eyes and breathe through the feeling. But even when Royla came wandering back, a smile on her face, he could not find the strength to let the anger go.
Her smile faded when she approached him. She tilted her head and concern filled her expression. “Thanred?” she asked, touching his arm. “What’s wrong? What is it?” She set the basket filled with berries carefully down by her feet.
He let out a heavy sigh. It was no use trying to push the inevitable away, as much as it pained him. “This cannot be, Royla,” he said softly.
Confusion creased her features. She shook her head. “What? What cannot be?”
“This,” he answered, grasping her shoulder. “Us.”
Her face betrayed her sadness.
Thanred’s heart began to ache. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close in an embrace, tell her he was wrong and that everything would be alright.
But the reality of their situation wouldn’t allow it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, lowering his eyes, unable to look into hers. “I’m sorry but you were right.”
“Right?” she said, her voice suddenly shaky. “Right about what?”
“You were right to ask if we would be alone forever. Do you remember? The question has weighed heavily on me since you said it. And the truth of it is...” His voice cracked as he fought to say what needed to be said.
“I cannot keep you out here. You deserve more than this. More than living in the wilderness with... with a creature like me. You can still go back. Back to your palisade.”
The tightness came to his throat again. So much it pained him.
The thought of watching her go for the last time, of living a life without her made him think of climbing Mother Mountain and throwing himself off, as the others had done.
At least he had known joy with Royla. Maybe only for a short time, but he would go in peace, thankful for his time with her.
But when he looked up at her again, her reaction was nothing like he’d expected. There was no sadness in her expression, no tears rolling down her cheeks.
Where he’d expected to see her mouth twisted by sadness, the corners of her lips were instead curled upward slightly, as if she were about to smile.
She took his hand from her shoulder and lowered it. Down past her pretty breasts until it came to rest on her soft belly.
A jolt of energy shot through him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
“I’m afraid I can’t leave you now, Master,” she whispered, staring up at him, a beautiful smile lighting up her face.
“I’ve passed my time. Your...” She paused and bit her lip, her cheeks flushing at the admission she was about to make.
“Your seed has quickened inside me.” Her eyes fluttered down toward the ground.
“I am with child,” she said. “Your child.”
Though he’d suspected as soon as he saw her smile that that was what she was going to say, it shook him to his core nonetheless. He’d known the possibility existed, considered it while pondering her question about whether they would be forever alone. But this?
This changed everything.
“You are sure?” he said, his voice so quiet he barely heard it himself.
Royla bit her lower lip and nodded again.
Thanred felt as if he were outside himself, disconnected from his body. He barely felt the earth against his legs as he sank to his knees, hands pressed against her belly. He stared at it, caressing it gently. He began to shake his head.
“Thanred?” she asked.
He looked up to see her staring down at him, puzzled. “Are you... not happy about this?”
The question nearly tore his heart out of his chest. “No. I mean, yes! I mean... I am... overjoyed,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.
She slowly sank to her knees in front of him, her hand coming up to touch his cheek, head tilted to one side, still smiling softly. She giggled. “That is not the expression I am used to seeing when someone is happy,” she said. “Even you.”
His mind was racing. Thoughts of his unborn children wandering the wilds, searching for happiness and companionship made his head spin.
Royla leaned closer and kissed him.
Thanred pulled away. He had betrayed her trust. He had been selfish, only thinking of his own needs and now? Now there was no way to take this back, no way to undo what he’d done. Now his offspring would be condemned to...
He shook his head. There was too much to consider. His cock had hardened at her news and he felt the urge to take her again, to claim her and make sure she understood she was his.
Grasping her roughly by the neck, he spread her legs with his thighs and pressed his engorged member against her flower.
Royla’s eyes widened with excitement. She reached down between them, grasped his hardness, and guided the head of it to her center lips. They were wet and hot and sticky.
Thanred sucked in a breath as he swayed forward, his cockhead slipping into her opening.
She closed her eyes and let out a breath. “Oh, Gods, yes,” she breathed.
His cock hardened fully at her utterance. Still holding himself up, he eased his hips forward. His shaft sank into her, her tight walls gripping it as she took him.
The whole world seemed to melt away. The questions that had plagued him, his worry about the future, all seemed distant as the moment swallowed him.
Royla wrapped her hands around his neck, then let them drift lower. Down the muscles in his shoulders, down the small of his back until they came to rest on his haunches. A slight snarl curled her lip as she pulled him deeper inside herself.
Thanred gasped as he drove the rest of his shaft into her tightness. She was so hot and deliciously wet. Cocking his hips back, he readied himself to plunge inside her again, his hunger to claim her taking over his entire mind.
Her hands drifted to his hips. Before he could thrust, she held him there, hovering above her body, only the head of his cock inside her. “Slowly?” she whispered. “Please?”
The words made him shudder. Fighting the urge to take her as hard as he normally did, he eased back into her, savoring the tight, wet heat that surrounded him.
Royla closed her eyes and let out a breath.
Thanred lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. As softly as he’d ever touched anything.
Her hands lingered on his hips as he began to make love to her. Holding him in place at the cusp of each thrust before gently allowing him in again.
The sun was hot on his back.
Letting go of their kiss, he tilted his head and buried his mouth against her neck. Her scent overpowered him, urging him to thrust harder and still he fought against the feeling. Over and over he slipped into her. Each time her tunnel felt hotter and more welcoming.
He let himself slip into the delicious bliss of her acceptance. His essence pooled in his sack, his body screaming for release.
Each time the urge to fuck her ground against his mind, he would savor the ecstasy he felt at their quiet, gentle lovemaking.
When her body began quivering beneath him, he opened his eyes to look into hers.
“Thanred,” she said, her voice a strained whisper. “I’m... I’m coming.” Her pussy clenched at his shaft as an orgasm took her.
The words sent him careening over the edge of release. Seed shot through his hard muscle, erupting inside her warmth and coating her womb. Thanred groaned. His eyes darted from her lips, curled in agony, to her eyes wide open, lids fluttering.
A smile formed on her lips. “Yes,” she said as his cock flexed inside her again. “Fill me, Thanred. Fill me with your seed.”
He roared as another wave of pleasure coursed through him. In that brief moment, everything seemed right with the world. This is where he was meant to be.
They lay next to each other in silence for a long time after it was over; Royla with her eyes closed against the bright noon sun and Thanred on his side, running his fingers through her hair.
Every so often he would let his hand drift down her neck, cup one of her breasts, then let it fall farther and settle against her belly.
Each time he did, a powerful protective instinct gripped him.
Though their outlook still seemed grim, one thing was certain.
He would not send her back to her people.
He could never do that now. She was carrying his child.
He would do anything and everything to protect her and to protect their love.
“What troubles you?”
Her whispered question tore him from his thoughts. He looked at her to find her smiling back at him. He took a deep breath... then smiled. “Nothing, my sweet Royla,” he said quietly. “I will make everything right. I promise.”