Claimed By the Storm

Chapter 1

JILLIAN

Jillian pouted and kicked a chunk of ice into the nearest snowdrift.She and her brother had been riding all day and still hadn’t made it to the next town in New Kristiandom. “Why do we have to go to a stupid matchmaker, anyway?”

Their village still ascribed to the old ways—arranged marriages, women marrying young and making babies, low technology, though she had heard of the new technology and dress some wore and used in other villages.

She felt so stifled. And the men did nothing for her.

If only she could have been born in a different village that would allow her to live her life as she wanted.

Or better yet, if only she had been born a man.

She sighed and kicked another ice chunk out of the way.

Jake softened when he saw her trembling lip. “I’m sorry, Jillybean, but this is how it has to be. There’s not much left from Mother’s inheritance, and we need it to get to town, pay the matchmaker, and pay for your dowry.”

“I don’t see why we couldn’t have saved our money and found mates in our own village.” She set her pack down in the snow.

Jake laughed and threw a snowball at her, hitting her square in the back. “You threatened to burn the last guy’s house down, brat.”

She knelt to scoop the firmly packed snow into her hands and spit into it, watching as it hardened. “I wouldn’t have married him for all the gold in the kingdom.”

“He was the richest lord in the entire area,” Jake grumbled and turned back to his task of starting a campfire.

“He was a pig!” She released the ice ball in a satisfying arc watching as it flew through the air three feet from his head.

Jake chuckled. “You never did have a good arm. But I’ll give you credit. You’re getting closer.”

Grr, the man was infuriating! Why did he get to make the decisions about where she lived and whom she married? Just because he was one year older and male. She stomped her foot into a large drift and pretended it was his head.

“Well, it’s not like you had any better luck with the women, dear brother,” she grumbled. “At least I didn’t threaten the mayor’s daughter with a, what did you call it again? Oh, yes,” she smirked, “a sound thrashing.”

“It wasn’t a threat.” Jake’s eyes darkened. “She was a brat. Just like someone else I know.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes as she fed their tired horse the last of the hay. Banbury snorted and nuzzled her hand, as if thanking her. At least she could find comfort in the beautiful white stallion.

“All right, kiddo. It’s time to get to work. We need to get a fire started and some water for dinner.” He ruffled her hair from behind. “There’s a well right up at the top of that hill.” He pointed to the large snow-covered hill behind them.

Good Lord, the thing had to be 100 feet high! Seriously, who put a well that far off the ground? She grumbled to herself and pretended not to hear him.

He easily pulled her to her feet, ignoring her glare.

“I don’t want to climb that thing! I’ll get all wet. What if I fall? The bucket will be heavy.” She went through every excuse she could think of.

“Banbury is exhausted and needs to rest. I need to get this fire going and get our shelter up. Someone needs to get water so we can make our dinner. It’s going to be nightfall soon, and I don’t want to be stuck out here without fire, water, or shelter. So what’s it going to be?”

“You do it,” she said irritably. “I have been on my feet all day on this stupid trip that I did not agree to go on, with lousy company—except you, Banbury.” She stroked the horse and smiled. She turned to her brother with her hands defiantly on her hips. “You can’t make me.”

He sighed and blew the hair off his forehead, a sure sign of his frustration.

“One of these days, Jilly, I’m going to…”

“You’re going to what?” She challenged his gaze firmly.

“Never mind!” He turned and stalked toward the hill, bucket in hand. “Finish getting the fire started, all right?”

“What about Banbury?” she called after her angry brother.

“Let him rest! He’s had a long day, too, and we need him fresh for the next leg of the journey,” he yelled back over his shoulder.

She sat down, not feeling victorious over her little win. Why she kept pushing him, she had no idea. But the more he backed down, the angrier it made her.

She poured her frustration into lighting the fire. Unfortunately, the matches were wet and the kindling wouldn’t light. She hated making the fire. It hurt her fingers and rubbed them raw. She threw everything down in anger.

“Come on, Jillian. Don’t give up!” Jake called from the top of the hill. “We need the fire. Keep trying!”

“I am!” she shouted back. There was no way he could see her from that far away. How did he always seem to know what she was doing or thinking? The man seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her. Although they were eleven months apart, most people thought they were twins.

She saw him start back down the slippery slope with the bucket in his hands and hurried to finish her task. She was not in the mood for another lecture.

After another minute of trying, she finally got a flame. She blew on it excitedly and the flame rose higher, burning her fingers. She yelped, dropped the burning branch into the snow, and dove for a handful of snow to soothe her poor fingertips.

She heard Jake roaring with laughter as he continued down the hill.

“Shut! Up!” She grabbed another ball of ice and flung it toward him with all her might.

“Not even close,” he chuckled when the projectile hit the base of the hill more than 25 feet below him.

His look of amusement quickly changed to fear when the path of snow and ice below him suddenly gave way, tossing him head over heels down the hill.

“Jake!” she shrieked and watched as he rolled and tumbled and bounced, landing with a sickening thud at the base of the hill.

BERTRAM

Bertram heard the screams and spurred his horse to go faster. When he rounded the final snow bend he saw the three wolves circling closer to their prey.

A young woman stood defiantly, trying to protect the prone form on the ground from the advancing wolves. Her emerald eyes shone with fear as she struggled to maneuver the heavy sword. He jumped off his horse and ran toward them, forcing himself to remain calm.

The wolves saw him and turned their backs to the scared, angry young woman, baring their sharp teeth as he advanced.

“Go!” he commanded. “This is no meal for you.”

The pack leader growled and crept forward.

He tensed, flashing his golden amber eyes at the leader, and growled.

This was a fight he intended to win. The leader stopped its movement and cocked its head, sniffing the air.

It must have realized its foe was more dangerous than he looked.

It barked at the remaining pack and with one final snarl, charged into the woods in search of other, easier prey.

The young woman watched him cautiously, her green eyes widening as he strode toward them.

“Don’t come any closer!” She held the sword higher, trying not to falter under its weight.

He tried not to laugh. “Do you even know how to use that thing? It weighs more than you do.”

“Pointy end goes in the heart! Now go away!” She used both her hands to point at his advancing chest.

He looked down at the young man lying in a crumpled heap in the bank of snow, his pack next to him. A pool of blood stained the white snow around his head. “He needs help. If he stays out here, he will die from hypothermia or head injury.”

He knelt down and assessed the young man’s injuries. No broken bones. He carefully picked up his head and wrapped his scarf around the injury. “How’d your husband get hurt?”

“Um, my brother, not husband. He kinda accidentally fell down the hill.” She faltered and dropped the sword.

Years of having bratty submissives tied up and on their knees told him the beautiful young woman was lying. “Kinda. Accidentally?” He raised an eyebrow and met her gaze fully.

The pixie-like brunette flushed. “I, um, threw a snowball at him, and he fell.”

“What?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him. It was an accident.”

He could tell by the anxiety in her voice she meant it. Noting the hay and bridle on the ground, he asked “Where’s your horse?”

“He ran off when the wolves came. I’m going to keep looking for him.” She started in the direction she had just pointed.

“Wait.”

His command stopped her movements, and she turned to glare at him. “I don’t know how you think—”

He held his finger up, silencing her with a stern look. “We don’t have time for this. Your brother needs medical attention. We need to get him back to my place.” He stood and called his horse to him.

She leapt for the sword and swung it at him, her green eyes sparkling defiantly. “We are not going anywhere with you! I don’t trust you not to steal all our belongings and kill us.”

He growled. They didn’t have time for this.

And this little pipsqueak of a woman, adorable as she was, was wearing his patience thin.

“The next town is over 20 miles away, and there is a huge storm blowing in.” He looked up at the quickly darkening sky.

“My place is only a few miles down the road. Besides, if I wanted you dead, I would have left you for the wolves.”

She frowned. “Well, maybe you want to have your way with me.”His cock twitched in his pants at the suggestion. He would love to see how she looked, naked and on her knees for him.

He shook his head to clear that thought.

“Maybe I do; maybe I don’t. Either way, I don’t take my women without consent.,” He loved the way her green eyes went wide at that. He had to push the image of her on her knees, begging him to touch her from his mind.

Turning his back to her, he started to remove the saddle from his horse. He would put the little minx’s brother on the horse, strap him down, and try to keep him from falling off. He picked the young man up in his arms and strode toward the horse.