Chapter 5
Agroan woke Anna. A strong arm, bruised and laced with cuts, was wrapped around her waist. Her instinct was to fight, but she felt a warm breath caress her ear, felt the warm body at her back, and she remembered where she was and who held her.
“No,” he whispered. “They’ll forget.” His arm tensed, and his breath came faster, harsher. “No.”
Anna strained against his arm, and he tightened his grip, making it hard to breathe. She broke his hold and rolled over, putting her hand on his face to calm him. His arm came out, catching her in a blow that knocked her against the wall.
Winded, Anna crawled back to him. “Wake up.” He continued tossing, throwing the blanket aside. He smacked his head on the floor, and she wondered if some of his injuries had come from fighting his dreams. Ducking to avoid another blow, she dove between his fists and grabbed him. If he didn’t stop, he would reopen all the wounds on his back. He grunted and tried to swing again, but she kept her arms tight around him, avoiding the injured areas. It wouldn’t help for long. He was as strong as a bull. “Wake up.”
His eyes opened, but they were vacant. There was a damp trail at one corner. She released his arms and leaned back. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t speak. He covered his face. Anna could hear his labored breathing. He lowered his hands, and the look in his eyes was so lost, she couldn’t help but touch his face. He pressed his cheek against her palm.
She didn’t resist when his hand moved over her back, winding in her hair. Nor when he pulled her mouth to his. She felt the rough edge of a healed cut at the top of his lip as he kissed her—neither hard nor soft, just desperate. A man lost at sea, clinging to the only spot of dry land. Sensations curled in her belly, spreading outward until she was wrapped in the taste and feel of him. His warm tongue, his beard tickling her chin, his hands tangled in her hair and bare legs against hers. He rolled, putting her underneath him, cradling her head in one hand.
Gently, she held onto his shoulders, avoiding the areas that were wounded. His eyes burned into hers, then his head lowered. He kissed her face, her neck, and back to her lips. He had no restraints, touching every part of her that he could reach. Alarm bells went off in her brain, but her desire was too strong. She wanted his skin against hers, wanted to feel him inside her. Her hips moved against his and he settled deeper between her thighs.
A moment of clarity dulled her passion. What was she doing? The drug must be lowering her inhibitions. She knew the dangers involved with sex. She put her hands on his chest. “Stop.”
He leaned back and looked at her. His eyes were glazed, and he was breathing hard. “Stop?”
“This is too fast. I’m sorry.”
“Forgive me.” He started to roll off her.
“Don’t move,” a cold voice said. “Or I’ll shoot.” The fat guard stood outside the cell with his gun pointed at them. “Don’t stop now. It’s just getting good.”
“Bastard,” the prisoner muttered, shifting his weight off Anna. “I’m getting up.”
“Don’t.” The guard motioned with his gun.
“What do you want?” the prisoner asked.
The guard leered at Anna. “I’d like some of that.”
“Over my dead body,” Anna said.
“I’ve never tried it that way, but I’ve heard there’s some appeal,” the guard said.
A low growl came from the prisoner’s throat. Anna knew the guard was as good as dead. The only question was when, and who would get to him first, the prisoner or her.
“Don’t touch her.” The prisoner’s voice was hard.
The guard sneered. “Or what? What will you do?”
“I’ll drive my dagger straight through your bloody heart.”
“But you don’t have a dagger, do you?”
“Then I’ll do it with my bare hands. I’ll rip your chest open with my fingers and tear out your heart.”
Hatred seethed from the guard’s eyes. “You’re not so special. I don’t know why he bothers with you. This experiment will fail, just like the other one. And you,” he said, glaring at Anna. “I’d kill you now if you weren’t worth more to me alive. If you don’t want me, then you can do him. I’d just as soon watch anyway.”
Anna’s throat dried. “No,” she croaked.
“Your choice. Him or me.”
“No.” The prisoner’s body was tight with anger. “I’ll tell your master what you’ve done.”
There was a flash of fear in the guard’s eyes, but he just laughed. “What’ll he care? That’s what you’re here for anyway. Feeding and breeding. That’s why I like working here. I get to watch the breeding.”
Breeding? Anna met the prisoner’s shocked gaze. They were going to breed him.
“Get on with it,” the guard said. “She’s better than what you’ll be bred with later.”
“No,” the prisoner said again.
The guard aimed the gun at Anna. “Do it or I’ll kill her. Then I’ll kill you. I’ll tell the master the hybrid killed you both. He’s killed plenty of others. The master will believe it. Now pick up where you left off. Show her what women are good for.”
“We’re in a mess here,” the prisoner whispered. “If I could just get to him without that pistol.” But they both knew it was impossible.
“We can pretend,” Anna said. “With what we’re wearing, we might fool him. I don’t know what else to do.” They had no choice. “What if you go slow, act like you’re having... trouble. Maybe he’ll get frustrated and come in here himself. We can grab the gun and kill him.” Her stomach heaved at the thought, but if it got him within reach, it would be worth it. If they didn’t kill him now, he wouldn’t stop at one show, and he might want the next turn.
“All right.”
“Stop your whispering and get on with it,” the guard ordered.
“I’m going to kiss you. Pretend to struggle.” He took a breath and lowered his head. His lips were stiff against hers.
Pretend you’re sparring with him. She pushed at his chest, trying not to panic.
“That’s it,” the guard said. “Take her clothes off.”
The prisoner lifted his head, putting an inch between their mouths. “No,” he called out. “I like it better this way.”
“How are you going to do it with her panties on?” the guard asked.
“Panties?” The prisoner stilled. His fingers brushed the elastic at the side of her hip. “These?”
He didn’t know what panties were? Her crazy theory might not be so crazy after all. “Yes.”
He tensed as he slid his hand underneath her gown. “I’m sorry.”
“Do it.” Anna felt the last of her resolve draining. If they didn’t get this over quickly, she was going to panic and start struggling for real. That could get them both killed. “Hurry,” she whispered and pretended to resist while helping him get the panties off.
“Bollocks.” He looked shaken. He moved his arm behind her neck, the other supporting his weight as he slid his leg between hers. He lowered his head and Anna struggled, throwing in a few cries of “Stop.” Although it was for the guard’s benefit, it felt all too real in her mind.
“Move your kilt out of the way,” the guard ordered.
“I’m going to kill him,” the prisoner muttered as he lifted his kilt and lowered himself between her legs. She knew from the deadly look in his eyes, this man was a warrior. A very old warrior, if she was right.
They were flesh to flesh now, but the prisoner had arranged the kilt so the guard couldn’t see exactly what they were or weren’t doing. She gasped for effect as he pretended to enter. “Grunt or something,” she whispered.
The prisoner grunted and pretended to thrust as she continued to struggle underneath him. She felt him growing hard against her.
“Get rid of the kilt,” the guard said. “It’s covering the goods.”
The prisoner cursed. “It’s not easy with an audience. Maybe you want to come in and try.”
Anna’s whole body tensed, though she knew this was part of their plan to trap the guard.
“I’ll get Lance to hold the gun,” the guard said. “Maybe he’ll want a turn too.”
Anna knew her nails were digging into the prisoner’s skin, but she was afraid to let go. Afraid the guard and Lance would come and take his place. Their plan hadn’t worked.
“No,” Anna whispered. “You have to do it.”
“What?”
“Do it,” she choked out. “Or he will.” That would be worse than death.
“I can’t,” he said.
“You have to. I don’t want him, and I don’t want us to die.” She couldn’t let him die without him even knowing who he was. She knew who she was. Knew her path in life. He might have a family out there searching for him. “We were about to do it before the guard came. Just pretend he’s not there.”
His jaw clenched. He moved his kilt, slipped his hand between her legs, and touched her softly, but still she tensed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
A harsh breath left him as he gently opened her, and she felt a millisecond of something entirely unexpected as his warm flesh brushed against hers.
His eyes widened, and she saw him swallow. “I’m so sorry.” Then a nudge for entry, and he slipped inside.
Anna closed her eyes, trying to block it out. It wasn’t the physical discomfort. He was being gentle. It was her mind that felt violated.
* * *
The prisoner was horrifiedat what he was doing. It didn’t matter that she was probably a whore and used to this kind of thing. No woman should be treated this way. He was ashamed that his body was cooperating, but if it hadn’t, the guard would take care of it himself, and he wouldn’t be gentle about it.
He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t, so he looked at her hair instead. “God forgive me,” he uttered as he began moving inside her. He tried to be easy, but she was upset. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were on his waist. It wasn’t an embrace. Instinctively, she was trying to push him away.
He tried to block the pleasure surging through his loins by images of what he would do to the guard, but he was already near bursting from kissing her before. And he hadn’t been with a woman in a long time. And never one so bonny. He didn’t allow himself to get close to beautiful women. They were dangerous. But his body didn’t care.
He felt the tension building and knew he’d better stop before it was too late. Would the guard notice? The last stroke was too much. Pleasure erupted, and he quickly pulled out, spilling his seed onto her thigh.
Numbly, he lay there, appalled at what he had done. Would the guard want a turn the minute he moved off her? If he came in without Lance, that’d be just fine. He would kill the bastard and get it over with. She lay silent beneath him, her eyes wide with fear. He knew that she waited for the guard as well.
“Not yet,” she pleaded when he started to move off her. Her hands gripped his shirt. In the dead silence between them, he heard the guard chuckling, then the sound of footsteps as he moved away. A trickle of sweat ran down the prisoner’s temple. He looked back to be sure the guard had left them.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered yet again as he moved off her and lowered his kilt. She tugged at her gown. Using the cloth she’d washed with before, he awkwardly cleaned off her leg. She rose to her feet, hands shaking as she reached for her undergarment.
The prisoner turned his back, giving her a moment of privacy while he cleaned himself off. He heard her at the basin. When the water stopped, he faced her. “Are you all right?”
She hugged her shoulders, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. “It wasn’t your fault. You had to do it.”
He wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. Enjoy wasn’t a fair word. It had been awful, but his body had responded anyway. He felt like an utter bastard, not knowing whether to comfort her or leave her alone. He reached out for her, and she flinched. “Lass, look at me.”
She met his gaze, but her lovely eyes were flat. “I’m fine. Sex is better than death.” She retreated to the bench and sat on the far edge, tugging her gown so hard the prisoner thought it might tear. She stared at the floor, her face tight.
He watched helplessly then went to her again, awkwardly touching her arm. He was filled with shame at feeling pleasure while she was in pain. He was no better than the guard.
“I... I shouldn’t have...” He swallowed. “I’ve not been with a woman for so long...” But that was no bloody excuse.
“It’s over. Neither one of us had a choice.” Her eyes were cold and calm now. This was the woman who was brave enough to fight the guard. “He’ll pay. I’m going to rip his balls off.”
“No. I’ll rip them off. One at a time. We have to find a way out of here.” The guard wouldn’t be satisfied now. He would want more. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and they heard the frantic voice of the guard.
“Master, I didn’t expect you back this soon.”
A man appeared around the corner, his long black hair and face as bonny as a lass’s.
The prisoner heard Anna gasp. “Tristol.”