Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector (19 page)

Several hours later he tied the last knot in
the rope.
The bed
was finished. Removing the headboard and
footboard Dak carried the first piece to the cave. He paused in the
doorway to see if Kierin was in the room and if she was still
angry. He was getting pretty good at knowing where she was in the
massive cave even if he couldn’t hear her. If he heard the little
voice in his head whisper that this was strange, unusual or spooky,
he ignored it.

“Good, she’s in her drying room.” She spent
hours in that room drying all the plants, herbs and roots she used
in making her healing powders. Before he took two steps into the
room he knew what was wrong this morning.

She’s on her period. That explains her
temper.
He did wonder why he was so sure about this and how he
knew this morning
before
the flow started. He needed to ask
Kierin if being around all these crystals could cause this side
effect.

It took him almost an hour to set up the
bed. It didn’t leave much room but she only had a small stool and
the chest that sat at the side of her bed. She would need new
sheets and blankets eventually but she could manage for now. He
couldn’t decide if he wanted to call her from the drying room or
let her discover the bed when she came to change clothes. Thinking
about her with nothing on--standing near the bed--easy decision.
She can find it on her own. He turned to leave when a dull pain
spread across his lower abdomen. Thinking his breakfast didn’t
agree with him, he hurried to his room and the inci-n-can.

By the time of the midday meal, Dak still
had stomach cramps but nothing else. Kierin stopped long enough to
eat the soup he warmed from their dinner the night before. As soon
as her bowl was empty she excused herself and said she wasn’t
feeling well and wanted to lie down for a while.

“Do you usually have a difficult period,
little witch?” He asked softly. He didn’t like starting the morning
with an argument.

“How did you know …? Never mind. I don’t
want to know
and
I will not discuss such a personal matter
with you. I will be fine by tomorrow when the cramping stops.”

“When did the cramps begin?” Dak asked,
suddenly alert.

“Will you please just drop the subject? It’s
none of your concern and I really need to lie down.”

“When, Kierin?”

“Fine. If I tell you all the intimate little
details will you let me go to bed?” With her hands on her waist,
she stared into his face, waiting for him to answer.

He nodded slowly.

“Yes, I started my monthly cycle this
morning. Yes, I have cramps the first day. They started ….”

“A couple of hours ago?” Dak finished for
her.

“Yes, now may I go to bed?”

“I feel the same cramps.” Okay, now he was
definitely spooked.

“What? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m as serious as death. Did you break your
promise, Kierin? Did you use another crystal on me? Is that why I
can suddenly know where you are in this massive cave? How I knew
you started your period? Feel your pain?” With each question, he
got angrier, his tone hard and unyielding.

“No, Dak, I did not break my promise. I have
not used another crystal on you. It must be all the crystals around
you. It takes years of training to filter their power. When you go
back home it won’t happen.”

Without another word she turned and went to
her room. If she noticed the new bed she didn’t voice her opinion.
He waited for almost an hour, wondering if she liked his gift.

“What the hell do you care? She can go back
to sleeping on that rock slab she called a bed.” Dak grumbled in
disgust. “She could have said
thank you
or something.”

It wasn’t until he was cleaning the remains
of their meal that he remembered she didn’t look at him when she
made her declaration; her face flamed; and that orange crystal she
wore everyday was pulsing like a living heart.

Chapter Fifteen

Three more days and he was free
! Dak
couldn’t believe it. He was afraid to believe it. These past days
were torture. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Kierin was doing
something to him. Every breath--awake or asleep--carried her unique
fragrance. Her restless tossing and turning at night kept him awake
as well. She might have been in
his
bed so strong did he
feel her movements. When he questioned her about her sleep, she
said it was getting used to a new bed, nothing more. He might have
believed her if she once looked at him when she answered.

He had to smile at her reaction to the huge
bed. She loved to run and flop into the middle of the mattress,
giggling like a schoolgirl when the ropes gently bounced with her
actions.

So maybe all the sleepless nights are worth
it if she gets that much enjoyment from something so simple.

His constant erection was so hard he was
amazed he could walk upright. Taking matters in his own hand lasted
just long enough to get his clothes back together. He lived in
Kierin’s head. He heard her humming while she prepared her healing
powders; felt her happiness when she discovered a new combination.
There wasn’t a room in the cave where she could hide from him.

One small consolation to all this
sharing
came while they slept. Whether it was his fantasies
feeding her dreams or the natural awakening of a grown woman, the
results were the same. They
both
woke up tired and edgy and
caught in the release of a wet dream. When he made jokes about a
powder to put an end to their mutual problem, she stuttered and
mumbled and made an excuse to leave the room.

Oh, yes, his little witch was definitely up
to something.

Dak stayed outside as much as possible.
Distance kept the arguments to a minimum. He knew he was a bear on
wheels but saw no possible solution except the one that he couldn’t
enjoy.

The corral bore little resemblance to the
dilapidated pile of rotting timbers that greeted him weeks ago. The
small stone cavern once used as a stable now housed hay baled from
the thick grasses throughout the fortress. Kierin’s horse now had a
warm, dry stall and the smaller corral made it easier for her to
catch and care for the mare after he left. The new stable had more
than enough room for any other animals she might gather.

He fed the horses and cleaned the stables.
Taking extra time to brush both animals. Kierin’s mare pushed
against him, silently begging for more.

“You’re a sweetheart. Too bad your mistress
isn’t as sweet as you are. We wouldn’t have all this … tension
between us.” Dak scratched the horse behind her ears. “Compared to
that Phantom Rider, this must seem like paradise to you, doesn’t
it? You take care of her when I leave, okay? Don’t make her chase
you all over this pasture. She might not care for your playful
antics.” The mare answered with a soft wicker and a shake of her
head.

Laughing softly, Dak finished in the stable
and slowly walked into the corral. He knew he was as much to blame
for the discord between them as Kierin. It was like being split
apart. He desperately wanted to find his men and return to Anderas;
yet, part of him longed to embrace the peace and solitude of this
mountain retreat. Other than the constant, unrelieved sexual
arousal and Kierin’s limited food options, he had few
complaints.

He felt good about everything he
accomplished during the past month. There was enough firewood
chopped and stacked just inside the mouth of the cave to last for
several winters. The small mountain of dried grasses would stay dry
in the small cave through the wettest weather and feed her animals
through the winter and beyond.

Making Kierin’s home more comfortable wasn’t
the job she offered out in the wilderness but in the weeks he’d
been here he hadn’t seen any sign of trouble. He knew Draagon was
out there somewhere waiting for an opportunity to grab the little
witch. He couldn’t convince her to leave this place and he couldn’t
stay indefinitely. These little repairs were easy and he enjoyed
working with his hands. He even managed to convince himself that
what he did would make up for leaving her alone and defenseless--at
least for a few hours at a time.

The tension between them made the simplest
actions awkward. At dinner earlier she wore the blue and aqua
outfit he remembered from the bath house. The swirls of color
brought out the pale aqua color of her eyes. He told her she looked
nice but he just couldn’t leave it alone.

“All I said,” he explained to the chilly air
around him, “was a sapphire would look better with her tunic than
that orange thing she always wears.” Dak shook his head, bewildered
by the tears and hurt he saw in her eyes--before she threw her
napkin at him and stormed off to her room.

“What did I say wrong?” No answer came
drifting with the breeze and the night air was too cold to stay
outside any longer. Snow already covered the top of Kierin’s
mountain. How long before it covered the ground around the
cave?

The rope banister around the stairs to the
entrance was damp against his palm. Did it freeze during the winter
or would the heat from the hot springs keep it clear? And what
about the steps? Snow would blow into the mouth and pile up against
the walls. Would the steam from the springs cause ice to form?

“Give it a rest!” He grumbled. “She’s lived
here for years. She knows how to survive. She is
not
your
problem.”

The glow of embers banked in the fireplace
was the only light in this central room. Dak, used to the luxuries
of a palace, realized he enjoyed the minimalist design of Kierin’s
home. A wooden table with three mismatched chairs; an odd
assortment of dishes, pots and utensils on the shelves of an open
cabinet; and two worn, padded chairs that faced each other in front
of the fire. Rugs in a multitude of colors, designs and sizes
covered the stone floor and walls giving the room a hominess that
he couldn’t ignore. Most of the items were payment for her healing
herbs and crystals from people who barely kept their own families
fed and sheltered. His bedroom on Anderas was bigger than this room
but it didn’t have the inviting warmth of this hole in a mountain.
With that disturbing thought digging into his heart, Dak headed for
bed. It was going to be another long, miserable night but he might
be able to get a couple of hours sleep between the erotic dreams.
By the Beard of the Ancients, he couldn’t remember the last time
he’d had a good night’s rest.

* * * *

Several hours later he still tossed
restlessly, unable to sleep. His body throbbed with need. Every
heartbeat echoed through his groin. Every breath brought the scent
of woman--aroused and ready. Giving up on sleep, Dak pulled on his
pants and headed for the central room. It would be sunrise in a
couple of hours and he could escape outside. A glass of dark
Anderan wine would be wonderful, but he would have to settle for a
cup of tea. Waiting for the water to boil, he heard Kierin moaning.
She was caught in their nightly craving for release. His heart beat
in time with hers and the cave echoed the beats around and around
until the sound became a living, breathing entity.

The tendrils of smoke from the fire swirled
and danced and pointed to Kierin’s room. His tea forgotten, Dak
fought the images in his head; tried to ignore the blood pounding
through his crotch; and took the first step across the floor. He
told himself he would just peek through the door and make sure she
was dreaming and not really in pain.

Before his hand touched the door he heard
her whispering his name. He
knew
she still dreamed. He
knew
she was in no pain. He
knew
if he opened that
door there would be no turning back.

Walk away! You can’t do this! There is
too much at risk to take a chance on unprotected sex! Walk away!
Walk! Away!
He touched the door and the voice of reason
screamed one last echoing denial before going silent.

Evidence of her troubled slumber was there
in the twisted bedclothes. Her gown rode high on her thighs and
every restless shift of her legs gave him a glimpse of the moist
haven between them. Even from the door he could see the glistening
dew of her arousal. Her hair--that glorious mane of snowy
white--tumbled around her like a living blanket. She would play
hell getting the tangles out in the morning but all he wanted to do
was bury his hands in the strands and create even more chaos.

He told himself he could still walk away;
that he was still in control of his own body. Until, Kierin opened
her eyes. The lone candle on the table turned aqua eyes into
mysterious pools and reflected off the orange stone around her neck
that pulsed with the same heartbeat as the cave itself. All it took
was a raised hand and her whispered
Dak
. He was lost. They
were lost.

Dak dropped his pants and climbed onto the
bed beside Kierin. He rolled over her and into her in the same
movement. Her cry of pain lasted mere seconds before it became the
keening of her climax. His release followed hers the instant she
gripped him with her internal muscle spasms.

When he could breathe and move at the same
time, he brushed the damp hair from her face. “Are you all right?
That was probably the fastest seduction in the history of man. I’m
sorry it was so quick. I’ll do better the next time.” He couldn’t
stop stroking her face. He punctuated his words with tiny kisses
against her eyes, the shell of her ears, her chin before settling
on her lips. He was right. A man
could
live on a diet of her
mouth.

Kierin didn’t know how to answer him. She
had no point of reference to aid her. He was still deep inside
her--still semi-erect and her body gently pulsed against him.
All right?!
She honestly didn’t know. What she did know was
that she wanted more of Dak. She needed to store up a lifetime of
memories because he would soon be gone from her world.