The Illegitimate Claim (49 page)

Meah screamed and contorted again, lashing herself around on his lap while he

held her tightly.

“There. I think that’ll do it.” The dog-woman patted Meah’s foot and held it up

farther for inspection.

“Holy shit,” Gilroy mumbled as he stared at the tiny, elevated foot that now didn’t

have a scratch on it.

“You’re very kind,” Meah mumbled.

She relaxed against the iron chest behind her, and her hands looked tiny resting

against Gilroy’s massive forearms.

“You’ll need to be fit today, for you’re about to conceive.” The dog-woman let

Meah’s foot go and then brushed her hands together, acknowledging a job well done.

190

The Illegitimate Claim

“I’m about to what?” Meah gasped. “Oh no. I don’t want to go through that again. I

almost died when I—”

She stopped talking and glanced up at Gilroy’s face quickly. She once again rested

on his lap while he sat on the rock he’d originally placed her on. She wasn’t sure exactly

when that happened, but suddenly she was incredibly aware of the virility that

encompassed her. The powerfully built chest pressing against her back. Arms as thick

as trees wrapped around her and hairy legs—oh Crator, he didn’t have his pants on—

tickled the skin on the back of her legs. Her body grew overly sensitive to every spot

where her body touched his—and there were many places where they touched each

other.

“Dog-woman, I can’t…um…I’ve seen to it that that won’t happen again.” Meah felt

color rise in her cheeks.

“You’ve seen to it that what won’t happen?” She felt Gilroy’s breath on her neck as

he spoke, and chills raced through her body.

Her nipples hardened and she realized the way his arms were positioned he could

feel them. She tried to readjust herself but he held her firmly.

“You can let me go now,” she whispered.

“I don’t think so,” he whispered back.

“Crator knows your heart and your service to Him.” The old woman seemed

amused as she watched Meah struggle fruitlessly.

“But I don’t know. I mean, well…the thought of having more, well, you know.” She

didn’t want Gilroy to know what they were talking about. “It scares me to death. Are

you sure this is Crator’s will?”

“Crator is giving you your wish.” The dog-woman smiled at both of them.

“Oh Crator,” Meah moaned, and unintentionally let her head fall back. When she

opened her eyes she saw sky-blue eyes dancing above her and realized she was literally

cradled in Gilroy’s arms. She fought off the urges that rebelliously crawled through her

body.

“Is she gone now?” He stroked a strand of damp hair off her cheek and then his

fingers traced her jawbone.

Meah lifted her head. The dog-woman was gone, and her foot felt as if nothing had

ever happened to it.

“Why did I have to go through that?” She groaned and let her head fall back again.

“Maybe so you would wind up here.” He squeezed her gently with the one arm

that was wrapped around her, while his other hand began tracing her lips.

“It seems like I was going to end up here before I cut my foot,” she mumbled,

before she realized what she’d said.

191

Lorie O’Clare

Chapter Twenty-Five

Gilroy’s deep chuckle caused Meah to open her eyes and stay focused on him. She

kept her eyes open as he brushed her lips with his, and then pulled back to see her

reaction. She lay frozen in his arms, not moving a muscle. Her eyes were glued to his

and her expression had lost all wariness.

Gilroy smiled down at the swirling blue-green eyes that stared up at him. He knew

enough about women to recognize complete submission when he saw it. He wouldn’t

take her by force. That wasn’t his style and besides, he knew there was no need.

Meah had that look of curiosity on her face ever since she’d returned to Gothman.

The knowledge of Andru and Ana going to each other had further sparked her curiosity

toward him. He’d seen that, too. There was no longer curiosity in her eyes but primal

desire. He smiled gently and raised her to a sitting position on his lap.

She continued to watch him as his fingers traced lines down her body to the bottom

of her undershirt then slowly lifted it over her head. His hands quickly cupped her

large breasts as they fell free in front of him. She groaned and arched her back as he

sucked one of her aching nipples into his mouth.

Within the next minute she was on the ground as he continued to suck eagerly on

one nipple then the other. He ran his free hand down her body and into her underpants

until he found the exact spot that sent her into convulsions. Tight, soaked muscles

clamped down on his fingers when he thrust them inside her.

“Gilroy,” she panted, her mouth opening in a silent cry.

He rose to his knees and eased her underwear off her. She had an incredible view of

his well-sculpted body. Meah sucked in her breath and bit her lip as she openly looked

over every inch of him.

Then closing her eyes, she refused to think about possible repercussions to this

brazen act as he lifted her legs and moved in between them. His fingers continued to

tease her and she knew he was taking in her nakedness, as she lay spread out on the

ground before him.

“You know how long I’ve wanted you,” he whispered, and then plunged into her

heat.

“Oh Crator,” she screamed, when he impaled her with everything he had to offer.

This was her wish?

Her vision blurred as she felt the depths Gilroy reached inside her. The man

touched a spot within her that hadn’t been touched before. He held her legs easily,

holding himself enough off her for her to take in his taut torso as his rhythm increased.

He threw his head back and his shoulder-length black hair flew around him. Guttural

192

The Illegitimate Claim

sounds escaped her mouth, but it was as if the sounds came from somewhere other than

from her.

What amazed her at that moment, as burning white heat built through her slowly,

was that she’d never experienced anything as wonderful as what this man was doing to

her right now. He treated her as an equal, knowing her well enough to know her

thoughts and acting on them. She screamed as he plummeted into her velvety depths

again and again. She reached for him but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the

side of her head as he exploded deep within her.

“What did the dog-woman say to you?” Gilroy asked her a few minutes later, as he

pulled his boots on.

There had been no cuddling afterwards. Both knew their presence would be missed

if they were gone too long. Neither of them had spoken. After lying silently to gather

their wits, they’d risen to find their clothes.

“Nothing.” Meah pulled her braid loose, and ran her fingers through her long hair

in an attempt to pull the knots and loose pieces of grass out of it.

Gilroy stood and walked over to assist. He quickly pulled the grass and leaves from

her hair then separated it into three parts and loosely braided it down her back.

“You said yourself that you didn’t need to cut your foot to end up in my arms.”

The thought of her brazen words spoken in lustful curiosity made her blush. She

was glad her back was to him.

“So, obviously, my lady, she came to you with another message. I mean to learn

what that message was.”

She pulled free of him, and quickly straddled her glider before chancing a look at

him. The powerful imposing man was back, and her heart lunged in her chest. She

started her glider before answering, although she knew he could prevent her from

leaving if he wanted.

“The dog-woman speaks in riddles. I don’t know why she was here. And I usually

don’t know what she is trying to tell me, until some time has passed after her visit.”

He pondered her response, and she took advantage of his distracted state to make a

hurried departure.

* * * * *

“They aren’t doing it right.” Meah threw her arms up in exasperation and turned to

face Ana.

They had spent weeks now working with Gothman and Runner soldiers, focusing

on combining the fighting skills of the two nations instead of trying to keep them

distinct. Andru came up with the idea after his mama pointed out Meah fought like a

Gothman. The two nations had noticeable fighting habits and therefore would be

predictable to an enemy. If the nations combined their skill into one it would be difficult

for any aggressor to predict their next move.

193

Lorie O’Clare

Today, Ana and Meah worked with a young group of warriors, most in their first

winter of training. The two women focused on an ancient Runner technique, and

Meah’s patience wore thin from the numerous blunders appearing before her.

“They don’t have an example to go on, I guess.” Ana glanced up at the dark clouds

forming above them. “We could call it quits soon, if you like. It’s going to rain soon, I

fear.”

“We’ll quit when these imbeciles get it right,” Meah snapped, and jumped over the

rope as she started insulting both the Runner and Gothman in the ring for their inept

fighting skills.

Andru sat quietly on his glider, with Gilroy at his side, and scowled quietly at his

sister when she glanced at him. He didn’t approve of Meah speaking to her like that

and he liked it even less when she made no attempt to reprimand her first assistant for

insubordination. Ana rolled her eyes at him, and tossed her head as she stubbornly

looked back toward the ring.

Meah gave each warrior some basic instructions then challenged one of them to

follow the maneuvers she had just described. She took the warrior on and demonstrated

the moves for the group.

Gilroy looked on with interest as Meah jumped high into the air and pushed her

opponent back by slamming her foot into his chest. He glanced over to Andru who also

looked impressed by his claim’s level of expertise.