Traveller's Refuge (15 page)

* * * * *

In the morning, when Wrenna came for Trav’s exercises, she found him sitting in the chair, surrounded by soft blankets and cushions. “You are up!” she exclaimed with delight.

“In more ways than one,” he replied dryly. “Close the door, Wrenna.”

Sending him a questioning glance from beneath lowered lashes, she went to do as he commanded. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“Come here,” he demanded, pointing to his knees. She complied reluctantly, suddenly sure that she wasn’t going to be happy with the result. Standing next to him, she waited for him to say something, tell her what he wanted. “Please remove your
meerlim
,” he requested calmly. Wonderingly, she submitted. “Now straddle my legs, here!” He indicated what he wished her to do. Still unsure of his intentions, she obeyed.

When he was satisfied with her position, he spread his knees, forcing her legs apart, exposing her soft pussy. Faintly alarmed at her vulnerability, she tried to adjust her position but he held her still. Leaning forward, he slipped one hand between her legs, unerringly finding her slippery vaginal opening. Gravely, holding her gaze, he slid one finger inside until he reached her hymen. Then, smoothly withdrawing, he stuck his finger in his mouth. “Umm. Essence of virginal Wrenna. Delicious.”

Shocked at his action, she simply stared into those unfathomable blue eyes, unable to think of anything to say. This wasn’t the same Trav she’d been teasing and playing with for the past two weeks. This Traveller was the man she had first met in the very beginning. She wasn’t sure what to do with this man.

He relaxed his knees, lessening the tension on her legs. “You should have told me, Wrenna,” he said gently. “I don’t mind playing if I know the rules but it wasn’t courteous of you to expect me to know the rules when I’m still a stranger here.” He trailed the damp finger from the hollow of her throat, between her breasts on down to the bright red thatch of curls between her legs. “If you just want to play, I’ll be happy to accommodate you, as long as you reciprocate. If you have some more serious goal in mind, you’ll need to tell me.” He withdrew his hands and placed them in his lap. “That is the honest and fair way to conduct things between a man and a woman. Don’t you agree?”

She bowed her head, unable to look at him and nodded. Gods of the ancients! How was she supposed to answer that?

“Do you have something you wish to say to me?” he asked softly.

When she looked up, she saw that he was patiently waiting for her decision. Taking a deep breath and speaking clearly, she admitted with stark honesty, “I need you to be my bond mate. We have an
attachment
. Do you understand what this is?”

“Yes. Dai explained it yesterday.” He frowned lightly. “As I understand all of the duties and responsibilities, I will not be recovered enough to do this for a while, Wrenna. Are you willing to wait? Do we have time?”

“As long as it takes,” she replied seriously. “There is no one else I want.”

“Then I will be privileged to be your bond mate. Do you suppose that merits a kiss?” he wondered wistfully.

Inching forward carefully, anxious not to damage the fragile healing process, she moved into his lap. Leaning against him, she held her breath for a moment at the pleasure of feeling the touch of his soft, curly chest hair brushing against her breasts. He tilted her head back and took her mouth in their first breathless, astonishing kiss. Their tongues brushed together and lingered, sampling tastes and flavors. He tasted of apple tea and honey oatmeal bread. He lightly flicked her fangs and she shuddered.

He lightly brushed against her fangs again and held her while she quivered in reaction. Lifting his head, he blinked and stared at her. “Well. I think that I could get used to that very quickly!” Pulling her back in his arms, they slid into another kiss that seemed to have no end, until reluctantly, he moved back. “I’m willing to do this all day but we must find a position that is more comfortable. My legs are hurting and I need to touch you.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked looking at him anxiously as she slid from his legs.

“Here. Get the sheet out of the way,” he directed, pushing at the tangled fabric. When she had it shoved over the chair arm, he motioned for her to sit on his lap, facing away from him. Puzzled, she complied, though it felt odd. “Spread your legs, sweetheart.” When she did, his hard cock slipped into the damp, slippery furrow between her thighs. “Now scoot up here on my belly just a little, so I can reach your pretty petals. Ahhh.” She gasped as she felt the hard length of him stroking gently against her. “Hmm. Doesn’t that feel good? So much more fun to play together, isn’t it?” he whispered. “Here. You play with Mr. Peter and keep him out of trouble while I play with your beautiful breasts.” Wrenna proudly felt his cock swell and grow harder as she gently stroked and played with him. Involuntarily, she rocked against him when he tweaked her nipples, shocked at the sensations that raced through her. “Oh, yeah. Do that again, Wrenna.”

“What is it, Trav?” she asked shuddering. “What’s happening to me?”

Gently nibbling the nape of her neck, he explained softly, “The same thing that happens to me when you play with me or take my cock in your mouth. This is what you make me feel, Wrenna.” When he brushed his palms across her nipples and then plucked them to hard little points, she contracted against his erection and shattered. “That’s the way, honey. Move against me just like that.”

Suddenly driven by something she didn’t understand, she rocked frantically against him, reaching for something she only dimly perceived. When she thought she would die from frustration, he reached down and lightly flicked her hard little clit hidden in her soft curls. She unraveled, crying out over and over, as he joined her, spilling hot, slippery semen in her gentle hands.

She lay panting quietly in Trav’s firm embrace, wondering where the staggering sensations had come from. “Trav? What just happened?”

“That was what people call an orgasm. Ugly name for something so beautiful and stunning, isn’t it?” he murmured darkly against her ear. “I think we should think of a more beautiful name for it.”

“I thought that could only happen when you were inside me.” Blindly, she twisted her head so that she could meet his lips.

As they kissed, he slid his fingers down and toyed with her wet pussy. When they came up for breath, she wriggled against his fingers. “Trav! It’s starting again!” she whispered frantically. “Do something!”

Chuckling softly, he said, “I
am
doing something, sweet. Doesn’t that feel delightful? Ah, look, Mr. Peter thinks it is quite delightful. Here, baby, play with my cock.” She moved against him, clutching his cock and rubbing her hot pussy mindlessly against it, whimpering as wave after wave of fire washed through her. His dark velvet voice whispered, “I bet you didn’t learn about this in your classes,” and then she heard no more as the tension snapped and she unwound like a broken watch.

“Again?” he inquired when she could breathe again. “No?” as she shook her head. “Well, perhaps not, today,” he agreed reluctantly. She felt him tug the sheet over them as she sank into sleep.

Dai opened the door to let Trav know that Dancer was coming to visit and stopped dead when he saw them together in the chair. “Traveller?”

“Come in, Grandfather,” he invited calmly. “Wrenna and I have agreed to be bond mates as soon as I’m recovered enough.” Involuntarily, he tightened his embrace. “We were getting acquainted but I think I’ve worn her out…”

“You are sure this is what you want? Even though she’s a Llewellyn?” Dai insisted.

Trav looked him squarely in the eyes. “I want
her
. I
need
her. I would walk through fire for her—if I could walk.” She whimpered in her sleep and he gingerly shifted her so that he could hold her more securely. “She’s mine,” he said implacably. “Llyon explained about his parents coming to the valley to escape from Free. But if Free ever shows up, all bets are off!”

“I see. Well,” Dai sighed, “you’re going to have to let her go so you can get cleaned up.” He wrinkled his nose. “There’s no doubt about what you’ve been doing this morning. We need to air this room out. Dancer and Eppie are coming to see you.”

“He always did have a rotten sense of timing,” Trav muttered under his breath, watching Dai lay out a clean
sharda
and bath sheet. “Granddad, can you please bring Wrenna a clean
meerlim
and another bath sheet? She can help me.” He smiled wickedly. “Or I can help her.”

Shaking his head, Dai just replied, “I should get Merlyn to bring them to you, he just brought Jade home.”

But Trav wasn’t to be denied. “Do that,” he suggested in velvety dulcet tones. “I’m sure the discussion will be most interesting.” Their eyes met in a brief war, before Dai shrugged impatiently and left.

When he returned with Wrenna’s
meerlim
and the bath sheet, he informed Traveller, “Dancer and Eppie are already in the village, so I suggest that you wake her immediately. I’ve asked Arano to fix them some tea.” He flung open the windows and began stripping the bedding from the hanging bed in the corner.

Trav woke Wrenna with a touch. “Come on, honey, time to wake up.”

Eyes blurred with sleep, she looked around. “Trav?”

“Hop up and help me to the bathing room. Dancer and Eppie are waiting to see us.” He flung the sheet to the floor. Wrenna cautiously slid over and stood next to him, ready to help him to his feet but he changed his mind and waved for her to go on ahead. “You get the tub ready. My grandfather can help me up.”

She went into the bathing room, opened the water spigot for the roof reservoir and tossed a handful of bath salts in the tub. When Trav hobbled through the door on his grandfather’s arm, she was ready to help him into the tub. After he was seated, he motioned for her to join him, “Come on in. No need to waste water,” he teased gently.

“Trav?”

“Uh-hmm.”

She looked at him with dark worried eyes. “What we did in the chair?”

“Yes?” He glanced up when he realized she was troubled.

“Did it hurt you? Should we not do that until you’re better?”

He laughed very quietly and pulled her down into his arms. The warm, silky water lapped around them, soothing their sore muscles. “Wrenna, love. My heart. What we did in that chair—and almost certainly will do again—is what is going to keep me sane until we have the pledging and binding. And no, it didn’t hurt me.” A thought occurred to him. “Did it hurt you?”

She burrowed closer. “No. It was just so… so… scary. I thought I was dying.”

“It’s a very powerful thing. In this valley, I think it is more so,” he said thoughtfully. Dunking the washcloth to get it wet, he trickled water over her back. “It is sometimes even called the ‘little’ death. But don’t be afraid, honey. I won’t let anything happen to you!”

“Dai knows,” she said as though it had suddenly occurred to her.

“Yes. And by the time we are dressed and ready to see my brother, I expect this whole village will know,” he admitted with a laugh. “Dancer will be shouting it from the dometops.”

She leaned back and looked at him curiously. “Why would he want to do that?”

“Oh, because we absolutely swore that we would never get married—and here we are—he’s bonded and I’m anxiously waiting to be bonded.”

“Weren’t there women where you came from? Why didn’t you bond with one of them?” Her brow wrinkled. “How many years do you have?”

“Thirty-three. And you?”

“Twenty-two.” Looking at him very soberly, she asked, “Didn’t any woman ask you to be a bond mate?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact a couple of women did,” he acknowledged quietly. “But I think I was waiting for you. I’m so glad I did.”

Chapter Twelve

Bish searched out Merlyn and Jade. He found them sitting in the warm sun on a tiny patio outside their bedroom. “Come join us,” Merlyn urged as he got up to bring another chair from their bedroom. “We’re sorry we had to be gone just as you arrived.”

Shaking his head, Bish replied, “Dai explained it the best he could. I find the entire process very strange but I’m trying to keep an open mind. I came to find out if you’re both okay now.”

Jade laughed quietly. “Considering how many times we’ve been through it, you would think we would be able to get it right but we’ve never timed it right, even once. Poor Dai is always having to track us down in some out-of-the-way spot and get us under cover.”

“I’m just glad that you’re home. I have so many questions that I don’t know where to start.”

Merlyn yawned widely. “I’m sorry, Bish. We’re still catching up on our sleep. Dai told us he explained about
schalzah
and
schalzina
. Somehow, though, I don’t think you want to know about that, do you?”

“No,” he replied baldly. “I want to know what happened when you were abducted. What happened?” He looked from Merlyn to Jade, baffled but certain that they were reluctant to speak.

Jade reached for Merlyn’s hand. “You might as well tell him, darling.” She tenderly kissed his hand, before tightly clasping it in her own.

Refusing to look Bish in the face, Merlyn looked out over the back stone wall enclosing his yard. “When we were abducted from the reception, at first we thought it was some kind of sick joke. It was our wedding! They put us in the limo and drove off. After a couple minutes we decided that it wasn’t a joke and we started asking questions. All they would say was that we had a job to do.”

“Who? Who was it? Dad worked day and night and he never found even one shred of evidence to point to where you were! Not even one little hint!” Bishop ruffled his short hair. “The whole department worked around the clock…the FBI was called in…the television stations all ran your pictures…”

Merlyn squeezed Jade’s hand and just shook his head.

“It would have been a miracle if they had found anything,” she said softly, kissing Merlyn’s hand again for comfort.

“Well? Who was it? And how did you end up here?”

“It was Dad, Bish. Dad had us abducted because he was crazy wild to find this place.” After Merlyn’s flat statement there was a long silence. “Nikolas didn’t tell you?”