That she had enticed him without seeing a hint of her naked annoyed him, “I won’t touch you until I know for sure,” he said, condemning himself to ache possibly needlessly for days or weeks, he didn’t know.
She turned a cunning smile on him. “I know, and so my virginity continues to remain intact.” She went to the bed and snuggled beneath the heavy blanket and furs, cold down to her bones once again.
His wife played well with words that left him wondering, frustrated, and aroused. She talked about trust, but how was he ever to believe anything she said?
When you discover if she is a virgin or not.
The thought haunted him well into his sleep.
Chapter 7
Raven walked through the quiet village in the pre-dawn light, leaving tracks in the snow that had fallen on and off for the last two days. She had left her bedchamber both days before her husband woke. She hadn’t slept well either night, not since she had woken in the middle of the night and found herself pressed against her husband’s back, his heat having drawn her to him. She had quickly moved away to hug the edge of the bed.
The memory still haunted her since his warmth had felt so good and so comforting, which bothered her even more. He was her enemy. How could she find comfort in him? But how could she go on thinking him her enemy when the rest of her days would be spent with him?
Life had changed in a single day all those years ago and she had learned to adapt. It had changed again and she needed to adapt once more.
She glanced up at the keep as dawn broke with an overcast sky, painting the keep solemn and gloomy. It would be a good day to explore the place.
First light would have her men up and about and since her husband had been avoiding her, he wouldn’t care to her whereabouts. She turned, eager to see if she could spot her men when she spotted a dark figure, his hooded cloak concealing most of him, standing a distance away staring in her direction.
She saw it then, the bow in his hand primed with an arrow. He raised it and she had only a moment to make a decision. She ran since she remembered well that a moving target was more difficult to hit. The arrow missed her but not by much and she had a few feet to go before she reached a cottage she could duck behind. Her walk had taken her away from the village and toward the keep and the sufficient gap between the two left her vulnerable.
Her dark cloak also made her an easy target against the white snow. She whipped it off and let it fall as she ran. The next arrow completely missed her, spiraling well past her, and with not far to go to reach a cottage she hoped she’d make it.
Another arrow flew and missed her again and she knew the assailant only had time for one more shot before she reached cover. She didn’t run in a straight path until she had no choice and she knew that was when he’d take his last shot and that was when she’d be the most vulnerable.
She picked up as much speed as she could and dove the last few feet to the side of the cottage. The arrow caught her arm just before she hit the ground.
She barely had time to cringe or see that the arrow looked to have lodged in the upper part of her arm. Pain or blood, she could let nothing stop her from getting to her feet or she’d leave herself vulnerable. Once on them, she ran, darting between cottages, not sure if the assailant followed.
A few people had emerged from their cottages and spotting her stared in shock. She saw one take off in a run and she knew where he was going—to alert Wolf. She preferred the trust and protection of her men and that’s where she headed.
Fyn was outside, his arms raised in a strong stretch and his mouth open in a wide yawn when she reached the cottages. His yawn turned into a roar when he spotted her and had the other men spilling out of their cottages, weapons drawn.
Fyn had already reached her, stepping in front of her as his eyes searched the area.
The other men circled her, so she no longer was a target.
“A dark cloaked figure between the keep and village,” she said with a wince, finally allowing herself to feel the pain in her arm.
Iver and Brod took off while Clive, George, and Fyn remained with her, Fyn helping her to sit on a bench near his cottage.
Greta had emerged from her cottage and once Raven sat she hurried to her. “I can help.”