Draven kept walking until outside of the weapons locker. He closed the heavy door behind him and locked up. “It’s dangerous,” he said. Tending to any of the fields outside of their protective walls was always a risk. Groups of rogue travelers often passed through and wouldn’t think twice about killing any person in their path.
“It’s always dangerous.”
Was gathering together an excuse to exact their plan against him? His paranoia was growing wild. Why the sudden need to cultivate the fields? Why Luke?
“I know you’re capable. If you think it’s a good idea, you have my confidence,” said Draven.
“It will yield a lot more food for the growing community. We should also consider expanding the walls.”
“Of course. Have that arranged.”
Just as he was about to return upstairs, there was a knock on the front gates. He rushed over with Luke, both with weapons drawn. After flicking on the floodlight, he saw two women and a teen boy standing outside, soaking wet.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“We’re looking for shelter from the storm. Just for the night. We’re heading west, looking for family,” said the woman. As she adjusted her hood to see better, he noticed the marking on her wrist.
Another fertile.
He nodded to Luke, giving him permission to set them up for the night. They’d be under careful watch until they left in the morning. No one was to be trusted.
He walked back toward the staircase, feeling more unsettled than when he first woke up. He nearly tripped on something outside his bedroom door, the metallic sound breaking the silence. Draven squat down and picked up the heavy item in both hands. A crowbar. He palmed the cool metal, his mind wandering.
Draven rushed inside and went straight to the bed, pawing at the mounds in the comforter, finding them all empty.
“Ashley!” he shouted. “Ashley!”
He turned his head when a door creaked. Ashley stepped inside from the balcony. “Draven, where were you?”
“Sorry, baby. Did I wake you? Are you okay?”
“You weren’t in the bed, and I got scared.” A distant rumble in the sky punctuated her words.
“The storm’s heading away from us now. Everything will be okay. Nothing to worry about.” He approached her, realizing she was naked when he got close enough. The shadows highlighted her lush curves and also the fear in her eyes. “No need to be afraid.”
He kept scanning the dim room, wondering who had tried to get in. Were they trying to kill him or steal his woman?
She rested her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair. It felt right to have someone to be responsible for, someone to love, a person to make life worth living. He wondered how long it would take until she became ripe with his child. She was proven and marked as a fertile, and all his. Before long, she’d be pregnant. That’s if everything was working with him. He began to wonder.
“Let’s get back to bed,” he said.
He stripped out of his clothes, and together they crawled back into their nest of blankets. Her little hand ran up his chest as she cuddled up close. “I heard the door close behind you. That’s what woke me,” she said. “The first thing that went to my head was wondering if you had another woman. Stupid I know.”
Draven shook his head. “There will never be anyone else. I may not be a good man, but I’m loyal. Never doubt that, Ash.”
She snickered.
“What is it?”
“I haven’t heard that name since high school.” Ashley sighed. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”
“Do you like it? The nickname, I mean.”
“I do … especially the way you say it.” Her fingers trailed higher until they lingered on his cheek. Her desire sparked in the air, and he couldn’t resist. Draven leaned up on an elbow and kissed her in the quiet hush of his bedroom.
Just the two of them.
Just this moment.
Nothing else was a guarantee.
****
Ashley had very little anchoring her in this new, volatile world. Draven had quickly become her rock. He made her feel safe and loved, and any time away from him made her anxiety rise. She knew he’d protect her from anything.
She’d been worried after he left in the night, her imagination getting the better of her. Having him back, feeling his hot body close to hers, filled her with a unique peace and security. And her hunger for him was difficult to rein in. There was something about him—his rich scent, the hardness of his muscles, the mature scruff on his face, and the fact he was king. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made him so irresistible, but she couldn’t keep her hands to herself.
And she craved him again and again. She wanted to give him everything, to make him feel the same security she felt with him.
She didn’t regret giving him her virginity.