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“Rhyderno, stop,godsdammit”

My hands were reaching for him but he had already stepped forward to pull me into his arms.

“How dare you frighten me like that!” I cried, the tears prickling in my eyes as I beat on his chest.

My twin only looked at me, the love raw and exposed in his eyes.

“What, then?” he said. “What do you need, Temperance? I have sought you every day, thought of you every second since they took you. And to have you turn your face from me? I can’t bear it, sister.”

His eyes blazed into mine and he crushed me against his chest, rubbing the side of his beard on my cheek, My heart stuttered inside me. I was always weak for that, the way it felt like he needed to touch me so badly.

“You have never let me fall, Rhyder,” I said, swallowing hard.

“Fall?” he asked sharply. “Never. I would never let you fall. The world is dangerous. I was put here by the Allfather to protect you.”

“OK, well you never let metryanything, Rhyder. Never gave me a choice. It didn’t matter what I wanted. All that mattered was whatyouwanted. Because if I wanted to do something, andyoudidn’t think it was safe, we didn’t do it. I just want one time you to trust me. Even if you’re worried.”

He frowned and I wriggled out of his arms, heading to the cliffside like I was going to do the same thing he was.

“You’re such a hypocrite!Youdo the most reckless things, Rhyder! But you never letmedo anything. And what if I did the same thing as you?”

I spread my arms, letting the wild winds at the edge whip the long tails of his shirt around my body, and he was on me so fast the mountains and sky spun around me as he threw me over his shoulder.

“You do that again and you won’t be allowed anywhere higher than my cock for the rest of your life,” he growled. “I will never lose you again.”

Rhyder started moving down the peak, heading directly for the Most Holy Place as soon as we got back to camp, stepping into the fragrant wooden space and locking the door behind us. It clicked with a harsh finality.

His Most Holy Place was bigger than the ones we had visited, a fairly sturdy wooden structure used for multiple ceremonial purposes.

My brother set me down and turned to face me, that damn T-shirt stretched across his broad chest, blocking me in.

I knew from the look on his face.

He wasn’t letting me go until he broke through.

“I am getting it from, you, Temperance,” he said.

I knew what he meant and I knew exactly what he wanted.

My pleasure

He wanted my face upturned to his, my mouth kissing him, and my cunt spasming over his cock.

He didn’t just want my body. He wanted my love and devotion, too.

In the center of the room there was a raised platform, and Rhyder set a wooden chair on it.

I eyed the raised platform nervously, but first he ran hot water into the big tin bathtub.

He didn’t even order me to get in, just lifted the dirty bedraggled shirt over my head and plopped me into the tub.

The water was warm and despite myself I sighed in pleasure as I sunk deeper, fitting my small body easily in the big tub.

He spread big legs around a stool and then began to gently soap off my arms and face, then my hair. I looked down at my arms as the dye began to run out, long streams of jet-black against my pale skin, and Rhyder dipped a handful in the tub and brought it out, his fingers gently rubbing the silky strands.

“I recognize this color,” he said.

I did not reply.