Page 14

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It was still a little before sunrise, the rain finally subsiding and leaving a fresh, clear smell to the air.

Zepharos woke slowly, his body surprisingly warm and cozy for a night spent sleeping rough.

The scent of Maria’s hair close to his nose stirred something deep inside, a visceral, primal reaction that his half-sleeping mind wasn’t close to consciously processing. This was instinct, and it was good.

He felt his cock rise, stiffening to greet the day as it typically did. A movement against it felt divine, pushing it back and up against his belly with a soft but warm pressure.

“Nngh,” he groaned, rousing further, very much enjoying his wake-up.

He felt something round and firm in his hand, a nub jutting up hard just beneath his fingers. Zepharos’s eyes opened, and he froze.

Shit. What am I doing?

His mind raced. He was naked. So was Maria.

And her delightfully warm ass was pressed firmly into his crotch, making his cock feel utterly wonderful in a way he hadn’t really admitted he missed.

And in his hand, her breast fit like it was made to be there as she lay nestled cozily against him.

In any other situation it would have been perfect, but this was not who he was anymore.

There were boundaries and he had to respect them.

Gently, he pulled his hand free, no longer cupping her the way he’d been so enjoying, while simultaneously easing his hips back. Maria was still sleeping, but even in her slumber she reacted on instinct, grabbing his hand and putting it back, scooting back against him with a contented sigh.

Zepharos was beside himself. What do I do? Do I lay here? Pull away?

In the end he decided to stay put, more worried about her waking by moving and having her find his erection pressed up against her.

Instead, he breathed slow and deep and concentrated on the pain in his side where she’d so cleverly stitched him up.

It didn’t really hurt anymore, which wasn’t helping things any.

If it had, at least that would have made it easier to distract himself from the woman in his arms. A woman he was becoming more attached to in spite of his honorable intentions.

His heart pounded slow but hard as his hard-on reluctantly subsided, the heat of his arousal replaced with something equally perplexing.

A warm flush of something filled his chest as he lay there breathing in her hair, feeling her chest rise and fall as she lay in his arms. It was so pure, so natural, that he worried he might have tears in his eyes.

He’d always been a wham-bam kind of guy, and he was damn good at it, but this?

This scratched an itch he hadn’t, until recently, known he even had.

Amazingly, he drifted off to sleep again, only waking when he felt a sudden chill against his chest. He opened his eyes and saw Maria quietly pulling her clothes on so as not to wake him.

Standing there nude she was an absolute vision to him, and though he’d been careful not to stare previously, he allowed himself just this one proper look, and what he saw he liked very much.

My God, she is beautiful, he marveled, taking in every curve and line with thirsty eyes. I can’t believe I didn’t notice before. I mean, I noticed, but I didn’t notice.

Maria pulled her panties up followed by her athletic bottoms, the fabric now dry and sliding over the curve of her ass in a delightful way that made his cock threaten to rise again.

No. Stay down! He willed the wily beast, and, to his relief, it obeyed him, though when she turned slightly to put her top on, affording him a full view of side-boob, he worried his self-control might slip. So he did the only thing he could. He closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep.

For several minutes he lay there, eyes shut as he forced his mind to clear and his body to relax. When he finally opened them, Maria was gone.

He jumped up, quickly throwing on his trousers and boots and bolting out of their little cavern overhang. He spun around, looking frantically for her tracks.

“Hey, what’s up? You okay?” she asked, walking out from behind a large bush.

“You were gone. I worried something happened,” he said, his heart pounding.

“Just taking care of some, uh, business. I can guarantee you, I am most definitely hydrated enough.”

“Ah, right,” he said, a little blush coloring his beautiful cheeks.

“Did I embarrass you?”

“No, of course not.”

“Oh my God. I did ! Aww, how cute!”

“I am not embarrassed. I was just worried, is all,” he shot back not even remotely convincing even himself. “Come on, let’s break our fast. We could both use the nourishment.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

He turned and headed back to their shelter where he slipped on the rest of his clothes. They smelled a little smoky, but the fire had been sufficient to dry them overnight. It was that same cozy warmth that had allowed the pair to sleep so comfortably despite their circumstances.

Zepharos tossed two partially cooked tubers on the embers of the fire to heat up and passed Maria some berries and a water container.

Though she’d proven her hydration, he knew she would need more once they got underway.

It would be a long day and he’d be pushing her even harder, but with good reason.

They ate in comfortable silence, simply sitting close and enjoying the morning, listening to the sounds of nature as the forest came alive.

Aside from the whole being-hunted-by-a-vindictive-chancellor thing, it was really quite nice, and they took perhaps a little longer than Zepharos would have normally allowed.

Just this once, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

At least he hoped not. But finally the time came, and they had to depart.

“Come on. We should make time while we can. The rain’s stopped, but until we get to clear ground for a better view of the sky, we won’t know if the storm is gone or if this is just a lull.”

“I vote for the former,” Maria joked. “I’ve had enough rain to last me a year.”

“I second that vote,” he chuckled. “Whatever the case, though, we will need to push on hard. So long as the route is passable, I have a destination in mind that will make the rest of our journey much easier.”

“Oh? Don’t hold out on a girl. Do tell.”

“There is a small thermal retreat not too far from here. A day’s hike, more or less, though we are taking a path no one in their right mind would consider following.”

“Which is keeping us safe.”

“Exactly. In any case, if we press on and do not stop, I think we can make it there by nightfall.”

“What kind of retreat are we talking here?”

“It’s small. Not a proper city or even a town by any stretch, but rather a rather cozy place that people travel to enjoy a bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, at least for a short while.”

“Hang on. Are you saying we’re going to a spa?” she asked, perking up notably.

“Yes, but do not get too excited. We aren’t going there to use it.”

“Then why go?”

“Because we’re going there to secure a ride.”

“A ride? To where, exactly? And didn’t you say they would be monitoring travel?”

“Travel originating from the city at the time of your escape. Not from distant locations such as this. And as for where we are going, I am taking you to my home.”

“But isn’t that risky? I wouldn’t want to bring danger to your village.”

Considerate and brave. You’re quite a woman, Maria of Earth , he mused, appreciating her even more.

“Danger is always out there. To avoid risks for fear of what might occur is not a life worth living. And besides, no one knows who rescued you from your cell. So long as they are out on their wild Orakis chase, we will be safe.”

“Wild Orakis?”

“It is an expression on my world. To pursue a wild Orakis is a fool’s errand as they are near impossible to catch. And if you do manage it, they are quite ornery and will quickly make you regret your decision.”

Maria nodded. “Yup, just like back home. Wild goose chase.”

“ Goose ?”

“Yeah. Same concept. And they can be real assholes.”

“Just like an Orakis.”

“So it seems. But still, why take the risk? I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“You are not a problem, Maria. Anything but. And it is in my village that I can safely acquire something for you. Something you very much need.”

“Something I need ? What might that be?” she asked, incredulously.

“Your runes.”

“But I have them already.”

“You do. But there’s an issue, and a rather pressing one. I didn’t wish to alarm you earlier, but your runes are incomplete.”

“They are?”

“Yes. Almost impossible to detect, but I saw clear as day. Your runes are lacking, and that is a violation of Dotharian law. Believe me, capture by the chancellor’s goons would be bad, but to be caught by Dotharians without completed runes?

It would make the chancellor’s indenture seem like a vacation. ”

And that’s not mentioning that they’d probably just execute her outright , he thought, wisely keeping that tidbit to himself.

Maria nodded then rolled her neck and shoulders like a prize fighter readying for an epic bout. “Well then, I guess we should get moving.”

“You are ready?”

“Ready as I’m gonna be. Lead the way, Zeph. Let’s go see about that spa date.”