Page 71 of Warlord's Mate
The litter Aris was being carried on was set down near the tree line and Jorrick hurried to his brothers side. “You look like something chewed you up and spit you back out.”
“It feels like something did as well.” The corner of Aris’s mouth tilted as he sighed. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
Jorrick grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. “And I thought I’d spend the rest of my life mourning your loss. Do not ever disobey me again.”
Aris laughed. “Not likely, brother.”
Jorrick squeezed his hand again, relief at having him back so immense, his eyes burned and his chest ached. He’d not lose him again. Him or Mar-see. He glanced at her and sucked in a relieved breath before looking down at Aris. They were both battered and bruised but they were alive and safe and once they were well enough to travel, he’d take them from this place and never look back.
They were safe. For now.
It took the better part of the day to calm everyone down. The things Allok’s men had done to Krista, and the others was going to give her nightmares and Marcy knew it would take a while for them to be able to live with what had happened. Knowing something was inevitable and having to live it were two very different things.
Jorrick was across camp talking with Aris and a few of the other men when Marcy saw a flash of green out of the corner of her eye. Jityria had entered the camp from the trail that led to the pond. The instant Marcy saw her, heat exploded in her veins and traveled the length of her body in such a rush, beads of sweat popped out on her forehead.
Jityria was headed straight for Jorrick, a beaming smile plastered on her face. Every step she took made Marcy’s blood run hotter. She was crossing camp before she even knew what she was going to say to her.
When Jityria reached Jorrick, she threw herself at him hard enough he staggered back a step, his arms going around Jityria’s waist to keep them from falling. It was an innocent embrace but the sight of it made Marcy’s heart pound, blood racing through her veins fast enough she was dizzy by the time she reached them. She didn’t say a word, just grabbed Jityria by the hair and yanked her back. Then she balled her fist and swung.
The sound of crunching bone was followed by a pain so intense, Marcy yelled the moment Jityria did. She’d never punched anyone before and hoped to never do so again. It hurt like hell.
She cradled her throbbing hand against her chest and narrowed her eyes on Jityria. “I ever see you touch him again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” She didn’t care how much it hurt. She turned to Jorrick. “Why is she here?” He opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t let him get a single word out before pointing an accusing finger at Jityria and blurting, “She’s the one who handed me over to them. She knocked me silly and offered me up on a silver platter to Kr’Atek. She probably set the whole attack up!”
The expression on Jorrick’s face went from shocked surprise to nuclear fury as he turned to Jityria. “Is that true?”
Jityria’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she stared up at Jorrick. She made a small gasping sound when Jorrick started toward her. She flicked a quick glance her way, then turned and ran for the trees, Jorrick hot on her heels.
“Jorrick!” Marcy raced after him and grabbed his arm. “Let her go. Her running is all the answer you need.”
“I asked her before I went after you if she’d had anything to do with you being taken. She said she didn’t.”
“Well, she lied.”
“I assumed as much.” Jorrick stared into the trees, his fury etched into every hard line on his face. She pulled on his arm to turn his attention from Jityria. He reached for her hand when he finally looked away. Marcy hissed in a pained breath when he tried to uncurl her fingers. “You’ll be lucky if you don’t have a broken bone or two.”
“It feels like they’re all broken.”
He grinned. “Well, I know just the thing for that.” He looked toward the other females. “Are they all right?”
Marcy glanced at them over her shoulder. “As well as they can be, I suppose.”
“Good, then. Come with me.”
He led her to the path toward the pond and stopped along its bank to pick leaves from a flowering plant she’d seen dozens of times but never gave much thought to. He took her hand when he straightened and led her to the cave.
The sound of water echoed off the stone walls as they entered, the air growing cooler the further in they walked. As it had all the other times she’d been here, the sight inside the cave took her breath. The sun shining in through the hole in the ceiling of the cave made the huge crystals that made up the walls cast shards of shimmering light everywhere. The waterfall splashed water into the air and the sunlight shining through it produced faint rainbows in the mist.
Jorrick pulled her to a stop by one of the large boulders that sat near the entrance of the inner cave and lifted her hand, placing a soft kiss to her knuckles before he undressed her. Marcy stood silently when the last of her clothes hit the ground and Jorrick removed his own clothing. She’d never tire of looking at him. He was so unlike any man she’d known back on earth. All the boyfriends she’s had in the past had always been reserved, as if they were afraid of doing something wrong as they made love. Jorrick fucked like he meant it. As if every slap of their flesh was music to his ears, every grunt he pulled from her throat some sort of reward granted only to him.
But—being with him wasn’t always hard and rough. For all his brutish ways and his physical strength, there were times he was tender and treated her almost reverently. As if she was the most precious thing he’d ever had in his care. And maybe she was. She’d never asked about his life before ending up on Prison Moon One. She didn’t even know what he’d done to be sentenced to a penal colony. The reason had been none of her business so she’d never asked. Maybe she would—later. Right now, she had a very naked barbarian in front of her and she wasn’t stupid enough to spend her time talking.
Jorrick led her into the pool toward the waterfall. He washed the leaves he still held, then held them out to her. “Chew these.”
“Why?”
He took one and put it in his mouth, chewing the leaf as if it were completely normal. “It will help with the pain.”
She eyed the leaves. She knew of several other plants in the surrounding area that were good for various things so, she took the leaves and shoved them in her mouth and chewed. Jorrick grinned as she ate them, cupping water into his hand and drinking it as she swallowed the mouthful of greens.