10
David slowed his horse to a walk and looked over his shoulder at Abby. She'd gotten quiet as they'd ridden, had stopped asking questions. It was worrisome. He'd gotten used to her speaking, asking him about things.
"Is something wrong?" He asked when her horse moved along side his. Abby looked at him absently.
"No." She sounded distracted. "Just…I don't know. I feel like I've been here before."
"We found you not far from here." David supplied.
"It's not that. Ok, so maybe it could be that." She admitted, a slight frown still marring her features. "We're being followed."
David looked behind them. "How do you know?"
"I don't have a clue. It's just a feeling." Abby wrinkled her nose and urged her horse on. The second river was coming up, she could hear it gurgling in the distance. She still had that strange tingling sensation on the back of her neck that said they were being followed though.
David found a place to cross the river. This time they climbed off the horses and drank some water for themselves. David had not had time to pack provisions, and Abby did not seem to care. She was not interested in food at that moment.
"Do you hear that?" Abby asked, pulling David from his thoughts. He looked at her, then around the clearing they had found. He heard water, he heard the horses, but that was all he heard.
"I do not hear anything out of the ordinary." He said. Then he walked to stand next to her. "Although I am not going to disbelieve you. If you say you hear something, if you say we are being followed, I am inclined to agree. We should get to the destroyed castle quickly."
Abby nodded and climbed back into the saddle. Her legs were sore, her butt ached, but she didn't care. The urge, the need to find Ollie was strong.
David set a fast pace again. Her horse had gotten accustomed to following the leader, so really she did not even have to guide it much. Which gave her plenty of time to look around, to glance behind, to worry over being found by unfriendly people.
David pulled his horse to a stop and waited for her to catch up. "Do you see it?" He asked, his voice hushed.
Abby looked ahead, a gasp of surprise caught in her throat. She'd been so busy looking behind her that she had not paid attention to the front. A dark column of black smoke rose against the blue sky in the distance.
"Is that the castle?"
"Yes. It still burns. It must be a powerful fire." David muttered. Abby's paranoia seemed to be rubbing off on him. He hesitated before looking at her. "I feel it too. As if we are being watched."
Abby nodded. "Let's go on. If they're going to do something to us, they're going to do something to us. Sitting here won't stop it."
He could find no argument with her logic and kicked his horse into a walk. Abby followed, keeping her eyes on the forest around them.
The trees thinned the closer they got to the castle. David halted once again before they went into wide open land and looked around. "There is nothing left." He said softly, in awe at the destruction that lay before them. Of the castle there was only a moldering pile of heated rock. Some of the trees closest to it had a scorched look. Abby made a face at the smell of burning wood that permeated the air.
"No one could have survived that." She said, her voice just as soft as David's had been.
"We will not even be able to search the rubble. It will be too hot for a while yet." He gave her an apologetic smile.
Abby nodded. "All right." She shifted on the horse. "Tell me where Mark's brother is. I'd like to go ask him if he saw her."
David blinked at her. "Prince Glen?"
"Yes. Glen."
"His castle is a day's ride. We did not bring the equipment necessary for that kind of trek." David said, trying to stall her a bit. Abby shook her head.
"Two people on horseback, what kind of equipment would we need? Ok, if you don't want to go, just tell me where and I'll do it alone. I'd make better time that way."
David looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Then his features softened. "The horses need a longer rest. Let us find a place to set up a camp. After they rest we can talk about the best route, and I will go with you."
Abby wanted to protest. Why was it like pulling teeth to get them to let her do something on her own? "How much rest?"
"An hour." David side, rubbing his horse's neck. "They need to graze. There is a stream nearby. We will be well hidden from the castle grounds."
Abby nodded in frustration. "Fine. Lead on, David."
David did just that. He stayed in the trees and circled the burnt remains of the castle. They came to a small stream in fifteen minutes. Abby dismounted and rubbed her lower back.
"I don't understand why this Dimitri person would have a castle so close to your king and his brother." She said, stretching wearily.
"It was not his castle. This belonged to a baron. It was a small place really, compared to Shadowflight and Raventhorne." David said, unsaddling the horses. "Dimitri has been sneaking around, moving from place to place. We have had no luck in catching him. He will find another castle to make his own for a brief time then move."
"Building up to take the big one." Abby muttered thoughtfully. The feeling of being followed, of being watched, was gone. She was relieved.
"That is what we think, yes. When he gains enough followers, when his power is at a peak, he will attempt the kingdom's center." David looked at her meaningfully.
"And with the kingdom split he thinks it will be fairly easy." She finished for him. David nodded. Abby sighed heavily. "There has to be some way to make those two see eye to eye."
"The king and his brother have ever been at odds. Which is strange because they are both well admired rulers. They want the same things."
"Has anybody pointed that out to them?" Abby asked, sinking down in the grass, her back resting against a tree.
"On several occasions." David said with a smirk. "The headstrong will only see their way."
"Stubborn you mean." Abby corrected with a laugh. David nodded.
"That is the honest way to put it."
"Was it a woman?" She asked, curious in spite of herself.
"I do not understand. A woman?" David looked at her, that confused expression once again on his face.
"Was it a woman that came between them? That caused a rift? In every story I've ever heard, it was always a woman who tore the brothers apart." Abby said with a smile.
David shook his head. "There have been none that I know of. That is not to say that the king and prince have not had their share of…female company." He looked embarrassed as he said it. Abby grinned. "There has not been a woman who has captured them."
"Captured?" Abby asked, laughing again.
"As in married."
"You look at marriage as some kind of jail sentence?" Abby laughed again.
"If by jail you mean…imprisonment? Then yes. Something like that." David was making a face that had her cracking up.
"You know what's strange?" She asked, getting control of her giggles. David shook his head. "I guess we have something in common. I just so happen to think that marriage is like a death penalty. I'll probably change my mind at some point but up til now…no thanks. I'll pass." She giggled again. David smiled.
"Women are usually much more marriage-minded than the men are here." He said, eying her with curiosity.
"Oh, it's like that where I'm from. I know girls who have been planning their weddings since birth. Not me." She grinned. Then she yawned. "I think I could use a nap. If I fall asleep will you wake me?"
"Of course." David said, smiling at her. Abby nodded and groped for one of the saddles to use as a pillow. Now that they'd been sitting for a while, she really had grown tired. The ride had caught up to her. With a sigh she dozed in the warm evening air.
Voices woke her a short time later. David was talking to someone. Abby shifted and frowned as a deep voice answered whatever David had asked. Mark. There was no one else in this world or hers that had a voice like that.
Abby slowly sat up and stretched. Her back had gotten stiff from lying in the same position for a while. David stood near the stream, Mark across from him. They were speaking in urgent tones. David saw her looking and nodded. Abby nodded back. She ignored Mark for the time being. What the hell was he doing here anyway? Didn't he have a kingdom to run?
Abby stood and stretched again, smiling grimly at the way her back popped. Once she was limbered up, she brushed her clothes and walked toward the stream. Mark finally noticed that she was awake. He gave her a bashful smile.
"It seems that your sister may have been taken to my brother's castle." He said, skipping a greeting of any kind.
"We were discussing going and finding that out for ourselves. How did you know? I suppose David told you."
David had walked away to speak to the other men who had rode in with Mark. Abby crossed her arms and looked up at him.
"It was not David. It was Christopher. He recalled seeing Glen carrying a woman. It could have been her. Or maybe not. We cannot be sure."
"So you came all the way out here to tell me that?" Abby asked, arching an eyebrow.
"No. I came all the way out here because…" He hesitated. "There are forces at work here, Abby. Strong ones. I cannot let you go alone into this."
"I don't even know what you're talking about." Abby said.
"Please just trust me. My brother and I have not spoken for some time. I would go with you to his land. Dimitri's men hide in the woods that surround us." Mark motioned with a hand. "I would not have you and David going in alone."
"So you put yourself in danger for what? Me?" Abby shook her head. "Mark, I'm not up on this whole king thing, but it seems to me that your people back at your kingdom need you a hell of a lot more than I do."
Mark made a face. "Two hundred nights are there to protect them, and to protect Jacob. I have brought only ten with me. The kingdom will run itself until I get back." He was not going to be sent away easily. Abby sighed.
"Suit yourself." After the way she'd acted that morning, she really didn't want to get into an argument with him. She just didn't have the energy.
"And I will admit that I do have something of a selfish reason for coming." Mark said softly.
Abby eyed him warily. "Selfish?"
"Yes." But he did not elaborate. Mark just looked at her with his piercing green eyes.
Abby decided it was better not to push him about it. She had a feeling she knew what he was getting at, and it scared her. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid of what it might mean. With a sigh she turned and went to the water to get a drink.
Mark gave her a moment, then walked up to her. "I brought some clothes and food for you." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. "Pants and shirts. Boots. No dresses, I promise."
"Thank you." Abby said with a slight smile. At least something had gotten through. "I'd love a bath right about now." She said, dusting at her clothes again. Riding for hours had been dirty work.
Mark motioned to his left. "The stream ends in a pool. You should go before nightfall. When you get back, the men should have a camp set up." He gave her a look that told her he was very serious. "The pool and no further. It is shouting distance in case…" Mark shrugged. Abby got the message.
"I only want to wash." She said softly. She gave him one last look, then gathered the things she would need. Without another word, she headed off, following the flowing stream.
Down a slight hill there was a still pool of water, just as Mark had said. It was only about ten feet across at the widest point. The water from the stream splashed in from a slight hill, making a mini-waterfall. Abby shrugged out of her clothes and tested the water with her foot. It was not ice cold, but it was not necessarily warm either. Holding her breath, she quickly walked in and ducked under the cool water.
She rose to the surface, gasping. The pool was deeper than it look, the middle hitting at about shoulder height. The water made her feel more awake than she'd been since the morning. With a sigh of contentment, she floated in the water, relaxing.
After a few minutes, she made quick work of cleaning herself. Abby was used to the water. It felt almost warm against her bare skin. She'd been there almost an hour when she decided it was time to head back. She climbed out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her body, sitting on a rock to air dry a bit before putting her clothes on.
The sun was setting, the air getting a bit cool. Abby shivered and did not move to get dressed. It was nice, sitting there, enjoying the gentle sound of water, the play of light on the surface of the pool. With a sigh she began pushing herself to her feet. There was a noise behind her. She froze and listened intently.
"Abby?" Mark's voice. It was low. Abby shook her head.
"Yeah?"
"Are you…" He did not finish. Abby smiled.
"I'm decent, if that's what you want to know." She said, tightening the towel around her body. Good thing it was long. She settled back on the rock and waited. Mark came though the trees at the edge of the pool and quickly looked away from her.
"The men are out hunting. If you are hungry." He said, sounding almost shy.
"I'm starving actually." Abby rubbed her stomach. Normally the thought of hunting sickened her, but right now she could probably eat a whole deer. If that's what they were going after.
She looked over her shoulder. Mark had his own towel and fresh clothes. She looked from him to the water. "Sorry. I didn't know you wanted to use it too."
"It is not a problem." Mark smiled and went to the water's edge. "It is very peaceful out here. I can see how you would lose track of time."
Abby nodded and made no move to leave. Mark watched her from the corner of his eye, as if afraid to look at her. Abby looked down at herself. The towel was not flashing anything major. Just some leg and her shoulders. Mark was acting like she was sitting there in the nude.
"If you wanna get in, don't let me stop you." She finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. Mark looked at her, his expression comically shocked. Abby laughed. "I promise not to look." She raised a hand as if swearing an oath, then averted her eyes.
After a hesitation, there were noises as Mark undressed. Apparently he decided not to wait her out. The water splashed as he entered the pool. Abby gave him a count of ten before looking at him.
He'd had the same idea she'd used, ducking under quickly to take the sting out of the water. He was at the middle of the pool, but to him it was only chest deep. He was looking at her warily as if afraid she was going to do something to him without him being aware.
"Why are you so nervous around me?" She asked, dipping her feet into the water below her. It was not as chilly as it seemed before.
"Do I seem nervous?" Mark asked, reaching up to rub his hair. Abby had a good look at his arms, his chest, the upper part of his muscular stomach. Something inside her definitely liked what she was seeing. It suddenly felt hot by the pool. She felt a flush rising on her face and could do nothing to stop it.
Mark seemed not to notice. He had turned and was scooping water into his hands, splashing it onto his chest and shoulders. He looked as if he were in deep thought. Abby grinned impishly and let the towel drop to the ground. Then she slid silently into the water.
Mark must have sensed her moving, because he turned quickly and jumped a bit when he noticed she was behind him. Abby grinned and floated easily, the water hiding her body. "Yeah, you seem nervous." She said, splashing water at him. Mark shook his head.
"If I am it is only because we are in enemy territory and I feel I have to keep you safe." He said, eying the trees. Abby laughed.
"Right." She moved closer to him. Mark turned his gaze to her and stood stiff when she stopped right in front of him. She stood up, the water leaving the tops of her breasts bare. Mark's gaze was riveted there, and she smiled slowly. "You aren't watching the trees now." She said in a hoarse voice. Damn but she could literally feel the heat from his stare.
"I am finding it very hard to keep my concentration." Mark admitted, a smile playing on his lips. He was fighting with himself not to reach out and touch all that tantalizing bare skin that was within reach. Abby was driving him crazy, he knew it, she knew it.
Abby drew a bit closer, and Mark sucked in a sharp breath as she brushed against him. "I want to apologize." She said softly.
"For…what?" He had trouble getting the words out. Abby smiled again.
"For this morning. I was mean and I shouldn't have been. I'm sorry."
"You need not apologize for your anger, Abby. If I were in your situation, I would probably be a worse houseguest." Mark met her eyes and his smile mirrored hers.
"What I am not sorry about…" Abby reached out a hand and drizzled water over his shoulder. Mark shuddered at the coolness but otherwise stood still. "Is what you did."
"What I did?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Abby closed the small distance between them and pressed herself firmly against him. Mark could feel heat rising between them, could feel his own reaction to her naked body, and the struggle to hold himself in check became even harder.
"Um hmm. You kissed me." Her voice became seductive. Mark sucked in a shaky breath, another one, and slowly raised his hands to her back, holding her lightly.
"I did not know what I was thinking." He said softly.
"That is not what a girl wants to hear in this kind of situation." Abby said, smiling as she spoke.
"I do know that I wanted to do more than just kiss you." Mark admitted, his face reddening a bit at the admission. It was growing dark and he was thankful that most of his embarrassment would be covered by the fading light.
"Do you still?" Abby ran her hands over his chest, to his shoulders. Her body slid against him easily, lubricated by the cool water. "Do you want to do more than just kiss me?" She asked, her voice catching at the words. She did not know when it had happened, but she wanted him. She would only be there a short time, there could be nothing between them but this…this night, this moment, but she wanted it. Abby normally did not go with impulses, it went against her nature, but this time it was just too strong to ignore.
"I would love to." Mark murmured. He slid a hand down her back, then back up in a soft caress. "I am not sure that it is the right time…or place…"
"There may not be another time or place." Abby reminded him. She locked her hands behind his neck and pulled his head down. Her lips caught his just as he opened his mouth to speak. She took advantage and darted her tongue into his mouth, urging him to kiss her back.
Mark did not fight it. He held her closer and gave her what she wanted, his tongue entering her mouth, sliding over her tongue, tasting her. It was almost too much, she was almost too much. He knew it was hopeless, feeling the way he felt, but he was powerless against it. Something inside him had been awakened upon seeing her and he had to have her, even if just for a month, a week, a single night. He'd never felt like this before, never, and there had been no sign of it ever happening.
His hands tangled into her long hair, and he tilted her head back for better access to deepen the kiss. Abby murmured unintelligibly against his mouth at the action, urging him to do what he wanted to do with her. Her hands were roaming his skin, her nails gently raking his chest, driving him insane with the need he was feeling.
He finally had to break for air. Abby clutched at his shoulders, her eyes gleaming in the fading light. She leaned back in the water, giving him access to her body. Mark sighed in contentment and traced her lips with his finger, her jaw, her neck. He pressed his palm flat against her shoulder and slid it over her chest, her collarbone. He hesitated, looking into her eyes, getting a nod of approval from her before stroking his hand across her breasts. Abby moaned and arched against the heat of his hand. Mark took a shaky breath and cupped her breast in his palm.
His fingers stroked her nipple, bringing it to a hard point. Abby moaned again as he moved to the other breast and repeated the slow torture. Mark lowered his head and kissed her neck, sucking lightly at her skin. Abby burrowed her hands into his long hair and encouraged him with another moan of acceptance.
Mark slid his mouth lower, across the tops of her breasts, down, running his lips gently over first one nipple, then the other. Abby's fingers tightened in his hair as he opened his mouth and took one hardened peak between his hot lips. His tongue flicked her sensitive skin over and over and he rhythmically suckled on her, nipping her with his teeth until she was writhing against him at the sensations.
With a wordless growl, Mark suddenly stood up and grabbed her around the waist, lifting Abby off her feet. She gasped in shock at the cool air that hit her overheated skin. He was guiding them toward the shore. He helped her out of the water, then lay next to her on the patch of grass next to the water. Abby shivered as a breeze puffed across her skin. The shiver turned into a shudder of pleasure as Mark's big, hot body pressed against her from above.
She hugged him close, relishing the warmth of him, the hard muscle, the smooth skin. Mark was kissing her again, his mouth restless against her, moving from her lips to her neck, down to her breasts again. His hand slid between her legs and found her hot center-with a moan he began to slowly stroke her clit in time with his exploration of her body. It was all Abby could do to hold onto him and moan in pleasure.
She reached down to touch him, but he pushed her hands away. Mark knew if she laid hands on him…that would be it. That was all it would take, he wanted her so badly. He did not want to rush this, he did not want it to end quickly. Abby apparently understood. She raised her hands above her head and watched him through passion clouded eyes as he continued his slow and steady worship of her body.
Abby rocked her hips against his hand, feeling heat lick its way through her body. It felt as if a hot coil were tensed in her body, ready to spring at any moment. "Mark…" She whispered his name, bringing his eyes to hers again. He saw the need there and moved up her body, positioning himself between her legs. Abby clutched at his arms, waiting for him to move, to join them together.
Mark reached down and guided himself to her hot center. That first feel of her against his heated skin was almost enough to send him spiraling over the edge. He waited until he got a bit of control before he moved, inching inside her body, his eyes closed at the overload of sensation he was feeling.
Abby watched him, her eyes looking from his face, to his chest, down his stomach. She'd never felt like this before, had never been turned on by the sight of a man entering her the way she was now. She cried out softly when Mark finally sheathed himself in her body, her legs wrapping around his waist to hold him still inside her. He gave her time to get used to his size, waited until he felt her hips grind against him, before methodically thrusting in and out of her hot flesh.
Abby raked him with her nails and arched her back, her hips coming up off the ground with every in-stroke. She gasped for breath, her moans fueling him on. Mark groaned and sped up his pace, angling his thrusts to get more reaction from her. Abby suddenly tightened her body and cried out as the tension finally released and she climaxed against his hard throbbing flesh. Mark moaned in answer and thrust a few more times, more erratic, not able to hold back after feeling her reach her end. He whimpered her name as he finished, his hips snapping sharply against her body one last time.
With a grunt he moved to her side and pulled her close, cradling her in his arms. Abby sighed contentedly and snuggled against him. "Can't spend the night down here." She murmured.
Mark made a noncommittal noise that had her giggling. He squeezed her one last time then sighed. "I suppose you are right. They should be back any time with the food."
Abby had totally forgotten about the other men. She blushed and pushed herself up. She got in the water one last time and cleaned herself up. Mark followed her lead, this time not fighting the urge to touch her at will. Abby laughed and repaid the favor. Finally she pointed out that playing in the water was not getting them back to camp any faster. Mark agreed. They dried off and got dressed.
Abby followed him back toward the campsite. She felt better than she had in ages. Her mind felt clearer, anyway. A soreness had settled into her, but it was a good kind of sore. Mark kept stealing glances at her as if afraid she would disappear in a puff of smoke. Abby squeezed his hand reassuringly and looked around once they'd reached camp.
The men had set up tents. Mark's of course was the biggest. She looked around, wondering which one was hers, when he tapped her shoulder. "You can stay with me. If you want to."
Abby smiled. "Won't the men think it strange?"
"They have been thinking it for the past two days." Mark stated dryly. Abby laughed.
"Ok. I'd like that." She gathered her things and ducked into the tent. They had gotten back just in time. They were there no more than five minutes when there were voices from the opposite direction that they had come.
Abby listened from the tent as the men told Mark of their hunting trip. She hummed to herself as she pulled on a long-sleeved tunic Mark had packed in a bag for her. Her stomach growled hungrily and she grinned. Now that the sexual need was taken care of, her stomach was sending a reminder. Still humming, she ducked out of the tent to join the men in cooking dinner.