Chapter 10: Chapter 10

FJORN

She had been acting strangely ever since we broke camp. I was still in the dark about what she meant by “my wife.” That was why she was there. I hadn’t asked her yet, but given her mood, I thought it best to hold off.

I reached for her hand as we walked side by side, craving her touch. But she pulled away. When I tried to place my hand on her back, she maneuvered around me, crossing to the other side of the cart. She wouldn’t even look at me, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

I approached her again. “You know, my men and I weren’t supposed to be anywhere near your village,” I said, looking up at the sky. I glanced at her quickly, noting the tilt of her head as she listened. It was something at least.

“We were separated from our brethren near Essex, a challenging two-day trek away from where I eventually found you.”

.

She snorted and shot me a glare. “~Found~,” she said, as if the word disgusted her. “You should have left me there. You should have left us alone.”

It was my turn to glare. “My men need to eat. Your…~village~ was nothing short of a glorified hole in the ground. Chances are more than half of you wouldn’t have survived the rest of the year!”

She stopped walking and looked me dead in the eye. “And now we’ll never know.”

I shrugged. “It was their time.” We walked in silence for a few moments. “We believe,” I began softly, “that fate is predetermined. Those people…the ones that died…they are with the gods. You, however, are destined to be with me.”

Her gaze fell upon the ground, still hardened by winter’s grasp as spring struggled to gain control. “Fate is cruel,” she muttered bitterly, her voice laced with a touch of sorrow.

Frowning, I softly tugged on her hair, guiding her away and pressing her against a tree. “What have I done to make you so angry?” I asked.

She turned her head, avoiding my gaze. I leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed against my chest. I tugged her hair playfully and nipped at her neck, eliciting a small gasp from her.

I whispered against her neck, “Will this make you talk?”

I couldn’t suppress my smile as her hands gently grazed my sides, sending a message straight to my cock. I knew that would work. She leaned in as if to kiss me, a smile playing on her lips.

Everything was going according to plan until she kneed me hard in the groin. I crumpled to the ground, looking up at her. “Why?” was all I could manage as I watched her walk away.

Sten and Ulf, who were never far away, walked up to me, both doubled over in laughter as I knelt there in pain. “What’s so funny?” I asked, clutching myself and trying to catch my breath.

“She’s only been here a day, and she already hates you. Guess you’re not as charming as you think,” Sten said, still laughing. I caught a glimpse of Ulf as they walked past, and he gave me a friendly wink, wiggling his pinky in a playful gesture.

How could this day get any worse? Just then, Ingrid approached, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Fjorn, are you okay? You should have left that Saxon bitch where you found her,” she says, helping me to my feet.

I shoved her away, shooting her a withering glance that clearly said ~fuck you~ before adjusting myself. “Two things, Ingrid, and try to remember them this time. You’ll never be more than a drunken mistake you tried to take too far. Don’t ever touch me again.”

I pushed past her, and when I looked up, I saw my beautiful Saxon bride’s face twisted in anger, her lips curled into a scowl.

So it was Ingrid who pushed Kendra into the mud. I should have known. A few weeks back, I had had too much to drink. Ingrid offered to help me back to my tent. After undressing me, she tried to take advantage of me, but I passed out before she could.

Waking up the next morning, I threw her out and rushed to the river to cleanse myself. The memory alone made me feel dirty.

Ingrid was supposed to marry my brother before a battle that should never have happened took him from us. Since I didn’t have a bride, she apparently thought I’d be a suitable replacement. She wouldn’t have been my first, but I was trying to stay away from women, especially her.

I caught up to my beauty, my fingers grazing her arm as I pulled her aside once again, this time with a gentler touch. “You know, I almost thought you were going to kiss me back there,” I said, chuckling softly.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “What do you want, Fjorn? If you need something, get it from her.”

“No!” My voice was harsher than I intended. “I’m not with Ingrid.”

“She doesn’t seem to know that.”

“Trust me,” I said, scrunching my face up in disgust, “I’d never be with her.”

“So, you’ve never slept together?” she asked, hanging on my every word.

“No, thank the gods.” I closed my eyes and rubbed the back of my neck.

“What happened?” she asked, her tone softening.

“I got drunk.” I smiled sheepishly. “She took me back to my tent, but I passed out before she could do anything, and when I woke up, she was lying next to me.” Not proud of what I told her, I focused my eyes on the ground. “I kicked her out.”

Kendra lifted my face to look at her, studying my eyes before she leaned in to kiss me. I flinched, covering myself, unsure of her intentions. But when her lips met mine, a spark ignited within me.

I clutched her hips, pulling her against me. Her fingers wove into my hair, gripping it tightly. A low growl escaped my lips as her tongue slid into my mouth.

She was still upset. I could tell by the tension in her body. So, was she putting on a show? She was. She wanted Ingrid to see. I chuckled, lifting her higher and holding her ass in my hands. If she wanted a show, I’d give her one.

She pulled away, catching her breath. Her face was flushed and her bottom lip swollen from my kisses. Her eyes looked hazy, just like the first time I kissed her. I knew she must be wet.

I could only imagine the face she’d make if I slid a finger inside her, the sounds she’d make, the way her body would writhe beneath me. The thought alone makes me hard. I knew she could feel it because she whispered something wicked in my ear.

“Is your cock hard for me? Should I stroke it so she can watch?”

Her words made my cock twitch, and I felt pre-cum wetting the tip. I wanted to lift her dress and thrust into her until she was a quivering mess, begging me for release.

I buried my face in her neck. I didn’t know if I could blush, but just to be safe, I mumbled, “If you don’t want the whole camp to watch me take you right here, then don’t say things like that.”

She chuckled and squirmed in my arms. “You can put me down now.”

“No, I can’t,” I said, still gripping her ass tightly.

“And why not?” she asked, crossing her arms in protest.

I pulled her a little closer, my hard cock pressing against her. She gasped, her eyes widening. “First you kneed me, then you talked about stroking my cock. Now you’re going to hide it,” I said, slapping her ass and continuing to walk with the rest of my men.

She wrapped her legs around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder, her arms loosely draped around me. It was pure bliss. After my arousal subsided—which is difficult because she rubbed against me as I walked—I let her down. We walked hand in hand.

I watched as, with a thoughtful expression, she paused here and there to pick a few of the first blossoming spring flowers. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

Smiling, I caught up to her, taking her hand once more.