Chapter 12: Chapter 12

FJORN

Seeing her laugh and enjoy the meal I had prepared for her brought a smile to my face. But her question from earlier still echoed in my mind. ~“And if I don’t want to go?”~ Her words had cut me deeper than any blade. I had thought she was content walking with me today, and then there was this morning in my tent…

What if I could never truly make her happy? What if she always wanted to leave?

I felt her hand on my leg. Glancing down at it, I felt a flicker of hope. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, tilting her head to look into my eyes.

“Your hand,” I joked.

“No, before that,” she insisted. “Your face was all cold, and your shoulders were tense.”

Did she observe me that closely? I thought it was a good sign. “Nothing. Just my shoulder hurts,” I lied, flashing her a shy smile.

“There’s a river just beyond those trees. You should take a dip,” Sten suggested, his mouth full of rabbit.

I nodded. Although the temperature was barely above freezing at this time of day, I was hot, not to mention grimy from the day’s trek. “What do you think, should we?” I asked Kendra, hoping she’d agree. Despite having touched her soft skin, I had never seen her fully naked. The thought of that was enough to make me want to conquer an army.

“Won’t it be cold this time of year?” she asked, slowly eating her food. I realized I had given her too much.

“Actually, the water is usually warmer than the air temperature. Anyway, that’s what you have me for. Plus, it will feel good after such a long walk,” I said, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her a bit closer.

“Okay, let’s do it,” she agreed, looking up at me with a smile. I took the leftover rabbit from her and tossed it to Ulf, then reached into the tent to grab my bag. “Tell the others to stay away,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

I reached out my hand for Kendra to take.

“Wait, we’re leaving now?” she asked, standing and lifting her dress to avoid tripping.

“Yes. It’s dusk. In a few minutes, it’ll be dark. It’s the perfect time,” I explained as I quickly guided her to the river, the sound of rushing water growing increasingly louder with every step.

When we reached the water’s edge, I pulled off my shirt, anxious to have her in my arms.

“Let me catch my breath,” Kendra panted. I turned to look at her and gave her a sweet kiss before reaching to pull off her dress.

“Wait!” she yelped.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, brushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes were wide, and it almost looked like she was trembling.

“You go in first, and I’ll go over there and take off my dress. Okay?” she suggested, looking at the ground.

I hadn’t expected her to be shy, especially after our encounters in the forest and this morning. But I didn’t want to push her. Shrugging, I stripped off my pants and waded into the stream. Despite Kendra’s light weight, my shoulder ached from carrying her for so long. The cool water was a welcome relief for my tense muscles.

I found a large rock under the waves and sat down, letting the water rise to my chest. I waited patiently before calling out to her. “Kendra?”

“Yeah, I’m coming,” she responded, emerging hesitantly from behind some bushes. Her hair was loose, cascading over her breasts, and her pale skin glowed in the moonlight. She tried to cover herself, but I had already seen everything.

My arousal was immediate, watching her shiver as she stepped into the water. Gods, I wanted her. I had refrained before because I wanted to please her. But the pent-up desire from the past two days was making me ache. I was ready to take her, to make her moan and scream my name, to make her legs quiver as she lost herself in the pleasure I could give her.

She sat across from me, shivering from the cold, her gaze fixed on the water. After how close we’d been, I wondered at her sudden distance.

“Are you afraid of me?” I asked and then chuckled as I reached for her hand.

Kendra slowly shook her head. “No,” she said, but even as she entwined her fingers with mine, she didn’t move any closer.

“I won’t hurt you,” I whispered as I moved toward her and lifted her chin to kiss her. As my hand slid across her back, she flinched, and I felt a raised scar.

I turned her around, and a wave of anger and rage washed over me. In the dying light, I could see her back was marred with thick scars, with hardly any untouched skin. Gently cupping her face in my hand, I asked in a deep, cold voice, “Who?”