Chapter 4: Chapter 4

KENDRA

His gaze held mine in the soft moonlight, stirring something deep within me. I turned away, my cheeks aflame, and focused on the forest floor as he carried me easily. I felt a hard pressure against my hip as we moved. The realization of what it was made me push him away and plant my feet firmly on the ground. He looked at me, confusion etched on his face, and reached out, stopping just short of touching me.

“Did I hurt you? Why did you push me away?” he asked.

“I could feel you,” I replied, turning my back to him.

He laughed, a sound that echoed through the trees. “Is that all?” His words took me by surprise, and I scoffed at him.

“Can’t you control yourself?” I shot back.

“I was controlling myself. You were the one rubbing against me with every step and touching my chest,” he retorted, shaking his head.

“I did not rub myself on you. And don’t say that. I only touched your chest to maintain some distance,” I defended myself, crossing my arms and taking a step back.

“What is your name?”

“What?” I asked, surprised and caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.

“What is your name? If we’re to talk about such intimacies, don’t you think I should know?”

I stared at him. When it came to the women they captured, did the feelings of intimacy even matter to a Viking? “Kendra,” I announced.

“Kendra.” He said it softly, and I couldn’t help the tingle that surged down my spine as I heard my name on his lips.

“I am a man, Kendra,” he said as he stepped toward me. “And you are beautiful. What did you expect when you rubbed your leg against me like that?” he asked, his voice husky and low.

“I would never touch your…you like that,” I retorted, my feet firmly planted. I stood my ground, refusing to back down. I could never do something like that with him, and he needed to know that.

His laughter caught me off guard. “You can’t even say it. I bet you’ve never been with a man, have you?” he teased.

“I’m married,” I retorted, anger bubbling up inside me. He didn’t need to know that ~husband~ was a generous term—or that the ~husband~ had passed away. He was significantly older than me, and I was more of a housekeeper than a spouse. Plus, I was his fourth wife. His death was no loss to me.

His smile faded quickly. “You’re what?” His question left my mouth dry and my body tense. Was he angry? Why? He had no reason to be. His face held an expression I’d never seen before, as if my words had somehow transformed him.

He took a deep breath, and his next words took me by surprise. “I apologize. Had I known you were married, I’d never have…”

His voice trailed off, and he looked away from me. The loss of his gaze somehow made me feel colder, and I suddenly wanted to take back what I’d said. How was that possible? He’d taken me from the life I knew without my permission, yet somehow I felt a sharp pang when I saw the pain in his eyes.

“He died,” I volunteered. “It was over a year ago.”

Fjorn’s gaze snapped upward. “I’m sorry,” he said, the flicker of relief passing through his eyes proving his words false. What did it matter to him? “He left you with no children?” he asked.

I shook my head. He’d never even touched me. All I knew of what happened between a man and a woman came from the muffled groans and grunts coming from my husband’s bedroom, the whispers of his other wives, and, of course, the fascinating behaviors I observed in the animal kingdom.

Fjorn nodded. “Do you have family?”

“A brother,” I said. “But we don’t speak. I couldn’t even tell you where he is now.”

“So you’re alone.” Fjorn took a step closer. His presence loomed larger as he stood before me, now armed with the knowledge that I had no one besides myself to defend me.

“Would you take me back if I wasn’t?” I asked, genuinely curious about how he’d respond.

An emotion flashed in his eyes too quickly for me to define, and he curled his fists. “As I told you before, if I hadn’t taken you, someone else would have. And had no one taken you, there was nothing left of your village to salvage.”

“I can take care of myself,” I said, lifting my chin.

“Of that, I have no doubt,” he said, smiling softly. “But wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to do that for you?”

Why was he asking me that? What did it matter? I licked my lips and looked at the ground—unsure of what to say.