Embrace of the Lycan - Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Once in the bedchamber, she poured herself a very generous glass of wine, which she drank in almost one mouthful. Meanwhile, Tibor was already slipping out of his clothes. He pushed her onto the bed, and she lay there staring at the ceiling while he fumbled clumsily with her garments. In the end, to prevent them getting completely ruined, she took over. She put her mind in another place – somewhere safe inside her head. She was vaguely aware of what occurred in the next, fortuitously short, few minutes. It was still the most unbearable thing she had ever been subjected to.

Afterwards, he turned over and was soon snoring vociferously. Krisztina, however, lay there expressionless with tears gently streaming down either side of her face and on to her hair. She lay like this for the few hours until dawn.

As the castle started to liven up, Tibor awoke and looked, for a second, like he was going to go for a second helping. She had a look of such utter contempt on her face, that it shrivelled his resolve, and left her alone. He put on his trousers, and told her to go.

‘You may retrieve anything of any value, sentimental or otherwise, from your home in Hidas. I will send a cart for you and your things tomorrow morning. I expect you to be ready, and waiting – and there had better not be any trouble.’

He then threw the pendant on the bed, and walked out.

She quietly, and quickly, got herself dressed then made her way back to the courtyard to find the stable boy waiting with her horse. She climbed on, and started to walk out of the castle. As she rode through the portcullis, she heard some sniggering from above, and turned her head to see Tibor talking to two other soldiers, and then they all turned towards her and laughed.

She felt sick, but did not give them the satisfaction of seeing her ill. After about half a mile, she slid off her mount, onto her knees and vomited bile.

Back at the village, Lucian woke with the dawn. He had worked until the early hours, and then slept out at his forge. He immediately felt bad, knowing that he had been unfair to Krisztina, and had not thanked her for her selfless care of him. He went over to the inn, rehearsing his apology in his head.

He hunted high and low, but there was no sign of her. Her bed had not been slept in and he was beginning to get concerned.

He tried a few of the houses, to see if anyone had seen her, to no avail. One of the homeowners said their horse was missing, and that Krisztina borrowed it sometimes.

Where would she have gone on a horse? He wondered. It suddenly hit him – he had been a fool! She had obviously gone to Tibor. He was so busy sulking last night, he never about how what he said would affect her. He had been feeling a bit raw and the loss of the pendant had affected him more than he wanted to admit. She would have taken his loss personally.

He stood outside, desperately concerned, but unsure what action to take. He resolved that if she was not returned by sundown, he would go to the Duke’s castle and demand to see her. As he stood there, deep in his reverie, Raze asked him what he was doing.

He told Raze about his behaviour the previous night, how he suspected that Krisztina had gone to Tibor, to protect him and the village. Raze was fuming that Tibor may get his hands on her, yet he seemed more pissed at Lucian.

‘What makes you think that she needs rescuing? She is the strongest woman I have ever met,’ he growled. The big man had held great respect for the woman, ever since she stood up to him at the inn. Most men could not hold his gaze, but she never blinked.

‘You are right, my friend. She knows what she is doing.’

Raze nodded at Lucian’s answer, and then said, ‘But you are still a fool. She would never have gone to Tibor if she thought for a moment she had a future with you. I… would not have given her any doubt.’

Lucian was astounded. Could this big man have a crush on Krisztina?

‘Raze – I agree – I have been foolish. I have been blinded by my grief. But the pain at losing Sonja is still too much to bear some days.’

Raze growled and stormed off, leaving Lucian feeling like he had been reprimanded. He walked back to his forge, to continue with the work he had started last night.

His work was interrupted shortly by Sabas, who was loitering around like he wanted to talk to Lucian. Lucian’s patience was wearing thin due.

‘What is it Sabas?’ He snapped.

The young man stood there for a second, then turned away shouting, ‘Forget it!’

Lucian was even more puzzled by this response, but felt a deepening suspicion that he had just been criticised again. As he watched Sabas walk away, he saw in the distance, a horse and rider. His acute vision was able to tell him that it was Krisztina. He dropped his tools and ran out onto the road to meet her.

The horse was slightly spooked at his sudden appearance, and was prancing nervously. He grabbed the rains and calmed it down before it threw its rider. He looked at Krisztina, who looked exhausted. She had obviously not slept, but she would not look him in the eyes, so he led her horse quietly. He didn’t feel he had a right to question her.

As they dropped off the horse at the neighbours, Sabas came running over, and wrapped his arms around Krisztina – obviously pleased that she had returned safely. Krisztina half smiled, and returned the hug with affection. As they all were about to enter the inn, she turned around and asked them both to leave her. She shut the door, and bolted it.

Completely at a loss what to do now, Lucian and Sabas just looked at each other. Then they heard the bolt slide back, and smiled as she opened the door. An arm shot out, and dropped something into Lucian’s palm, and then the door was closed and bolted again.

Lucian opened his hand to see the pendant. He placed a hand on the wood of the door, and quietly said, ‘Thank you.’ He put it back in his pocket, and walked back to the forge.

Sabas was beside himself. ‘Are you not going to do something?’

‘What would you have me do Sabas?’

Sabas stood there for a second seething, then just stormed away again.

Lucian looked up at the small window on the side of the building that he knew led to her room. Sabas was right, he should do something. He should talk to her at least. He walked towards the inn, and made his way around the back. He tried the door, and joyfully found it unlocked. He made his way through the kitchen, into the bar, and up the stairs. When he got to her room, he was about to knock, but could hear her sobbing. Without a second thought, he threw open the door to be greeted by the sight of her lying on her bed, weeping uncontrollably. With two strides he was by her side, and lifted her into his arms. This temporarily increased the sobs, but eventually they subsided enough that she could talk.

‘I am very grateful for the return of the pendant,’ he said still holding her. ‘What did you do to secure its return?’

This enquiry brought a new bought of tears, and Lucian was immediately angry at himself for being so insensitive. It didn’t take much to imagine what exactly it was she had had to go through. He knew what Tibor’s goals were. He swore then that he would not rest until he had ripped out Tibor’s throat. He could feel his Lycan wanting to be break free, to taste this defiler’s blood.

Krisztina sensed the change in him. She could feel the charged atmosphere. It was like the whole room suddenly filled up with static energy, and she was equally terrified and curious. She sat up and looked him directly in the eyes. For a second, they were black with a vivid blue iris. He was breathing heavily, and looked away from her. When he turned his head back a second later, his eyes were the same melancholy green that she had fell in love with the first day they met.

He placed his hands gently either side of her face.

‘I am sorry for what you have had to endure, but I promise you, I will fix this.’

She pulled out of his hands. ‘There is nothing to fix Lucian. The deal has been made. He will come for me tomorrow morning, and I will go with him and be married. In return, he will leave you and this village alone.’

‘It is too high a price,’ he argued.

‘One that I am willing to pay,’ she responded.

He held her to him fiercely, as if he gripped her hard enough, she would not leave. He realised there and then, that what he said to Raze earlier was true – he had been very stupid. She was a ray of sun in the darkness of his life. He thought back over all the times when he had been too busy to acknowledge all the occasions she had taken care of him, with food, and kindness, and a bright smile that lifted the deepest of melancholies. The light had gone out of her, and it was breaking his heart.

He lifted her head again, to look into her large brown eyes whose lashes were clumped together with tears. He leaned and kissed the lid of each eye, then her nose, and then her soft and pliant mouth. His tongue brushed against her lips, and she willingly granted him access. She tasted sweet, like wine, and salty from her tears.

She pulled away then, and asked him, ‘Will you show me?’

He was a little disappointed at the interruption, but had no idea to what she referred. ‘Show you what?’

She pushed a lock of hair that wasn’t even there behind her ear, and bit her lip slightly nervously before answering.

‘Your Lycan.’

‘What!’

‘Your Lycan,’ she continued. ‘I want to see it. I want to see you change.’

He would never have expected this request, although she had shown a great curiosity and no fear of his Lycan nature the other day. His instinct was to refuse, as he was not an animal that performed on command, but took a second longer to consider why it was that she wanted this, so he asked her.

‘I want to see you, and know you – all of you! I want to know everything about you, and your Lycan form is part of you.’

He was not fully convinced this was a good idea, but he reluctantly agreed to the ladies request. He slid off the bed, and removed his vest, then his leather trousers, never taking his eyes off her as he did so. He could feel the animal rising in him.