Missy Jane - Born of Stone

His own hunger was immediately forgotten and he placed his plate on the table. He approached the bed cautiously, lest he frighten her.

“Astrid, my dear, don’t eat too quickly. Your body will reject the food if you put in too much or go too fast.” She froze with a bit of chicken halfway to her mouth. “I’m not saying you must stop, but please slow down.”

A blush colored her face and she lowered her head. He felt like the biggest ass in the kingdom.

“No, don’t be ashamed.” He pulled himself onto the bed to sit beside her and wrapped one arm around her slender shoulders. She still held the chicken.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I must look like an animal.”

“No, not at all.” He took the chicken from her hand and held it to her lips. “Eat, my beauty.”

She hesitated a moment, but in the end the temptation proved to be too much. She bit into the piece and closed her eyes, relishing the taste with the same fervor as before. His cock stirred at the look of pleasure on her face. And when she finished the piece in her mouth, she took the rest from his fingers. The light touch of her tongue on his skin hardened him fully.

“Just eat slowly. That’s all I ask and only for your health. I know you haven’t been properly fed in too long and your body won’t be able to handle so much food at once.”

She nodded and seemed to be at ease, so he left the bed again to get his own plate. He sat beside her and ate. He also took his time to keep her from feeling self-conscious, but too soon she was setting her dish aside. A glance told him she’d barely put a dent in it.

“I’m already feeling quite full but I don’t want to stop. It’s all so wonderful.”

“It isn’t going anywhere. Take your ease and then continue once your body is ready.”

She nodded and settled back against the pillows. He then emptied his plate quickly and took hers back to the table. There were still fruits and vegetables, cakes and a pudding. All of it could sit until morning. Perhaps he would feed her from his hand again. Of course, that was a lesson in patience. Her sensual moans and the look on her face damn near had him shoving the plate out of the way so he could have her again.

He laughed at himself for the thought, though he knew it was true. By the time he returned to the bed she was fast asleep. He watched her for a moment before pulling off his clothes and climbing in beside her. She looked like an angel—a small, fragile, dark-haired angel. No Kevan woman ever looked so sweet and innocent. Was that Astrid’s draw? Perhaps, but he couldn’t hold it against her. It certainly wasn’t her fault she was human, and so far it hadn’t proven to be a problem. Despite his size, her body had accepted him willingly. He couldn’t wait to have her again but knew she’d need time to rest. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

In the end, he wasn’t able to wait until sunrise. He woke her with kisses, and had her beneath him twice more during the night before finally falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Astrid again woke to the scent of food, but it was the same as before. She immediately remembered where she was and all that had happened. Warmth along one side of her body told her Orestes was still beside her in bed. She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked to the lone window. Bright light speared through the small space between the window covering and the wall.

“Good morning. Are you hungry?”

She turned her attention to the large man at her side and her breath caught. He was so handsome. She still couldn’t believe this wasn’t all a dream.

“No, not yet.”

He nodded and slowly pulled the blankets down until her breasts were revealed to his hungry gaze. He licked his lips and her nipples automatically hardened for his touch. The sight made him grin.

“I am, but not for anything on yon table. I think I see the perfect berries for breakfast right here.”

His playfulness surprised a laugh out of her—a cracked, rusty sound that had gone too long unused. Orestes paused with his head bent halfway to her breasts and stared at her.

“Orestes?”

“That was wonderful. Do that again.”

“What?”

“Laugh, darling. It does my heart good to hear it.”

That made her smile but she couldn’t find a reason to laugh again. He watched her face a moment before finally shrugging and turning his attention back to her breasts.

The first swipe of his warm tongue had her gasping and digging her fingers into his thick hair. He hummed against her skin and slid his hands up her sides. He held her body to him as if afraid she would try to get away, and she almost did laugh again because nothing was farther from her mind. Why would she try to run away from paradise? That was exactly what she’d found here in—of all places—a Master’s bedroom. The unreality of it all nearly blinded her to the pleasure. But then he pulled her nipple between his lips and grabbed her attention.

“Oh…”

He moved his body over hers and she let her legs fall open to accommodate him. That easily, she was his. Had she really feared this man just yesterday? Not even a full day had passed and she was trusting him with her body again.

A hard knock on his door, followed by the knob being jiggled, broke into her thoughts. She pulled her hands from him when he slowly sat up.

“What?” he hollered.

A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door but she couldn’t understand a single word. Orestes didn’t seem to have that problem. He growled low in his throat and moved off the bed. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them to her neck before placing a swift kiss on her mouth.

“Sorry, my sweet, but I must see to this. Remain covered.”

He waited for her to nod before he grabbed his clothes off the floor and pulled them on quickly. Then he unlocked the door and opened it wide. Three of his brothers stood in the hallway.

“Come in,” he said, but it was anything but welcoming.

Kephas, Goran and Dunstan strode into the room and looked around. Their gazes found Astrid almost immediately and she fought the urge to jump from the bed. Orestes stood between her and his brothers with his hands on his hips, but he was also in the way of the door.

“What is it?” he asked. “What has happened?”

Kephas shrugged his massive shoulders and matched Orestes’s stance. “An attack on the village of Angor, right at the border. Right now, it appears to be a mix of creatures, including human men.”

“They’re still fighting?” Orestes asked.

“No,” Dunstan replied. “But they were spotted as they rode away. Two of the Kevan were in a neighboring village and heard the warning bell ring. They saw the destruction and followed a trail to the border.”

“Who was supposed to be guarding that area?”

The brothers looked at each other uncertainly, as if none wanted to voice the name. Astrid remained mute. She couldn’t imagine any of the Masters disregarding his duty to the kingdom.

Finally Goran spoke up. “It was Nel’s responsibility to patrol that area of the border these past few days. He had checked in on schedule but now there is no sign of him.”

“Nel…”

Astrid watched Orestes’s frown fade into an expression of concern. She tried to remember Nel. It was rare for her to look up into the faces of any of the Masters so she didn’t always note the differences between them. That had never been the case with Orestes. He had fascinated her from the first time she had seen him. But thinking back on Nel now, she realized he resembled Orestes more than the others. Though they considered themselves brothers, as did everyone in the kingdom, the men weren’t joined by blood. They had no mother, no father, no kin in the way of humans.