Dragon of the Island (7 page)

Aurora stepped lightly on the soft, cushiony
undergrowth, and Maelgwn followed behind her more noisily. She felt
another stab of irritation at his presence. He seemed too big and
loud to belong to this secret world. She could almost feel the
forest creatures warning of his approach, like a whisper on the
wind. To them, Maelgwn was an intruder—the hunter, who brought fear
and death to the forest.

Maelgwn felt the subtle shift in Aurora’s
mood as soon as they entered the forest. A moment before, they had
been close, their bodies pressed together and her quick desire
echoing his own. Now Aurora was silent and withdrawn, and she
hurried down the narrow path as if she wished to leave him behind.
Her coolness infuriated him. Didn’t she realize she was his wife
now? Didn’t she know she could not run away from the bargain her
father had made? He quickened his pace, puzzling over her
frustrating behavior. She was obviously very familiar with the
forest—she said she came here often. Had she come alone or with
another man? The very thought enraged him.

Maelgwn stared at the woman ahead of him.
Her step was light and graceful. Her long, nearly hip-length hair
swung back and forth, keeping provocative rhythm with the sway of
her hips. Desire ignited in him with painful urgency. He would not
wait any longer to claim his haughty royal bride. These quiet woods
would serve as well as any place.

They reached a ravine and made their way
carefully down the mossy, emerald green slope. Purple cranesbill
and wood anemones grew in the moist soil near a tumble of rocks,
and hidden among them was a small spring that dribbled clear cool
water. Aurora knelt down and cupped her hand for a drink. She had
barely begun to quench her thirst when she turned to find Maelgwn
very close to her. He looked strange. His face was flushed, his
blue eyes intensely bright.

“Would you like a drink, my lord?”

Maelgwn shook his head. He pulled her up and
kissed her—hard. Aurora slipped on the damp ground and found
herself thrown against him. A flicker of panic flashed in her mind.
They were alone. Maelgwn appeared determined. This time her father
would not come to rescue her.

“We should go back. Your men are waiting for
us.”

Maelgwn said nothing. He continued to stare
at her with his impossibly deep blue eyes. Aurora edged away,
feeling the fear throbbing in her veins. She had imagined that
Maelgwn would consummate the marriage eventually, but not like
this. There was no bed, no darkness to hide in. What if someone
came upon them? She glanced at Maelgwn. There was no way out unless
she fled. She wondered if she could outrun him. Maelgwn was weighed
down by his heavy clothes and weapons, and she knew the forest much
better than he.

She turned and stumbled directly into a
small birch tree.

“You—you are so beautiful.”

His eyes held hers, filled with longing, the
fire of desire. Aurora closed her eyes, waiting, trembling. She
could feel his warmth close to her, then his arms around her. His
mouth came down on hers hungrily, and his hands moved over her
body. It was too much. Aurora squirmed slightly, trying to get away
from his strong fingers. Her chest heaved, struggling for breath,
struggling to remember to breathe. Maelgwn’s hands were everywhere,
sending exquisite shivers down her body. She parted her lips and
was invaded, possessed by Maelgwn’s insatiable mouth. Her thoughts
dissolved into the wet, dizzy darkness.

How good she felt—soft and warm and
quivering. Maelgwn could feel the heat of her, the pulsing desire
he had first awakened in her father’s garden. He tangled his
fingers in the rich, dark spill of her hair, feeling the softness
of it flowing down her back. He slid his hands farther down
Aurora’s spine to the luxurious curve of her hips, cupping the soft
swell of her buttocks. Her mouth grew greedier as he gradually
pulled up her long skirt and ripped off her linen undergarment. He
touched her silken nakedness and sighed in satisfaction.

She could not move. She was firmly trapped
between Maelgwn’s body and the tree behind her. She did not want to
move. The sensations moving through her body were terrifyingly
pleasurable. She could feel Maelgwn’s broad, warm chest through his
tunic, his tongue thrust achingly between her lips, and his rough
fingers moving along the bare skin of her hips. Her whole body was
shaking and shuddering, and she felt weak, as if she might fall
down. She reached up to put her arms around Maelgwn’s neck, feeling
his long hair tickle her skin. He was stroking her softly, gently.
Aurora could feel the spill of moisture between her legs, the
aching need there. She wanted him to touch her—aye, like that!

She nearly swooned with the indescribable
pleasure that surged through her. A darkness raged in her body. She
could not see or think, only feel. A hunger, raw and demanding,
took possession of her, and she moaned in ecstasy.

Abruptly, the pleasure turned to discomfort.
Maelgwn was forcing his finger inside her. It hurt! Her body
stiffened as the pressure increased.

“Maelgwn, stop. Please don’t hurt me!”

He stopped kissing her and looked down at
her with a soft faint smile. She could hardly bear to look at him.
She felt humiliated as she thought of her unseemly moaning. He made
her feel so helpless, so out of control, just as he had in the
garden. Aurora leaned against the tree, trembling and ashamed.
Through half-lowered eyelids she watched as Maelgwn took off his
sword, spread his cloak on the ground and began to undress. She
wanted to stop him, to protest that it was not the right time nor
place, but she did not. She was afraid of him, afraid of his
powerful body and devouring blue eyes. Most of all, she was afraid
of the way he made her feel, turning her will to water.

“We must finish,” he said hoarsely as he saw
her watching him. The black of his eyes was huge—almost blotting
out their deep blue.

“Take off your dress.”

She did not know how to resist him. Aurora
loosened the tie at her waist and pulled her gown over her head.
Then she slid off the linen tunic she wore beneath it, shivering
even though the day was hot. His eyes were everywhere, examining
every inch of her. She flushed, and tried not to look at him, at
the proud naked body that stalked her. Maelgwn moved close and put
his hands on her, stroking her skin with an unnervingly light
touch.

“My darling,” he whispered.

Aurora kept her head down. Maelgwn pushed
the hair back from her neck and began to kiss her, his lips
floating over her skin. The tingling, burning fire grew inside
her.

His arms went tight around her while his
head bent down to bring his mouth to her shoulders. His lips were
rough, nibbling and sucking at the soft skin with a harsh
rhythm.

She was near faint with desire. Maelgwn
pushed her down upon the ground, parting her legs with his knees as
she fell. The soft mossy ground cushioned her landing but the
sensation of Maelgwn’s naked body on hers went through Aurora with
a jolt. She gasped. He was so warm, so big, so alive. The hardness
of his manhood pressed excruciatingly against her thighs, and an
unbearable ache radiated from a spot between her legs throughout
her whole being. She longed for him to touch her again in that wet,
burning place between her legs, but he was busy kissing her, his
tongue teasing her with a languorous, teasing lightness. His mouth
grazed her neck and moved lower, licking the hollow between her
breasts. Slowly his lips circled one nipple, moving closer and
closer, finally closing in upon the taut, sensitive skin. She cried
out as he suckled her, thrashing wildly and whipping them both with
her long hair. She pushed her hips against him desperately. Her
body was on fire! She would fly apart if Maelgwn did not do
something to comfort the raging need deep within her. She wanted
more of him, more and more!

She reached for his shoulders and pulled him
up for a kiss, her fingers cradling his hot face. He kissed her
savagely, his mouth crushing her lips. Then, abruptly, he pulled
away, his eyes sweeping her face. Seemingly satisfied, he
maneuvered his body over hers and pushed into her with a sharp
stabbing thrust.

Aurora bit her lips and dug her fingernails
into the smooth skin on Maelgwn’s back, trying not to cry out.

She had not expected it to hurt! He was so
big. She felt like she was going to break apart. Maelgwn moaned
deeply and began to move within her slowly and rhythmically. He was
deep inside her, touching her innermost being. Aurora held her
breath, feeling the tears squeezing at her eyelids. She had wanted
him, she had wanted this, but she had not expected it to be so
uncomfortable.

Maelgwn moaned again and moved within her
more rapidly. The pain subsided, weakening to a dull throb. It
almost felt good—almost. Aurora pressed her face against Maelgwn’s
sweaty neck, and Maelgwn began to kiss her again, his tongue
thrusts matching the rhythm of the ones below. Aurora took him in,
her thoughts forgotten.

Maelgwn shuddered violently, groaned and lay
still. Aurora savored the weight of him spread across her, pressing
her into the soft, fragrant earth. She was still breathless from
exertion and surprise. So this was what it was like to be so close
to a man that you could not get any closer, she thought in
wonderment. She had not expected to feel like this, so fragile, so
exhilarated. She listened to the heavy rhythm of Maelgwn’s heart.
She stroked his damp skin. Their bodies were twined together
tightly, their breathing a rapid duet of sound.

It seemed that only seconds had passed when
Maelgwn pulled away and stood up. Aurora watched him, startled and
confused. She wanted to reach out and touch the vibrant aliveness
of her husband, but it was too late. He was dressing. Her eyes
lingered on him, taking in his sleek, square shoulders, long,
well-muscled back and solid, but narrow hips. His strong lovely
body disappeared into his clothes. His face changed, once more
becoming hard, determined, unreachable.

Aurora closed her eyes. She knew Maelgwn
would be impatient for her to dress, but she continued to lie there
stubbornly. Her mind was in a turmoil of fury and disbelief.
Maelgwn did not love her or care for her feelings at all. His
whispered endearments meant nothing. He had only wanted her body,
the final payment of tribute from her father. Now that he had taken
what he wanted, he was done with her. She despised him.

Maelgwn looked down at his wife as he
dressed. Her face looked sad and desolate. He had the urge to kiss
her, to tell her again how beautiful she was, how sweet, but he
held back his tender words. It was in the quiet moments after
lovemaking that a woman could most easily manipulate a man and make
him pay for the pleasure she had just given him. He did not know
this woman well enough yet to trust her.

“Aurora, you must get up and dress. My men
will come looking for us eventually. I do not think you want them
to find you like this.”

Spurred by the fear of Maelgwn’s men finding
her naked, Aurora washed herself in the spring and dressed quickly
while Maelgwn stood a discreet distance away. Her body was still
stiff and sore, but she managed to follow his rapid pace back
through the forest. She was shocked to find Elwyn waiting for them,
and she wondered immediately if he guessed what they had been
doing. His disciplined soldier’s face showed no emotion as he led
her to her horse, which was saddled and ready for her. Only when
she found her seat on the mare with a gasp of pain, did he blush
and look away from her.

Maelgwn reached up to give her a light kiss.
Then he rode away. Aurora sensed that it would be a long time
before she saw him again. She would have hours alone to sort out
her confusing feelings toward her husband.

It was late morning when Maelgwn’s army
began their slow march back to their homes in Gwynedd. Maelgwn rode
at the head of the column of soldiers, while Aurora and her escort
brought up the rear with the wagons and battle equipment. For a
while Aurora was able to follow Maelgwn’s dark figure far ahead of
them, but eventually he was swallowed up by the green hills. It
didn’t matter, for with every jolt of her horse, she was reminded
of him by the soreness between her legs. Despite her discomfort,
Aurora felt a lingering desire which embarrassed her.

As the verdant landscape spread out before
them, Aurora’s thoughts turned to the place they traveled to, the
land beyond her father’s domain. She knew almost nothing of her new
home, of how she would live and what would be expected of her. She
turned to the young soldier who had helped her earlier.

“Elwyn—that is your name, is it not?”

“Aye. How may I serve you my lady?”

“I wish to know how far... how long we will
be riding.”

“Seven days, my lady. On horseback by
myself, I could ride it in but four, but with the army it takes
much longer.”

Aurora nodded. She had never been more than
half a day’s ride from her home. Gwynedd might as well be across
the sea or even in Rome itself for all she knew of it.

As if reading her thoughts, Elwyn asked
kindly, “Have you ever been away from home before?”

“No. I have read about many places in my
lessons, but I have never left Viroconium.”

“You can read?”

“Aye,” she answered proudly. “For a while we
had a Greek teacher who taught us. My writing is poor,”—she thought
of Arion’s despair over her scribbling—”But I do like to read.”

She glanced over to see Elwyn staring at her
with a look of awe.

“Is it so odd? My sisters and I were raised
to be noblewomen, and it is a very useful skill to have when
running a household.” She stopped, thinking of how her lessons had
ended, with her father’s friend, Antillus, warning Constantine that
no man wanted a woman who was more learned than he. Aurora looked
at the young soldier next to her with apprehension. Would her
learning be held against her in her new home?