Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (46 page)

time. “I felt the Gods knew she would not shoot.”

time. “I felt the Gods knew she would not shoot.”
“Non. I felt doomupon seeing the ship that brought her.
I fear that if I had not been here she might have. If we had not
read the letter together—and thus she saw you as you are and
not the demon of her memory—she would have fired. Then I
realized you have not truly been lost to your Horse since my
rescue, have you? It has beena year. We have beenwell…” He stiffened at my mention of the passage of time. I
pulled awayto find himfrowning.
“Oui, it has only been a year since your rescue. I have
only been thinking of… your birthday.” He shrugged with a
rueful expression. “I have buried the days when last we counted
your birth away. I mean, I knew. I even thought, now what did I
do for Will last year on his day? And I remembered, but I did
not allow myselfto dwellonit.”
I sighed. I had forgottenmybirthday.
“Well, Christine is no present,” I said with as much jest
as I could muster.
He chuckled. “Non, she is not mypresent to you.” “So I willreceive a gift?”I asked withgenuine interest. He placed his fingers over my lips and only moved them
to allow his mouth better access. His kiss stirred my still-anxious
Horse. I needed to run, far, far away from angry young women
and angry old fathers. I pulled away fromthe kiss and swooped
to nip his neck, hard.
He understood, and I saw the answering fire light in his
eyes. I was soon against the wall with his cock inside me and his
teeth in my shoulder. It felt good, but on this day it was not

enough.

 

enough.“More,”I grunted.

He stopped, and in that irrational boyish way, I feared his displeasure.
“Does this Horse need to run?” he whispered huskily in myear.
“Oui, hard, this Horse needs to runhard.”
He withdrew, and I was soon gagged with my hands bound and looped over the hook we used to hang our weapons. It was not meant for this purpose—we so rarely played here— but it would suffice, as I did not wish to escape, only to be held. For a moment I worried about the sound. I listened with taut muscles and a painfully rigid cock. In our room I could hear the sinuous glide of leather on leather as Gaston rid his belt of the sword frogs and holsters and reduced it to a single unadorned strap. Beyond that, the usual commotion of many people and dogs in the atrium was quite loud. It was not night when the house was quiet. I resolved not to worry. I needed this—now.
I expected a heavy blow across my shoulders, but he started with a playful slap across my arse. I groaned with annoyance. He found this amusing, and began to tease me: each blow harder than the last: crisscrossing my shoulders and buttocks again and again until I was writhing in ecstasy: my Horse running hard and fast in the delicious fog where there was no painor fear, onlythe running.
And then I saw an eye watching me through the crack in the shutters that faced the balcony.
I screamed into the gag and pulled free of the hook. The eye disappeared. Gaston tore the door open. Beyond the eye disappeared. Gaston tore the door open. Beyond the pounding in my ears I could not hear if words were spoken. I could only see Gaston clearly: standing there in the doorway in his naked glory. He dropped the strap as if the person on the balconyheld a gunonhim. I screamed againinhorror.
“Will, hush,” he said and turned to look at me. Seeing my duress, he lunged forward and pulled the person on the balcony into the room. Then he was at my side, pushing me safely into the corner. I tore the gag from my mouth, wishing to yellat himfor leavinghis back to our attacker.
Then I saw her over his shoulder: Yvette, studying the outer windows quite studiously.
“I am sorry,” she said without looking toward us as Gaston pushed a blanket into my bound hands before fumbling withhis breeches.
“I came to find you,” she continued. “Theodore wishes to see you. He is quite… Anyway, I heard… what I heard; and was curious if it was as it sounded. I have heard rumors about the two ofyou. And, I was curious. It was veryrude ofme.”
“It is a game we play,”Gastonsaid.
“I know,” she said and turned to look at us—now that we were covered.
My hands were still bound, but that seemed the least of myconcerns.
“I was taught about such games.” She shrugged. “It was the specialtyofone ofmytutors inMarseille.”
At another time, her words would have stirred my cock well beyond curiosity, but at the moment, I—and it—was too traumatized. I felt the heat of a truly glorious flush spread across traumatized. I felt the heat of a truly glorious flush spread across my head and chest. I sat on the hammock and willed it to leave —or at least her.
“I have tried binding Agnes, but she did not find being helpless pleasurable,” Yvette said. “I think I would, but not after…”She bit her lip and sighed.
“Will is complicated in that way,” Gaston said quite calmlyas ifhe discussed our carnalplay with women allthe time. “He finds great peace and pleasure in it, despite allthat has been done to him. I… If I amtruly mad, I find peace in being bound, but it is not a carnalthing.”
“I saw that,” she said with a thoughtful nod and curious glance at me. “His enjoyment.”
I flopped onto my side on the hammock and pulled my knees to mychest.
My matelot found amusement in this. “We should speak about this later, ifat all—before we mortifyWill.”
“Of course. I am sorry, Will. Um, Theodore, oui. Sam found a younggentlemeninthe yard lookingfor the latrine.”
I groaned.
“We know who it is,”Gastonsaid witha tired sigh.
“He said he was a relative of yours and returned to the infirmary to wait for you,” Yvette continued. “Then Theodore went to see him; and then he was calling for you two to be found. He is quite agitated.”
“I amsure he is,”Gastonsaid.
“Who is this guest?”she asked.
“Christine,”I blurted.
Gastonwinced.
Gastonwinced.
She frowned and then her eyes shot wide with understanding. “Oh my God! Here? She is here, dressed as a man?”
We nodded.
“And she shall stay that way,” Gaston said. “She wishes to live as a man.” He regarded me curiously, and I nodded. “And, now that we have received word frommy father—though we have not finished reading it—we will need to take her with us.”
“Will! Gaston!”We actuallyheard Theodore bellowing.
“I will tell him you are on your way,” Yvette said. She stepped out the door only to pause and dip her head back into the room. “He is coming,”she hissed.
“Trip him,”I hissed back.
She closed the door. “They are indisposed,” she said withauthorityfromthe other side ofthe balconyshutters.
“Are they?” he asked archly. “Well that is inconvenient. We have a matter that must be attended…”
“We know!” I said loudly. “We know who
he
is, and why
he
is here.”
“Will! This is… It willnot do!”
I stood and realized my wrists were still bound. Gaston cut me free and I tore open the shutter to come nose to nose with Theodore. His gaze flicked down my nakedness and he took a step back. I looked down at my flaccid member and saw I had forgottenthe blanket.
Theodore flushed. “You were indisposed…” he muttered.
she waved us offand stumbled downthe balcony, giggling.
I sighed and mustered what remained of my composure. “She…
He, Chris
willbe leavingwithus as a man. It is easier on everyone. In the end, there will be less explaining if we follow this course.”
“I do not understand,”he said withfrustration.
“Christine wishes to live as a man in order to enjoy pleasures reserved for men. Not women,” I said quickly. “She favors men. She wishes to adventure and… She is not interested inbeinga good wife and havingbabies.”
“Not interested… Is there no end to her arrogance?” Theodore said, trulyoffended. “God makes us as we are, Will. It is one thing for her to dress as a boy to sneak about town or… travel. But it is a thing of another magnitude entirely for her to wishto live this way.”
I could wellimagine what he said to her and her reaction.
Gaston was dressed and out on the balcony. “I will see to...
him
.”
I wanted to kiss him. “Be careful,” I said. “She might be panicked after…”
Being confronted and lectured by Theodore
. I sighed.
Gastonsnorted as ifhe had heard myunspokenthought.
Theodore was regardingus withalarm.
“She came here to kill him,” I said reluctantly. “But then she realized she onlywanted to killthe mad part ofhim. She is— as she always was—a confused young woman. She wants things not available to her sex according to the dictates of society. We are willing to help her. It would be good if others here would aid inthe matter.”
“Oh, Lord,” Theodore sighed and turned to lean against the balcony.
I decided to dress. I was pleased I remembered to keep myreddened backside turned awayfromTheodore.
“Did the Marquis send her here?” Theodore asked thoughtfully.
“I think not; and before you ask more, know that we have not finished his letter. We were interrupted by…
Chris
.”
He sighed heavily.
As a peace offering, I told himwhat little we had read as we walked downstairs.
There were a great number of eyes on us in the atrium. Theodore’s agitationhad spread to the rest, and I expected them to start squawking and running around at any moment like an upended coop of chickens. I was not sure what the best course should be. Should we tell only those who recognized her, or should we tell them all: because surely they would tell one another anyway?
They must be told. I told them. They were surprised and

confused.“The Gods have spoken in this matter. She is here;

 

despite our misgivings. Gastonand I are tied to her.”

Agnes glared at me. “The Gods be damned! I will not share a ship with that bitch! Nor will she stay in this house until we leave.”

I swallowed. Agnes was so seldom angry: it was a frightening thing to behold. “All right then, I will find another place for her,”I said calmly.

I retreated into the cool shadows of the hospital. I could hear urgent whispers from the surgery, but I could not discern their meaning. I wanted to retreat farther still: to the hut and Temple; but that safe havenwas alreadyinvaded:it was the most likelyplace to put Chris.

Gaston emerged from the surgery. He started at my presence in the shadows. I embraced him. As our foreheads met, I saw his Horse inhis eyes. It was not so veryfar below the surface now.

“Is she in the cart, or not?” I whispered. “Have I been hasty? Should…”
He sighed and held me tighter, cutting off my words with a squeeze. “In. We are afflicted withher. It is mydoing.”
“Non, non,” I murmured. “Surely this is a thing we can blame uponthe Gods.”

Ninety-Nine Wherein We Prepare to Take Our Leave

“I had to piss,” Chris protested before I could speak uponenteringthe surgery.
“It is no matter,” I sighed. “They now know—all of them. Agnes refuses to share a house with you. So, you will live on the land Gaston and I have until we leave. There is a small dwellingthere. It willonlybe temporary.”
Gaston had been less pleased than even I was at this development, but he could think of no other course that would solve the immediate problem. Then it had been decided that I should take her to the hut, and he should see to Schoen and his other patients since we now knew we would leave soon.
“Alone?”she asked.
“Oui,” I assured her, and then saw by her expression that solitude was a thing she feared and not one she wished for. “It willnot be for long,” I added. “You should be safe there. The land is onthe Strikers’ and far fromthe roads.”
“I have never beenalone,”she said.
“It can be very good for the soul. You may find you

enjoyit.”She did not seemconvinced; and I did not care.

 

“And whydo youkeep speakingofleaving?”she asked.

 

“I angered the Church months ago,” I told her as I led

“I angered the Church months ago,” I told her as I led her out onto the street and around the house. “It is rather more complicated thanthat, but it is assumed theywilleventuallyarrive witha warrant for my arrest. Also, I must resolve the matter with my father. So we have been planning to depart for months, and onlyawaitingthe news we received todayfromthe Marquis.”

She had paused to gather her belongings fromthe corner of the infirmary where she had left them. I was amused to note she had acquired a musket. The length of it made her appear veryshort indeed. I stifled a sighand led her to the stable.

She regarded Pomme with concern when I mounted him bareback.
“This is Pomme,” I said. “He is our only horse. It is a small island: one without many horses: yet, large enough that ridingis mucheasier thanwalking.”
She was unsure of how to proceed, so I had her pass me her things and then I offered her a hand. After several unsuccessful attempts at her leaping up behind me—with my not possessing the leverage of stirrups to easily pull her up—we were at last forced to settle on standing next to a barrel and having her step on from there. She simply did not have the strengthto vault.
“Mister Theodore was very unkind,” she said quietly in English as we rode out of town. “And you say Agnes does not wish to see me. I suppose I should be happy not to stay there. But where willwe go and onwhat size vessel?”
“Youwillnot have a private cabin.”
She sighed. Then she asked, “What happened in Port

Royal? You say your father sent men to abduct you. All I heard

 

Royal? You say your father sent men to abduct you. All I heard fromthe Marquis was that you had decided to move to a French

 

colony.”I told her all that had occurred—sparing many details of

 

myincarceration.

She was quiet and thoughtfulwhen we dismounted at the hut. I expected her to ask why I did not rush to England to kill him; and so I showed her around quite brusquely, left her standing next to the Temple circle with no explanation for it, and started a fire. She stood in the circle of stones for a time before comingto joinme.

“Youare buildinga temple?”she asked.
I was surprised. “I ambuildinga temple for Diana, aye.” “Why here? I have seen temples and the like as garden

decorations to display fine sculptures. The priest and vicars call them pagan and tawdry—especially the ones with naked statues.”

“I am not building it as a decoration. I promised the Goddess a temple for Her aid with the childbirths we had this

 

year.” She studied me for a time, her face expressionless. Then