Red Moon (11 page)

“No!”  He gripped the back of her neck and rested his
forehead against hers.  “It doesn’t have to be this way.  Share my
bed each night.”

She didn’t reply and he hurried on.  “If the others
know that it’s your job to please me, they will not treat you
differently.  If I make it clear that you’re to be my companion – “

“You mean your whore.”  She smiled bitterly.

He winced.  “Avery – “

“Papa?”  Sophia’s voice echoed through the stable, and
Avery pushed Tristan away from her.  He stepped behind her, hurriedly
zipping his pants as Sophia peeked into the open stable.

“HI papa!  Hi Avery!”  She said brightly.

“Hello, my love.”  Avery smiled at her as Tristan
buttoned the only two remaining buttons on his shirt. 

“Papa and I are going riding today, aren’t we?”  Sophia
swung on the stall door.

“Aye, little one.  We are.”  He smiled gently at
her.

“You have hay in your hair, papa.”  She informed him solemnly.

“Do I?”  He ran a hand through his long hair, as his
mother suddenly appeared in the stall doorway.

“Tristan.”  She nodded to him; her steady gaze took in
Avery’s flushed appearance and the hay in Tristan’s hair and his haphazardly
buttoned shirt.

“Hello mother.”  Tristan had the good grace to blush a
little as Avery looked at the ground and prayed to the gods for it to open and
swallow her whole.

Vivian held her hand out to Sophia.  “Come,
child.  We will wait outside for your father.”

“Okay.” Sophia said agreeably.  She took her
grandmother’s hand and blew a kiss to Avery.  “Bye Avery.”

As soon as they were gone, Avery covered her burning face
with her hands.  “Gods be damned; Will I ever run into that woman when I
haven’t just finished fucking her son?”

Tristan laughed and she thumped him on the chest. 
“It’s not funny, my lord.”

“It’s kind of funny.”  He grinned at her before
sobering. “Avery, we need to finish talking about – “

“No.”  She shook her head.  “Your child is waiting
for you, and I have to get back to the house before Mrs. Lanning sends Renee
looking for me.”

She grabbed her sweater and gave him a pleading look.
 “Just promise me that you’ll think about what I’m asking.  You
should send me away from here.”

“You would leave your sister?”  He said gruffly.

“She’s not a child anymore; she can take care of
herself.  Besides, you won’t let anything happen to her, will you?”

He shook his head.  “No, I will not.”

She smiled gratefully at him.  “Just consider it, my
lord.  Please.”

She slipped out of the stall and as he watched her walk
away, he shook his head again, muttering softly, “No, I will not.”

“Marshall is building a home not three miles from here.”
 Maya said dreamily.  She was sitting in a chair in the corner of the
room, feeding Nicholas his bottle.

Avery looked up from where she was scrubbing the
floor.  “Oh?”

“Yes.”  She smiled down at the baby.  “He says
he’s building it for me.  He says that once it’s done, he’ll buy me from
Tristan and we’ll be married.”

She kissed Nicholas’ forehead gently.  “It is a very
small house.  Only three bedrooms but Marshall says that’s enough for us
to have a boy and a girl.  He says I’ll have to learn to cook and clean.
 He cannot afford slaves but I don’t even mind the thought of that. 
Is that what love does to you, Avery?  Does it make even the most menial
tasks seem romantic?”

Avery laughed, scrubbing at a particularly dirty spot in
front of the fireplace.  “I wouldn’t know.”

Maya continued to stare dreamily at the baby.  “I was
so frightened when mama sold us to the slave house.  I used to lie awake
at night and worry about what would happen to me.  But look – I’ve fallen
in love with a wonderful man who is building me a home of my own.  We’ll
have babies and grow old together.”

“Will his family object to him marrying a human?”
 Avery asked.

“He doesn’t have any family.  His parents died when he
was very young, and Tristan’s father took him in and raised him as his
own.  He thinks of Tristan as his brother.”  Maya smiled at her.

Avery returned her smile and dipped the wooden brush into
the bucket of water.  She scooted back and brushed the floor
briskly.  She’d had no experience with scrubbing floors until joining
Tristan’s home but, she reflected wryly, it was a skill easy enough to learn.

“I can’t wait until I never have to look at that ugly old
Mrs. Lanning again.”  Maya suddenly said.  “She’s a horrid old woman
who makes both our lives miserable.  The day I stop being a slave will be
the happiest day of – “  

She paused and looked at Avery in sudden horror.

“Avery, forgive me.  I am being a complete idiot.”
 Her mouth began to tremble and tears slipped down her cheeks.

Avery frowned.  “Maya, what are you talking about?”

“I’ve been going on and on about how happy I am, and I
haven’t once thought of your feelings.”

When Avery only looked at her blankly, Maya swiped at the
tears on her face.  “I know you’re miserable here, Avery.  Mrs.
Lanning and the others treat you horribly.  You spend your days cleaning
and scrubbing while I prance about cuddling babies, and – “

She paused and whispered, “You’re in love with Lord
Tristan.”

Avery dropped the brush and crossed the room to Maya. 
She crouched in front of her and took her hand in both of hers.  “One, I
am not in love with Tristan and two, your happiness makes me happy.”

Maya looked at her doubtfully and Avery squeezed her hand.
 “It’s true, Maya.  You are the most precious thing in my life. 
To know that you’re happy and loved is all I need to make my own heart happy.”

Maya sniffed.  “But what will become of you?”

Avery shook her head.  “Stop worrying about that,
Maya.  I always make out just fine, do I not?”

“Perhaps in time Lord Tristan will realize he loves you too
and you will be married.”

Avery laughed grimly.  “Lord Tristan desires only one
thing from me.  What he feels is not love, Maya.”

“But I want you to be happy, to be married and to have
children of your own.”  Maya said softly.

Avery laughed again.  “With hair like this?”  She
tugged lightly on her red hair.  “Even if daddy hadn’t died, we both know
I would never have married anyway.  I’m just lucky to have been bought by
a man who doesn’t believe that all Reds are witches and should be burned at the
stake.”

She leaned down and kissed Nicholas’ head gently.  She
was actually feeling a little cheered by Maya’s news.  If Maya married
Marshall and moved from Tristan’s home, Avery would no longer need to worry
about her safety.  If she didn’t have to fear that Maya would be labeled a
witch along with her, she could breathe easier.  And, a voice deep inside
of her whispered, you could warm Tristan’s bed and bring him pleasure. 

She frowned to herself.  He called it being a companion
but it was nothing more than a fancy word for whore.  A year ago she would
have been horrified at the thought of being sold to a man for the sole purpose
of pleasuring him.  Now she was considering it to be the better option for
her life.  She blinked back the sudden hot tears, deeply ashamed of
herself and feeling a near-hatred for Tristan.

“Avery?” Maya said, laying a timid hand on Avery’s
head.  “Are you – “

“Good morning, Maya.”  Vivian entered the room and
smiled at the young woman.

Avery and Maya stood, and Maya smiled nervously at Tristan’s
mother.  “Hello m’lady.  How are you feeling today?”

She shrugged.  “I’ve had better days.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”  Maya said sincerely as Avery
moved back to her bucket and began to scrub the floor again.

Vivian smiled at her and reached out to brush back a strand
of Maya’s hair.  “My son tells me that you and Marshall will be married
soon.  Do you know he is like a son to me?”

Maya nodded shyly.  “He told me he loves you like his
own mother.”

“He’s lucky that such a beautiful girl is so willing to marry
him.”  She frowned a little. “I will not lie to you.  I wish very
strongly that you were a Lycan but since Marshall is only a half-breed himself,
I can understand why he feels such a strong affection for you.”

Maya flushed a little but remained silent.

Vivian held her hands out for the baby and Maya carefully
transferred him into her arms.  She stared down at the blonde-haired boy,
smiling a little when he reached up and grabbed her chin.  “He’s a
handsome child, is he not?”

“Yes.”  Maya agreed. 

“I thought my son was foolish for taking in a bastard child
but Sophia loves him very much.  I understand why he did it.”

She handed the child back to Maya who nestled him against
her shoulder and began to pat his back gently.  “If you’re looking for
Lord Tristan, he has taken Sophia riding.  They should be back soon.”

“Actually, it is your sister I wish to speak with.”

Avery looked up in surprise as Maya glanced quickly at
her.  “Very well, m’lady.  I will leave you with her.”

Vivian shook her head.  “I had a sister once.  She
died many years ago.  You and your sister remind me of the way we were.”
 She paused, smiling dryly at Maya.  “I imagine that whatever I say
to your sister will be repeated to you anyway.  You might as well stay and
hear it now.”

She turned and motioned to Avery.  “Come here, girl.”

Avery stood in front of Tristan’s mother.  Vivian
reached out and pulled a strand of her hair free from her braid, rubbing it
softly between her fingers.  “Sophia is right you know.  Your hair is
very beautiful.”

“Thank you, m’lady.”

“I imagine it has brought you nothing but trouble and sorrow
your entire life, has it not?”

Avery shrugged slightly.

“And yet you wear it proudly.  You choose not to cover
it or perhaps cut it short so that the red is not as noticeable.  I admire
that.  I do.”  She smiled and let go of Avery’s hair.

“My son is very taken with you.  Tell me, was Sophia
telling the truth?  Did he buy you because she wanted you or did he buy
you as a companion for himself?”

“He bought me because of Sophia.”  Avery said shortly.

“So you seduced him then.  Do you believe that you may
one day be his wife?”

Avery smiled bitterly.  “No m’lady.  I am not so
foolish that I would believe your son has any interest in me other than his own
physical pleasure.”

Vivian regarded her solemnly.  “You’re a very wise
girl.  There is something about you that makes you quite unlike any slave
I’ve ever seen.  I can see why my son is so taken with you.”

Vivian stepped back and stared at her sternly.  “I love
my son very much and I want nothing more than for him to be happy.  I want
him to marry and give Sophia many more siblings.  I want him to live to an
old age with someone who loves him.  It’s what all mothers want for their
children is it not?”

Avery nodded.

“Tristan is a Lycan.  He should love and take a Lycan
as his mate.  Only a Lycan can truly understand how to make him happy.”

“From what I hear that didn’t work out so well for your son
the first time around.”  Avery said evenly as Maya gasped in horror behind
her.

Vivian gave her an almost admiring glance.  “Aye, but
she was a city Lycan. Just between you and me, I had my reservations about her
from the start.”

“I’ve arranged for the children of some very old friends to
come for a visit.  She is a lovely girl and has many pleasing qualities.
 She remembers my son and is quite eager to see him again.  I have
high hopes that sometime in the near future our families will be joined
together.”

She smiled at Avery.  “In order for that to happen, I
need you to stay away from my son.  Do you understand?”

Avery nodded stiffly.  “Perfectly, m’lady.”

“You think me cruel do you not?  To ask you to do this
favour for me when you hardly know me?  To ask you to do this when you’re
in love with my son?”

Avery swallowed hard.  “I am not in love with your son,
m’lady.”

Vivian laughed.  “Do you think me stupid, girl?  I
see it on your face every time you look at him.”

She sighed wearily.  “I bear you no personal ill-will,
child.  I want only the best for my son.  A human, and a Red at that,
is not what he needs.  Will you stay away from him?”

Avery nodded.  “Aye, I will.”

Vivian studied her closely for a moment and then, satisfied
by what she saw in Avery’s eyes, nodded and left the room.

Avery turned away and dropped to her knees by the bucket of
water.  She began to scrub the floor forcefully, blinking the tears away
savagely. 

Maya’s cool hand dropped on to her shoulder.  “Avery,
are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Maya.”  She snapped.

“Please stop and look at me.” Maya begged.

Avery pulled away from her.  “Maya, go.  I wish to
be left alone for awhile.”

“No.  Avery, we should talk – “

“MAYA, LEAVE ME BE!”  Avery suddenly shouted and Maya
stumbled back with a frightened squeak as Nicholas woke and began to cry
lustily.  Maya turned and fled the room.  The minute the door shut,
Avery dropped the brush and wept bitterly into her cupped hands.

Avery lugged in an armful of wood as Laura held the door
open for her.  The weather had turned cold two days ago and she stepped
gratefully into the warmth of the kitchen, dropping the wood into the box with
a loud clatter.

“Gods be damned, it’s freezing out there tonight.”
 Laura rubbed her arms as Avery stood next to the stove, holding her cold
hands over it for warmth.

“Aye.  I’ll be taking a warming rock to my bed
tonight.”  Avery grinned at her.  She had spent the first night of
the cold snap, in her small room huddled under multiple blankets and still
shivering uncontrollably.  Without a fireplace, her room was as cold as a
crypt.  Laura had taught her the warm rock trick, showing Avery how to
warm it in the oven and then carefully wrap it in cloth and transfer it to her
small bed.  The room was still freezing cold but Avery could at least curl
up around the rock and enjoy its heat.

She glanced around.  “Where is everyone?  It seems
quiet tonight.” 

It had been two days since her discussion with Tristan’s
mother, and since then she had done everything in her power to avoid
Tristan.  Mrs. Lanning had been all too willing to send her off to the
less-used rooms of the house to clean, and she had eaten her meals standing in
the kitchen, rather than at the slaves table in the dining room. 

Laura looked at her oddly.  “Haven’t you heard? 
Mrs. Williams collapsed just after supper.  Mrs. Lanning does not believe
she will make it through the night.”

“What?”  Avery stared wide-eyed at her.

Laura nodded.  “It’s true.  Lord Tristan carried
her to her room and has been keeping watch over her since then.  Marian
went to gather his supper dishes, and she said he hadn’t eaten a bite and would
not speak a word to her when she spoke to him.  She said he is very
distraught over his mother’s condition.”

“How is Sophia?”  Avery asked.

Laura sighed.  “She’s been in her room crying. 
Maya is with her and trying to comfort her but I guess the little one has
become quite taken with her grandmother.  It’s terribly sad it is.
 Mrs. Williams is not that old.”

“Did Tristan, I mean, Lord Tristan, ask for me to come see
his mother?”  She asked Laura.

Laura gave her a strange look.  “No. Why would he?”

Avery shook her head.  “Never mind.  He wouldn’t.”

Using long metal tongs, Laura pulled the large rock out of
the oven and wrapped it carefully in a large piece of flannel.  “Here -
take this to bed with you.”

Avery nodded absently and took the rock, slipping quietly
down the hallway and into her cold, dark bedroom.  She climbed into her
bed, sliding the rock in after her, and curled her body around it, staring
thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

* * *

Avery, dressed only in her shift, walked barefoot through
the house.  She had lain awake for hours, patiently waiting for the house
to quiet down, before easing out of her room and creeping out of the slave’s
quarters.  She knew which room was Vivian’s, had scrubbed the floor and
changed the sheets of her bed, and she made her way silently through the
hallways towards it.

She opened the door and slipped into the room, wincing a
little when the door clicked shut loudly behind her.  She could just make
out Tristan sitting in an armchair next to the bed.  His head was back and
his arms folded across his chest.  He was snoring softly, and she crept
carefully past him and looked down at the bed.

Mrs. Williams was lying on her back, breathing harshly
through her mouth.  Her usual tanned face was pale and her mouth trembled
with every breath she took.  Quickly, before she could change her mind,
Avery slipped into the bed beside the woman and molded her body to hers. 
She kissed Vivian’s cheek and then rested her head against hers.  She
closed her eyes and waited.

* * *

“Maya!  Let me in – Maya!”

Maya woke with a start and stared at the door as there was
another soft knock.  “Maya, please let me in.”

She recognized Avery’s voice and she glanced quickly across
the room at Sophia asleep in her small bed and at Nicholas in his crib, as she
crossed the room.  It was only a few hours until dawn and she frowned as
she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“Avery – what?”

Her face pinched with worry as Avery, her skin pale and her
legs trembling violently, crashed against her.  “Maya, can I lie with you
in your bed for a while?”  She gasped.

“Of course!”  Maya helped her to the bed and tucked her
in, climbing in next to her and hugging Avery close to her small body.

“Avery, what happened?”

Avery shook her head, “Later, please Maya.  I need to
sleep.”

Maya nodded and closed her eyes, stroking Avery’s back
gently as Avery slipped into sleep.

* * *

Tristan woke with a start.  Sunlight was streaming
through the window and dread filled his body when he realized he could no
longer hear his mother’s harsh breathing.  Slowly, the muscles in his neck
creaking, he looked at the bed.

Vivian, her cheeks rosy and her dark eyes sparkling, was
sitting up in the bed staring at him.  “Good morning, Tristan.”

“Mother?”  He stared in shock at her.  “What
happened?”

She smiled.  “I do not know.  I woke up this
morning feeling much better than I have in a long time.”

He sat beside her on the bed and took her hand in his.
 “Do you remember what happened last night?”

She shook her head.  “No.  I remember I felt very
poorly after supper.”

“You collapsed, mother.  I carried you to your bed.”

“Did I?”  She said. “I don’t remember that.  In
fact, I don’t remember a night where I have slept so well.  Perhaps that
was all I needed – a good night’s rest.”

“Perhaps.”  He said absently.  He leaned forward
and kissed her cheek.  “Mother, I’m going to find Sophia and tell her you’re
feeling better.  She was very worried about you last night and will want
to see you.”

“I’d like that.”  Vivian replied.  “I’ll ask her
to go for a walk with me this afternoon.”

As Tristan walked to the door, she called out to him.
 “Could you have them bring me something from the kitchen?  I’m
starving.”

He smiled.  “Aye, of course.”

He left his mother’s room but instead of heading to the
nursery, he turned right and hurried to the slave’s quarters.  By the time
he reached the hallway he was almost running, and he burst into Avery’s room
without knocking.

“Avery, did you – “

He stopped, staring at her empty bed with disappointment.

“Maya.”  He suddenly whispered, and bolted for the
nursery.

* * *

Avery sighed and snuggled closer to Maya.  She had woken
a few minutes ago and felt much better.  Maya kissed the top of Avery’s
head.  “Do you feel better?”

“Aye.”  She smiled at her little sister and nestled her
head back on Maya’s shoulder.

“Avery, did you heal Tristan’s mother last night?”
 Maya asked softly.

Avery nodded and Maya sighed harshly.  “Why did you do
that, Avery?  After what she said to you – you should have let her die.”

Avery sat up and stared at her in shock.  “Maya – I had
to.”

Maya shook her head angrily.  “No, you didn’t,
Avery.  He did not ask you to heal his mother.  You could have -
should have - let her die.  With his mother dead, you may have had a
chance with Tristan. Why did you heal her?”  She began to smack Avery
repeatedly on the arms.

“Maya, stop it!”  She grabbed her sister’s hands and
squeezed them tightly.  “I had to! Don’t you get that?  I could not
stand to watch Tristan or Sophia, suffer the way we did after our father
died.  Not when I could save her.”

“Oh, Avery.”  Maya began to cry and Avery wiped her
tears away roughly.

“Stop crying, Maya.  Everything will be fine. 
Don’t – “

The door to the nursery opened and Tristan shot into the
room.  He stared at Avery.  “Did you – you healed her didn’t you?”

Before Avery could reply, Sophia sat up in her small
bed.  “Papa?”  She looked at him with alarm, tears beginning to slide
down her cheeks. 

“Is grandmamma dead?”

He shook his head.  “No, my love.  Your
grandmother is feeling much better today.”

She grinned through her tears and then held her arms out to
him.  “Take me to see her, papa.” She demanded.

He picked her up and she flung one thin arm around his
neck.  He looked at Avery and Maya still huddled together in Maya’s bed.

“Thank you.”  He said hoarsely before carrying Sophia
from the room.

* * *

Avery sighed and crawled into her bed. She pushed the rock
to the far side of the bed and curled up close to it.  After Tristan had
left the nursery, she had dressed quickly and left for the west field with
Laura and Leo, digging potatoes from the cold ground for most of the day. 
It had been cold and unpleasant work but it had kept her out of the house and
away from Tristan. 

She stared at the wall, shivering despite her hot bath
before bed and the heat radiating from the rock next to her.  Leo and
Laura had spent the entire day giggling and flirting, and she had found it both
amusing and irritating.  She realized she was jealous of their obvious
affection for each other and rolled her eyes at herself.  Being jealous of
something she would never have was a ridiculous waste of energy.  She
closed her eyes and moved closer to the rock, resting it against her midsection
and ignoring the voice that called her a fool when she pretended it was
Tristan’s warm body.

She woke in the dark a few hours later.  Someone or
something was in her room and she clutched the rock in her bed nervously.

“Who’s there?”  She demanded, trying to keep her voice
steady.

“Gods be damned, it’s cold in your room.”  Tristan’s
voice came floating out of the darkness and she let her breath out in a harsh
rush.  She could hear the rustle of clothing and then Tristan was pulling
back the bedcovers, letting the cold air rush in and she gasped as her body
broke out in goose bumps.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting into bed before I freeze to death.”  He
grumbled.  He shoved her over until she and the rock were pressed against
the wall.  “Gods girl, your bed is small.”

“It’s meant for one person.”  She said pointedly as he
pressed his naked body against her back and wrapped his arm familiarly around
her waist.

His hand brushed against the flannel covered rock and he
touched it curiously.  “Why do you have a rock in your bed?”

She started to giggle as he picked up the rock and dropped
it onto the floor behind him.  It hit the floor with a loud thud and she
smacked his arm lightly.  “Hey, that’s keeping me warm.”

“You use a rock to keep you warm?”  He asked with
amusement in his voice.

“Yes.  Some of us don’t have fireplaces in our
bedrooms.”  She replied indignantly.

He slipped his hand into the front of her shift and cupped
her bare breast.  “You don’t need the rock.  I’ll keep you warm.”
 He breathed into her ear.

“The rock is probably a better idea.”  She said
breathlessly, trying not to arch her back as he rubbed her nipple with the tip
of his finger.

“The rock won’t help you heal.”  He murmured before he
switched to her other breast and squeezed it gently.

This time she was helpless to stop her back from arching and
he groaned appreciatively when her ass pressed against his cock.

“I don’t need to heal.”  She gasped.

“I know you healed my mother last night while we
slept.  Do not try and lie.”  He plucked on her nipple and she
grabbed his wrist, her fingers squeezing tightly as he circled and rubbed her
nipple.

“I went to Maya afterwards.”  She cleared her throat,
trying to ignore the pleasure radiating from her breasts down to her
pelvis.  “She helped heal me.”

“Are you sure?”  He whispered.  He slid his arm
further into the loose neckline of her shift, circling her belly button with
his warm fingers before tracing them back and forth from one hip bone to the
other.  “You seem a little pale to me.”

She turned her head to face him.  “Now you’re just – “

He caught her mouth in a kiss, his tongue stroking against
hers, and at his familiar taste she moaned and gave up protesting.

He pushed back the covers and pulled her shift up and over
her head.  She shivered as the cold air hit her body and he quickly pulled
the bedcovers back up over them.  He kissed her chest and throat before
kissing his way down her body.  He nipped and licked the sensitive
undersides of her breasts as she clutched his head in her hands and moaned
encouragingly.

He shifted his body to the bottom of the bed, cursing a
little when he nearly fell off the end of it.  She giggled as he wedged
his upper body between her thighs and muttered, “This would be much easier in
my bed.”

She lifted the covers and peered under them, snorting back
the laughter as he stared at her, his eyes glowing in the faint light.

“What on earth are you trying to do?”  She giggled
again.

The laughter quickly turned into a moan when he bent his
head and kissed her flat abdomen before licking her hipbone and the tops of her
thighs.  He shifted further down until she could feel his warm breath on
her core, and she inhaled sharply when he licked her with his warm tongue.

“Tristan, what are you doing?”  She moaned, her hands
gripping the bed sheets.

“Open your legs, girl.”  He kissed the inside of one
smooth thigh and with another soft moan she shifted her legs apart until she
was completely open to him.  He licked her clit with wide, flat strokes of
his tongue until she was twisting and moaning under him.

“Tristan, oh Tristan…”  She cried softly.  She
reached for his head, groaning in frustration when she felt nothing but the
covers.  She shoved them back, not caring about the coldness of the
room.  She looked down and a spasm of pleasure rocketed through her belly
at the sight of his head between her legs.