Red Moon (14 page)

She reached for his crotch and he stepped away, holding her
gently away from him.  “I am flattered Victoria, but right now my concern
is for Sophia and ensuring she feels safe and happy.”

She smiled.  “Of course, Tristan.  That’s part of
the reason I am here – to help you with Sophia.  She could use a strong
Lycan female as a role model.”

“Thank you.  Your help is appreciated.”  He
crossed the hallway and opened the door to his bedroom.

“Good night, Victoria.  I will see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Tristan.”  She gave him one last slow and
inviting smile before he slipped into his room and shut the door.

He leaned against the closed door and stared into the
darkness, wondering if Avery was still awake.  He had felt nothing when
Victoria had kissed him.  He couldn’t stop thinking about Avery and the
way Hendrick had been groping her earlier.  Although the rational part of
him knew that Avery would be in her room by herself and not in Hendrick’s room,
he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he confirmed it for himself.  He waited
a few moments before opening his door and checking the hallway.  It was
empty and he crept silently towards the kitchen.

* * *

Avery peeked into the hallway.  It was empty and she
sighed with relief.  “They’re gone.  Good night, Maya.”

She blew a kiss to Maya who gave her a look of sympathy as
she left.  Avery walked quietly past Tristan’s bedroom door.  She was
unable to resist from stopping in front of his door and listening for a
moment.  There were no sounds emitting from his bedroom, and she said a
brief prayer of thanks to the gods before she glanced at Victoria’s closed
door.

“He’s probably in her room.”  Her mind whispered
viciously at her and she muzzled it savagely.  Trying hard not to think
about Tristan touching and kissing Victoria, she walked quickly through the
dark house towards the slave quarters.

She stepped into the kitchen and started towards the door
that led to the slave quarters.  As she crossed the room in the dark, a
low, angry voice stopped her in her tracks and sent her pulse racing.

“Where have you been?”

Frowning, she stared into the darkness.  “Is that you,
my lord?”

He stepped into the dim light from the window and she
squinted at him.  “Why are you hiding in the kitchen?”

He stepped closer and she backed up until her ass hit the
counter.  He stared down at her. “Where have you been, girl?”

“With Maya.”  She replied.

“It’s late to be visiting with your sister.  You need
to be up early in the morning, do you not?”

“You’re right, it is late.  If you’ll excuse me, I’m
going to bed.”

“Did you enjoy Hendrick’s touch earlier this evening?”
 He asked suddenly.

“What?”

“Did you enjoy sitting on Hendrick’s lap?  It appeared
so.”  He said sulkily.

She glared at him.  “He is your guest, my lord. 
What would you have me do?  Should I have refused him?  He was only
being friendly.  It was a nice change from how people normally react to
me.”

“And you seemed to enjoy his friendliness.”  He
grunted.

“And you seemed to enjoy Victoria’s kisses.”  She
suddenly hissed at him.

He twitched and she nodded at him.  “That’s right, my
lord.  I’m late because I was trapped in my sister’s room, waiting for you
and Victoria to finish your goodnight in the hallway.  You seemed very…
pleased to see your childhood friend.”

He grinned suddenly.  “You’re jealous.”

“I am not jealous.”  She said indignantly.

“You are.”  He stroked her cheek softly, making her
shiver.  “Now you know how I felt watching Hendrick fondle you after
dinner.”

“I had no choice.”  She muttered.

“Neither did I.”

She snorted loudly.  “Of course you didn’t.”

“She kissed me. I had no idea she was going to do
that.  In fact, I pushed her away.”

“Fine.”  She replied.  “We both were
innocent.  Good night, my lord.”

He blocked her from stepping around him and frowned.
 “Stay away from him, girl.”

She rolled her eyes.  “And how do you suggest I do
that, my lord?  He is a guest in your home.  If he wants to spend
time with me, I cannot say no.”

He growled in frustration.  “If he touches you again,
I’ll kill him.”

She laughed and teased him gently.  “That seems a bit
extreme.  Perhaps you could start with punching him and work your way up
to killing him?”

He grinned in spite of his anger and she smiled delightedly
at him.  He looked at her mouth, his pulse speeding up, and when he spoke
his voice was low and filled with need.  “I would very much like to kiss
you, Avery.”

She stiffened and pulled her head back.  “Please don’t,
Tristan.”  She whispered.

He nodded and stepped back, allowing her to slip around him
and head towards the slave quarters.

“Good night, girl.”

“Good night, my lord.”

“What household owned you before this, Avery?”
 Victoria asked.

Avery paused in her brushing of Victoria’s long blonde
hair.  Victoria was a late riser and Mrs. Lanning had sent her to
Victoria’s room with a breakfast tray after the others had finished
eating.  Victoria had demanded she wait in her room while she ate
breakfast, and Vivian and Sophia had shown up just as she was finishing.

Vivian had poured herself a cup of tea and the women had
chatted familiarly.  Avery made Victoria’s bed and folded her clothes from
the night before, while Sophia followed her around the room and chattered
happily to her.  She had been about to leave when Victoria had handed her
the brush.

Sighing inwardly, Avery had begun to brush the woman’s soft,
blonde hair as Sophia watched. Now, she glanced at Victoria in the mirror and
gave her a small smile.  “I was in a slave house, m’lady.  Lord
Tristan purchased me and my sister on his way home from the city.”

“And before that?”  Victoria prompted.

Vivian, drinking a cup of tea in a chair by the window,
spoke up.  “They were owned by a family in the city who had to sell them
when they ran out of money.”

Avery glanced briefly at Vivian who returned her gaze
steadily.

“I’ll have it braided, please.”  Victoria slapped
Avery’s hand lightly.  Avery gritted her teeth and began to carefully
braid Victoria’s hair.

“You know,” Victoria stared at her thoughtfully in the mirror,
“you’re not as ugly as I first thought.  I mean, the red hair obviously is
awful and your skin is so pale you look like a leech, but I can see why my
brother fancies you.”

Avery bit her tongue and continued to braid as Victoria
turned her head slightly and looked at Vivian.  “I would never have
thought I would have a Red in my household, but this one seems pleasant
enough.  I could see me keeping her on here as my personal slave. 
She couldn’t go near the children of course.  I shudder to think what ideas
she’s put in Sophia’s head already.”

Vivian frowned.  “Avery is actually very good with
Sophia.”

Victoria shrugged.  “I will talk with Tristan about
it.  And I will work on convincing him to cut off her dreadful hair.”

Avery, wrapping an elastic band around the end of Victoria’s
braid, spoke absently.  “Actually Tristan has arranged to sell – “

She cried out as Victoria whirled around and struck her
viciously across the face, knocking her to the ground.  She was wearing a
large ring on her hand and it cut Avery’s cheek open.  The blood flowed
freely as Vivian gasped and Sophia ran to Avery.

“Avery!”  She cried.  “You’re bleeding!”

“It’s okay, my love.  I’m fine.”  Avery tried to
reassure the shaking young girl as Victoria rose to her feet and stood over her.

“You are a slave and you will refer to Tristan as Lord
Tristan or my lord.  Do you understand me, slave?”  She snarled at
her.

Avery, her eyes narrowed with anger, stood and stared at the
ground.  “Forgive me, my lady.  It will not happen again.”

“See that it does not.”  Victoria seethed.  She
glanced at Vivian.  “Gods be damned, Vivian.  Does Tristan have any
control over his slaves at all?”

When Vivian didn’t reply, she turned back to Avery.
 “Leave, girl.  I am tired of your ugly face.”

“Avery?”  Sophia whispered.

“Sophia, go to your grandmother.”  Victoria demanded.

Sophia hesitated and Avery pushed her gently towards Vivian.
 “Go, my love.  I will see you later.”

She left the room as Sophia, beginning to cry, fled to her
grandmother.

* * *

“Avery!  What happened to your cheek?”  Maya laid
Nicholas in his crib and rushed to her.

“That bitch Victoria slapped me.”  Avery said bitterly.

“What?  Why would she do that?”

“Because she’s a bitch.”  Avery grimaced as she touched
her cheek.

“Here, give me your hand.”  Maya reached for her and
Avery shook her head.

“It’s fine.  It’s starting to heal already.  In a
couple of hours it will be – “

The door opened and Tristan stuck his head into the room.
 “Maya have you seen Sophia?  I want to take her riding this
morning.”

He cursed suddenly and entered the room, striding towards
Avery and taking her chin in his hand.  “What happened to your cheek?”

“I tripped.”  She lied.

He frowned.  “Tripped on what?”

“My own feet.”  She smiled at him but he didn’t return
her smile.

She pulled her chin free of his grip and he gave Maya a hard
look.  “Why are you not helping her heal?”

“There is no need, my lord.”  Avery assured him.
 “It is already starting to heal.”

He grunted in reply and then suddenly picked her up and
carried her to the overstuffed chair near Sophia’s bed.  He sat down and
settled her on his lap, wrapping his arms around her and pushing her head down
on his chest.

“My lord, this is not necessary.”  She tried to sit up
and he tightened his arms around her.

“Quiet, girl.”

She gave up struggling and relaxed against him.  She
had left her hair down today and he reached under it and cupped her neck,
rubbing and massaging it gently.  She sat quietly, watching as Maya lifted
Nicholas from the crib and carried him to the window on the far side of the
room.  She stared out the window, swaying back and forth and singing to
Nicholas as Tristan continued to rub Avery’s neck.

“How’s your morning?”  He asked suddenly.

She smiled. ”Fine, my lord.  And yours?”

“Fine.”

“You’re taking Sophia riding?”

“Aye.”  He paused. “She asked me last night if I would
take her to a party.”

“Really?”  Avery rested her hand on his chest,
resisting the urge to stroke it softly.

“Aye.  She remembers the other girl, Renee maybe,
talking about dancing and parties that day in the wagon.  She’s had it in
her head ever since.”

“Are you going to take her to one?”

He shook his head.  “No.  But I thought maybe I
would throw her one here.  What do you think?”

She sat up and smiled down at him.  “I think that’s a
wonderful idea.”

He grinned.  “Good.  Then I’ll do it.”

Behind them, Nicholas let out a short wail and they could
hear Maya soothing him gently.

“Maya loves to dance.  She’ll be very excited.”
 Avery said.

“And you?  Do you love to dance?”  He asked
softly.

“Yes, I suppose I do.”  There was a strange look on her
face and he frowned.

“What?”

“It’s hard to find many who are willing to dance with a
Red.”  She wiggled her eyebrows at him and he tightened his hand around
her neck.

“I’ll dance with you.”  He said hoarsely.

Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes darkened and
dropped to her mouth.  She could feel him growing hard underneath her and
it took all of her willpower not to rub her ass against him.

“Tristan, I think my cheek is better now.”  She smiled
sadly at him.  She didn’t want to leave his lap; she wanted to sit with
him forever and pretend that he loved her the way she loved him.  Suddenly
feeling depressed and angry for torturing herself she tried to struggle from
his lap.

He refused to let her go.  “Let me see.”

She turned her face obediently so he could examine her
cheek.  He wiped the smears of drying blood away, secretly satisfied when
it revealed her smooth cheek with no trace of the cut that had marred it.

“It’s almost healed.”  He lied.  He glanced at her
mouth again.  “One kiss should do it.”

“Tristan…”  She hesitated.

“Just one small kiss my love and I’ll let you go.”  He
whispered.  Still holding her neck, he tugged her face down towards his
and she gave up protesting and pressed her lips against his.  He kissed
her softly, his mouth warm against hers, and she sighed with pleasure.

After a moment he pushed his tongue against her lips and she
pulled back a little.

“Tristan, this is not a good idea.”

“Please.”  He whispered against her mouth and she
kissed him again, powerless to resist his whispered plea.  He sighed into
her mouth as she parted her lips and he pushed his tongue eagerly into her
mouth.  She cupped his face, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb as he
began to rub her back with his warm hand.

The door to the nursery opened and Victoria entered. 
She looked at Maya.  “You there, have you seen Tristan?”

She caught movement at the far side of the room and
turned.  Avery, who had slipped off of Tristan’s lap the moment the door
opened, was standing a few feet from the chair.  She stared at the floor
with flushed cheeks as Tristan shifted in the chair.

“Tristan.”  Victoria smiled sweetly and crossed the
room as Vivian and Sophia entered the nursery.  She sat down on his lap
before he could stand, and put her arms around his shoulders.  “Good
morning.”

“Good morning, Victoria.”

He glanced at Avery and Victoria followed his gaze. 
She frowned.  “Leave us, slave.”

Avery nodded and started towards Maya.  Sophia, a look
of distress on her small face, met her in the middle of the room.

“Avery?”  She whispered.  Avery bent and picked
her up, rubbing the girl’s small back.

“Hello my love.  Come, we’ll stand with Maya and your
grandmamma.”

She joined Maya and Vivian at the window.  Vivian had
taken Nicholas from Maya and was kissing his warm, round head.  She gave
Avery a troubled look as Maya took a cloth and wiped the blood from Avery’s
cheek.

“Is your cheek okay, Avery?”  Sophia whispered.

She nodded.  “Yes, Sophia.  It is perfectly fine.”

“Shall I kiss it better for you?”

“There is no need, my love.”  She said brightly to the
girl.  “Maya kissed it better for me.  Look.”  She showed the
girl her smooth cheek and Sophia’s face relaxed.

Vivian frowned and took Avery’s chin in her hand.  She
examined Avery’s cheek closely.  “How is this possible?”

Avery tugged free of her gentle grip.  “It was not
nearly as bad as it seemed, m’lady.”

“I saw the blood.”  She said sharply.

When Avery didn’t responded, she sighed.  “I will speak
with my son about this.”

“No, do not.”  Avery said in a low, urgent tone. 
She glanced at Sophia and lowered her voice even further.  “He believes I
tripped.  Do not tell him otherwise.”

“How did you sleep, Victoria?”  Tristan asked politely.

She smiled.  “Very well, Tristan.  Although it was
cold in my bed.”

“I’ll have more blankets brought to your room tonight.”
 He shifted uncomfortably under her.  He was still hard from kissing
Avery, and he was frustrated with Victoria for interrupting them.

“That’s very kind of you but perhaps we can think of another
way to warm my bed.  I have many ideas for – “

She paused as she registered the hardness under her lap.

“Lord Tristan,” she purred, “it would seem you have ideas of
how to warm my bed as well.”

He stood up abruptly, catching her arm when she nearly fell
and gave her a look of apology.  “Forgive me, but I have promised Sophia I
would take her riding this morning.”

She smiled brightly at him and linked her arm through his as
he started towards Sophia and the others.  “I would very much like to join
you.  May I?”

“Of course.”  He allowed no trace of the dismay he was
feeling to show on his face.  His mother believed that Sophia needed a
Lycan mother and since the moment Victoria had arrived, he had been torn
between his feelings for Avery and his desire to do the right thing for Sophia.

They joined the others at the window and Sophia reached for
him from Avery’s arms.  He took her, his hand brushing against Avery’s
breast and she shivered lightly.

“Sorry.”  He muttered as he settled Sophia in the crook
of his arm.  “Are you ready to go riding, my love?”  He smiled,
feeling a wave of love for the little girl, as she stroked his long ponytail.

“Yes.”  She smiled engagingly at him.  “Can Avery
come with us, papa?  Please?”

“I’m going to be joining you, sweet girl.”  Victoria
patted her leg and Sophia gave her a look of distrust.  “Won’t that be
fun?”

“I want Avery.”  The little girl muttered and buried
her face in her father’s neck.

Avery squeezed her thin shoulder.  “I cannot, my
love.  I have work to do.  You will have fun with your father and
Lady Victoria.”

Maya held out her hand to Avery.  “Walk with me to the
common room, Avery.  Marshall is waiting for me.”

She looked to Vivian.  “Shall I take Nicholas back, my
lady?”

Vivian shook her head.  “No.  I will keep him with
me a while longer.”

Avery took Maya’s hand and the sisters left the nursery.