Fabric of Fate

Chapter Seven

Abrah knew he should walk away from Audrey. She’d made it clear she planned to leave when the tapestry returned. He’d explained everything to her but didn’t think she truly believed him. His word was his bond, his honor, and yet she doubted him. Never in his life would he have expected this turn of events.

And to have her offer him money to let her go had been like a sword thrust to his heart and his pride. He might not be rich but he would never be poor enough to take money from his woman. He could hunt and had a strong back. She would never be cold, never go hungry as long as he lived.

Which was a moot point since she had no plans to stay.

He knew she was having a difficult time coming to grips with the reality of the situation. From what he’d heard over the years, most tapestry brides did. Some accepted the situation more easily than others. Others never did and fled back to their homes as soon as the tapestry returned. Abrah honestly didn’t know what to do to convince Audrey his world was as real as hers. She’d seen the countryside. Gods, she’d been lost in the storm. What else was there to convince her that this was not a dream?

Then he’d understood there was no need to even try. She’d already made up her mind. But the tapestry had brought her to him and Heroc and they owed it to themselves to try to convince her to stay. Abrah had the feeling this was their one and only chance to have a woman of their own. If Audrey left them they would be alone forever.

He poured all his pent-up loneliness into the kiss he gave Audrey. He would not beg, would not plead with her to stay, but she would remember him long after she’d gone. She would go to her deathbed as an old woman with the taste of his kiss on her lips. It was only fair as he knew he would never forget it or her.

Her fingers dug into his scalp, holding him to her. The blanket slipped from her body and fell to the floor, tangling around her bare feet. Abrah scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

He wanted her and she was willing. There was no need for him to hold back any longer.

Her eyes were closed, the dark sweep of her lashes resting on her cheekbones. Gods, she was beautiful with her rosy skin and full, moist lips. She looked at him then, her blue eyes as brilliant as a summer sky.

Abrah stripped off his tunic and tossed it to the floor. Her gaze ran the length of his torso and stopped at his waist. He loosened the laces of his pants and slid them down his legs. His cock was standing erect, hard and firm, leaving her no doubt he was ready and willing to take her.

She licked her lips and his cock jerked toward her. He closed his eyes, knowing he’d lose control if he didn’t. He wanted her too much.

He bent down and yanked off his boots and pants. There was a rustling of bedclothes. His eyes snapped open as her hand stroked his hard length. He hissed out a breath but didn’t stop her. He wanted her hands on his cock, his heavy sac. He wanted her questing fingers everywhere on his body, wherever she wanted to touch him.

Her skin was soft and warm against his. His cock was close to exploding.

And then she scooted off the bed and knelt on the pile of his clothing, bringing her mouth incredibly close to his cock. Her breath was warm against his engorged flesh. He tangled his fingers in her curly hair. The stuff was soft, almost alive in the way it wrapped around his fingers.

She laughed and licked the head of his cock, twining her tongue around the wide crown. Abrah groaned and barely managed to keep from coming. Liquid seeped from the slit and she lapped at it with her clever pink tongue.

He anchored her to him, using his grip on her hair to tether her to him. He didn’t know how much he could take but he wanted everything she was willing to give him. She didn’t disappoint.

Audrey parted her lips and took his cock head into her mouth. Warm, wet heat surrounded him. He gritted his teeth and barely held on to his control. One of her hands cupped his sac, gently rolling it between her fingers. The other hand closed around his shaft.

It was too much. He wanted to be inside her. Had to feel the hot grasp of her pussy milking his cock as he came. Nothing else would do.

Without any warning, he plucked her from the floor and tossed her onto the bed. Her mouth gave a wet, popping sound as it released his cock. Abrah growled as he flung himself onto the bed bedside her.

He didn’t hesitate. There was no time. She had to be ready to take him. He positioned himself between her thighs, spreading them wide with his broad shoulders. Her pussy was pink and wet and welcoming. He inhaled her sultry scent and his cock jerked against the blankets. His balls were so tight they threatened to climb into his body.

He parted her slick folds with his thumbs and licked her pussy, lapping at the sensitive skin. She made tiny, whimpering sounds of pleasure that threatened to unman him. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she shifted her legs wider, welcoming him.

The hard nub of her clit was exposed, pushed back from its protective hood. He tongued the bud of nerves and Audrey cried out his name.

Audrey had never experienced anything like this in her life. Everything was too authentic to be a dream—this room, the crackling fire, the stone walls, but especially the man settled between her spread thighs.

She wasn’t asleep, wasn’t disoriented or hurt or cold. Was this real?

She was almost certain it had to be.

Then she couldn’t think at all when Abrah tongued her clit, pushing the nerve endings into overdrive. She called his name and gripped his shoulders, anchoring herself in the sensual storm.

He licked and sucked her folds, returning again and again to her clit to tease and arouse her. “Abrah.” She didn’t know what else to say, didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted.

“Are you ready for me?” He pushed one thick finger into her narrow channel, past constricting muscles.

“Yesss.” She was so ready. More than ready. She’d never been so ready.

“I am not certain you are.” He pushed a second finger into her pussy, stretching her to the limits.

“Aaahhh.” Words were beyond her. Rational thought, impossible. She was a sensual creature, lost in the wondrous sensations rocketing through her. She licked her lips and undulated her hips, trying to get him to stroke the exact right spot.

Abrah raised his head and gave her a wicked smile. The man was sex personified with his rugged good looks and knowing touch. He pressed his tongue against her clit and pulled his fingers almost all the way out of her hot cunt, curling them inward as he did so. He hit her sweet spot and she cried out.

Spasms of pleasure shot through her. Wet heat flowed from her core. “Mmm,” she murmured, feeling so good it should be illegal.

Abrah crawled up her body, anchored his thick arms beneath her thighs, lifted her hips and drove his cock into her in one smooth stroke.

She cried out as her body struggled to accommodate his impressive girth and length. Her inner muscles fluttered over and around his cock, making space for it inside her. She was stretched to the limits, the sensation bordering on painful but not quite reaching it. The way he was holding her made it impossible for her to limit how deep he went. Abrah was in control.

His long hair hung around his shoulders and down his back. His chest was slick with sweat, his muscles taut and delineated in the light from the hearth. He looked primitive and pagan and she wanted him.

His green-eyed gaze never left her face as he withdrew almost all the way and then pressed back in again. Her pussy fluttered and stretched. This time there was no pain. It felt incredibly good.

She arched her back, wanting all of him.

He smiled and it changed his features completely. Gone was the austere man and in his place was a younger-looking lover. Her sheath rippled around his cock and his smile disappeared, replaced by a look of steely determination.

His fingers dug into her hips, holding her in place as he started to fuck her. His strokes got faster and faster with each one he took. She couldn’t get a good hold on his shoulders so she gripped the bedclothes, fisting her fingers in it.

Her breasts ached for his touch, her nipples hard buds of desire. But there was no time. This was a primitive claiming. Abrah buried his cock in her pussy again and again. She felt the familiar building of heat. Her inner muscles quivered. She was close.

Abrah shifted, put one hand on her bottom and tilted her pelvis upward for maximum penetration. He slid the other one between their joined bodies and touched her clit with his finger.

Audrey came undone. “Abrah.” She thought she yelled his name but it was probably only a whisper. She couldn’t get enough breath in her body to scream. Her body shattered into a million pieces.

She felt his cock hammering into her, the slap of his balls against her ass. Then he was yelling, his head thrown back, his torso rigid. The hot flood of his release filled her and sent her into another flurry of spasms. Then he collapsed on top of her.

She gripped his slick shoulders and tried to catch her breath. She felt incredibly good, not ill at all. Maybe Abrah was just what the doctor ordered. A no-strings affair with a hot guy was just what she needed to relax her and get her mind off work.

He pushed up onto his hands, the motion driving his still-hard cock deeper into her core. She groaned and gripped his massive biceps, loving the hard feel of them beneath her palms.

“That was…” She licked her lips and tried again. “That was incredible.”

“It was.” He dropped a kiss onto the tip of her nose and rolled off her. She felt strangely bereft without him there and turned onto her side, pulling her legs up toward her chest. She could feel him withdrawing from her. Not physically. He was lying right next to her after all, but mentally, emotionally. She didn’t like it even though it was exactly what she wanted—hot sex with no messy ties.

She didn’t know what to say. The awkward moment was broken by a knock on the door. Before she could yank the blankets over her the door opened and Heroc walked in carrying a large tray with food and drink.

Audrey scrambled for the blankets, pulling one of them up to her chin. How embarrassing was this? She’d been caught red-handed in bed with his brother.

Heroc smiled and set the tray on the table. “Come and have something to eat.”

She was totally at a loss for words at his nonchalance. She was in bed with his brother. Didn’t he care? He’d had his hands all over her last night too.

Abrah rolled from the bed, not bothering to cover his nakedness. She couldn’t help but admire the taut muscles of his first-class butt or the thick furrow of muscles in his back as he raised his arms and stretched.

“Did you bring enough for all of us?”

Heroc nodded at his brother. “Of course.”

Abrah padded into the bathing chamber, disappearing from sight and leaving her to deal with Heroc on her own.

“Well this is embarrassing.” She could feel her cheeks getting warm. She might be a modern, independent woman but this situation was far outside her experience.

“Why?” Heroc walked to the bed, his gait fluid and silent for such a large man. Both men moved like that, reminding her of a big cat on the hunt. “You are a beautiful woman. How could Abrah not want you?”

He shocked her totally by dropping a warm kiss on her lips. Her mouth fell open and he swooped in to deepen the embrace, teasing her with his tongue. Her skin began to tingle and her pussy muscles clenched. What was she? Some kind of slut? She’d just had sex with his brother.

Audrey pulled back, totally shaken by her reaction.

Heroc frowned. “What is wrong? Are you sore? Was Abrah too rough?” He looked as though he would hit his brother if he thought that was true.

“No! No. He wasn’t rough at all. It’s not that.” She didn’t want to be the cause of a misunderstanding and possible violence between the two men.

He sat on the side of the bed next to her and picked up her hand. “Then what is it? Surely Abrah explained to you about our world.” Heroc brought her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

What had he told her? Both brothers would compete sexually for her favors. She hadn’t really believed him. She opened her mouth to speak and shut it again. What could she say? She didn’t understand these men or their world.

“It does not matter what I told her.” Abrah stepped out from the bathing chamber. He sauntered over to the side of the bed and picked up his pants, pulling them on. “She is going home as soon as the tapestry arrives.”

It felt like an accusation of the worst kind and a sliver of guilt pierced her. But why should it? She hadn’t asked to be brought here. “I have a life,” she began.

Abrah ignored her as he yanked on his boots and tunic. The warmth from their time together dissipated quickly, leaving her feeling cheap and easy.

“Tell me about it.” Heroc put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side.

“What is the point of talking?” Abrah lifted a four-foot sword from the wall. And how had she missed seeing that? He swung the blade easily in his hand, cutting it through the air several times. “She is leaving. Fuck her while you have the chance.” With that, he turned and strode from the room, leaving her alone with Heroc.

Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked hard to push them back, but one slid down her cheek. She tilted her head against her shoulder, brushing it away.

“Here now.” Heroc lifted her onto his lap, being careful to keep her blanket tucked around her. “No need for tears.” He used the corner of the blanket to wipe away a second tear.

He shook his head and sighed. “Forgive Abrah. He feels things too deeply and hides it behind anger.”

Audrey wasn’t sure she agreed with Heroc’s assessment of his brother’s behavior, but he did know him better than she did.

He tilted his head to one side. “You do not believe me.”

She shook her head. She couldn’t lie to him. “He made his position very clear.”

Heroc stood and strode to the table with her in his arms. “You must eat to keep your strength up.” He sat and pulled over the tray. “How about some bread?”

He was being so sweet to her she had to eat something even though her stomach was in knots and her headache was threatening to return. She picked up one of the thick slices of bread and nibbled on a corner. Flavor exploded on her tongue and she gave a moan of pleasure. How long had it been since she’d eaten anything?

Her stomach growled when the food hit it and she took another bite. Heroc pulled a wooden cup with a steamy liquid in it toward her. “I thought you might enjoy some tea.”

Audrey really wanted a cup of coffee. She’d hadn’t gotten used to her new status as a tea drinker yet and missed the punch coffee gave her. She knew that tea had to be her new beverage of choice if she hoped to get strong and healthy again. She just had to embrace the situation and make the best of things. Heroc had gone to a great deal of trouble to fix the tray of food for her and she truly appreciated his efforts. “That’s wonderful. Thank you.”

He lifted the cup toward her lips and she took a sip. “Careful,” he warned. “It’s hot.”

The warm liquid hit her stomach, releasing some of the knots in it. She took another nibble of bread.

“You eat and let me tell you about my home.”

Suddenly she wanted to know all about this place and the men who lived here. “Dannon Keep, right?”

Heroc nodded and grinned. “Very good.”

She felt like a prized pupil and a strange sense of pride filled her. To cover the unexpected emotion she took another bite of the delicious bread. There were slices of what looked to be a white cheese so she put a piece of it on top of the bread and tried it. Her eyes almost rolled back into her head it was so delicious. She had some more.

“It is only my brother and me now, and our people. Our father is dead these past three years and our mother and brother died of a fever this past year.”

She stopped eating and stared up at Heroc. Pain was etched on his handsome face. Pain she readily understood. “I’m so sorry. I lost my mother to cancer. It was only the two of us.”

“You are alone?” He seemed truly distressed by that news.

“Yes. But it’s okay,” she hastened to reassure him. “I’ve always depended on myself. Always knew I couldn’t depend on a ma—” She broke off before she finished not wanting to insult him, but he finished her statement for her.

“You knew you could not depend on a man.” He shook his head. “What is wrong with the men of your world?”

“Nothing. I just take care of myself.” And why that suddenly felt very hollow and lonely, she didn’t know. She’d always lived that way.

Heroc rubbed his large hand up and down her spine. “Even the strongest needs someone to lean on occasionally.”

“Even you?” He was strong and, she had no doubt, very capable of taking care of himself.

“Of course.” His eyes widened and he seemed truly shocked by her question. “I have Abrah and, before that, my family.”

“But no woman,” she pointed out. Most men had trouble making commitment.

He pulled her closer to his chest and rubbed the bottom of his chin against her scalp. “No, no woman. As I’m sure Abrah told you, women are scarce here and brothers must share one if they are blessed enough to find one who will join with their family.”

“He was serious about that?” She admitted to herself she’d thought that had been nothing more than a line designed to get her into bed.

Heroc tipped her back until she was resting against one broad arm and staring up into his face. His long, black hair was tied back, framing his incredible face, which was perfect except for the slight crook in his nose. Abrah’s face was a slightly rougher version of his younger brother’s. His usually smiling mouth was now a firm line of displeasure. She certainly had a knack of pissing off the Dannon brothers.

“Yes. It has been this way in Javara for hundreds of years.”

“How did it happen?” She freely admitted she was curious about this place. She’d probably be freaking out if she didn’t know she’d be leaving in three days, closer to two now. But both men had been adamant on that point and she believed them.

That in itself was shocking. But she tucked that thought away as Heroc began to explain.

“No one knows why it happened but more boys began to be born and far fewer girls. Within a few generations there were not many females left in our world. Men were killing one another, brother against brother and friend against friend. It was a bloody time in our history and threatened our entire existence.”

He rubbed his fingers over the curve of her cheek. “Men would have killed for the right to claim you.”

She shivered and he pulled the blankets more closely around her. “But not now?” Audrey couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea of someone killing in order to bed her.

“Not usually. Men share a woman now. Brothers can claim a woman between them. One for every three brothers. If there are four brothers they can claim two women if they can find them. Sometimes they even share among four if the woman is willing. Other families also have the right to challenge another if the woman is not claimed.”

“That sounds…” She didn’t quite know how to explain her thoughts. It was so different from the monogamous culture in which she lived. But even in her world people cheated and slept with others.

“I know there are many other cultures that do not live the way we do. That much has become obvious over the centuries, as tapestry brides have been brought here from many other worlds. It may seem strange to you but it is normal in Javara, a matter of survival.” He picked up her cup and brought it to her lips. “Drink before it grows cold.”

She automatically opened her mouth and took a sip of the tea. She couldn’t quite place the flavor but it was surprisingly good. Audrey pondered what he’d told her. She supposed any culture would do what it had to in order to survive. After all, humans had adapted over the centuries as well, the cultural norms changing as the state of the world did.

Heroc placed the cup back on the table. “Women are treated well here. Abuse, if it becomes known, is not tolerated. Women are too precious to us.” He ran a single finger down her neck and over her collarbone. The blanket slipped and was resting just above her breasts, a slight curve showing over the edge.

“Only one brother can claim the woman as wife. It is always her choice. The children are all his even though they may be sired by his brothers. Each brother gets one night a week in her bed.” His fingers dipped lower, pushing the blanket in their wake and exposing her nipples. He touched one with the tip of his finger. “Although some families are more fluid than that, sharing as they choose.”

She swallowed hard as her nipple puckered beneath his touch. “I’m not staying,” she reminded him.

His smile was gentle. “But I have more than two days to change your mind. And I have hope.” Before his words had sunk in, his hand closed gently around her breast and he kissed her, stealing the breath from her lungs.