A Mate for the Savage (4 page)

Chapter Five

Audrey was shaking, every part of her tense, the fight or flight mode waging war inside of her. Styx had disappeared down the corridor only seconds ago, and the creature’s ear-piercing wail echoed throughout the cavern. There was a second of silence, and she held her breath, not sure what was going on. Styx had taken a massive looking sword before he left, and all she could think of was him fighting that beast. How could he even possibly survive something like that? The beast looked like something out of a nightmare, and it had been intent on having her as dinner.

But then there was more screeching, followed by what sounded like metal on the stone. That fight seemed to go on forever, and as much as she wanted to leave, she was frozen in place, staring at the opening and expecting the beast to emerge.

Styx saved me even though I ran from him.

She shouldn’t have cared either way, but even telling herself that he’d taken her, claimed she was his, didn’t dim the fact he’d saved her life for the second time.

She rose up, her hands in tight fists at her side, her focus trained on the entrance of the corridor. Her heart was beating so fast and hard it almost drowned out the sound of fighting … almost. She heard grunts from Styx echoing off the walls, heard that terrifying creature screech out, and then there was nothing, silence, stillness.

Her pulse beat wildly at the base of her throat, and she started to move backward, away from the opening, not sure if Styx or that creature would be the one that emerged.

She turned and saw another very short corridor, this one lit up brightly. There were two semi-large caverns that split off from the short corridor, but she could see there were no exits in either one of them.

Nowhere to escape.

And then it was like the air chilled. Audrey turned slowly, faced the corridor where Styx had disappeared, and held her breath. It seemed like ages when all she saw was darkness and all she heard was silence. But then Styx emerged, blood covering his arms and chest, and chunks of what looked like scaly flesh hanging from the longer strands of his hair. He stopped when he saw her, his sword hanging by his side, meat and blood dripping from it. All Audrey could do was stand there, frozen in place, her pulse beating hard, her mind racing.

Styx looked like a warrior, a crazy, powerful killer that didn’t care if his opponent was a six hundred pound winged beast.

He moved closer, set his sword against the rocky wall, and held his hand out to her. “Come here, my female.”

This is insane.

But despite the craziness of all of this, Audrey found herself moving toward him, not sure why she obeyed him, but not able to stop either. Despite the blood covering him, Audrey saw the gaping claws marks underneath all the gore.

“Have you been injured?” he asked.

She found herself shaking her head.

“But you’re hurt,” she said, not thinking about it, but the words rolling off her tongue. Lifting her gaze to her face, she knew this man should frighten her, that she should fight just as hard to stay alive as he’d fought that creature. But she couldn’t find that emotion, couldn’t find that desire. Not right now.

He’s saved me twice, and all because he sees me as his.

“It’s but a scratch.”

No, it wasn’t, but she didn’t respond.

The only people that had ever cared for her with such intensity were her mother and brother. But they were gone, and she was alone in this crazy, dangerous world. In just a short time her family had been murdered, she’d been kidnapped, sold into sexual slavery, nearly died twice, and now she found herself a barbarian’s mate.

It was all so crazy it was almost fantastical.

With one more lingering look at her, Styx moved past her and into the cooking chamber. She turned and watched him grab a strip of cloth, a basin, and then he moved over to the bathing chamber. She’d been so afraid of the situation and the creature, that she hadn’t even realized there was a small pool of water in the bathing chamber … a natural cavernous spring.

He filled the basin with water and turned around to walk toward a raised stone platform, which she assumed was the table, and set the items down on it. She continued to watch as he grabbed several vials that held herbs and powders, and pour the items into the water. Audrey was fascinated as she stared at him, her heart still beating fast, but not from fear or worry. This man intrigued her. She’d only been in his presence for a short time, and despite his very primal and barbaric ways, especially concerning her, she was curious.

He defeated that monster to protect you, because you’d been a fool in trying to leave, even if it had sounded like the only option.

He saved me.

Audrey found herself moving toward him and reaching out for what he held. She took the rag from him, powder and herb water dripping from the cloth and onto her hand and down her arm.

Styx didn’t move as he looked at her, maybe wondering what she was doing. For a man so big, so monstrous in size and power, she felt safe, and there was no fear moving though her. It was strange, insane even, because she knew she should have feared him just as much as she did that creature that he’d slain. Yes, a part of her wanted to leave, because being a captive for anyone wasn’t the life she wanted. But right now, in this moment, she didn’t feel like a captive, not with the way Styx looked at her.

Possession.

Desire.

The need to protect her at all costs.

Yes, he had no right to keep her here against her will, but he’d saved her life on more than one occasion now, tended her when she’d been injured, and all he asked in return was she be his partner in this world.

But that is asking so much, isn’t it?

Pushing everything else aside, Audrey moved closer to him again, her heart in her throat and her hands shaking. Water continued to drip down her arm as she looked into Styx’s face. She lifted her hand and brought the cloth to his chest and ran it along the first gash. There were three in total, all deep, and she knew they’d need to be closed manually or they wouldn’t heal.

But he’s not fully human. Does he heal like I do?
She cleaned off the blood and dirt, keeping her focus on his chest, and not trusting herself to stray away from this task. She didn’t know how she felt right now … relief, thankfulness, but also arousal.

A part of her knew running might not have been the smartest move, at least not so soon after coming here, but a much louder, stronger part said she’d done the right thing, even if it could have ended far worse than it had.

Patting the wounds with the cloth, Audrey breathed in and out slowly. “My name is Audrey.” She lifted her gaze from the wounds to his face, saw he was already focused on her intently, and swallowed. Her throat was so damn tight and dry, and all because of his gaze.

“Audrey.” He said her name in his darkly and deeply accented voice. A chill raced up her spine, and she lowered her head to finish cleaning the wounds. But the feel of his fingers under her chin, forcing her head up and back so she could look at him, had her stilling her movements.

He looked down at her lips, and she found herself licking them involuntarily, as if his focus on them was like a tangible touch from his finger. He whispered something low, almost needy in nature, but it was in a different language, one that was beautiful as much as it was harsh, raw.

“You clean and tend to your mate like a proper wife,” Styx said, his eyes half-lidded, as if his emotions controlled him.

How can I want anything but escape from this barbarian?

“You were hurt saving me. It’s the least I can do.” Audrey was surprised she’d even been able to form a word, let alone say all of that.

“I would have died fighting off that beast to make sure you were safe.”

Her heart stopped, her hand still on his wide, massive chest, and she felt like everything around her disappeared. She could have told herself it was just words, that anyone could say them to get what they wanted. But hearing Styx say them, actually feeling the sincerity behind them, she knew this man would have laid down his life for her.

Had she been living in a world so twisted and corrupted, that even the thought of someone being so devoted to another person, even after just a day, seemed abnormal? Did this happen with his people, with his kind? Did they have the instant attraction and mating need when they saw whom they wanted?

“But you don’t even know me,” she whispered, not finding her voice. “You’d die for someone you just met?”

He cupped her cheek and smoothed his finger over her cheek. “For my mate, for you, I’d die a thousand deaths just to make sure you were not hurt.”

Gods, what in the hell am I getting myself into? Why am I feeling this intense attraction for the man that told me I was basically his captive?

Before she knew what was happening, or could even process her thoughts and how she felt, Styx added a bit of pressure to her face before leaning down and pressing his mouth to hers.

Audrey was frozen in place at that first feel of his lips on hers. And when he stroked her mouth with his tongue, having her clit tingle and her arousal heighten, she let the cloth drop from her grasp.

His lips were firm, full, and the flavor of him reminded her of the wilderness, of the danger that surrounded them. Her fingers started tingling, and she felt her heart start to jackknife behind her ribs. She wanted to touch him, but another part of her, maybe the part with common sense and survival instinct, told her this man was not her friend, was not someone she should be submitting to.

But Audrey couldn’t help it and certainly couldn’t stop herself from getting swept away in the kiss. And then when he dipped his tongue in her mouth she said screw it all. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, or the fact she couldn’t deny there was arousal and definite chemistry moving between them. All she knew was her emotions were high right now, and she didn’t want to come back to reality.

She braced her hands on his thick biceps, knowing that what she was allowing to happen went against all reason. But right now she didn’t care. Gods, she didn’t care.

Chapter Six

She was sweet and so fucking soft against him. And when Audrey touched his arms, curled her nails into his flesh, his cock jerked like it had a mind of its own. Styx wanted her, wanted to lay her upon the furs of his pallet and claim her. He wanted his mark on her, his babies growing inside of her, and wanted her to admit she was his.

No one will ever have you but me. You’re my female, my mate.

He grabbed the back of her head at the same time he stroked her tongue with his. She gasped against his mouth. He started walking them backward, the primal side of him rising up and roaring out to take her, to claim her because she was his mate in every way.

When the cavern wall stopped their movements, he groaned into her mouth, his cock hard, demanding. But she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. As hard as it was, Styx took a step back. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth open and glossy, and her eyes wide. Styx was nearly to the point where his animalistic side—the part of him that only emerged when he was going to claim his mate—would have come out and all he would have been able to focus on was the mating.

“Your eyes,” she breathed out. “Your … teeth.”

Yes, he knew what he looked like, knew that because of his need to claim her, his eyes had gone darker, the pupils nearly taking up the white of his eyes. And his teeth, or more so the upper fangs that were on either side of his front teeth, probably made him look just as beastly as the creature he’d slain.

She started shaking her head. “I can’t do this.” She exhaled. “What am I thinking? You want to keep me your captive. I can’t be a prisoner. I can’t be what you need or want.”

He made a low, animalistic sound in the back of his throat and moved closer to her again. He placed a hand on either side of her head, caging her in, and leaned in so their faces were only an inch apart. Styx inhaled deeply, and he smelled her resolve, her need to not be seen as a caged animal, as a prisoner. But he also scented her arousal, the fact she was wet between her thighs … for him.

“Let’s get one thing straight, my female.” He stared right in her eyes and moved one of his hands closer to her face so he could run his thumb along the shell of her ear. “I may never harm you, may always protect you, and see you’re cared for, but never underestimate what a male will do, and the lengths they’ll go, for their mate.” He leaned in another inch until their lips were close enough when he spoke they’d brush together. “From the moment I saw you I knew you’d be mine.”

She shook her head but didn’t say anything.

“Oh yes, female. You are mine, and there isn’t anything or anyone, man or beast, that will take you from me.” He grinned, but it wasn’t one of amusement or to ease her. He wanted her to see how serious he was. “You can claim you don’t want this, but I can smell how wet that virgin pussy is for me.” He couldn’t stop the low growl that left him.

“I’m not some piece of property you can claim,” she said softly and swallowed, obviously trying to seem stronger than she felt. Her arousal hadn’t dimmed, and Styx knew as much as she fought it, it claimed her as much as it did him. “I was running from servitude, and I won’t be subjected to it again.”

He lifted his hand and pushed the long fall of her fire colored hair away from her neck. “It’s an honor to be mated.” He looked down at her lips. “And you are not being kept here as my prisoner.” He lifted his gaze to her face again. “But make no mistake in thinking you can run from me.” He ran his finger along the side of her throat, her pulse beating wildly beneath her ear. “I have your scent ingrained in my very cells,” he growled the words out. “I can find you anywhere, my female, and I will track you if you’re ever taken from me.”

“You’re a barbarian,” she said, but there was no heat or even disgust in her words.

He didn’t deny what and who he was. He took a step closer until he heard her gasp and knew she felt his cock pressing against her upper stomach. “You feel that?” he asked, but she didn’t respond, just licked her lips. He bared his teeth so she could see his fangs again. “You see these?” Again she didn’t respond. “I’m going to claim you by taking your virginity, by shoving my cock so far into you, you won’t know where I end and you begin.” His cock jerked after he spoke, and her eyes widened further. He leaned close so his mouth was by her ear now. “And I’ll use my fangs to pierce this pretty throat of yours, take your essence into my body, and leave my mark so every other male knows who you belong to.”

She was breathing harder, faster, and the scent of her arousal moving higher was like a flower blooming.

He leaned back so he could look in her eyes again. Styx placed his hand right over her belly, and although she probably wouldn’t take kindly to what he was about to say, he needed her to see exactly how determined and serious he was about this whole situation. “And every single time I take you, claim you, wife, I’ll make sure to fill you up with my seed until it slips out of your hot little pussy.”

This little sound left her, maybe outrage, but also maybe with a hint of desire.

“And I’ll keep filling you up until I put my baby right here.” He added a little pressure to her belly. He watched her chest rise and fall. “I don’t think you fully understand what it means to be mated to me, female. But you will, and very soon.”

****

Several days later

Audrey could have said she was too afraid of Styx to try to escape again, or that there was no hope of her getting down the mountain. She could even say the beasts out there in the wilderness had her too afraid to try to run. Audrey could have said that and more, but the truth was it wasn’t those things that kept her where she was, but the fact she was so confused by her own emotions concerning Styx that had her in this cave.

He had his back to her, was crouched on his haunches, and cooked some kind of meat he’d caught just earlier this morning. Although he’d only been gone for an hour or so, and she probably could have explored more of the cavern that led to the outside, the truth was she’d been afraid. He’d told her she was safe being alone in the cave during the daylight hours because the most dangerous of predators came out at night. But of course all she thought about was that hideous creature that had wanted her as a meal.

Maybe Styx had known she wouldn’t try to leave? Maybe he’d known, even if there hadn’t been a beast intent on tearing her apart, that she didn’t know how in the hell to get down from this mountain?

Killing herself wasn’t an option, and she wasn’t even contemplating that. This set-up Styx had wasn’t horrible—isolated, lonely, yes, but he hadn’t forced himself upon her, hadn’t raped her, and she started to feel something stronger. She couldn’t understand it, didn’t even know if she wanted to. It scared her, confused her, but most of all frustrated her. Telling him she wasn’t a prisoner and would never be only had him nodding in agreement. Was he so blind and consumed with this whole “mating” thing he kept talking about that he didn’t see keeping her here, knowing she couldn’t leave, was the same thing as having her behind bars or chained up?

She let her gaze linger over the bulging muscles of his back, at the definition, the pronounced strength. Styx should frighten her, realistically, because she knew how much stronger he was. There was no doubt he could crush her and not even think twice about it. But he’d cared for her, made sure she was healed. He’d tended to the wound at her side, and after the encounter with the winged beast he’d washed her feet and spread this balm on her soles. And then he’d held her each and every night, wrapping his big body around hers, and making her feel safe when maybe she shouldn’t, when maybe she should have fought harder.

How could she hate someone, even if he kept her here, when he’d only shown her compassion?

He stood and faced her, holding a stone platter with strips of meat on it. Her stomach growled at the sight, even if she’d seen the bizarre looking creature he’d dressed and cooked, and now served her.

“Eat, mate,” he said in his gruff, very male voice. He came closer to her and sat down beside her, his focus trained on her, always on her.

There was a larger bandage on his chest, right over the wounds. She’d been the one to clean his flesh, and apply this paste on the gouges. The paste had been what he’d given her, telling her it was formulated from the herbs of the forest, specializing in prompt healing. Where Audrey came from there were herbs that had medicinal purposes, but nothing that would speed recovery.

Once again this made her realize she was out of her element and had her feeling like she was in another world altogether.

Looking at his face for a second and then lowering her gaze back to his chest, she lifted her hand and touched the warm, firm flesh on his chest, right beside the bandage. She saw and felt him tense, and stole another glance at his face. His gaze was still trained right on her, his eyes seeming hard, his body controlled.

“I just want to make sure it’s healing well,” she whispered. When she had the bandage pulled away shock filled her. The wounds on his chest from the fight with that winged creature had not only closed, but also seemed completely healed, and in only a few short days.

“How is that possible?” she found herself saying more to herself than him.

This just solidified even more that he was not human. The wounds, which were only a few days old, should have still been raw, fresh. Or at least they should have been if he’d been of her species.

And he’s not of your species, no matter how much he resembles it.

“My kind heals faster than yours.”

She looked into his face. “You let me clean and dress it even though you knew it would be healed so quickly?”

The corner of his mouth tilted. “I liked having my female tend to me.”

Her heart started pounding a little harder at his words and the possessiveness that filled his voice.

He lifted the plate of meat to her again. “Eat,” he said a little gentler than normal, and she felt herself relaxing, not because she was nervous around him, but because she was perpetually on edge with desire.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed one of the cooked pieces of meat, the strip warm and smelling surprisingly good.

“You need to gain more weight,” Styx said, but he didn’t make it seem like it was an accusation, or even disgust, but more so filled with worry and genuine sincerity.

She started eating the meat, and for a few seconds Styx just watched her, as if he wanted to make sure she was actually eating. He did this a lot, making sure she was fed before him. Only when he was obviously content with how much she’d consumed, did he start eating. They sat in silence as they finished off the strips of meat. He got them something to drink, and the liquid was warm and tasted familiar, like cinnamon and honey.

When she was finished with her drink and eating, she leaned back against the wall and watched as Styx devoured the rest of the meat. He was a huge man, and the amount of food he consumed on a daily basis was as impressive as it was shocking.

“Will you ever let me leave this cave?” The truth was she had no desire to leave the cave, not now that she knew the kind of insane creatures lurking out there. But realistically she couldn’t stay in this mountain forever.

Styx looked at her, and for long seconds he didn’t speak. Finally, he moved over to the wall a few feet from her and leaned against it. The longer he stayed silent, the more the air seemed to thicken. “Is leaving something you’d truly want to do?”

She looked at the ground and thought about what he said. “There’s danger no matter where you are, but keeping me ‘locked’ in here isn’t right.” She glanced at him again. “Even if I agreed to stay and not fight you, that I’ll stay here and be with you in the way you want…” She stopped speaking and thought about that. Instantly her body heated. She saw the way Styx flared his nostrils, and she knew he smelled her lust. Clearing her throat, she steeled herself and spoke again. “Even if I agreed to all that, you can’t expect me to stay here. I need to be able to fight, to live. I need to be a partner, like you claim I am, and not a prisoner.”

He didn’t speak for long seconds again, but then she heard him exhaled. “You’re right.”

To be honest she was surprised he’d agreed with her. Audrey could see him fighting
her
on this, on demanding she was his, and he’d do with her as he pleased, even keeping her in this cave.

“If you want to explore, you do so with me. You wouldn’t last out there alone.”

She took no offense to that, because after seeing that one creature coming at her she knew she wouldn’t last out there by herself. Audrey wasn’t a fighter and never had been. She’d lived a peaceful, farming life, had never wanted anything more than to be comfortable and keep her family fed. But they were gone now, and as much grief as she felt for that, as much sorrow that filled her, Audrey had stayed strong and didn’t let it consume her. Her mother and brother wouldn’t have wanted that.

Besides, she’d done so much crying during her trip to the auctions that she didn’t know if she had more tears to shed.

“Okay,” she finally said, feeling trepidation, but also excitement filling her that they’d at least come to this compromise. The thing was, Audrey didn’t think about herself as a captive, not really, and not since Styx had saved her from that creature. But she also knew she couldn’t just be here and waste away.

“You will stay here with me without any fighting?” he asked, leaning in an inch closer. “You want to be my mate?”