The Toll (29 page)

“
Gersthart,” I choked out,
“please, I...” Too late, I realized I’d used his real name. “I... I
mean, uh, Troll... er, uhm, Bektam!”
Shit!
Or bollocks, or whatever I’m supposed to say!
Ducking my head, I bent a little and covered my neck and face
as best as I could.
That’s usually the
first things he goes for,
I’d
remembered.
“B-b-b-bektam...” I tried
again, wondering if I’d even gotten it correct.
That is what the other troll had called him, Bektam, right? I
think.

The troll storming towards me, my
Troll, yet disturbing not my troll, let out another ear splitting
roar, decidedly different than the first one, followed by a
thundering growl.

Hugging myself into a tight ball
protectively, I tensed from head to toe, the sound of his rushed,
bounding steps sending a shot of adrenaline coursing right through
me. Breath panting out, heart beating like a steel drum, I leaned
heavily on the wall behind me, bracing my trembling body before we
made impact.

It never happened.

A large, monstrously imposing mass of
male and flesh stopped right before me, panting heavily between
sucking in deep lung-fuls of air, inhaling deeply and letting it
out slowly, until it sounded as if he had somewhat calmed
himself.

Braving to have a quick look, I peeked
between the safety of my folded arms to see his massive body
heaving, his chest rapidly rising and falling as he reached a hand
out to touch me, as if he didn’t believe I was truly
here.

Nostrils flared, his eyes looked jet
black and glazed over, a wildness about them that set my nerves on
edge, the pupils so large they swallowed up all of that deep,
glinting orange that normally surrounded them.

Leaning forward, he mumbled something
to himself in some other language, hand shaking hard as he fingered
a hank of my hair gingerly and closed his eyes, leaning in to drag
it to his nose, taking me right along with him. Wincing, I yelped
at the sudden hard tug.

Muttering under his breath with a
guttural, unrecognizable voice, he murmured something again,
shocking me as he moved lightning quick, dropping my hair and
gripping my shoulders, shoving me into the wall.

Squawking out a protest, I winced and
grunted at the sharp impact, throwing my hands up and slamming them
against his chest as he leaned forward and nuzzled me.

Grunting impatiently, he snuffled at
my shoulder, muttering and mumbling vehemently under his breath,
the words making absolutely no sense to me, thick, dark lips
grazing my skin.

Trying to keep my breaths steady and
even, I shivered at every hot press of his lips to my suddenly
chilled flesh, every accidental touch as they mumbled against me
teasing me senseless.

Against my better judgement, I wanted
more.

As his mumbling continued, I could
only hope he wasn’t cursing me again, spinning some kind of spell
on me that would only make life that much more
unbearable.

“
Please... I just... I
didn’t come to...”

His head shot up at the sound of my
voice, those deep black orbs eyeing me as I stuttered and stumbled
on how to get out of this.

“
I’m sorry,” I blurted,
glancing at the safety of the other side of the wall, gesturing
just beyond the blurring, magical veil. “I’ll... I’ll just
leave.”

Face twitching, pulling into a vicious
grimace, he snarled and shoved his face into mine as I motioned
towards it weakly, my hand falling limply to my side as my jaw
unhinged and I gaped openly.

At the look on my face, he shook his
head several times, squeezing his eyes open and shut as he boxed me
in, leaning his forearms on the wall on either side of
me.

“
No,” he gritted out
slowly, as if he was talking through a thick fog. Growling in
frustration, he snarled again and gripped my hips, shoving his face
back into my neck to nuzzle my skin.

“
I...”

“
NO,” he growled long and
low, wide chest vibrating as he bit at the tender flesh of my
nape.

Crying out at the contact, I jerked at
the unexpected nip, Troll’s wide, flat teeth clamping down as if he
thought I might try to run. My jaw clenched as I forbid myself to
call out or move, upsetting him further.

Stiff and knotted up, I held perfectly
still, my shoulder aching as he held on, like a wild animal,
unwilling to release his prey.

A deep, satisfied grumble rumbled up
his chest, and I let out the breath I’d been holding as his teeth
finally let go.

“
No. Leave.” The guttural
voice that tumbled out of him was raw and animalistic, deep, as if
from misuse. Sniffing at my skin, his tongue came out and laved at
the bite marks that would surely bruise, his hands running over me,
everywhere, making sure I was well and truly there. “No leavin’,”
he grumbled out again, stilling his hands on my hips.

Jumping right out of my skin, I
squeaked when he gave them a squeeze, his face moving down my body,
inhaling deeply, nuzzling and gently nipping at my chest through
the top of my dress.

His teeth gripped the ties at the top
and he bit down on them hard, spitting out the ends of the strings,
moving his hands from my hips long enough to tug my loose top
down.

My face blushed deep red, but it was
only partly in embarrassment. Another part of me, a very quiet,
hidden part, liked this side of him, liked it very much. The shame
I felt was my own, for my wicked mind.

My nipples pebbled as he buried his
face in the top halves of my breasts, growling and rooting around
until they were exposed completely, bared for his expressed
viewing. The cool air kissed my skin and goose flesh bumped up all
over me, the hard little nubs he nuzzled tightening to firm,
hardened buds. Finding one, he suckled on it, groaning as a low
moan tore from my lips.

“
Mine,” he snarled around a
mouthful of breast, sucking it hard before he let go, giving the
other one equal attention.

My fingers shot up and caressed his
ears, cupping him to me gently. I squirmed underneath his touch,
arching my chest up like an offering at each and every harsh,
drugging pull of his lips, biting nips of his teeth. I was writhing
and needy, unsatisfied, left wanting for his touch.

More
, I almost moaned out loud.
I want
more.

Thick, strong hands lifted the hem of
my dress, divesting me of my underthings with a determined
yank.

Ready to protest, I whimpered when his
lips released me, staring down at him as he knelt in front of me,
bunching my dress up to stare at my exposed sex.

Reaching up tentatively, he growled as
his free hand circled around my clit, then my outer lips, his
fingers playing in all the wetness, sliding through my glistening
folds.

“
Oh... ah...what are you, I
don’t...” Moaning out loud, I bit my lip as his hot breath fanned
out across my exposed sex, his warning growl shutting me
up.

Without further ado, his lips latched
onto my throbbing, aching pussy, and I cried out in relief, bucking
against him. Troll ate at me hungrily, lapping and tonguing me
voraciously, as if he was starved, and I ground into his face just
as eagerly, equally as famished for what only he could give
me.

As my climax drew closer, my fingers
tightened, gripping his shoulders as my legs threatened to
give.

He growled contentedly as I started
calling out, “Yes! Yes! Oh, there, ah, please... Oh!” swiveling my
hips as I chased after an elusive orgasm.

Right as I was about to shoot over, he
tore his lips away and lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his
waist as he lined us up. Cock head butting up against the mouth of
my sex, he slid home with unerring accuracy, both of us shouting
out at his all-encompassing invasion.

He felt thick, thick all the way
around, and thick all the way in, pumping in and out with grunting
thrusts, dragging his cock along my channel, burning it
deliciously, until he fit himself all the way, comfortably,
in.

“
You’re bigger,” I mumbled
between gasping pants, my nails digging into his shoulders. “It...
I... I think... I think it grew.”

His answer was a grunt and a growl as
he rammed his way home.

My head fell heavily on his shoulder
as my climax rushed through me, my legs clamping around him tight,
despite the pleasurable tremors wracking me, as I fully embraced my
release, purring happily as he bellowed out, following me
over.

As his own shudders eased, his legs
wobbled as he finished, and he flopped down on his ass, cushioning
my fall with his big body, grunting as he thudded along the hard
dirt floor, myself in tow.

The sound of our harsh breathing
filled the room, but neither of us was eager to break the silence,
content to just sit there, intimately entwined, woven around each
other in a tight embrace.

Troll flopped onto his back as his
breath evened out, leaving me mounted on top of him, staring down
at him as he watched me through lowered, slumberous
eyes.

“
They’re orange again,” I
breathed, studying his much more relaxed composure.

“
Ye brought me back,” he
grumbled, closing his eyes as he turned his face to the
ceiling.

My entire being relaxed as he rumbled
out full sentences once more. No more feral troll.

He must have sensed it somehow, noting
the marked difference, when all the tension built up in me slowly
seeped out, and peeked an eye open, watching me through hooded,
tiny orange slits. “Dinna be tellin’ me ye dinna know tha’, as
well.”

Relieved expression faltering, I
groaned, the conversation already quickly diminishing. “You know I
don’t,” I countered softly, hurting at how badly this always ended,
dreading the coming bickering and baleful bantering.

It wears on me so fast...
If only he would just explain.

Glancing away, I frowned and went to
slide off of him, but his hands put a stop to that right quick,
staying them in his firm grip as they grabbed my knees, sliding up
my thighs.

“
Must we always fight?” My
shoulders slumped and that ache in me intensified, craving him
acutely as he sat underneath me, right at my fingertips, yet it
felt as if he was miles within my reach, emotionally. “I hate when
we fight.”

Watching me searchingly, he studied
the look on my face, brow furrowing, pulling low over his deep set
eyes. I noted a hint of confusion in his harsh expression,
wondering at it.

“
How did ye find me?” he
asked after a moment.

He still thinks I’m
lying,
I thought morosely. The wariness in
his eyes stung.

Deciding to answer his question, I
shrugged and thought about it. “I don’t know,” I said honestly, “I
just kept trying to reach you, I guess, and then I fell asleep, but
then, when I realized I was asleep, I called to you.”

Blinking up at me, his brows pinched
tighter, his nose joining in on the scowling fun. “An’ tha’s it? Ye
thought it, fell asleep, an’ popped up here?”

Running my tongue along the roof of my
mouth, I bit my lip at the displeased look on his face, but
answered him anyways. “Well, yeah.” Taking a quick moment, I
glanced around at the inside of his cell, pointing beyond the
opening, “I kinda... uhm, got yanked over here.”

His lips tightened and he sat up, his
sated penis slipping from my depths. A little sigh escaped me at
the loss.

“
Jus’ like tha’?” He
snapped his fingers, setting me down gently on the floor in front
of him. “An’ ye magically appeared
, in
here.”
He put emphasis on that, that I
didn’t quite comprehend, but I nodded slowly. “An’ I’m jus’
supposed ta believe tha’, eh?” His gentleness with me belayed the
anger and gruffness in his voice, but I forged ahead.
Only honesty.

“
Yes,” I said
simply.

Closing his eyes again, his hand
scrubbed down his face, and he jerked back as he opened them, not
expecting me to lean in so close to him so unexpectedly.

“
Smell me,” I challenged,
offering my bruised, freshly bitten neck for him to sniff at, scent
me for a lie. Holding the top of my dress up to try and save some
of my modesty, I tilted my head to the side, my hair slipping
slowly off of my shoulder like a curtain of frizzy orange
fluff.

Troll’s face bunched up and he
groaned, his hand coming up to finger the bite marks at my neck
carefully, lightly tracing along the large, teeth shaped
indentations. Holding perfectly still, I held back the shiver I
felt at his touch.

“
I dinna mean ta do that.”
He mumbled it so quietly I almost didn’t catch it.

It was my turn to be surprised as he
placed chaste kisses along the damaged skin, sighing heavily as he
tugged me into his lap and cradled me close.

“
Canna claim a troll an’
desert him,” he mumbled into my skin. “Can kill me, nugget, if tha’
wasna what ye’d intended at the first. The loss of a bonded is
death ta us, ye know tha’. An’ death to ye too, if yer heart is
ever in it. The ache of a lost bonded never leaves. Go ta yer death
wantin’ ‘em.”