Viking's Love (25 page)

Sighs and soft moans escaped her as he
worshipped her with his lips and mouth and hands. She was trembling
with readiness when he rolled over her. She cried out in delight
when he thrust deep inside of her.

The intense pleasure was too much to bear as
he took her slowly this time, savoring the feel of their bodies
moving together as one. Joran was delighted she came to him
willingly now, and each time he rose and fell over her, he felt her
desire grow.

Her nails scored his shoulders. He felt her
tightening around him. He held back his own voracious need for
release until he felt her shudder and tightened around him. He bore
her into the mattress and was groaning as her long legs wrapped
around him allowing him to go even deeper inside her.

Allisande was keening in pleasure when he
finally reared up and spilled his seed within her, clutching him to
her tightly. The force of their lovemaking made him quiver as the
spasms shook him.

Joran held her tightly until his crisis
passed. He slid off of her and rolled to his side. He brought her
with him and closed his eyes, breathing raggedly. He held her
tenderly, his eyes filled with the wonder of what happened between
them every time they touched. The fiery passion took over. It was
no ordinary mating.

Joran was conflicted by his growing feelings
for his captive. She lay in his arms drowsily. He smiled as
Allisande lay with her head upon his chest. Her hand splayed over
his heart, feeling its steady rhythm. His hand captured her tiny
one and held it.

They did not speak. There was no need for
words. He was grateful she did not seek to break the fragile peace
between them at that moment. They lingered in his bed for hours. He
explored her at his leisure, learning what pleased her and teaching
her how to please him.

Allisande was eager for him and pulled him to
her at the last when she could take no more of his teasing. The
last encounter was so powerful, Allisande wept in his arms when he
brought her to her peak, muttering incoherently and thrashing her
head upon the pillows.

Joran was so sated he loathed to rise to be
about his duties. She was quiet as they dressed. He could see the
confusion in her eyes, the doubts lingering there. He knew she felt
guilt at taking pleasure in his bed. It put her at great odds with
her conscience.

Joran reached out and brushed her hair off
her shoulder. He leaned down to kiss her lips lingeringly. He met
her troubled gaze with a gentle smile. “There is no one here but
us, Allisande. We do nothing wrong by enjoying one another. You
must not feel shame for what we do here.”

“
You are not my husband!” Allisande
drew away from him and gave him her back, tears filling her eyes as
she realized her feelings for him finally. It was impossible to
deny this attraction, or the way she craved the man’s attentions as
she did. She reasoned she confused lust for true affection like
most women often did to their own detriment. Joran would tire of
her and cast her aside. What he felt for her was only passing
interest. “I cannot help but see that it is wrong.”

“
You are selfish to deny your desires.”
Joran slid his tunic over his head and spoke to her back. “My Gods
embrace self gratification and pleasure while we are of this world.
I do not understand any who would seek to deny themselves the
pleasures of the flesh.”

“
It is sacred between a husband and
wife!” Allisande argued hotly as they debated his paganism versus
her Christian beliefs once more. A tear fell upon her cheek. “You
have made me little more than your whore now. Forgive me if I feel
it is wrong.” She spun about to face him, her violet eyes filled
with dread. “What if I should bear a child from my time here? Does
being a bastard make you wish to inflict such upon another, with so
little thought?”

“
A child is always a possibility,”
Joran said quietly, and shrugged his shoulders to her dismay. She
realized he didn’t seem to mind if he sent her back to her brother
carrying his bastard within her. “You worry needlessly. It hasn’t
even happened yet.”

“
You have done little to prevent it!”
Allisande wiped away her tears with disgust at his nonchalance. His
eyes flared at her words.

“
You don’t seem to mind accepting my
seed when we lay together, Allisande! Why do you throw this in my
face?” Joran asked and met her gaze directly. “You want me,
Allisande, as much as I want you! You lie only to yourself. I feel
you under me, accepting me, lady. You want me and tell yourself you
are forced, but we both know it is not true any longer. I will keep
the child if you are found to be breeding. Does this ease your
worries of the future?”

It did not. The thought of bearing his
bastard and leaving it behind to be raised by him was abhorrent to
her. She didn’t try to reason with him, seeing he would argue every
point to keep her in his bed.

Joran didn’t care he ruined any chance for
her to make a decent marriage, nor did he care that he would label
an innocent babe a bastard out of his own selfish lusts. She made a
disgusted noise and ignored him, combing her hair out, refusing to
speak of it anymore.

Joran was irritated she chose to pick a fight
with him when he was still basking in the pleasure they enjoyed in
his bed that afternoon. He knew she deliberately tried to create
strife between them in order to keep him from getting too close to
her. She withheld some part of herself from him, making him want to
conquer her even more.

Joran stomped out of the room and slammed the
door and retreated to the hall, mindful of those that watched him
as he descended the stairs. He schooled his angry features. He
would quell the gossip about him and his slave. It was no one’s
business what went on with him and Allisande behind closed
doors.

Grogan arrived just then, and seemed relieved
more of the tea had been made by Elwynn and retreated to care for
his wife. He was once again left alone, and enjoyed the quiet.
Allisande came down and frowned when she saw they were once again
alone in each other’s company.

She didn’t wish to argue with him anymore.
Joran didn’t care about her feelings. She retreated to speak with
Elwynn and learned the tea had been distributed to all those
afflicted with the illness, and was informed she accomplished
supper on her own.

Allisande was disappointed she had nothing to
do and went back out into the hall to see Joran looking over maps
upon his table. He eyed her approach with a lazy smile that took
her breath away. She sat next to him and looked at the maps upon
the table questioningly.

“
What do you have against the Baron
Luxtley?” Allisande watched him studying the maps. He stiffened at
her direct inquiry regarding the intended raid. He folded the maps
and gazed at her with an angry look.

“
It doesn’t concern you. Mind your
business!”

“
It is my business when he was my
father’s closest ally. You plan to raid his home as well,” she said
coldly. “What harm is it in telling me why my life has been
destroyed by you and your Viking comrades? I would know why you
raided Lockwraithe when my father had a truce with Ivar. He
extorted monies from my father for years to leave Lockwraithe
untouched, and betrayed him in the end.”

Joran looked at her with disbelief. She
obviously knew nothing of what Harold had been up to. She was
demanding he tell her the truth. He knew she deserved to hear it,
but he knew that truth would never be accepted by her. “Your
father, along with Luxtley and the Earl of Ulsted were in collusion
with Ivar for years. They gave him information on shipments of
riches, and arranged the raids on their wealthy neighbors. They
shared the wealth and grew greedy and betrayed him finally. They
lured his men to the woods in Northumberland where a Saxon army
waited to butcher his men. He has sworn to avenge himself against
them all. Your father lied to you. He never paid for protection. He
never needed any.”

“
It is a lie! All of it is false!”
Allisande slammed her hand upon the table. “My father would never
have done such a thing! He is loyal to the king! What you are
saying is that my father was a traitor to his own people! What
treachery is this? Does your father ever need excuses to kill and
destroy? Do not excuse it by spreading such tales about innocent
people!”

“
Harold was no innocent in this! You
ask to know the truth, but you refuse to accept it!” Joran’s eyes
grew dark with anger as he gazed down at her livid features. “The
raid on Lockwraithe was done out of retaliation. Ivar’s son
perished in the massacre, my older brother, Theron! You know
nothing of who your father truly was, nor Luxtley. They wanted Ivar
dead to cover their tracks for their thievery! You ask for the
truth, but you refuse to believe it!”

“
My father was a good and just man! He
only tried to protect his people, and he is labeled a traitor for
it! The king does the same, and none call him a traitor to his
country!” Allisande gazed at her Viking captor with growing
hysteria, seeing the truth in his face and flinching inwardly. “He
would never plot with the Vikings against his own neighbors! You
would say anything to relieve your conscience for killing innocent
people to steal their wealth!”

“
Believe what you wish, Allisande, but
ask yourself why Ivar refrained from raiding Lockwraithe and
Luxtley’s holdings, but all those around them were raided all these
years? You think it was an oversight on our parts? No, your father
made a bargain with Ivar, and he reneged! He is as much to blame
for your people’s deaths as Ivar was! He worried Ivar would betray
him to his king, and thought killing my father would end his
complicity once he achieved the wealth he desired.”

Allisande was shaking with ire as she rose
from her seat, her violet eyes narrowed with loathing. He grabbed
her wrist and dragged her back to her seat when she would have left
him.

“
You run away to avoid hearing the
truth!” Joran refused to let her go as he continued on heartlessly.
“Would it surprise you to know he arranged the raid upon Luxtley’s
own brother-in-law? I was there the day Luxtley met with Ivar! Do
not pretend he was a good and just man, for in your heart you know
his was as black as Ivar’s, maybe even blacker, for Ivar would
never betray his own people for wealth!”

“
Luxtley knew of this?” Allisande was
shocked and dismayed thinking of Lady Leonie and what had been done
to her. Luxtley had been involved in the raid which exiled his own
sister in shame.

“
Luxtley is the one who approached Ivar
with the plan to raid his brother-in-law’s holdings,” Joran said
quietly. “He allowed his sister to wed the man. He decided to have
Ivar steal her dowry back for him. I swear to you that I was there,
and saw both men in that clearing that day. I heard your father say
that Luxtley’s sister would be better off dead than to remain with
the likes of the Baron Waltham.”

Allisande’s shoulders sagged at his words.
She couldn’t deny his words, for it all made sense now. She met his
gaze unwaveringly, a glimmer of tears in her eyes. “Does my brother
know of this?” A hand covered her mouth in shock at his regretful
nod.

“
Collin was never a part of the raids
to my knowledge. He knew your father was stealing from the king,
and could do nothing,” Joran said in resignation, seeing how
devastated she appeared. “Your brother turned a blind eye to it
until the Baron Waltham’s home was raided. The rest you know.
Lockwraithe, Luxtley, and Lord Ulsted decided to break from Ivar by
killing him. He sent Theron in his place that day. It is the only
reason he lives. That is all I know.”

Allisande wiped away her tears. She said
nothing as a serf approached with a small tray of food. She had no
appetite after learning her father planned the raids and killings
of her neighbors for years to garner their wealth. She would hear
the truth from Collin as well when she returned home in the spring.
She met his sympathetic gaze without expression.

“
What of Ulsted?” Allisande’s violet
eyes filled with outrage. “What have you planned for
him?”

“
That is the reason for Ivar’s visit
now,” Joran admitted with a sigh. “I cannot say. His holdings lie
too far south to merit an easy target for a raid by sea. Ivar has
been planning the earl’s fate since my return from Lockwraithe. He
stays at court to hide behind Alfred’s robes for now. My father
will have his vengeance.”

Allisande stared unseeing at her hands
clenched in her lap, feeling despair at his admissions. She was
trembling when she thought of all the innocents who died out of
greed for riches. She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea made bile
rise in her throat.

She thought of the wealth she had grown up
with and took for granted. Learning how it had come to be there
made her feel ill. Her eyes met his worriedly. “What of me? Surely
your father has some plan for me? Did he not arrange my abduction?
What of my fate?”

“
I took you to spare you Wulfstan’s
wrath! You were never part of any plan!” Joran said in a clipped
tone. “I cannot answer your question, for he has said nothing of
any plan he intends for you. He is satisfied you are my slave. He
means you no harm now, if that is what you think?”

“
Why do you tell me all of this now?”
He saw her eyes filled with pain and hesitated to comfort her. She
needed to know the truth or she would never adjust to her new life
in the event no ransom arrived. She put much stock in her brother’s
honor. Joran doubted Collin of Lockwraithe would meet the ransom
demands. He would prepare her for that eventual pain.