Wild Things by Moondancer Drake
Pt 1
Chapter 1
“It went this way!”
With the sound of the dogs echoing in her ears, Cian McGregor ran for her life. Sweat trickled down her forehead and stung her eyes as she pushed her way through the thorns and brambles. Her head ached from the blow she took back at the boarding house, but she didn’t dare slow her pace. The hunters were after blood, and it was hers they most hungered for.
Six months. It had been six months since she got off the boat near the Tyrrel settlement in North Carolina. Cian had thought she‘d be safe, that they wouldn’t find her if she escaped to America. In truth she should have known it was hopeless all along. When Marshall Kieve and his men were sent after one of the Clan, in the end they always got what they wanted.
Cian dipped under the juniper bush and winced as some of her fur got caught in the jagged branches. Nothing to do about it now, they’d find her trail easily enough unless she found a way to out smart them. Consequences be damned, she wasn’t giving up yet. She just had to keep running.
Her paws barely touched the earth as she sprinted across the farmers field. The barking of the hunting dogs drew near, and her muscles screamed in protest. If her legs gave out now, she was worse than dead.
A horse reared in panic as Cian tore through the open paddock. This reaction was nothing compared to the yelp of surprise the farmer let lose at the sight of the huge Scottish wild cat. Cian ignored them both and ran for the line of trees that promised freedom just beyond the end of the property line.
With a cry of triumph, Cian crawled under the fence at the other end and darted into the woods. Wet leaves carpeted the forest floor. This would make tracking her a more difficult task. If only she could find a place to hide until the hunters moved on. Maybe then she could finally find peace.
But peace proved to be a fickle companion. No matter how she dodged and weaved through the trees, the hunting party kept pace. By the time Cian reached the river her body had been pushed far beyond its limits.
Her paws landed shakily on the slick rocks as she leapt from stone to stone across the river. She was far too weak to swim, and the water churned angrily around her. Cian reached the center stone, and it gave way beneath her. Before she could stop herself, the torrent dragged her down the river. Cian struggled to keep her muzzle above the water. She may have escaped the hunter, but Cian knew she was still in trouble.
The current ripped her body about, and jagged rocks tore into her side. If she could shift, she might be able to pull herself to shore. Cian strained to call upon the maternal blood that gave her the power of beast and woman, but all she managed to do was swallow a lungful of water.
She choked and coughed as the river threw her around like a cloth doll. She’d lost too much blood, and run too far to have a hope of making it through this time. She closed her eyes and called to her goddess to make her end quick and without pain.
But the Goddess had other plans.
The autumn wind cut through Gwen’s dress, and she pulled her coat tighter. Her sister Kitt made a sour face and shook her head. “You should really let me buy you a new coat. That one’s ages old.”
“Stephan says he’ll buy be one as soon as we can afford to. The harvest wasn’t what he’d hoped it’d be this year.”
“He said that last year, too.” Kitt put her arm around Gwen’s shoulder. “You’d think with you being pregnant now he’d at least get over his pride enough to let me get you some new clothes.”
This was not the first time they’d had this conversation. Gwen just wished she could get her sister to understand. Sometimes Kitt’s idealistic view of how the world should be just didn’t work for normal people. “You know how he is. Stephan says he’s the provider of our family. He won’t take anything from anyone. He says that’d be too much like taking charity.”
“I’m just glad our father died before he could marry me off to some farmer.”
“Kitt!” Gwen halted in front of a large oak. Sometimes her sister pushed things too far. “Don’t talk like that. It isn’t proper. Papa just wanted to make sure we’re looked after, that’s all.”
“Mama would have never put up with it if she were still alive. She always said she wanted her girls to be educated and live happy lives.” Kitt pointed an accusatory finger at Gwen. “You can’t tell me you’re happy.”
“We’re doing fine, Stephan and I,” Gwen lied. The truth was in the three years they’d been married, she was far from happy. Most of the time she was stuck at home alone while her husband worked the fields. Stephan Perkins wasn’t one for romance. He was all about duty and responsibility. Gwen often though that was why he married her, not for anything to do with love.
Kitt raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you had to sneak out to come walking with me? Because you have a happy and open marriage?”
“He doesn’t think I should go off and about in my condition. He says it’s safer at home.”
“Does he now?” Kitt laughed. “I’m thinking that’s why he hasn’t gotten you a new coat, either. He likes to keep his little wifey at home where she’s all his. Like a prized dairy cow.”
“Now you’re just being contrary and rude.” Gwen crossed her arms over her chest. “Just ‘cause you don’t have yourself a ma…”
A cry of pain split the air and sent a shiver down Gwen’s spine. “God have mercy, what’s that?”
“I don’t know.” Kitt peered through the tree line. “It came from that way.”
“Don’t go. It sounded like a wild animal. It might attack you.” Kitt took a step in the direction of the sound, but Gwen grabbed her shoulder. “I said don’t go. Don’t you ever listen?”
“Don’t you ever want to do something exciting? Have an adventure?” Kitt grinned. “Don’t you ever have secret dreams and wishes?”
Gwen blushed. She did have a secret dream, one even her sister didn’t know about. She began having the dream last spring, and since then it came more and more often. She dreamt of sneaking away from her husband’s bed and meeting a secret lover in the woods. She never saw her lover’s face, but Gwen knew it was one of the nature spirits their mother used to tell them stories about when they were young. This was no folk tale or children’s fairy story. This lover gave Gwen pleasure like she’d never known before.
Stephan could never make her feel like her wild lover did. She never saw her lover’s face, but when Gwen woke she felt shame. “No. I like my life just the way it is, thank you very much.”
They heard the cry again and Kitt turned in its direction. It was a strange noise, not really human, and not really animal. “Whatever that is, it’s hurt and needs help. You forgetting everything Mama taught us about these woods being ours to tend to?”
“No.” Gwen admitted begrudgingly. “I didn’t forget.”
With a triumphant smile, Kitt grabbed Gwen’s hand and pulled her through the trees. Gwen knew these woods as well as Kitt did, so even at a run they navigated the terrain easily. Neither expected what they would find half-out of the water, barely hanging onto the rocky banks.
From all appearances it looked like a farm cat, but far bigger than any Gwen had ever seen. The creature’s fur was matted with blood and it looked to be near drowned. Only the pitiful cries were any sign that there was still life in the beast.
“Poor thing.” Kitt knelt next to the cat and took off her jacket.
“Don’t touch it.” Gwen clutched her hands to her chest, her fingers balled into fists. “It could be diseased.”
“This coming from the woman who used to drag home every sick animal in a five mile radius and hide it in our room to tend? How many times did you risk a whuppin’ from our father over some injured bird or furry critter?”
“We’re not kids any more.” Even through her protests Gwen took a step forward to get a better look at the animal. “We have to be practical. It might bite you.”
“That’s what this is for.” Kitt wrapped her coat around the cat’s head and body before holding the bundle against her. “The poor thing’s not even struggling. That can’t be a good sign.”
The last statement was enough to break down Gwen’s reservations. It wouldn’t hurt to just try to help. Soon as it was well enough to be a threat, they’d let it loose. “Let me help you carry it back to the manor. It looks heavy.”
“Your house is closer.”
Gwen shook her head vehemently. “Stephan would never put up with a wild creature in the house.”
As both sisters wrapped their arms around the bundle, a mischievous smile crossed Kitt’s face. “At least you’d have something wild in that place.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “Just get walking. This creature’s heavy and I don’t want to hurt it more by wasting time.”
They struggled through the woods with their burden; careful to jar the animal as little as they could. Gwen made a mental note of what they might need to tend to the cat properly. “You have anything we can use for bandages back at the house?”
Kitt nodded, but when she spoke it came out as a grunt from the strain of the weight they carried. “I have a box of linen scraps in the downstairs closet. I even made a fresh batch of tinctures just a few weeks ago.”
Gwen was glad that her sister kept up with the herbal education their mother had insisted they both learn. There wasn’t much use for it at Gwen’s house. Her husband didn’t approve of anything that he didn’t get directly from the town doctor.
“Good,” Gwen said. “We’ll need a witch hazel tincture and some of that comfrey and plantain salve Mama used to make. Might be good to add a bit of molasses to the cat's food once we can get it to eat to build up its strength.”
Kitt nodded. “I think I have all three on hand.”
The walk back to Gwen’s and Kitt’s family home seemed much longer to Gwen than it had been on their walk that morning. The extra weight and the worry only added to the strain. Kitt kicked the front door open and they carried the cat through the hall and through the dining room into the kitchen.
They lay the coat on a long couch near the back of the room where their grandmother used to gather with friends for tea. Being so close the kitchen hearth it was one of the warmest rooms on this floor of the house.
Gwen carefully opened the coat, relieved to see the cat was still breathing. It looked up at her with wide amber eyes that showed no sign or fear or violence. It was such a trusting expression. Gwen was touched by it.
Kitt moved the low table to the side and pulled two of the padded chairs around next to the couch. “How bad?”
“It’s definitely a cat of some sort. Its breathing looks steady, but I have to get a good look at these wounds.” Gwen sat in one of the chairs and leaned closer to the animal. It didn’t shrink away from her or growl, so she felt confident enough to continue her assessment.
There was a deep scalp wound that looked to be the worst. The cuts and scrapes over the cat’s belly and legs were fortunately not nearly as bad. In either case it was obvious the creature was exhausted and weakened. “She’s cut up pretty bad. Will you get me some of those bandages and that bottle of witch hazel?”
Kitt took a few steps into the kitchen and opened one of the three cupboards along the wall. “Want me to ask Ben to run a message back to your house and let Stephan know you’ll be here for a spell?”
“No reason to bother him over it. I’ll explain later.” Gwen took the linen and the bottle of clear liquid from Kitt. She’d not give her sister the satisfaction by admitting the whole truth. He husband would never understand why she was risking her safety and wasting time on some wild animal like this. In fact, there were a lot of things about her Gwen was sure her husband would never understand.
“Um huh,” Kitt said doubtfully. She stood next to Gwen’s chair and leaned over to get a closer look. “So the cat is female?”
“Yes.” Gwen hated someone looking over her shoulder when she worked, and her sister always wanted to know what was going on. These two traits often collided. “Don’t you have something else you could be doing?”
Kitt straightened, humor in her voice. “Yeah, I got you. While you’re doing that, I’ll make us some lunch.”
Gwen turned her attention back to the cat and dampened the cloth with the tincture. The cat stirred and crinkled her nose as the smell of the alcohol-based tincture filled the air.
“Now don’t be like that,” Gwen whispered as she wiped the blood from the cat’s fur near around the head wound. “My Mama always said if it smells bad it works good.”
The cat’s gaze followed Gwen’s hand as she cleaned the rest of her fur. Even the head wound looked to have stopped bleeding, though it was still looked bad. Gwen had Kitt fetch the salve and Gwen applied that carefully to the cuts.
Once she’d wrapped the cat’s head with a bandage, Gwen turned back to Kitt. “I wonder if we should make her something to eat now that we can warm up later when she’s up to eating.”
Kitt’s eyes grew wide and she pointed behind Gwen. She said something Gwen didn’t understand. Gwen though she recognized it as Coushatta. It had been so long since anyone in their house spoke the language of her mother’s people, Gwen had completely forgotten how.
“You know I don’t know any of the talk anymore. Just speak English.” Gwen turned back to toward the cat and suddenly understood her sister’s shock.
Where the cat had been moments ago, now there was a woman. Her long crimson hair cascaded over the edge of the couch, covered partially by the bandage wrapped around her head. There were signs of cuts all over her bare body, each glistening with the salve Gwen had applied over the cat’s fur.
Gwen opened her mouth to scream, but Kitt threw hand over her sister’s lips to stifle the sound. “Just back out of the room slowly.”
Both left the room quietly, but once they got in the hall Kitt released her hold. “Now stay calm, Gwen. There has to be a logical answer for this.”
Gwen pointed toward the kitchen. “Logical? For that? You’ve got to be kidding me. A few minutes ago that was a cat. Now it’s a woman. You want to explain that?”
Kitt took a step forward and stared into the kitchen. The fire crackled just beyond the doorway, but the house was eerily quiet. When Kitt finally spoke, even Gwen could barely hear her. “I remember Mama used to talk about stories she heard when she was a child. There were medicine women who were so close to the spirits that they could take the forms of animals themselves. Do you think those stories could actually be true?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Gwen turned away from the kitchen. “Like Papa always said, it was all godless nonsense.”
“Mama didn’t think so. I remember how she and Papa used to fight about it. She wanted us to learn the old ways, to speak the language of her people and remember the teachings of our ancestors.”
Gwen remembered those fights, all the way up to when their mother got sick. “I also remember him and Grandmother forbidding us to speak of those things. They said we had to learn their ways, the White ways, or it’d make trouble for the family. We shouldn’t even be talking about it now.”
“If we don’t talk about it now.” Kitt took her sister by the shoulders and spun her so she was looking straight past the doorway to the sleeping figure just a few feet away. “We’ll never get past this.”
Looking at her now, after the shock of the transformation, Gwen noticed the paleness of the woman’s skin, and the pallor that was certainly signs of blood loss. A strong jaw line rest against the curls of red hair, and beneath cracks of dryness Gwen could see full coral colored lips. The woman’s wide set eyes were lined with thick copper lashes which rested on soft, round cheeks. There was the evidence of what she must have been through was etched in cuts and bruises, but none of that detracted from her rather attractive face. “She doesn’t look Coushatta.”
“I never said she was.” Kitt hugged Gwen from behind. “But she needs our help, right?”
“Right.” Just looking at the woman Gwen could see she was in no shape to even move, much less present a threat. “Why don’t you go tell Ben to send that message after all. Tell him to let Stephan know I’m taking care of a sick…friend, and I’ll not be home for a couple days. If he wants me he can find me here.”
Kitt kissed Gwen on the cheek. “Anything else?”
“In the morning I want you to go talk to Pastor Jacobs. Find out if he knows anyone that fits her description that’s come up missing.” Considering the situation, Gwen wasn’t sure she wanted people to know the woman was here just yet. “You don’t need to give him detail. In fact be as vague as you can.”
“Come on, then.” Kitt urged her back toward the kitchen. “The soup’s about ready. Eat up and then I’ll go down the road and see if Ben and Lily are at home.”
Gwen allowed Kitt to lead her back into the room, the whole time never taking her eyes off the woman. Their mother always told them to trust their instincts. Gwen’s instincts told her that there was nothing dangerous about their guest, but there was still something troubling in the air, a danger that surrounded her. How had she come to be here, and in the state she was in? Despite the questions running through Gwen’s head, the answers would have to wait.
Chapter 2
The smell of barley, apples, and molasses tickled Cian’s nose and she stirred in her sleep. The nightmare felt so far away. She was warm and the ache in her head was gone. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
When she pulled her hands away Cian’s eyes widened. She had expected to find herself in the Harrisonburg boarding house, but this place was unfamiliar. A few feet away a woman stood in front of an iron fireplace, stirring the contents of a cauldron with a wooden spoon. The room was filled with the scent of food, and Cian’s belly rumbled in response to it.
The woman jolted in surprise and spun around. Her ebony hair shone with touches of orange and gold from the light of the fire. A loose cluster of strands that had escaped her single braid felt over one side of her face.
“You’re awake.” The woman’s voice shook as she spoke. “We thought you would sleep for days with your injuries like they were.”
“I heal quickly, lass.” Cian moved her attention from the woman and made an assessment of the room she was in. The ceiling was high, a sure sign this was a manor rather than a typical farm house. An iron stove stood near the hearth, and numerous cabinets for supplies took up various places around the kitchen.
Was this another boarding house? Cian wondered. The burgundy and black trimmed couch she rested on had the look of parlor furniture, expensive and well cared for. The quilt that covered her looked handmade, intricately sewn together in a mixture of blue and green blocks and triangles. The clues didn’t come together to make any sense.
“How lon’ have I been here?” Cian turned her gaze back to the woman. “And how did I come tae bein’ in thas place?”
“Since yesterday.” The woman set the spoon on the mantle. “My sister and I found you by the river. We bought you back here to look after you.”
Cian touched her hand to her forehead and her finger touched a linen bandage. “I thank ye both for tha’ kindness than. So, where am I ‘xactly?”
“You’re in the Brandon family home just east of Trinity. In Louisiana.” The woman’s deep caramel eyes moved over Cian’s face and her shoulders relaxed. “I’ve been tending to you myself. Considering your…special circumstances…I thought it was best not to get the town doctor involved.”
“Special circumstances?” A tightness took hold of Cian’s check. What did this woman know about her?
The woman pushed the hair out of her face and smoothed it behind her ear. Cian watched her, fascinated. The woman’s skin was the color of sun-dried winter wheat, and her cheek bones rode high on her face. A comforting face, Cian thought.
The woman hesitated and swallowed audibly before answering. “When we found you we thought we were rescuing a cat. You looked half-drowned and pitiful with the blood caking your fur. It wasn’t until we got you back here that you… changed.”
The pressure in Cian’s chest increased. “Ye saw me change? And yuir still here?”
“I’m not going to say we weren’t shocked by it. That would be less than honest.” The pot bubbled and popped and again the woman turned to stir what was inside. “My mother used to tell stories when we were young, about women who could take the form of animals. We never believed her, thought they were just old Coushatta folk tales, but here you are.”
“Aye, lass, here I am.” Cian leaned her head against the back of the coach. She wasn’t sure what to think. This woman was obviously not Clan or even kin, but she’d still chosen to help her. It made no sense. “Ye have a name?”
“Gwen.” She opened the cabinet to the right of the stove and took out bowls and mugs. They were green-tinged with painted otters around the sides. “And you are?”
Cian pulled at the white and blue flowered gown she wore. The lace itched and she found herself missing the clothes she’d been forced to leave behind at the boarding house in her last escape. Nothing more inconvenient than being burst in upon in the bath house. “Me name is Cian. Cian McGregor.”
“Well Cian McGregor, how did you come to be in such a state as we found you?” Gwen ladled porridge into two bowls and filled mugs with something that steamed on the stove.
Cian was unsure how much to reveal to this stranger. Sure, she and her sister had helped her, but for what reason? How much did they really know about the Clan, and was there a connection to them and Kieve?
Gwen set the bowls and mug on the table close by. “Are you alright?”
Cian nodded. “Sorry, lass. Ye have tae understand, me reasons for being in tha’ river are right personal. Tis nae somethin’ I’m too keen tae be sharin’, since we jus’ met and all.”
“I see.” Gwen pulled a pair of spoons from her apron pocket. The peach dress looked worn and hung loosely on her body. When Gwen sat down Cian noticed the bulge the apron had hidden from view. “Did this trouble have to do with you as an animal or as a woman?”
“A bit o’ both, actually.” Cian stared at Gwen’s abdomen and the meaning of the revealed secret came together in her mind. This woman was with child, many months from the look of it, and here she was tending after an injured woman. Shame filled Cian. How could she have doubted this young mother’s motives? “Thas trouble began back in Lock Maree last sprin’. It jus’ followed me since than.”
“Is the law after you?” There was a glimmer of fear and excitement in Gwen’s expression, and then shock suddenly swept in to replace them. “Oh, I’m sorry. You just said it was personal and here I am prying.”
“Tis quite all right, lass.” Cian brought the mug to her lips and was pleased to find spiced mead within. In rolled down her throat, warming her deep. “Ye have a right tae know what ye’ve brought intae yuir home.”
Gwen nodded and sat back in the chair expectantly. Cian took a deep breath. It wasn’t easy. She’d not told anyone what happened. It was hard to trust when you were on the run all the time. Cian figured if this woman was willing to trust her with her home and her safety, than Cian owed her the same trust. “Back in Scotland I lived in a community o’ shifters like me called the Clan. We have trouble from time tae time with some o’ the folks from the other boroughs, but we generally keep the peace as lon’ as we keep our secrets and our heads down. A few months ago some drivers came through and got rough with one o’ our girls. I made sure the brigands paid the price. Trouble was, one o’ the men was the brother o’ a nobleman up in Gairlock. Lord Kerrington. This lord hired a man named Marshall Kieve tae brin’ me tae trial. The thin’ is, my kind would ne’er get a fair trial in a human court, so I had to run.”
“And they hunted you all the way here…to America?” Gwen shook her head. “Can they do that?”
“Marshall Kieve and his boys do what they want, when they want, lass. They’re well trained, plus he has the money tae throw around tae get the compliance he needs from the humans authorities.”
Gwen gasped. “Is this Kieve fellow one of your kind?”
Cian shrugged. She believed he was, but no sense on coloring rumor with her hunches when she didn’t really have all the facts to prove it. “Some of my kind think he’s kinfolk, but nae one knows for sure.”
“What are you going to do?” All fear was gone from Gwen’s voice and now her whole expression was filled with curiosity. “Do you have someplace to go?”
“I have tae keep movin’. A few days o’ rest here and I’ll be on the move again. There has tae be someplace he cannae follow.” With the mead warm in her belly, Cian turned her attention to the porridge. The mix of grains was unique and the molasses was a welcome touch. “Nae need tae fret. I’ll manage.”
“I can ask my sister if you can stay here for a spell. She rarely has visitors, and my husband and I live just a few miles up the road.”
Cian did her best to hide her disappointment. Married. Seemed a waste. So many good women had been ruined by marriage in her opinion. “That’s kind, but ye both have done enough. I’ll be fine.”
Cian took off the bandage and Gwen gasped. “Your head wound. I don’t see any sign of it. How is that possible?”
“Like I told ye, me kind heal quicker than most. I need tae fatten meself up more than anythin’ right now. Nae tellin’ once I’m on the move again when I’ll get me next meal.”
“This woman they hurt. Was she a friend of yours?”
Cian nodded. “She wasn’t o’ Clan blood, but she was married tae a clansman. That made her one of our own, and we always defend our own.”
Gwen grew quiet after that, and sat back in her chair. She looked deep in thought, and Cian ate her breakfast in silence so as not to disturb her.
When they were done Gwen took the dishes and set them in a steel basin. “I’ll have to make some fresh if Kitt doesn’t get back soon. Considering her love of my porridge there might not be enough left as is. She’ll be glad you’re better.”
“Kitt’s yuir sister?” At Cian’s question Gwen nodded. “I had wondered why there was so much food when ye didnae think I’d wake today.”
“I always like making meals for lots of people. I don’t really get a chance to do that anymore. At the farm it’s just being Stephan and I most of the time. He’s not one for company.”
The misery in Gwen’s tone piqued Cian’s interest. “Iffin yuir so unhappy, why did ye marry him?”
Gwen blinked in surprised. “I… Well, my father arranged the marriage. He was dying, and he made me promise to be a good wife to Stephan. Stephan worked for my father until his own father died and he had to take over their farm.”
“Now I’m the one that’s pryin’ Forgive me.” Cian leaned toward her. “Ye’ll have plenty o’ mouths to feed once that wee bairn makes its appearance intae the world.”
Cian was relieved to see a smile cross Gwen’s face. “Yes,” Gwen said. “I can’t wait.”
“It’s quite a blessin’.” Cian reached her hand out. “May I?”
After an affirmative nod from Gwen, Cian ran her fingers over Gwen’s belly. Her hand jerked as a healthy kick knocked it out of place. “Quite a warrior ye got there.”
Gwen laughed. “I don’t know about that. I just want a healthy baby.”
“My people value our children like nothing else. Each one is a treasure we’ll do anythin’ tae protect.” Cian drew her hand away. “And the women who carry the children o’ the Clan are the most sacred and desired.”
“Desired.” A blush deepened the color in Gwen’s cheeks. “Your men like your women fat and clumsy?”
Cian licked her lips and grinned. There was no denying it. She was attracted to Gwen. Now was her chance to test if the draw was mutual between them. “I like me women full of life and magic. Nothin’ is more allurin’ tae me than a woman as beautiful as ye that is ripe with child. I look at someone like ye and I just want tae take her intae my arms and love her.”
Gwen’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Finally she closed her lips tight and swallowed before trying to speak again. “You like women. Like that I mean?”
“It’s nae that uncommon with me people. From what I’ve learned with the tribe folks I’ve met in me travels, nae an unheard o’ flavor in their neck o’ the woods either.” Cian placed her hand over Gwen’s. She half expected her to pull away but Gwen didn’t. “But one thin’ is true, once ye’ve tasted the flavor o’ a woman’s love, nothin’ is ever the same.”
“I highly doubt that,” Gwen said in a tone of defiance.
“Prove it.” Cian smirked. “Kiss me and prove ye kin just stop there.”
Gwen pulled her hand away and held it in a fist to her chest. She stared, and Cian wondered if she had pushed the fun a little too far. She wasn’t used to non-Clan. Their rules were so different.
“Don’t mind me, lass, just teasin’. I didn’t mean tae make ye uncomfortable.”
“You backing out on your challenge now?” Gwen’s voice shook, but the defiant glare returned to her eyes.
“Ne’er would do tha’.” Cian chuckled and moved to the edge of the couch. “Now, about tha’ kiss?”
Gwen clenched her fist in her lap and slowly inched forward. She pursed her lips and Cian waited patiently for Gwen to come to her. Their lips met and the kiss was hard and stiff.
Cian cupped Gwen’s cheek in her palm, and brushed Gwen’s bottom lip with her own. The action had the desired effect and the kiss softened as Gwen relaxed into it. Cian took everything slowly, and suppressed a smile as she watched Gwen’s eyes close and her fist open.
She pulled Gwen into her lap and leaned back again the couch. It felt good to have someone in her arms again after so long being alone. Cian didn’t like her solitary life, but she didn’t have much choice in the matter.
Cian ran her fingers down the side of Gwen’s neck and Gwen’s lips parted. Her mouth was moist and warm, and Cian gently explored it with her tongue. Gwen moaned and her head rested against Cian’s arm.
Gwen’s eyes opened, and her gaze was soft, without fear. “I never imagined being in the arms of a woman could be like this.”
She smelled so good. Cian groaned with the need to have more of her. “There’s so much I want tae show ye, tae share with ye. Will ye let me?”
“I…” Gwen chewed nervously on her lip and then nodded. “Not here. My room is upstairs. Can we go there instead? It’s not as warm, but my sister won’t walk in on us.”
Gwen squeaked as Cian lifted her into her arms and stood. “Ye navigate I’ll get us there.”
Gwen giggled, obviously amused by Cian’s gallant gesture. With a point of her finger she led them upstairs and down the hall to the third room. This house was much bigger then Cian was used to seeing in these parts, and she made a mental note to ask more about Gwen’s kin. Of course, that would be later. Right now they had more interesting things to do.
Cian nudged the door with her knee and it creaked open. A canopy bed decorated with rust brown and gold linens and frills didn’t seem out of place in the antique furnished room. Cian stretched Gwen out on the bed and knelt over her. “Ye are so beautiful.”
Tears welled in Gwen’s eyes, catching Cian completely off guard. “I don’t think anyone’s said those words to me since my mother died.”
“Then tis far time they did.” Cian undid the bow of the apron and tossed it aside onto the floor. She ran her hands over Gwen’s belly and her fingers trembled at the magic of the life within her. “So, so beautiful. Donnae yuir people tell their women how sacred and special they are?”
Gwen shook her head. “Not really. We’re just women after all.”
Those simple words cut into Cian like a broken shard of glass. “Just women? I had heard o’ the foolishness o’ the human men before, but such a thin’ is the worst sin. As daughters o’ the Goddess, women like ye are tae be revered, nae cast aside. Ye deserve better, Gwen. Ye should be loved.”
“Show me then.”
“Aye, lass. Gladly.” She had to take this slow, Cian reminded herself. She’d seen the wounded look in those eyes, and she was going to do everything in her power to make certain she didn’t see it return.
Cian moved along Gwen’s left side and ran her hand along Gwen’s cheek and neck. Her skin was smooth under Cian’s touch, soft like the petals of a budding flower. Cian traced the line of her jaw with kisses, and brushed the drying tears away with her thumb.
“There is nothing’ more precious than the heart o’ a woman,” Cian whispered in her ear. “And nothin’ tae spark a fire in her loins like a lover who lives only tae please her.”
Gwen drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. With a flick of her fingers Cian undid each of the seven buttons under the neck line of Gwen’s dress. She pulled back the fabric and lifted Gwen into her arms.
The top fell away and Cian bit her lip. A magnificent bosom, hills of golden flesh with perfect pale brown peaks. Cian bent her head and placed her lips on one of the lovely breasts. Gwen moaned as Cian drew the nipple into her mouth and sucked slowly, tenderly.
Cian lowered Gwen back on the bed and encircled the other breast with her thumb, tickling the firm tip. Gwen arched her back and her sounds of pleasure grew in intensity. Cian’s own passion stirred at the sound. With a firm hand and a helpful wiggle from Gwen, the rest of the dress and the petticoat came free and joined the apron on the floor.
“Mmmmm.” Cian knelt between Gwen’s thighs and surveyed the body beneath her. It was far less muscular than her own, with the curves and softness she expected from a woman filled with child. Cian ran her fingers over Gwen’s form, from shoulder to ankles and marveled. Her need welled up inside her. Cian wanted Gwen so badly, wanted her more now then she had anything before.
Gwen opened her eyes and met Cian’s gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Ye take me breath away, lass.”
Gwen smiled shyly. “Can I…I mean…I’d like to see…” She nodded her head toward Cian. “What you look like. I saw you before….when you changed, but I wasn’t looking properly then.”
Cian chuckled and wrenched the nightgown over her head before tossing it across the room. She’d never been bashful of her body, and Cian liked the idea of her lover enjoying hers a much as she did Gwen’s.
“You’ve got so many scars.” Gwen ran a finger along the length of one that went from Cian’s breastbone to under her ribs. “Being Clan must be a hard life.”
“Sometimes.” Cian took Gwen’ hand in hers and kissed each of Gwen’s fingers. “But when ye have precious thins’ tae protect, nothin’ is tae great a risk.”
Gwen’s gaze traveled over Cian’s breasts in a way than made the clanswoman shiver. She cupped one of them in her hand and gently squeezed. There was a tentative manner in her touch, and the feather light caress drew a long primal moan from Cian that she couldn’t repress.
“Yuir goin’ tae drive me mad, woman.” Cian smirked.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Gwen drew her hands away. “I’ve never been…with a woman…like this before.”
Cian laughed and enveloped Gwen’s hand is hers. “I meant ye were drivin’ me crazy with desire. With every touch, each time I look at ye, I just want ye so badly. Tis maddenin’.”
“Oh.” Gwen grinned. “That kind of crazy.”
Cian rubbed Gwen’s thighs and gently spread her legs wider. “I want tae hear ye cry out in pleasure, for ye tae want me as much as I want ye right now.”
“Oh,” Gwen said with a shuddering breath.
Cian scraped her tongue along the swollen folds that blossomed between Gwen’s thighs and traced circles around the firm bud that quivered hot and ready.
Gwen’s fingers dug into the bed sheets and she gripped the fabric hard. “Oh…oh…”
Her taste was sweet and Cian plunged her tongue deep, wanting to claim all of it for herself. In and out of the moistness, brushing the hard clit with each pass. Gwen’s whimpers became cries, and she thrust her pelvis upward, against Cian’s ravenous lips.
The sheet grew wet with Cian’s passion as Gwen’s organism and resulting scream threatened to shake the manor’s foundation. Gwen collapsed on the bed, and Cian drew her into her arms. She pulled the comforter and sheet over them both and held Gwen as she sobbed into her shoulder. And for a moment, Cian found what she was searching for. Peace.