To Defend A Bride (Entangled with the Enduar #3)

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

MELISA

Five Days Later,

" Y ou're practically glowing," Alisa teases in the human tongue.

I pour another bag of laundry into the swirling cesto de lavado . ? 1 The unfrozen river beats through a spout into a conical pool. As the clothes spin around in the water, I bite my lip and unceremoniously dump another bag of grated animal fat soap into the whirlpool.

"I'm merely well rested," I say at last. It’s a lie—I’d been working hard mending, washing, and drying from morning until dusk. When I get close to the end of my chores, a new bag seems to magically appear.

But not today.

Tonight, I will be finished, and I will finally be able to celebrate Thea and Wren’s birthday. It’s lightened my mood.

Alisa and Daria are still laughing when they pass me one of the long staffs to beat the grime out of the clothes. This is the first day I’ve been able to wash with them since I returned.

At the feast weeks ago, Alisa and I had danced around the subject of my departure. Today feels like a continuation of that.

"Well-fucked is more like it," Daria says then glances around for any newcomers before leaning close. "Except the great bear of a man who leads your house is far, far away from Zlosa."

"A lady never kisses and tells," I say quickly.

Both of them chortle. But then, when Alisa looks at me, her face grows serious.

"I'm happy for you. I hope you know that," she says.

I swallow, then turn back. "Please, don’t tell anyone. I beg you both."

The women exchange glances, then nod. They seem different—closer than before.

"I swear it," Alisa says.

"On my life," Daria continues.

I go back to washing. For a time, the only sound in my ears is water rushing. It drowns out everything else, and it almost chases away the dark thoughts lingering in my mind.

Ra'Sa has been silent today, but I can't stop thinking of our nightly trysts. I see him over me, feel him fill me up, and the ache turns into ecstasy. Reliving the moment when I fell apart in his arms has me blushing.

Fucking. Blushing .

I had been careful—very careful for quite a while. I just want to know how I ended up in this place.

And how I agreed to let him come with me to visit the girls tonight. I'll apologize for missing their birthday. I'll make it right. But... he'll see it all.

"Did you hear they stopped killing the lumber yard slaves?" Alisa says, almost out of nowhere.

I pause, looking back at the two women as they set in on another batch of brown and white cloth. I find they are waiting for me to respond.

"Yes," I say, wiping the sweat collecting on my brow. I don’t know what more to say. The amount of death feels surreal. Colossal. It’s hard to tell if this is an end to the pain, or merely a pause.

I hope it is the former.

Alisa’s head tilts to the side. "We've had such little rebellion in this region. I think that they couldn't afford to lose more workers."

Daria laughs bitterly. "There are so few of us left. They're content to breed us like cattle and work us to death. What a nightmare."

I nod. "I agree."

Silence falls again as we beat dirty stains from the clothing. I measure the seconds, trying to find the right time to continue the conversation.

"Have either of you heard anything more about the rebellion?"

Everything is silent between us, and I use the other end of the staff, the one with a hook, to start dragging out all the remaining cloth.

Daria speaks first.

"I don't know about any of that."

I straighten, going over to hang up some of the heavier pants and coats that will need extra time to dry before being brought back inside.

"Are you sure? Just a few months ago, you were whispering to me and?—"

"That was before the women escaped," Alisa interjects.

I swallow. Time to stop dancing around this.

"You were conspiring with Paoli and Abi; now they are gone. You were gone for a week or so," Alisa says, balancing a woven basket on her hip. She smiles, ensuring that any onlookers wouldn't know what a heavy subject was passing between us.

"I was unwell," I say quickly when a giant guard walks out of the forest to watch us. I throw more clothes into the water.

“Meli, don’t take me for a fool. I think you escaped, too," she accuses. "I've been watching you since you came back. I can see it in your eyes. You have a new lover, new confidence, new purpose."

I bite my lip, thinking of our task to bring back humans. I know that Ra’Sa has been working hard, but I did my best work when I escaped with Estela. This time around, most of my days have been consumed with survival.

Taking a deep breath, I face my two allies. "Yes. You are right."

They both go utterly still, letting their clothes spin free.

It’s Daria who responds first. "Why didn't you tell us? Have we not been friends for years?"

My hands are still on my staff as it swishes around the clothing in the vat.

Friends?

"Well?" Daria pushes.

I think through my answer carefully, rehearsing each possible turn of phrase and how I could make it into my favor. I didn't want these women to turn against me, but I didn't want them to get angry at me for not answering.

"Abi and Paoli did escape," I say at last. It's not a direct answer to their question, but perhaps offering up this information would pacify them.

"Fuck. I knew it!" Daria shouts. She lets out a whoop and throws her arm around Alisa and me.

"Settle down," I hiss, pulling away. "They'll hear us."

She grins.

"So you'll help us escape, too," she says. "You came back to help us all. No one knows how, but half the giant warriors have fallen ill. Wintertime coughing sickness, they say. We’re preparing to escape, aren’t we?”

My heart stutters.

"Just… be alert," I murmur. “Someone may come.”

Both of them smile, trying to keep a reign on their excitement.

Friends.

The word dances through my mind again. Maybe, when I go back to Zlosa we would be true friends.

Alisa’s hand reaches out and brushes over Daria’s arm. I blink at the affectionate touch. A look passes between them, and something clicks into place. Perhaps I hadn’t cared enough to look before, perhaps I merely didn’t understand the emotion. But now, after Ra’Sa, I know what I see.

Love.

Daria looks up at me, still smiling. “I'll tell you if I hear anything more from the rebellion."

“Use the common tongue!” the new giant guard bellows from nearby.

We all look up at the red-faced being as he arrives to his station.

We murmur our apologies and switch back, but when he looks away, I nod to Daria, grateful.

Then I start to gather the hanging clothing, replacing it with the newly washed pieces. We are quiet as the sun makes its path through the sky.

When dusk approaches, I look at the two women and bid my farewells.

At last, as I walk down the beaten path away from the river and to the cabin, Ra'Sa prods at me. My heart quickens.

Soon… he whispers.

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.

I knock on the door, leaving the baskets of folded shirts and pants on the steps. Then, I return for a second trip. Hibsej doesn’t retrieve the laundry immediately, which forces me to knock again on the door to the main house and wait.

I need to see my girls, but I can’t go without her permission.

The door cracks open, and she stands there frowning.

I wait for her to address me, which she doesn’t do, before saying, “My Lady, all of the laundry has been washed. I would like to take leave to visit my family.”

She still doesn't respond.

I stand there, waiting. Uncomfortable.

At last, one of the boys makes a noise behind her, and she sighs.

“Fine. Begone,” she commands before the door shuts.

A lightness picks up in my chest. I don’t just smile. I grin and hurry back to my room.

I bathe, clean myself, and toil away, grabbing the two dolls I made from scrap cloth. Once finished, I grab a bone from the discard pile for Coco and leave the cabin.

I am on my way, I say through my bond.

Meet you there, Ra’Sa returns.

A part of me is sad that he will not walk with me, but it would be foolish to be seen traveling together.

As I reach Griselda's door, there's a whistle from the far side of the road. I whip around, and the hair on my neck stands up.

Several buildings down, there's a group of men. They've all come from the lumber yard, but I don't see Ra'Sa around. One of them waves his hands to make the shape of a woman, and another makes a crude gesture.

“?Mujer tan bella!" ? 2

I turn back around, only for one of them to yell, “?Puta!" ? 3

My fists clench, and I bang on the door. Coco lets out a howl, and the men behind me laugh.

The door opens a second later, revealing Griselda. She looks at me with a stern expression.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to give the girls gifts for their birthday," I say quickly.

The men behind me continue yelling, and I keep my mouth shut. They’ll stop if I ignore them.

Her eyes narrow. "That was days ago."

I fidget with the dolls behind my back. "I know."

"That's it?" she scoffs. “‘I know’. Care to expand on that thought?"

I purse my lips. "I was... detained."

She lets out a mirthless laugh. "I see some of your admirers have come to chase you around. Go with them, and leave us be."

My mouth falls open. I knew she hated me but this...

"Please. I'm asking kindly. I just want to see them."

"They aren't interested in seeing you. You missed a special day. Go back to your master." she spits.

I hear the girls behind her, and Coco howls once again.

"Mamá!"

My heart swells. They want me near. That gives me strength.

"Griselda," I start. "Let me in now."

She casts me an unkind glare, but steps aside and lets me in. Once past the door, I smile and begin to sing.

“Un cumplea?os feliz…”? 4

"Mamá! " they cry again and wrap around my legs.

I smile and pet their backs gently before rubbing the top of Coco's head. I hug each Wren and Thea tightly before giving them their dolls. I savor their nearness as they chatter about how much they've missed me.

A sound from the back room turns my blood ice cold.

“Melisa,” Griselda starts, voice stern.

My head snaps up, but she abruptly stops. Ra'Sa stands there, in the home where I was raised. A home where I was hurt and lonely. He fills the space, somehow chasing away all the bad memories with his presence.

My heart thumps in my chest. He wears a smile that he didn't use to wear when I first met him, and he looks down at me with that intense look that burns straight into my bones. His clothes are dirty from work, and he still wears the face of a human, but I can feel how big his hands are as I remember them around my midsection.

I open my mouth to say something, but then.... the girls look up at him.

They squeal, and I am helpless to do nothing more than marvel at the joy pouring out from my little girls as they clamber over to him. This was what I had wanted.

Somehow… it is better than I expected.

"You know him?" Thea asks me.

I smile, looking up at him. "I do."

Then he pulls out two huge red gems from behind his back. One is the one that Hibsej took from me, but the other is new.

My gods.

The commotion through the room is chaotic. The girls latch onto them, but Thea holds one close to her face, as if she could pick out every detail in the crystal.

Something sour coats my tongue, and my heart cracks. Tears spring to my eyes.

Ruh’flor, you wanted the gems back from Hibsej, no?

I bite my lip and pull my mouth into my smile.

Yes. It was thoughtful of you to do that.

But...

I feel a prodding at my mind, and I frantically try to hide the image of the dolls.

He sees anyway... of course, he does.

Abashment at my gift floods through me, and I keep the gifts hidden in the folds of my gown. But Ra'Sa watches me.

My cheeks heat. What would he think about someone like me? My poor attempts to be a mother would've made anyone laugh.

Instead, his eyes soften.

“Wren, Thea,” he says. "Your mamá brought you something too."

I feel Griselda sneer from the corner, but I slowly pull out the handmade toys. I wait for the disappointment and fear the flames creeping over my skin and causing my stomach to roil.

But then Wren hands the gem back to Ra’Sa and rushes over. Thea keeps her crystal, but approaches as well. Curious.

I hand them both one.

“One for you, with a blue dress because I know it is your favorite color,” I say to Wren.

She smiles and looks up at me. “I like red. Like you.”

My mouth parts, and my eyes burn. They… they don’t understand.

I look at Thea and say, “And green for you. As I know you love plants.”

Thea grins, takes the toy, and then immediately ties her gem around the neck of her dolly.

"Now she's got a necklace. Like a queen," she says.

“Like mamá,” Wren corrects.

Ra'Sa laughs, "That she does. And they are both beautiful.”

My throat aches, and I swallow thickly. Ra’Sa comes to my side and kneels down. As he does, he takes my hand.

Coco winds her way between us, pressing her face into the space where mine and Ra’Sa’s arms meet. She watches the girls, as does my mate, but I don't miss the disgruntled woman in the corner.

Griselda sucks her teeth. Too low for the girls to hear, then she stands up and approaches. "I didn’t realize you were seducing him, too. Do you know no better way to improve yourself?"

Ra'Sa goes preternaturally still. His head turns slowly, like the predator he is perfectly capable of being.

"What did you say?" he grits out.

I squeeze his hand. He'd killed the guard for me, hell, I'd even seen him shut the men up when Eneko paraded me through the yards.

But this... to the woman who's made me feel small my entire life.

I should tell him to stop.

Griselda sticks her chin out. "This is between me and Melisa. She knows what she is. She's not even ashamed."

Ra'Sa stands, and the girls stop playing. "How dare you say that?"

I scramble to get up to my feet. "Ra'Sa," I whisper, grabbing at his arm only to find it completely tense.

"You use the same cruel words that the scum in the yards use to describe your own daughter?"

My throat closes.

Griselda sneers. "I merely speak the truth."

Ra'Sa lets out a bitter laugh, and the girls watch, confused and slightly nervous. Coco leaves my side to corral them.

"Truth, you say. I think the truth is that your daughter has done everything she could for you to be safe. Does that mean nothing, you heartless woman?” Ra’Sa grits out.

Griselda's eyes go wide for the shortest moment before her face hardens over.

"You won't come in my house and lecture me?—“

"When it involves Melisa, I will."

I suck in a stuttering breath. My fingers dig into his arm, and his other hand comes up to brush over my fingers.

Are you well, Ruh’flor?

I look up at him, eyes wide, and nod.

His attention remains fixed on my mother.

"You will never speak to Melisa like that again. If either Wren or Thea tell me that you've said something against her, then you will regret it. Hurt the girls, and I will leave you in the middle of the woods with the wolves. Do you understand?”

I swallow hard.

Griselda's sneering expression melts away into fear.

“Say you understand,” Ra’sa repeats.

Slowly, Griselda opens her mouth. First, she huffs, but then she says, “Fine—I understand.”

Ra'Sa's expression changes in an instant.

"Perfect. If that's all settled, there's no reason to miss a celebration. I brought more gifts!"

The girls are grinning and laughing in a second when Ra'Sa pulls out a few more stones and starts to sing. I should be more worried that the others outside would hear, but Ra'Sa tends to comfort all my worries.

I let myself listen as a happy tune pours out of him. I’d forgotten that he could sing so well—his voice is rich and layered as it hits the gems the girls hold in their hands. We continue to laugh, and then we start to dance.

When I do, I feel Ra'Sa's eyes on me. Heat sparks. I realize I want him.

His softness, his joy.

His kindness.

After Wren and Thea fall asleep in his arms, and he puts them to bed, we leave.

But, instead parting ways, I take him by the hand and sneak him back to the cabin. The fire grows hotter.

I want to show him how much pleasure he can feel. I want to fall apart for him again.

And again.

I'm delighted that the lights are out, and I have no trouble drawing him into the room at the back. He growls once the door is shut and grabs onto the skirts of my dress.

I gasp, but he puts a finger to my lips.

We can't have anyone waking up and finding me buried balls deep in you, now can we?

My mouth parts, but I can feel the rush of wet warmth between my legs. There was something so delicious about the thought of him taking me here again. On my terms.

Willing, but utterly helpless against him. Against enjoying what he wanted to give me.

You're all talk , I say back, breathless even in my thoughts.

He pulls up the skirts of my dress, and I fall back onto the bed.

Are you sure you want this now?

From this angle, I see him straining against his pants.

Yes, I say desperately before I reach forward and unlace his britches. When he springs out of the restrictive clothing, I take him into my mouth. He practically chokes, and it's like music to my ears.

I'd pictured taking him like this when I'd wanted to seduce him, but I'd never thought that it would be this... pleasurable.

He thrusts shallowly while I continue to move up and down. When I brush my tongue against him, he shudders.

"Stop," he pants.

I pull back, confused for a second before I see the flames burning in his eyes. He covers me with his large body, the both of us still mostly clothed. Then he presses his hand over my mouth.

Quiet, Ruh’flor.

In a second, he lines up his pink, human-glamoured cock with my entrance and pushes straight in. I gasp against his fingers, biting down lightly. He smiles and replaces his hand with his mouth as he works his way in and out of me. It's too much.

It's a sweet existence.

The things I'll do to you when I can finally hear your screams, he murmurs against me.

I smile, only for the action to be broken by a moan.

What do you even know of experimenting?

Enough, he purrs and I shudder.

I had not known a woman, that does not mean I know nothing.

Whatever instincts and imaginations pull him along, he does it all very well. And when we fall over the cusp of finishing, spiraling down together, I feel safe.

I feel the way he did every time he cared for me. No one had ever cared for me before.

After we finish, I draw him into the bed and wrap him around me. Slowly, he works off my dress until we are skin-to-skin.

It's heavenly.

For a few hours, I can pretend this is all that we are. Free. Blissfully happy despite the sadness that swirls around us. The feeling is like a bubble. Happy. Contented.

I don't want it to go anywhere.