Chapter six

"Avery, are you all right?" Maya asked in a low voice. Avery looked up from packing Nicholas' bedding.

"I'm fine."

"What happened last night?"

"The hag chained me to the wheel, like she did the night before. Tristan discovered me,

broke the chain and took me back to his tent." Avery shoved the blanket into the canvas bag and reached for his bag of clothing.

"Did you have sex with him?" Maya asked.

Avery stared at her. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because he seems very robust this morning."

Avery cleared her throat nervously. It was true. Tristan seemed even larger and stronger than

usual this morning and despite the drama from earlier, he was in a surprisingly good mood. She glanced over at him. He was throwing Sophia up in the air, catching her before tossing her into the sky again and the little girl was giggling with delight.

"I was soaking wet and freezing. He put me in his bed to warm me up and we fell asleep. He slept against my body all night. Of course, he's going to feel good this morning," she replied.

Maya frowned. "How do you feel? Does he have a sickness?"

"No. I feel perfectly fine."

It was another lie. She felt more than fine. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she

felt this good. He had unwittingly fed off her power all night, but she had taken her own dose of his good health when she had allowed him to fuck her. Her face flushed at the memory of how quickly she had stopped protesting and parted her legs for him. She had been like a cat in heat and even now, her body was aching and throbbing with a need for release. She had spent the last hour alternating between cursing Mrs. Lanning for interrupting them and breathing a sigh of relief that it had gone no further than it did. Not that it mattered. Mrs. Lanning had already labeled her as a witch and a whore, and she would undoubtedly make both hers and Maya's life hell when they finally arrived at Tristan's home. She stared down at Nicholas' clothing and wondered if it wouldn't be better if she just slipped away when they reached his home. She could wait until their guard was down and disappear in the night. Maya had already proven her competency with his children, and Tristan would not send her away. If she disappeared, Mrs. Lanning would calm down and Maya would be safe.

"Avery?" Maya said.

"Aye?"

"Are you sure you're all right?" She placed a worried hand on Avery's arm, and Avery

forced herself to smile at her.

"I'm positive." She glanced down at herself and smoothed Tristan's shirt down. "Although I

wish I had more clothing."

Maya smiled at her. "Your dress is still soaking wet. I'm afraid it's his shirt for now." They carried the children's things to the carriage, handing them to Jeffrey who secured them

carefully to the roof of the carriage. They returned to the tent and Avery hooked the baby sling around Maya, tying it tightly at the back. Avery disassembled the tent as Maya slipped the sleeping Nicholas into the sling before helping her.

"Here, let me." Marshall appeared beside her and began to tear down the tent as Maya smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you, m'lord."

"Marshall." He reminded her.

"Marshall," she repeated shyly.

"You're looking very lovely this morning." He smiled at her as he carefully folded the tent

and slipped it into the carrying case.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Marshall slung the tent bag over one arm before offering his other to Maya. She took it with

another shy grin, and he led her toward the carriage. Avery followed them, stopping a few feet away from the carriage and suppressing a grin when Marshall whispered something in Maya's ear and she giggled and blushed, smacking his arm lightly.

He helped her into the carriage as Tristan approached with Sophia tucked into the crook of his arm. He kissed the girl's cheek and deposited her in the carriage as Maya stuck her head out the door. "My lord, may Avery ride with us? The wagon is crowded."

Tristan took her by the arm. "She'll ride with me for a bit."

"I would prefer to ride with my sister." Avery tried to pull her arm free.

"And I would prefer if you rode with me for a while." He refused to let go of her.

"I'd be more comfortable in the carriage," she said.

A look of irritation flashed across his face. "Stop your arguing and do as I tell you, girl." Her cheeks reddened with anger as he marched her to his horse and lifted her easily into the

saddle. She pushed his shirt down, but her nakedness rubbed uncomfortably against the cold leather, as he wedged his body behind hers.

"I'm not wearing any underclothes," she said in a low voice.

"I am well aware of that." He grinned wolfishly.

She did her best to ignore the shudder of need that went through her at his grin. "The leather

is cold and uncomfortable."

"We definitely don't want that." He reached into one of the saddle bags and pulled out

another of his shirts. "Here, place this underneath you."

She looked at the shirt in his hand. "Are you kidding me? Just let me sit in the carriage with

my sister."

She had braided her long hair and secured it with piece of leather, and he tugged gently on the

end of it. "Your choices are the cold leather or my shirt. Take your pick."

She continued to hesitate, and he leaned forward, his breath tickling her ear. "Or perhaps you

would prefer to have my hand there?"

She shivered violently as the memory of his hand between her legs went through her head and

he grinned again. "It seems as though you would prefer option three."

Quickly, before he could do what he threatened, she plucked his shirt from his hands and

tucked it beneath her. She arranged it so that it was covering the saddle and protecting her from the leather.

"Better?"

"Aye," she muttered.

"Good." He clicked his tongue to the horse and wrapped his arm around her waist, rubbing

her abdomen through his shirt as they followed the others. Like yesterday he dropped back until there was some distance between them and the other riders. She squirmed nervously as he placed a soft kiss on her neck and cupped her breast familiarly.

"Please stop that." She pushed his hand away from her breast and leaned forward.

He frowned and tugged her back against him. "Why do you deny me the pleasure of touching you?"

She swallowed. "My lord -"

"Tristan."

"My lord," she said pointedly, "what happened this morning was a mistake. I should not

have allowed you to touch me so intimately."

"You seemed to enjoy my touch this morning." He stroked her bare thigh and she shivered

again.

"Please, my lord," she said. A frown crossed his face at the obvious distress in her voice. He

stopped touching her, holding the reins with both hands and allowing her to lean away from him. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to lead you on this morning," she said. "The other women are already agitated by my presence. If they find out that I am warming your bed, I'm afraid they

will make my life difficult."

She cursed inwardly at how weak she sounded,but she needed him to believe that she was

worried only for herself. She feared that if he realized it was Maya she was concerned about he would send Maya away despite her abilities with his children, in order to indulge in his obvious desire for her. She was not completely naïve to the ways of men, and she knew there were many who could be like a dog with a bone when it came to sex.

He didn't reply but he made no move to continue touching her either. They rode in silence for a few minutes. Avery watched the rest of the group disappear around a curve in the road ahead.

"May I ask you a question, my lord?"

"If I can ask you one."

She thought about it for a moment. "Fair enough. What's your question?"

"Were you casting spells on the other women in the tent last night?"

She shook her head. "No."

He waited for her to elaborate and when she didn't, sighed in irritation. "Ask your question." "Why do your eyes change colour?"

He stiffened behind her. "They don't."

"They do," she insisted. He remained silent and she twisted her upper body to look at him. "Earlier this morning when we were -"

She paused awkwardly and he grinned at her. "When we were fucking?"

She blushed and he suddenly slid his hand behind her head and gripped her neck. He kissed

her deeply, pushing his tongue into her mouth as she moaned. With a low gasp, she tore her mouth from his. "Stop distracting me. Your eyes turned green

– why?"

He shook his head dismissively. "You imagined it."

She glared at him. "No, I didn't. Tell me why they -"

There was a sudden scream ahead of them and, with a loud curse, Tristan dug his heels into

his horse's side and the horse galloped forward.

They rounded the corner and Avery made a cry of dismay. "Faeries!"

Their small group had been surrounded by a dozen of the creatures. Avery shuddered in

disgust at the sight of them. They were short but powerful, with large, grotesque leathery wings sprouting from their backs and bodies covered in strange markings. Their hair was wild and knotted with twigs and leaves, and they carried short and razor-sharp spears. It was nearly impossible to distinguish the males from the females, and Avery watched in horror as one flew down and lifted Renee from the wagon. She screamed in terror, struggling and kicking as the faerie flew to the soft grass next to the road. He dropped her onto the grass and fell on her before she could rise to her feet. He pinned her down on her back and held his face above hers. He squealed in delight and opened his mouth. It was filled with pointed teeth, and his long, lizard-like tongue flicked out and licked Renee's cheek lightly and delicately before he inhaled. Renee went still and her eyes shut as her mouth opened and a fine grey mist rose from her open mouth.

"No!" Avery cried.

Faeries were fierce and wild and had a taste for humans. Before they killed and cooked the humans they captured, they sucked the essence of a person from them. Avery had met a person once long ago, who had been rescued from faeries before they could devour him. However, he had not been spared from having most of his essence sucked away. He had been like a dead man that still breathed, and Avery could still remember the horror she had felt at seeing his blank eyes and limp body.

As Tristan urged his horse toward the carriage, she looked behind her to see a large black wolf come bounding across the road and attack the faerie on Renee. The faerie screamed as it tumbled off of the girl and jabbed at the wolf with the spear it carried in his right hand. Before the spear could penetrate the wolf's thick pelt, the wolf tore the faerie's throat out. Blood and black liquid poured from the faerie's throat as it made a weak gurgling sound and collapsed on the hard ground. The wolf raised its snout to the sky and howled triumphantly before racing toward another faerie. Tristan slid off his horse and threw open the door of the carriage. He lifted Avery from the horse and tossed her inside the carriage. She landed with a hard thud on the floor of it and Maya, crying and trying to soothe a screaming, frightened Nicholas, helped her to the seat.

Tristan looked at Sophia. His entire body was shaking and rippling, and Avery could see the beard growing on his face.

"It's fine, my love." He spoke in a near growl. "Stay in the carriage."

He glanced at Avery, his eyes glowing bright green, before he slammed the door shut. She pushed away from Maya and slid across the seat to the window, looking out just in time to see Tristan's clothing explode from his body as he transformed into a giant grey wolf.

She let out a breathless little gasp as he howled deafeningly before he crouched to the ground and then leaped into the air, snatching a faerie out of the sky above him. The faerie screeched and beat at Tristan's head, but Tristan threw him to the ground, placing his front paws on the faerie's chest and his mouth around its head. With a muffled growl, he tore off the faerie's head with a wet squelching sound.

Avery winced in horror as a jet of blood and black liquid squirted out of the faerie's gaping neck. Tristan dropped the faerie's head on the ground and ran toward the other wolves.

"Avery!" Maya let out a wailing cry and she turned to see Sophia on the floor of the carriage. Her small body was shaking and rippling, and low growls and snarls were emitting from her throat.

"What's happening to her?" Maya moaned as Nicholas screamed and wailed in the sling.

"She's a Lycan." Avery knelt beside Sophia. "Honey, it's okay. Calm down, baby. Everything's fine."

With another low snarl, Sophia looked at her and Avery jerked back. Like Tristan, her eyes had gone from dark brown to green, but they were filled with fear and confusion.

Maya, jiggling Nicholas frantically, knelt in front of her. "Sophia, my love? Shhh...it's okay."

With a loud scream that was half-howl, Sophia's clothes burst apart and she shifted into a small grey wolf. She crouched on the floor of the carriage, growling and snapping her teeth at them.

"Sophia?" Maya whispered.

Sophia leaped for her throat.

"Sophia, no!" Avery screamed as Sophia landed with a thud on Maya and Nicholas. Maya

fell onto her back, her head hitting the door of the carriage with a loud bang, and threw her arm up as Sophia lunged for the soft flesh of her neck.

She screamed in pain as Sophia's small, but needle-sharp teeth tore into the flesh of her forearm.

"Sophia – stop!" Avery grabbed the scruff of the wolf's neck and yanked as hard as she could. Maya screamed again as Sophia tore a chunk of flesh from her arm. Avery wrestled the small wolf to the ground, flinching back just in time to avoid having Sophia sink her fangs into her face. She used her weight to pin Sophia to the floor and as the wolf howled and struggled beneath her shaking arms, she looked at Maya.

"Maya, are you all right?"

Maya, bleeding profusely from the wound in her arm, sat up and nodded. "I'm all right." "Here, give me your hand." Avery reached for her with one hand.

"No," Maya gasped. "I'm fine for now. We'll heal it later."

She looked at Sophia. "What do we do with her? Should we *"

The door of the carriage ripped open and a faerie peeked in. He grinned and clapped his

hands together. "Hello, my pretties!"

He looked at Maya and the baby. "Ooh, two for the price of one!"

Before Avery could move, he grabbed Maya by the hair and yanked her from the carriage. "Maya!" Avery screamed. She threw Sophia onto the seat and scrambled out of the carriage,

slamming the door shut just as Sophia leaped from the seat and thumped against the door. Avery looked around frantically. The faerie had dragged Maya to the edge of the road, and

three other faeries were crowding around them.

"A baby! I want the baby! C'mon now, give me a taste!" The three of them jostled for

position. Avery snatched a large rock from the ground and ran toward them.

There was a loud howling and a large white wolf slammed into the three faeries, sending

them tumbling and scattering across the road. He turned and pulled the faerie that was pinning Maya down, away from her. With a fierce snarl, he bit into the faerie's face, pulling and tearing off the flesh as the faerie shrieked and beat weakly at the wolf's head. There was a loud crunching noise as the wolf bit through the faerie's skull, and the faerie went limp.

"We'll kill you, Lycan!"

The white wolf twisted around as the other three faeries hovered above him. He bared his teeth as they fell on him, snapping and snarling as they pinned him down and began to stab him with their spears.

Avery was nearly there, the rock raised above her head, when hard hands suddenly grabbed her arm and she was yanked off her feet. The rock tumbled to the ground as a faerie, its wings flapping and cutting through the air, grinned down at her.

She screamed and reached up with her other arm, sinking her nails into the scaly arm of the creature. It gave its own scream of surprise and dropped her. She hit the ground hard. The breath was knocked from her and she rolled onto her back, staring dazedly at the grey sky above her.

The faerie's face appeared above her as he landed on her soft body with a hard thud. "I've never tried a Red, I haven't." He giggled and winked at her. "I bet you taste delicious."

He leaned over her, and Avery gagged as his hot and fetid breath washed over her.

"I'm going to enjoy this dearie," it simpered.

As it opened its mouth wide and inhaled, there was a flash of grey and the faerie was knocked

backward. Before it could rise to its feet, Tristan was crouching over it.

The faerie had time to whisper weakly, "No, please...." before Tristan ripped its throat out. Avery gasped for breath. She laid on her back, staring wide-eyed into the sky as the large

grey wolf approached her. It whined softly, and she reached out a trembling hand and stroked the side of its face. "Tristan?"

He licked her hand and she closed her eyes, forcing herself to take long, deep breaths. There was a soft popping noise and then she felt Tristan's warm hand on her belly.

"Avery, are you hurt?"

She shook her head and opened her eyes, giving him a weak smile when he helped her into a sitting position. "Maya?"

"She's fine. We've destroyed the faeries but we need to get -"

"Marshall!" Maya's loud cry made them both look, and then Tristan was yanking her to her feet and nearly carrying her across the road.

Maya was kneeling next to Marshall's naked body as an equally naked Jeffrey and Leo crouched helplessly next to them.

"He's not healing. Why isn't he healing? They did not administer the kiss!" Jeffrey gave Tristan a look of panic as Tristan took Marshall's cold hand.

"There are too many wounds. The spears carry their own poison."

Avery looked at Marshall's body. He had been stabbed multiple times with the spears of the faeries, and each wound was oozing a foul-smelling yellow liquid.

"He saved Nicholas and me," Maya whispered.

"Marshall, can you hear me?" Tristan squeezed Marshall's hand and although they could see the slow rise of his chest, he neither moved nor responded.

"What do we do?" Leo had left and returned with pants for all three of them, and a blanket for Marshall. Mrs. Lanning and the other women approached, and she gave Tristan a hard look.

"You know what we need to do, lord Tristan. He will not survive this, even with his Lycan healing powers. It is cruel to leave him to suffer this way."

Tristan cursed vehemently, bowing his head as Maya looked at Avery.

"Avery, please," she begged.

Avery knelt next to Tristan, putting one hand on his arm. "My lord, I may be able to help

him. Will you let me?"

He looked at her, confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean, girl?"

"You need to trust me. I might be able to save his life if you will trust me."

Mrs. Lanning froze. "You cannot possibly trust her, lord Tristan. She's a witch. She will

mutter a spell that she says will heal him, but it will destroy us all. We do not have time to - " "Shut up, Mrs. Lanning!" Tristan suddenly roared. He stared at Avery. "Save his life." She nodded and slipped under the blanket next to Marshall. She wiggled out of Tristan's

shirt, and tossed it aside before wrapping her naked body around Marshall's. She kissed him several times on the face and mouth before resting her forehead against his.

She winced and Maya said worriedly, "Avery? Are you all right?"

She nodded. "He's badly injured. I'm sorry, Maya, but it may be too late."

Maya, her eyes filling with tears, rubbed Nicholas' back through the sling before taking Tristan's arm. "Leave them alone for a bit. She won't hurt him, I promise."

He stood up, glancing at her bleeding arm. "Did a faerie bite you?"

She shook her head. "No, m'lord. Sophia, she – she turned and attacked me. She is still in the carriage. I wasn't sure what to do."

He swore violently and struggled into his pants before crossing to the carriage. Maya hurried after him. He opened the door of the carriage and peered inside.

Sophia was sitting naked on the floor, her legs drawn up and her thin arms wrapped around them. She raised her head and stared at him with a tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry, Papa. I did the bad thing. I didn't mean to do the bad thing. I was so scared. I couldn't help it, Papa," she moaned.

"It's okay, Sophia," he soothed. "It's not your fault, baby."

"I hurt Maya." She sobbed brokenly and then Maya was pushing him aside and shoving Nicholas into his arms. She climbed into the carriage and Sophia scrambled away from her, cringing and covering her head with her arms.

"Don't spank me, Maya! I'm sorry," she cried.

She flinched when Maya scooped her up, but the young woman simply hugged her against her chest. She sat on the seat and picked up a blanket.

"Shh, my Sophia, shh." She wrapped the blanket around the young girl and rocked her back and forth. "Don't cry, my love. You've done nothing wrong. It's all right, everything's all right."

She sang softly to the young girl and, with a watery gasp, Sophia wrapped her thin arms around Maya's neck and clung tightly.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Maya," she whimpered.

"Of course, you didn't, my love. I know that. It was very scary, and you can't help what happens when you're afraid."

She continued to rock the young girl and, still holding Nicholas, Tristan quietly closed the carriage door and returned to Marshall and Avery.