Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“He believes he has bested me.”
Did he suddenly think her deaf too? Would he chatter away and give her news to take to Colum?
“You do have a name, do you not?” Cree asked.
She nodded.
“Is there some way you can express it to me?’
She didn’t see any harm in letting him know her name. She turned her gaze on the ground beside her and cleared the dirt of the few leaves and stones, grabbing one as she finished. She drew a horizontal line and above it a half circle. She finished it with lines bursting from the top of it.
Cree studied it a moment and then glanced up at her. “Dawn. Your name is Dawn.”
She smiled and nodded, pleased that he understood so quickly.
“Dawn,” he said curtly.
Her name was so abrupt on his lips that she thought him angry. However, she did not shiver, though she remained still.
“It is time for you to take your leave.”
He stood then and returned to the shadowy corner.
She did not hesitate to stand and hurry to the door, leaving the bucket of water and basket of remaining food for him. She wanted out of the small prison and away from Cree.
“Dawn.”
Not a shout, and yet the potency of it had her cringing and reluctantly turning around. She could not see him, the shadows having swallowed him. She waited hoping he had not changed his mind.
“When you return with my evening meal bring a blanket.”
She nodded, relief trickling all the way down to her toes.
“Make it a large one. You will be sleeping with me tonight.”
Chapter Four
Night fell and pitched Cree into total darkness. A chill came with it, but he did not shiver or bemoan his circumstances. He remained strong and focused on what must be done next. He needed to learn as much as he could.
He had had no doubt that the stout leader Colum would send him a woman or ply him with food in hopes of retrieving information from him before they tortured him mercilessly, and then killed him. It appeared his fate was inevitable or at least his enemies believed so.
He had counted on their ignorance, and they hadn’t failed him. Though he had been surprised to see that Colum had sent him a woman who could not speak, assuming he could learn nothing from her. Dawn, however, was not as dumb as no doubt many assumed. In the short time he had spent with her, he learned that she was capable of communicating, and he doubted that Column was aware of the extent of her soundless speech.
She would serve him well, and he would see that she did, though he couldn’t allow lust to interfere with his plans. He had grown hard when her face accidentally met his groin. He had not bed a woman in awhile, his mission keeping him busy so it had only been natural that Dawn’s mishap had grown him hard.
While he could easily abate his need between her legs, he had no intention of bedding her. He favored women who could moan and groan and scream, quite loudly with pleasure from his mighty thrusts.
He would make Colum think Dawn was serving his purpose while using her to his advantage. Then when the time was right...
Night shadows scurried away from him when he grinned, the dark even fearing him.
He had fought many battles in his bid to get here and now that he was here, he would let nothing stand in his way—especially not a plain woman without a voice.
Why his thoughts lingered on her he could not say, perhaps it was the fact that though the smell of fear had weighed heavily on her, she had not let it consume her. She had remained stoic, shedding not a single tear nor begging on bended knee. She had done what was expected of her in spite of it all.
Still, he had no intentions of involving himself with a voiceless woman. His lust would have to wait and then he’d find himself a woman that he’d make scream with pleasure. He’d need one. He’d always had a woman after battle, a willing one. He could not abide nor would he condone his men forcing any woman. If they could not find a willing one, then they could assuage their own lust.
He shook his thoughts away. He had no time to waste on such trivial musings. His mission came first and foremost, that was what he needed to concentrate on. His time was limited and he needed to be prepared. He could tell upon entering the village that his scouts’ information had proven accurate. They had mapped the area well, designating buildings, estimating the populace, and detailing the workings of the village. He was familiar with it all and so when he had arrived at the Village Dowell it was as if he was returning to a place he knew well.