Fabric of Fate (20 page)

And she had changed them too. In her heart, she knew their lives would never be the same. The echo of loss would follow them all to their dying days.

Chapter Fourteen

Abrah tasted desperation on her lips, felt it in the way her fingers dug into his shoulders. He didn’t understand Audrey. Obviously, she felt something for him and Heroc, so why wouldn’t she stay?

Because this world was foreign to her. Because she would be alone and at the mercy of men here.

He was still reeling over the confession of her past. How could a man leave his wife and child? Abrah couldn’t even imagine such a thing. It was unknown to his culture. If a man died, his brothers and family would care for his woman and child. She would not want for anything.

Her past had tainted her thinking and Abrah knew he was asking the impossible of her. Yet he’d had to ask. He’d offered her his entire wealth, such as it was, but she’d rejected the silver and jewels the same way she’d rejected his home and his heart.

That wasn’t quite true. He’d offered her the wealth but not his heart. That, he’d kept locked up tight in his chest. He could not afford to have it offered and rejected. It would kill him.

He cupped her breasts and thumbed her nipples and she rewarded him with a moan of pleasure. Here in bed, Audrey never held back. She gave of herself freely, offering untold treasures. But it was borrowed treasure.

He couldn’t wait any longer, knowing that the tapestry could appear at any time and steal her away from him. Abrah released her lips and lifted her. “You will remember me,” he promised her. Her nails dug into his flesh as he lifted her and positioned his cock against her opening.

“I will,” she promised, but it was cold comfort.

Abrah met his brother’s gaze and saw the sorrow there. Heroc no longer believed. It was a deep blow to see the hope bleed from his brother’s eyes.

He pulled Audrey downward and gritted his teeth as his cock forged inward. She was tight, but wet and warm. Welcoming.

It was a lie. She might welcome his body but nothing else. She would not risk more and stay.

Abrah tilted back his head and roared his pain to the heavens.

Heroc did not want to think about the coming night. He wanted this moment to last forever. He pressed his cock against Audrey’s warm, supple spine, clasped her hips in his hands. She’d brought life to his home and to his heart.

And she was leaving.

There was nothing left to be done. Abrah had shocked him by offering Audrey their small treasury. That was held in keeping, to be used for only the direst of emergencies. They produced all they needed to survive, but the silver and jewels would see them through any dark times. To offer it to Audrey was as deep a declaration of love as Heroc could imagine his brother giving.

He wondered if Audrey even realized that.

To Abrah the well-being of the people came first. Always. To offer the wealth of their entire holdings to her was unprecedented. It also told him how deeply Abrah cared for her.

His brother’s cry of pain echoed off the walls. Desperation seized Heroc and he wrapped his arm around Audrey’s waist, trying to anchor her to him, to his home and to his life.

He buried his face in the curve of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent. She smelled of the soap she’d used in her bath and he knew he’d never be able to use that blend again. It would forever remind him of Audrey.

Audrey’s heart beat faster than a runaway train and her lungs were struggling to get enough air. Abrah’s cry was filled more with pain than pleasure. She was hurting him and Heroc. She hadn’t meant to. She bit her bottom lip to keep from echoing his cry.

His cock filled her, stretching her pussy, but there was more pain than pleasure. Not physical pain, but the ache of loss, of separation even though they were joined in the most intimate way.

She ran her hands over his wide shoulders, down his muscular biceps and across his thick chest. She wanted to touch him everywhere, to memorize every inch of his body.

There was so much about Abrah she didn’t know. There hadn’t been much time to talk and he hadn’t exactly been offering. Heroc was the more open of the two and even he was quiet now.

Their harsh breathing and the occasional moan were the only sounds in the room. There were no words of love, no offer of comfort, only the physical act of coming together.

Heroc’s hand slipped low and he found her clit, pressing it with his forefinger. She began to move, undulating her lower body to find the most pleasure. Abrah was still inside her, letting her motions rock them to oblivion.

She cried out, her entire body clenching. Warmth flooded her core.

Abrah gave a roar and before she realized what was happening, he had her flat on her back and was pounding into her. Sweat beaded his forehead as he thrust heavily. She clung to his forearms, helpless against the storm of his passion.

He yelled again and she felt the hard jerk of his cock as he came. When he was done, he pulled out and flopped onto his back. He’d barely left her when Heroc was over her, supporting his weight on his forearms.

“Audrey.” He said her name and nothing more as he slid into her. The sensitive tissues were swollen and tender, but he forged inward and her pussy rippled around him, accepting him easily.

Heroc’s possession wasn’t quite as frantic as his brother’s had been, but was no less powerful. He flexed his hips over and over, thrusting in and out, claiming her as his own, making a place for himself in her body and heart. Muscles rippled along his shoulders and arms as he continued his relentless pace.

Audrey felt buffeted by the winds of passion, unable to stop her reactions. Her pussy clenched around his cock, clasping it tight. He drove home one final time and she was thrust into another orgasm that rocked her to her soul.

Heroc threw back his head, teeth gritted, thick cords of his neck tense. His cock jerked as he found release. When it was over, he did what his brother had done and rolled off her to lie on her other side.

This time had been different. She understood that now. The other times they’d come together they’d been making love. This was about sex, pure and simple. It was a physical joining tinged with desperation—an act of goodbye.

Audrey missed the closeness of the other times even though she understood the need for separation. She shivered, cold to her bones, even though the room was warm.

Heroc reached down, grabbed a thick covering and threw it over her, tucking the edges around her.

The ache in her heart grew so great she was surprised the organ didn’t explode. There were no words. Not this time. No comfort. No promises.

There was nothing left to say.

Abrah and Heroc were lying beside her but she might as well be back in her cold, lonely bed. She was alone even with them.

It hurt after the closeness of the past few days.

She must have dozed because she came awake suddenly, her heart racing, her body covered in a light sheen of sweat. The fire had burned down, leaving the room dark, but a dim golden glow emanated from near the doorway.

Audrey slipped as soundlessly as she could from the bed and glanced at the men to make sure they hadn’t awakened. Both of them slept soundly, which surprised her. She peered down at them, once again taken by their handsome good looks. But there was so much more to them than physical appearance. Looks alone wouldn’t have held her attention. She’d worked with handsome men for years and been immune to their charms.

No, it was the strength of character of these Dannon brothers, which had touched a heart she’d believed long ago turned to stone.

The floor was cold against the soles of her feet. The clothing she’d worn here was sitting on the chest at the end of the bed. Audrey frowned. She couldn’t remember seeing it there earlier when Abrah had pulled the cask of silver and jewels out of it.

Since it was the only thing around to wear, she pulled on her panties and yoga pants. They felt strange, almost foreign, after wearing the soft leather pants and tunics for several days now. Her cashmere sweater was a little worse for wear but it was warm and soft against her skin. She didn’t bother with the bra, leaving it on top of the chest.

Her socks were there, so she pulled them on hoping they give her some protection from the icy floor. She was searching for the boots she’d worn the past few days when the glowing light by the door caught her eye again.

It was a mesmerizing light and she was propelled toward it, compelled and curious at the same time. Audrey turned the door handle slowly so she wouldn’t make any noise. Not that it seemed to matter. Even Carn was snoozing by the cold hearth, not twitching so much as an ear. It was then she knew what the light was. It was the tapestry calling her home.

Audrey gently opened the door and took one final look at the men sleeping in the large four-poster bed. The empty space between them beckoned to her but the call of the light was greater.

The glow didn’t lead her down the stairs, but up. She hadn’t had time to explore in this direction in the short time she’d been here, but she followed the light, moving unerringly to a room at the very top of the turret. The heavy wooden door was thrown open in welcome. The light was positively blinding so she held up her arm to shield her eyes. But she didn’t turn back. The light was warm and inviting.

Audrey paused on the entrance. “Am I dead?” It was the only explanation she had. She’d heard stories of people seeing a bright light when they died.

A light female laugh seemed to surround her. “No, child. You’re not dead. Come here.”

There was something about the summons she couldn’t ignore. She moved cautiously, unable to see well with the light blinding her.

“I’m sorry.” The light faded slightly. “Is that better?”

Audrey lowered her eyes and blinked at the beautiful woman who came into view. She was ageless. Her hair was pure white but her skin was smooth and unlined. “Who are you?”

“That is of no import. What does matter is your decision.” The woman motioned to her right. The tapestry floated off to the side, suspended in midair.

Audrey jerked away from the magic tapestry. Now that the time was here she was filled with trepidation. She wanted to go home. Didn’t she?

“Where is home?” the woman asked, her voice sweet and non-threatening. “What is home?”

“I don’t know what to do,” she wailed. Three days wasn’t enough time to overcome the hurts of a lifetime, to trust two men she’d just met with the rest of her life. There was no going back from this decision.

“You do know. You’re just afraid to admit it.” The older woman’s smile was filled with compassion. “You can go back to your life and enjoy your career, maybe even make a change in your life. Eventually you might find a man to trust.”

Audrey already knew that. She was nothing if not resilient. Why then wasn’t she grabbing for the tapestry?

“Or,” the lady continued. “You can take a chance knowing you’ll never find two men who will love you more. Yes, you risk more but the possible rewards are enormous.”

Audrey closed her eyes. Her body felt heavy, her mind in turmoil.

“Make your choice or the tapestry will make it for you.” The lady’s voice was fading away, as was the light.

That threat galvanized Audrey. This was her life and she wasn’t about to let anyone else make her decisions for her. She was in control. Now and always.

She took a step toward the rest of her life.

* * * * *

Abrah came awake with a sudden jerk. He knew before his eyes even opened that Audrey was no longer in bed with them. The sheet beside him was cold. But more than that, the room and his heart felt empty.

Beside him, he felt Heroc sit upright. “She’s gone.” The flat tone of his brother’s voice burned his gut like acid.

“Yes.” He climbed out of bed and padded naked to the hearth. The fire had burned down long ago and he crouched and poked at the remnants at it with a log. Sparks jumped and the flames reignited. Abrah tossed the log onto the fire and stared into it as it grew.

Carn rose from his place near the hearth and padded around the room as if searching for Audrey.

The covers rustled and Heroc walked toward him. “You were right. You knew from the beginning she wouldn’t stay.”

Abrah stood and raked his fingers through his hair. He felt weary to his very soul. “I did not want to be right.” His eyes burned with unshed tears and he blinked them away. They’d had three days with Audrey. Not near enough time, yet a lifetime.

Something on the trunk at the end of the bed caught his eye. He walked toward it, knowing it belonged to Audrey. It was the odd contraption she’d worn around her breasts. The material was soft, much like her skin. He fingered the unusual cloth before lifting it to his nose.

It didn’t smell like her, her scent faded by the washing Tara must have given it. He strode to the fire and tossed it in.

“No.” Heroc pounced forward, dragging the burning garment from the flames and slapping at the fire with his hands. The thing was scorched but still intact.

“Why?” Abrah asked. “Why do you want a reminder of her? She didn’t want us enough to stay.” And that was what was eating at his soul.

“There was not enough time.” Heroc went to his knees, naked and broken. He held the piece of Audrey’s clothing to his lips, his eyes filled with tears.

Pure fury shot through Abrah. By the gods, it wasn’t fair! He threw back his head and roared. He wanted to pick up his sword and cleave the bed they’d shared into kindling. How could he sleep there, knowing Audrey would never share it with them again?

He couldn’t.

Yet he had to. There was no choice.

A slight scuffing noise sounded behind him. Abrah turned, expecting to find Carn watching him. But it wasn’t the dog. No, a woman stood just inside the open bedroom door, an expression of uncertainty on her face.

He scowled at her and Audrey took a step back. Fear flashed over her face, making him even angrier.

“The tapestry has not come yet then?” he snapped. He’d thought she’d already gone and now he had to live through it again. It wasn’t to be borne.