Fabric of Fate (7 page)

Just before oblivion claimed her she felt herself being lifted and held against a broad, masculine chest. In spite of the cold, she could feel heat radiating from him and snuggled closer. The one coherent thought she had was that she was safe now. She’d been found.

Chapter Four

Abrah couldn’t believe his eyes. He could make out a dark shape with legs and arms. There was a person lying in the dirt with Carn sitting right beside him. No, it wasn’t a male, but a female. The closer he got the more he could discern in the almost impenetrable darkness.

He pushed Carn aside and turned her carefully onto her back. Her body was delicate and there was no mistaking the outline of breasts against the wet fabric. Whoever she was, she wasn’t dressed for the weather.

She blinked at him and then her eyelids fluttered shut. She was alive, but he had no idea if she was injured or how badly. They had to get her to safety.

“What is a woman doing all the way out here? Alone!”

He shared his brother’s disbelief, for it was beyond comprehension that a woman should be out on a night like this and alone. “We have to get her back to the keep.” Abrah stripped off his coat and wrapped it around her slender form, desperate to get her warm. Whatever she was wearing was soaked through. He slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her off the cold ground, a sense of urgency pounding inside him.

“Hurry.” He knew they were on borrowed time, especially since the cold could draw the life out of a person. He’d seen it happen before and it was imperative it didn’t happen to this woman, whoever she was.

Heroc led the way with Abrah and his precious bundle beside him. They moved as fast as they dared with Carn loping along beside them. Abrah prayed to the gods as he hurried, imploring all of them to let the woman live.

As he made his way over the uneven terrain, he strained to hear her breathing above the howling wind and beating rain, but it was impossible. All Abrah had was hope, which had been in short supply in his life as of late. Heroc glanced at him and the woman in his arms from time to time but said nothing. Even if they yelled, the raging wind would swallow whatever either of them said. Time enough for conversation when she was safe and warm inside.

The keep came into view, lamplight from the surrounding homes illuminating the familiar path to their home. The brothers didn’t bother to summon help. Whoever the woman was, they would deal with her injuries themselves. If they were deemed too serious, then he would send for Tara and more help.

Heroc pulled the large door open and Abrah hurried inside. Candlelight flickered in the wind and several of them flared and then flickered out. He didn’t pause downstairs but took the narrow stone stairs two at a time to the next floor. His heart was racing, his lungs sucking in air as he hurried to his room. He shoved the door open with his hip and kept going through the bedroom and into the bathing chamber, where a single candle lit the space.

In the center of the room sat a tub of lukewarm water, which the housekeeper had ordered prepared before she’d retired for the evening. Abrah was thankful for her thoughtfulness.

Abrah barked his orders as he knelt on the floor with his precious bundle. “Stoke the fire and go down to the kitchen and get more hot water.”

Heroc took a moment to light several more candles before he hurried toward the door. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” His brother was yanking off his coat as he raced back to the bedroom.

Carn settled beside him and poked his nose into the top part of the bundle. His large muzzle shoved aside the fabric and gave Abrah his first look at the woman. Her face was streaked with mud and grit but her beauty shone through. Her nose was straight, her lips full and kissable.

Abrah gave a low growl, angry at her battered condition, and slowly lowered her to the floor. What had she been doing out in this weather on her own?

Carn glanced at him and then went back to nuzzling the woman. “Like her, do you, boy?” Carn didn’t usually take to strangers, preferring to stay aloof from everyone but Abrah and Heroc. The dog gave a low
woof
as though he understood the question. And Abrah wasn’t sure he didn’t.

He slowly stripped off his coat, which he’d wrapped around her, to reveal her body. She was slender, her limbs long and delicate. The clothing she was wearing was unfamiliar—some kind of pants and a soft tunic. He stripped them off her, careful not to jar her body any more than necessary.

She moaned and batted at his hands.

“I have to get these wet clothes off you.” He spoke, not sure she could even hear him as she drifted in and out of consciousness. But he kept up a steady stream of words as he tossed the sodden mound of cloth aside. She wasn’t wearing any footwear, only a thin covering of some kind. He pulled them off and added them to the pile. She was left wearing some kind of odd undergarments. The ones covering her lower half came off easily but the one covering her breasts gave him a moment of trouble. He’d never seen anything like it. It didn’t cover much, so he didn’t see the point in it.

He shoved it up and over her head, being as gentle as possible. She wasn’t shivering and that worried him.

Carn nosed through her wet clothing before going to the end of the tub and taking up residence there.

As soon as she was naked, Abrah picked her up and lowered her into the warm water. He knew that to her chilled skin the water would seem hot. Sure enough, her eyes opened and she cried out, thrashing in the water.

She was so weakened by her ordeal that Abrah had no problem holding her in the tub with one hand. All the while she fought him, he kept trying to reassure her. “You are safe at Dannon Keep. I need to get you warm.”

Her eyes were huge and blue as they watched him in an unblinking stare. He scooped water into his palm and let it fall over her. “Let the water warm you.” He kept his voice low and, he hoped, reassuring. He’d never had to comfort a woman before and wasn’t quite sure how to go about it.

The door to the chamber was shoved open and bounced off the wall as Heroc strode in carrying a large kettle of steaming hot water. He set the hot pot down and made no pretense of not looking at their guest. Heroc’s eyes devoured her as she lay naked in the tub.

She shivered, pulling Abrah’s attention back to her. “That is a good sign. Your body is trying to warm itself.” He motioned to his brother and Heroc picked up the kettle and poured half of the water into the tub, taking care not to spill it on her limbs. He leaned down and used his hand to swish the water around so the hot was mixed with the cooling water.

The woman moaned as the hot water seeped into her limbs. He knew it would feel like fire against her skin but it was necessary to get her body temperature up. It was also time to wash away the mud to see if she had any other injuries. The fact she was moving her limbs without any trouble was a very good sign.

Heroc went around to the other side of the tub, grabbed a cloth and dumped it into the water. “I’m going to clean some of the mud off you.” He gently rubbed at her neck and shoulders and down her arms.

Abrah decided to rinse her hair while Heroc was washing her. He eased her back so she was resting against the end of the tub with her hair hanging over the edge. He shoved an empty bucket beneath it and began to scoop handfuls of water over the thick mass. Thankfully it wasn’t too dirty. When he was satisfied her hair was clean, he squeezed out the excess water.

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Abrah couldn’t help but enjoy the slick slide of her hair through his fingers. Heroc was obviously feeling the same way as he rubbed the cloth up and down her legs and feet in a slow, sensual rhythm.

Abrah’s cock stirred. He willed it to behave, but it wasn’t listening. It had been so long since he’d had a woman beneath his hands. A year ago at the festival he’d spent several memorable nights with an older widow woman. He and Heroc had tried to entice her to marry one of them but she’d chosen someone else from her home village. It was no wonder his body was reacting to the nearness of this woman.

Her eyelids had drifted closed and her breathing was shallow. She still wasn’t safe from the effects of the cold yet. Abrah stood and lifted her out of the dirty water.

Heroc watched his brother carefully set the woman down beside the tub. Her slick skin gleamed in the candlelight. She was slender, almost too much so. He frowned, wondering if she’d been ill or if her village had fallen on hard times. That happened sometimes but he couldn’t imagine any man letting his woman go hungry.

He grabbed a drying cloth and ran it over her limbs as Abrah steadied her. His cock was as hard as a spike, pushing against the leather placket of his pants, but he ignored the discomfort as best he could. All that mattered was making sure she was safe and warm. Thankfully, other than a few minor scrapes and bruises, she didn’t seem to be hurt.

The bath had helped bring up her body temperature but it wasn’t enough. She was shivering slightly but there was no doubt she was still chilled to her core.

Heroc vigorously rubbed her legs and arms, trying to get the blood circulating through her limbs. He did his best to ignore the smooth skin of her legs, the curve of her hip, the dip of her waist. But it was impossible to miss the thrust of her breasts and the way her nipples were puckered against the cold. She may be slender but her breasts were full and firm.

He swallowed a groan as every muscle in his body tightened and his cock flexed. The hair on her head was starting to curl. It matched the shorter, curly hair that covered her mound.

“Enough.” Abrah’s voice was strained and Heroc knew his brother was holding his passion in check by a thread.

Heroc tossed aside the cloth and followed his brother into the bedroom, watching intently as Abrah carried her to the bed. Carn padded behind them, taking up his usual place in front of the hearth.

He’d taken the time to turn back the covers after he’d stoked the fire. The room was warm but not warm enough. “We need to use body heat.” Abrah nodded and placed the woman in the middle of the mattress.

Heroc stared at her, devouring her oval face, full lips and high cheekbones. She looked very familiar. His hands stilled on the laces of his pants.

“Abrah.” His brother continued to strip off his damp clothing, but raised his eyebrow in question. “I recognize this woman.” Heroc wasn’t sure his brother would believe him or not, but he couldn’t hold in the truth. “From a dream.”

“I recognize her too.” Abrah yanked his tunic over his head and dropped it on the floor.

Heroc’s heart began to race. Was it possible they’d shared the same dream? With the woman currently lying in Abrah’s bed? In the dream she’d said the tapestry had brought her. Had that happened in truth? He certainly wasn’t dreaming now, but then again, his dream had felt incredibly real too. Heroc didn’t know what the truth was and didn’t care. All that mattered was getting her warm and saving her life.

He kicked off his boots and whisked away his pants. His tunic followed and he crawled into bed beside her. Abrah climbed in on the other side and pulled the thick furs over all of them.

Heroc rested his hand on her flat stomach. Her skin was still chilly to the touch and so he began to stroke up and down her torso and over her thigh, willing his warmth into her body. She had to live. Heroc would not entertain any other outcome.

Audrey knew she had to be dreaming. There simply was no other explanation for what was happening to her. A giant dog and two men had found her, brought her to a stone castle and popped her into the bathtub after stripping her naked. She should have been appalled by what was happening but she was too miserable to care.

Her entire body ached and she was beginning to think she’d never be warm again. Ice seemed to encase her bones, chilling her to the very core of her being.

The mattress dipped and one of the men climbed in beside her. The light flickered in the room and she frowned. Why did this place seem familiar? The mattress dipped again and the other man joined them in the bed. She knew she should be outraged. She was naked after all. But she was cold and they were so very warm. Their large bodies radiated heat. She wanted to snuggle next to them and soak it all in.

Lethargy filled her, surrounded her, until she floated in a bubble, distanced from her surroundings while still somehow a part of it. The sensation was strange, yet oddly comforting, as though she were removed from all feeling and emotion. She was safe here. Nothing could touch her.

She frowned as one of the men rested his hand on her stomach. It felt heavy and real. But this couldn’t be. This wasn’t her bedroom and she’d certainly never had two handsome, naked men in her bed. She’d certainly remember if such an event had ever taken place.

Somehow these men weren’t strangers, or at least she didn’t think they were. They were familiar, like she knew them from somewhere, but where?

Although it wasn’t easy to keep her eyes open, she studied them in the dim light emanating from the crackling fire. They both were very large men with broad shoulders and huge biceps. They wore their black hair long, but one of them had a single skinny braid on either side of his face. The shape of their faces were so similar she knew they had to be related—brothers or cousins.

The one with his hand on her stomach had a slightly crooked nose and, when he smiled at her, recognition hit like a sledgehammer in the gut. He was the man from her dream. They both were from her dream.

“Heroc,” she whispered. That was the name the other man had called him by last night in her dream. They were brothers. She remembered that as well.

Audrey turned her head to find the other male, the one with the two skinny braids, watching her. She licked her dry lips. “You’re Abrah.”

He inclined his head. “And you are?”

“Audrey. Audrey Brennan.” She didn’t understand what was going on. Why was she dreaming about these men again? Maybe it was a dream, but everything about the moment seemed so real.

“Audrey Brennan.” The male satisfaction in his voice frightened her. She remembered all too well what happened at the end of her last dream. He’d gotten angry with her.