Page 4 of Arthur

I felt Arthur directly behind me all the way to the door. When we made it outside, I took in a deep breath of icy air that I knew would hurt my lungs. I didn’t care though. I wanted to cleanse my nose of the stink from inside. But my thin tunic had me wishing for something much warmer.

“Do you have a coat?” Arthur asked. I felt his hand on my back, and that did funny things to me. Why was my body vibrating? Why did it become tingly in an arousing way when he touched me? Why was my cock thickening in my hose?

“I do not, no. We live above the tavern. I put on multiple layers when I need to go to the market.” I had a coat at one point. I had been forced to watch it burn in the fireplace after being dragged back by my father the last time I’d tried to escape. Since then, I’d not been allowed more than a few changes of thin clothing that was better suited for summer.

I might have been mistaken, but I could have sworn that Arthur growled. He wrapped a hand around my upper arm and pulled me away from the front of the tavern. When we were halfway down the walkway, I was suddenly enveloped in warmth that I’d not felt while outside since my coat and warmer clothing had been taken from me.

“There. That should suffice until we get you home. We’ll need to outfit you, but that’s not exactly a hardship. Tell me, is there anything you need from your place? You said you lived upstairs.”

I stared in Arthur’s direction, but it was so dark I couldn’t make out his features. “I have nothing I need, no. Am I not returning? I don’t understand what’s going on.” There were a few mementos I had hidden under a floorboard, but with a thought, I’d be able to have them in my possession.

“Patrick. My beautiful Patrick. Do you not feel that? What’s between us?”

Beautiful? His Patrick? His? Was he saying what I thought he was? No, it couldn’t be. He was too good for me.

“Arthur?” I said hesitantly.

“Yes, Patrick. Come. We have much to discuss.”

We had just left the walkway that connected the main road to our tavern when we were suddenly facing my father.

“Patrick. Your mother is quite upset. Back to the tavern with you. None of this nonsense now. Your union to Mary Elizabeth will be moved up to tomorrow.”

I flinched beside Arthur, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I moved a slight step closer to him, hoping to avoid the pain I knew my father was going to cause.

“Henry. I wish I could say it’s good to see you, but I’d be lying if I did. If you will excuse us. Patrick will be returning to England with me,” Arthur said as he placed an arm around my shoulders.

My father sneered, and I wondered at the cause. Why would he act in such a way toward Arthur? Master Edison had been nothing but welcoming when we lived there.

“Patrick will be marrying Mary Elizabeth. She will be able to give us many grandchildren, and it will finally give us the union we need for the tavern.”

So that was it. Mary Elizabeth’s parents owned the building, and my parents were using me as a bartering tool for what? Receive reduced rent? Free?

“Father, I don’t want—” I flinched when I suddenly felt a slap. Even though Father was several feet away, I knew he’d used magic to inflict the blow.

“You’ll regret that,” Arthur said between clenched teeth as he pulled me behind him. “Patrick is mine, my One, and you cannot come between us. You of all people know you cannot come between fated mates.”

I heard footsteps running down the narrow passage and was about to alert Arthur when I saw that it was Master Edison, followed closely by Wallace. A quick peek over Arthur’s shoulder told me that my father saw who had joined us.

“Arthur, take Patrick home. Get him settled, and we’ll see the two of you in about a week’s time. If you need anything, let us know,” Master Edison said.

Arthur reached his arm back and wrapped it around me, and then we were gone. We were…I wasn’t quite sure.

“Where are we?” I asked. We were inside somewhere, but it was dark, and I couldn’t see a thing.

“We’re at my home,” Arthur said.

Oh.“We’re at the inn? In England?”

“On the grounds, yes. I no longer have a room in the main building though. I reside some distance back. Several of us have chosen to live in small homes around the property. The coven has grown since your family left us.”

The room was suddenly illumined by several candles, and I got my first good look at the place. When we had lived here, we were all in the main building, and I shared two rooms with my parents. Arthur’s place wasn’t large, but it was just him, so how much room did he possibly need?

“Would you like a bath?” Arthur asked. I flinched. I knew I needed to bathe, but that was something that my parents only allowed monthly, unfortunately. I ducked my head, shame filling me. Of course he’d want me to wash away the stench from the day.

“Yes, please. The inn—which direction is it?”

“Forgive me, Patrick. That…I’m trying my best to do things properly. I only meant to ask if you’d wish to bathe. I myself would love to, as I’ve actually just come back from Spain earlier this evening before heading to Switzerland in search of you.”

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