Page 15 of Claiming Their Slave
Chapter Five
Somewhere along the journey to her masters’ homestead, a part of Ava’s heart had broken off and attached itself to Jaxon. He was kind and courteous to her during their travels, stopping frequently to let her rest when she became tired, and she suspected he walked at a slower pace than he was accustomed to just for her sake. Sometimes it felt like he was holding her at a distance though, and this she didn’t understand. Perhaps it was because he already had a mate. She hadn’t yet worked up the courage to ask this question. Or perhaps she’d misread him and he wasn’t lusting after her the way she had suspected.
But he’d given her pleasure. He’d made her see stars. And he told her that her body belonged to him. Yet he hadn’t touched her again in that way since he’d given her the spanking. Her face heated and a desperate throbbing commenced between her thighs at the memory of that punishment. He hadn’t hurt her badly, and after her chastisement was over, he’d held her in place and rubbed her bottom until she calmed down. The feel of his fingers pumping in and out of her cunny had been most wondrous, and when he’d stroked her sensitive nubbin and carried her away on a cloud of bliss, she had thought it meant he would most definitely claim her.
However, when she had groped his hard cock through his trousers and offered to please him in return, he had spurned her advances. That part, his rejection, had been the most humiliating part of her experience in the tent. Now she wasn’t sure what the best course of action was, in regard to her future.
Should she attempt to run away again, or should she wait and see what life with Jaxon and his twin was like? Something told her she would be physically safer with them than she’d been with her previous master, and she doubted they would try breeding her with another slave. She realized she’d only known him for a few days; however it seemed completely out of Jaxon’s character to do such a thing.
But her heart wasn’t safe. Far from it. She admired Jaxon and treasured each time he touched her, even the most fleeting brush of his skin on hers, and her face heated every time he smiled at her or spoke gently, or even sternly, to her. He was her master, but he was also her guardian, a strong handsome man who’d promised to keep her safe, but who’d also promised to chastise her when she was naughty.
At night, he tied her feet together and shared his bedroll with her. If she shivered, he would wrap his arms around her and spoon her to his chest. Sometimes, she shivered even when she wasn’t really cold, because she wanted to fall asleep to the feel of his arms wrapped tight around her. It was so easy to imagine he was more than her master, in moments like this. But when he gave her an order, like telling her to clean up the meal or pack his trunk, which he pulled behind him on a set of ropes, she was forced to utteryes, Master, and her role as his slave was reinforced all over again.
The forest, luckily, wasn’t the scary place she’d imagined. Occasionally, she heard the growls of beasts in the distance, but she hadn’t seen any up close. If they heard a snarl through the trees, Jaxon would emit a growl of his own that was so deafening, it rustled the leaves around them. Once, he pointed above them to show her a massive spider web, before hurrying her along to get out of the area in case the spider that had built it was lurking nearby.
When they came upon a stream on their second full day of travel, she was able to bathe and wash her hair, using fragrant soaps Jaxon provided her with. He’d apparently met other Banded in the forest before he’d bought her and traded for many of the treasures he now had in his trunk, which included strips of leather for his uncle’s shoemaking trade, cloth, silver utensils, cured meats, knives, and two sets of bows and arrows.
At the end of their third full day of travel, a large house came into sight at the top of a hill. Her heart accelerated, as she wondered if it was Jaxon’s home. Would she meet Wolfe soon, and what would he think of her? Her stomach flipped when she realized she would soon know for certain if they already had a mate. She’d tried to work up the courage to ask this particular question many times, but thus far she hadn’t yet managed, as her insides twisted with nerves and her mouth dried whenever the question rested on the tip of her tongue.
“Is that where you live, Master?”
“No, but that is where my parents live. Would you like to meet them?”
“Um…” She didn’t know how to answer. His offer stunned her and left her hopeful, because surely he wouldn’t wish to introduce her to his parents if she meant nothing to him. She reminded herself that in the village, slaves could become the spouses of free men or free women, if the match was approved by an Elder. What were the conditions for a match between a slave and a pair of Banded brothers in Jaxon’s culture?
Please, Goddess, let me be more than a slave to him.
“Come, I see my mother in her garden. And look—there’s one of my fathers now.”
Oneof his fathers? It took her a moment to understand, but soon it made sense. Of course he would have two fathers. If she were to mate with him and his brother, any children born between them would consider Jaxon and Wolfe their fathers. How nice that would be. For her children to be born free and have not one, but two fathers, to take care of them. Dare she dream?
Jaxon led her through the garden gate.
“Mother. Father. It is good to see you.” He let go of the rope that pulled the trunk and shrugged off the heavy pack he wore on his back. He wrapped his mother in a hug and briefly lifted her off her feet. She giggled, but soon grew silent when her gaze landed on Ava.
Ava tucked her hair behind her ears and smoothed her hands down her threadbare dress, hoping she looked more presentable than she felt.
“Jaxon?” his father said in a questioning tone as he approached from the back of the garden, his eyes also on Ava. Her cheeks grew hot as shame swept through her. She was wearing rags, and both his parents likely knew she must be a slave. But Jaxon’s father’s next words made her instantly like him. “Who is this beautiful creature?” he asked gently, giving her a genuine smile as he came to stand next to his mate, who had finally extracted herself from Jaxon’s fierce hug.
“Yes, son, who is this lovely girl?”
Her heart pounded as she awaited Jaxon’s response. Somehow, hearing him refer to her as his slave to others made her want to weep. She had always been a dreamer, and she wished for more than a life as a slave. She wished to have a family of her own, to have children who would be free to determine their own destinies. To grow old with a kind husband. Or, in this case,husbands.
But Jaxon’s next words left her humiliated and close to tears.
“Mother, Father, this is my slave, Ava. I bought her in a village a three-day journey from here.” Jaxon shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable, as if he hadn’t wanted to admit what Ava was to him. Was he ashamed of her, or would his parents not approve of him owning a person? She hoped and prayed to the Goddess it was the latter.
By some miracle of self-control, she managed to blink hard enough to keep herself from actually crying. Hadn’t she been good the last few days? Minus the one time she attempted escape, that was. But she’d obeyed every little order he’d given her and hadn’t back-talked him in any way.
While he hadn’t spoken during most of their journey—he claimed they must keep talking to a minimum in order to stay vigilant for any dangers in the woods—she hadn’t truly felt like his slave until now.
Until he’d said it out loud to other people, as if announcing his ownership to the whole world.
What a fool she’d been to think he might see her as more than a slave. What a fool she’d been to practically beg him to touch her cunny and stroke her to bliss. Her entire body flushed at the memory, even as rage bubbled up within her.
“A slave?” his father finally said, breaking the silence. “You bought a slave?” He glared at Jaxon and stood taller, as if readying himself for a fight.
“Jaxon, I refuse to believe my own son condones slavery. What do you think—that you are human? You must set this girl free at once,” his mother scolded.
