Page 31 of Claiming Their Slave
Chapter Eleven
Ava tried not to flinch each time the clash of swords rang out or an agonizing scream ripped through the air. The fighting was punctuated by the loud growls of the Banded men, which she imagined probably intimidated the humans who’d arrived. Katrine had had another vision of the enemy and confirmed they were human, and though Ava hadn’t dared look out the window to confirm her suspicions, they certainly must have come from her village.
It was easy to imagine old, rich Thomas being so enraged at losing an auction to a Banded man that he assembled a group of village men to help him seek revenge. She wondered if the old man had joined in the battle, or if he’d simply enlisted the village’s best hunters. He’d probably offered them a share of the plunder, leading them to believe Jaxon’s home likely contained countless coins and jewels, ripe for the picking. She released a frustrated breath and exchanged a glance with Katrine. The older woman offered her a calm smile and then turned to resume comforting one of the young Banded women.
The noise of the battle didn’t sound very close to the house, and Ava clenched her fists, once again trying to resist the urge to peek out the window. All the women had been ordered to remain in her bedroom, with the door bolted, and no one was permitted to venture near the window or leave the room until the victory horn was blown. Just in case a rogue arrow or spear happened to shatter the glass.
The clash of swords became less and less, and the growls of the Banded and the agonizing screams of humans became more intermittent. The battle was winding down, and Ava jumped to her feet and started to pace, unable to sit still as she awaited the victory horn. She’d never known such uncertainty, fear, and impatience in her life. What if Jaxon or Wolfe had been wounded? Or one of their fathers?
She glanced at Katrine again, but stopped pacing when she noticed the woman’s eyes were wide and fixed on the window. All the other women were staring at her, as if waiting for her to finally speak. Ava’s stomach flipped.
A vision. Katrine was having another vision.
“What is it?” Ava asked, rushing to her mother-in-law’s side.
“A human. Still alive. Approaching Jaxon from behind. Jaxon’s already sheathed his sword and doesn’t…”
Ava didn’t need to hear another word. She knew what she must do. She rushed out of her bedroom and downstairs. With the windows boarded up on the first floor, she stumbled in the darkness until she finally found her way to the front door. It was bolted shut, but only from the inside. She stood on her tiptoes and heaved the wooden bolt aside. Grasping the knob, she turned it and pulled hard, not caring about the danger she might be running into. She only cared about getting to Jaxon in time and warning him.
He’d saved her from a life of misery in the village. She owed him. Not only that, she cared for him and Wolfe. They’d just become a family and she wouldn’t allow anything to tear them apart.
She ran through the front garden and into the carnage of the battlefield. Human bodies littered the ground. She paused and scanned the landscape through the rising mist. Sunlight peeked through the trees, and she squinted and tried to focus her gaze after being inside in the darkness for so long.
She heard the deepness of Banded male voices to her right and headed in that direction, praying Jaxon was among them, or at the very least, Wolfe. As the mist cleared around them, she hurried up to the Banded males who were wiping the blood off their swords. Her heart sank to discover neither of her mates were among the group.
“Jaxon,” she said. “I must find Jaxon. He’s in danger.”
The men gazed at her quizzically, and the tallest of the group, whom she recognized as Trent, stepped forward. “We believe all the humans are dead. What danger do you speak of?”
“Katrine had a vision. There’s one human left alive, one human who she saw approaching Jaxon from behind.” Her heart raced and her senses were on high alert. She heard every little noise on the battlefield. Murmuring voices. Heaving breaths. No more growls or cries or clashing of swords though. The Banded thought all the danger was over, but they were wrong, and they needed to find Jaxon and fast.
“Spread out and find Jaxon. Keep an eye out for the human as well,” Trent ordered, and the other four men soon dispersed.
“Why aren’t you going to look for him, too?” Ava put her hands on her hips, agitation and desperation rolling through her in waves.
Trent lifted an eyebrow at her and grasped her upper arm. “Because I must take you back to the house, where all the women are supposed to remain until told otherwise. I know Jaxon and Wolfe will not be pleased to learn you’ve disobeyed such orders.”
Ava saw red and yanked her arm from Trent’s grasp. Before she realized what she was doing, she kicked his shin and turned, intent to run off into the mist in search of Jaxon herself. She needed to know his location. She needed to know he was safe.
She made it only three steps before Trent scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder. She shrieked and pounded at his back, but to no avail. He wasn’t going to let her go, and—damn him—he was indeed headed back to the house.
“Put me down, you clay-brained lout!” She kicked and twisted, but her struggles didn’t slow him down in the slightest.
“Ava?” Wolfe’s deep voice made her go still. “What’s going on?”
She froze and peeked around Trent’s back to see her mate of the night staring down at her in disbelief. “Wolfe! You must find Jaxon now! Your mother had a vision about a human approaching him from behind, after he sheathed his sword and believed the battle over,” she said quickly.
Wolfe bolted past them and across the field. The mist had almost dispersed completely, burned up by the rising sun. She tried to see if Jaxon was among those standing in the center of the field, but Trent commenced carrying her into the house. Once they were in the kitchen, he sat her on her feet and gave her a stern look.
“You will bolt the door behind you after I leave, and you will not open it again until the victory horn blows. Is that clear?”
“You are not my mate,” she said angrily, placing her hands on her hips. “You can’t tell me what to do. Now, I insist we both go look for Jaxon now.”
Trent glanced at the ceiling for a moment, then leveled another stern look on her. “The sooner you agree to stay here, the sooner I can leave and join in the search for Jaxon.”
Ava quieted and dropped her hands to her sides. “Fine. I-I’ll stay here. I promise. Please find him.”
Trent turned and strode to the door, pulling his sword from his belt as he exited the house. He paused long enough on the front porch to ensure she’d shut and bolted the door, before she heard his disappearing footsteps.
