Avery listened to the solid beat of Tristan's heart beneath her ear. She rubbed her hand back and forth over his abdomen as he traced lazy circles on her bare back. She wanted to fall asleep, wanted to pretend that late mornings and hours of pleasure in Tristan's bed was her life now but she that wasn't reality.
"My lord -"
"Tristan," he said.
She propped herself up on her elbow. "You know I cannot call you Tristan. Please stop
asking me to do so."
He opened his mouth to argue and she hurried on. "Sophia was here looking for you before
breakfast."
He pushed a wayward piece of hair from her face. "Oh?"
"Your mother was with her."
She searched his face anxiously, but he just shrugged. "What did they want?"
"You don't understand, m'lord. I was – I was naked and in your bed." Her face burned at the
memory.
"So? My mother is hardly a fragile flower. I don't think it would surprise her that her child
has sex."
"With a human? And a Red at that? You don't think that she isn't a little alarmed at your
choice of bedmate?"
"My mother has no say in who warms my bed," he replied arrogantly.
"It was humiliating to meet her that way," she said.
"I'll introduce you properly later today," he promised.
She shook her head. "Gods no – that's even more humiliating."
He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "You worry too much about what others think,
girl. Now, what did they want? I was not at breakfast and haven't seen Sophia since last night." "She wants you to go for a walk with her and your mother."
He smiled. "Then I will."
She slipped out of his embrace and sat on the edge of the bed, gathering her clothes from the
floor. He sat up and kissed her back. "No more bruises."
"Aye," she said. "Back to normal."
He caught her hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing the palm of it. "Come for a walk
with us."
"I cannot. I have work to do." She finished dressing and reached for her leather boots,
shoving her feet into them.
He frowned. "You forget that you belong to me. If I want you to go for a walk, then you
will."
"My lord," she said, cupping his face with her hand. "Why do you deliberately try and make
this difficult? How do you think it will look if the others see me out for a walk with you while they are forced to slave away?"
"I don't care what they think. And you're different from them. You're the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the new world," he said.
"I was. Now my father is dead, my mother sold her own flesh and blood for drugs, and I am nothing more than a slave without a cent to her name. All my life I have been different. My gift, my hair – it has set me apart from others. My father's wealth and status protected me, but I no
longer have that luxury. All that matters to me now is keeping Maya safe. In order to do that, I need to blend in and avoid making enemies. Sleeping with you, receiving special treatment from you will not help me protect Maya. Do you understand that? "
"No harm will come to you or your sister in my home," he said.
"Most of your other slaves already hate or fear me."
"It was Mrs. Lanning who beat you so badly, wasn't it? Tell me why she beat you."
"It was a misunderstanding, nothing more."
He grabbed her wrist. "Stop lying to me."
She glanced down at his hand and he let go of her. "Both you and your sister will be safe
here. I promise. I would not have brought you to my home otherwise."
She laughed. "You brought me into your home because your seven-year-old child wanted
me. If it had not been for Sophia, I would still be back at the slave house."
"What does it matter?" he said with growing frustration. "You're here now."
"And when your children are grown? What will become of Maya and me then?" she asked. "Marshall is very fond of Maya. I have a feeling I will not have a nanny for much longer," he
said.
She frowned a little. "Perhaps you are right."
"And there will always be a place in my home for you," he said.
"As your gardener?" She arched her eyebrow at him. "Perhaps now is the time to tell you
that Maya was lying through her teeth about my gardening abilities. I have no luck with plants." She patted his arm. "The best I can hope for is that you marry again. Find someone lovely
who will bear you many more children that I can be a nanny to." Her chest tightened oddly at the thought of watching Tristan live his life with another woman.
"Avery, I -"
He looked at her helplessly and she smiled and patted his arm. "It does not matter, my lord. I am not sharing this with you to make you feel bad. My future is my own problem and not for you to worry about. But I can no longer afford to be different and I require your help with that. Will you help me?"
He sighed and nodded. She leaned forward and kissed him, not resisting when he cupped her face and deepened it.
After a moment she pulled away. "Thank you, my lord."
She stood and walked to the door, pausing before she opened it. "Your mother is sick." "Aye, I know."
"Will her Lycan healing abilities not help her?"
"No. Our healing abilities do not kick in until we hit puberty, and as we age, they start to
fade."
She looked back at him. "I can heal her, if you'd like."
"I did not bring her back here with the expectation that you would heal her. I wanted her to
be with her grandchildren."
"I know." She slipped out the door.
Avery knocked on the door to the nursery before opening it. "Maya, are you in here? I need -"
She stared in surprise as Marshall and Maya sprang apart guiltily.
"Avery! Are you feeling better?" Maya's eyes were over-bright, and her mouth was red and swollen.
"Aye, thank you." She frowned at the two of them as Marshall cleared his throat, nodded to her and left the room.
"You two seem close," Avery said. "Are you having sex with him?"
Maya gaped at her. "Avery!"
Avery shrugged. "If you're old enough to be sleeping with him, you're old enough to admit
it."
"I am sleeping with him. We grew very close on our trip to Mrs. Williams' home." Avery sighed. "Do you think it's wise to be sleeping with the best friend of the man who
owns you?"
"No more than sleeping with the lord of the manor himself," Maya said defiantly.
"That's different. I slept with him only as a means to heal myself." She thought back to her
earlier romp with Tristan and blushed a little. She had been perfectly healthy for that one, and both she and Tristan knew it.
Maya rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Avery."
Avery took her hands. "Maya, I only want what's best for you. I don't want you to get hurt and I'm not sure that Marshall is -"
"I love him!" Maya blurted out.
"Maya, you hardly know him," Avery said.
Maya pulled her hands free. "I know that he is sweet and gentle and treats me well. I know
that the thought of not being with him makes me feel sick to my stomach. I know that I am old enough to know what or who I want."
"Maya -"
"I'm no longer a child, Avery. Please stop treating me like one."
"I suppose you're right." Avery kissed Maya on the forehead. "I'd better go. Just, please, be
careful, all right? Do not give him your heart until you know for certain that his belongs to you." ** *
"What's going on?" Avery glanced curiously at Laura as she lined up with the other slaves in the kitchen. It had been two days since she had left Tristan's bed and her body was completely healed. She was thankful for that. Mrs. Lanning had sent her to the cellar the last two days to clean and prepare for the massive amounts of canning that would soon be taking place, and the work was physical and tiring. Even feeling as good as she did, she had collapsed each night into the small bed Tristan had ordered to be put in her room and fallen asleep almost immediately.
Laura shrugged. "I do not know."
Maya slipped into the kitchen and stood next to Avery.
"Why are we here?" she breathed into Avery's ear.
"I have no idea." Avery smiled at her as Maya took her hand and squeezed it.
Mrs. Lanning took out a large white envelope from her pocket. Without saying anything, she
pulled a wad of bills from the envelope and handed a few to each person in the room. Avery stared at the bills in her hand, her brow creased. Beside her, Maya had an identical expression of confusion.
Mrs. Lanning folded her arms across her non-existent chest and cleared her throat. "The lord Tristan has decided to." she hesitated, "pay all of us wages."
There was a collective gasp of surprise before Renee gave a small squeal of excitement. She clutched the bills to her chest and grinned at Laura. "Wages for slaves!"
"It's not much," Mrs. Lanning barked at her immediately. "But you must all make sure to search out and thank lord Tristan for being so generous. As long as you do your job and don't cause lord Tristan any trouble, you will continue to receive a weekly wage."
Maya squeezed her hand and put her mouth to her ear. "Did you have something to do with this?"
Avery shook her head. "No."
"Are you sure?"
Avery didn't reply, a small, pleased smile on her lips as she stared at the bills in her hand.