Page 17 of Ulf's Destiny
“I usually prefer my lovers younger but you have an undeniable appeal. So tall and strong… And I’ve never had a Norseman before. If you untie me, I guarantee you won’t regret it. I could beyourslave. We could?—”
“We could nothing,” he hissed, jumping to his feet. Damnation! He should never have allowed himself to be swayed by her sex. She was not a woman, but a snake. Why had he shown her any mercy? He should have guessed this would happen. “Shut your mouth or I will shut it for you.”
“Mm. And how exactly are you going to do that? Will you stuff another gag down my throat, or something far more pleasant? Far more…delicious?”
She licked her lips, and Ulf’s stomach roiled. He had to silence the vile woman, now, before she provoked him into killing her. He could already feel the urge to do so fizzing in his veins.
Grabbing the piece of linen he had removed before going to bed, he leaned over the pallet. Enough was enough.
Ylva woke up to the sound of a woman’s voice. The voice that had haunted her dreams for years.
“You can put it anywhere you like.”
Mildred. Who was she talking to? What was she talking about? Put what where who liked?
There was something that sounded like a growl, then a single word.
“Enough!”
Ulf.
Though they had just met, she would have recognized his voice anywhere. What was going on? Ylva raised herself onto one elbow in time to see him bend over Mildred’s pallet in the corner. Blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy, and she fell back onto the furs, stunned. No!
Now she understood what Mildred was talking about, and why she was using that sickly, sultry voice. She was trying to seduce Ulf, and save herself that way. And he was responding. With a growl, he had bent over her. Was he kissing her? Ylva’s stomach turned at the thought. Not him! Was that why he had insisted the woman stayed in his hut, because he’d been hoping for a wild romp with someone who had nothing to lose?
Before she could shoot out of the pallet and run, he straightened back up and everything became clear. Ylva took in a deep, steadying breath and cursed herself for a fool.
He was not kissing Mildred, he was gagging her again. Though the fire had been reduced to glowing embers, she could clearly see the white piece of fabric across the woman’s mouth.
Blessed silence descended in the hut. Ulf let out what was probably a Norse curse and ran a hand through his hair. Then he went out of the door, careful not to make a sound, as if he thought her still asleep and did not want to wake her. Unable to remain in the hut with Mildred after the scene she’d witnessed, Ylva stood up and followed him outside.
Not a single star was in sight. Even the moon could barely be seen, she was merely projecting her milky halo on the blanket of clouds covering the sky.
Ulf turned around when he heard the door creak.
“Ylva.” Though he knew she was securely tied up, he seemed relieved it was not Mildred, back for more unsavory offers. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No, not you.”
He groaned. “Fuck, I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“I’m sorryyouhad to hear that. It was not aimed at me.”
She had only heard one sentence but it wasn’t hard to guess that the rest of the conversation had been just as shocking. Unfortunately, Ylva had heard the woman talk to her unwilling lovers far too often to be unaware of what she was capable of. She liked to torture her victims by telling them exactly what she would do to them.
“The sooner we are rid of the woman, the better.” Ulf sounded utterly disgusted.
“Yes.”
“You need to rest,” he said, coming to stand in front of her. “It’s not even the middle of the night yet. You haven’t had enough sleep.”
“I-I don’t think I can be in the same place as her right now,” Ylva admitted. She had overestimated her courage when she’d agreed to sleep in the same hut as Mildred. After what she’d heard, going back inside was beyond her.
Ulf nodded, and disappeared without a word. A moment later he was back with an assortment of furs, which he deposited on the grass. Still not talking, he proceeded to make a snug pallet, which he covered with the blanket he had also brought along.
“Here. You should be comfortable enough on this.”
Ylva could not prevent a flutter of excitement at the idea of lying under the stars—even if none could be seen at the moment.
