Rose refused to cry, lest Thayer know the satisfaction of his power of her. Her mind frantically searched for a solution. There had to be a way to escape. She couldn't stay here, forced to live with a centaur and be his slave. This was absurd. Unreal.
"Hello there." Called a soft voice. The older woman she'd seen earlier entered the longhouse carrying a tray of food. Her graying hair was left loose over shoulders and she wore a fine gown of green that looked expensive.
Rose wondered at the beauty of such a gown. Did they make their clothes here? In her village, it was rare to find a gown as beautiful as this woman's, even in the shops that sold ready-made ones.
"You are Polonius's mate?"
The older woman, with her lined face and kind smile nodded. "My name is Kate. Thayer tells me your name is Rose."
Rose nodded. Kate set down the tray and took a seat herself. "I felt the same when I was brought here." And then she laughed softly. "When I was kidnapped."
"Did you hate him? Polonius, I mean." Kate nodded, her eyes sparkling fondly. "For a long time. I couldn't understand why it was me he wanted to keep here. I tried to escape, but each time he found me."
"And after that?" "I realized I loved him. Polonius, like many other centaurs are strong-willed and protective. You feel alone now, but you aren't. Almost every female here was taken from her home and they have found happiness and have grown to love their mates."
"Well, I won't love Thayer. He's too pig-headed." Rose muttered.
At this, Kate chuckled. "Much like my Polonius when I first met him. Eat, you must be hungry. And here, a gown for you to wear." Beside the food was a neatly folded dress made of a beautiful spun cloth of blue. The embroidery at the neckline was delicate and intricate. She longed the put the dress on now, desperate to cover her vulnerability and make a run for it. But she needed her energy, so she ate the thick stew, along with the fresh bread smeared with butter and the bowl of cut fruit.
"You will find life here isn't so bad. Owen brought home his own mate just a sennight ago. Her name is Helena and she hails from one of the northern counties. You two will have much in common."
"What do the women do here?"
"The same as we would have done in our former homes. We cook, tend the children, we gossip and create beautiful things to wear. The men do the hunting and protect us from danger."
"Danger? From wolves?"
"Wild animals, other humans."
"Well I refuse to be Thayer's sex slave."
"Hmmm, yet your blush tells differently." Kate said with a tiny smile. "Centaurs are lusty creatures, as I think you know." It looked as if she was going to say more, but didn't. "Instead, Kate stood up. "Welcome to our camp, Rose. You will be happy. Thayer will see to that."
After finishing her meal, Thayer had not yet shown up. Rose slipped on the gown quickly and went to the entrance of the longhouse. The sun was beginning to set outside, casting a warm glow over the earth and everything in the camp. She frowned. There were houses everywhere. She was surrounded. Which meant the best time to escape would be at night.
Still no sign of her captor. Suddenly feeling exhausted, but first, she searched the room quickly, her gaze landing onto a table where several weapons lay. She grabbed one of the daggers and as she slipped under the furs on the cushions, she put the knife under her pillow.
She dreamt of him. Of Thayer coming to her, his hands wrapping around her, bringing her body against his. In her dream, she sighed, loving the warmth he brought, the safety she felt in his embrace. When he kissed her, Rose found herself responding to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, raking her fingers through his thick hair.
He groaned and brought her closer, his hands caressing her bare skin. Her nipples hardened, became sensitive as they rubbed against the hard planes of his muscled chest. His mouth was hot, his lips and tongue brushing against her jaw, her earlobes, the hollow of her neck. He tasted her as if she were a sumptuous dessert.
Rose let out a tiny moan as he brought her legs up, wrapping them around him. His erection nudged the entrance of her sopping wet pussy and she arched to meet him. He responded with a soft chuckled.
She went still when he slid into her.
This wasn't a dream. Her eyes shot open. Her scream was muffled by his insistent kiss. She twisted her head away and moaned when he buried himself to the hilt.
There was no pain this time, but he was huge and he stretched her so much she had to keep from crying out. "Please, I don't want this."
"You liked what I was doing a minute before." He said. He was holding her upright as she straddled him. His heavily muscled arms held her up and brought her down hard on his cock. Her soft whimper made him smile wickedly. "And you like it now."
Her body betrayed her once more as he pumped in and out of her, and she found herself moving with him, meeting every thrust, returning his heated kisses.
"You were made for me, my love." He whispered. "You were made to fit my cock."
"No." She gasped.
He suddenly slowed down, drawing out each thrust so that her inner muscles squeezed his staff each time he pulled out. One of his hands lowered to find her clit.
"You are my mate, Rose." He circled her clit. The heat inside her began low in her belly, coiling tightly. She wanted to scream at him for taking his time, taunting her. She was weak from it, knowing that it was he who could finish this. Yet she shook her head as he said this. He stopped moving altogether, his strength allowing him to hold her over him so only the tip of his staff was inside of her. She moaned.
