Helion Page 5

“The child is content. You will eat now, little mother,” her nemesis said, staring at her with a strange, uncomfortable intensity.

  Gwen didn’t protest. She was starving. But it was difficult to really dig in and enjoy her food when she had to balance Evie on her chest with one hand. The best dishes required the use of both her hands but before she could decide how to handle it, Verdun arrived back in the tent.

  “Ah, Verdun, efficient and omniscient as always.”

  Gwen looked up from the food and saw Helion nodding to Verdun in approval. She grudgingly admitted he was good to his subordinates from what she could see. And Verdun had indeed been very efficient. He’d arrived with more Keepers and was refilling the bath, for her, she hoped. She saw he had pretty-looking soaps as well and some soft towels. Oh to take a bath again, for the first time in months! Gwen felt her eyes tear up a little, such was her pleasure. But even better, he also brought a bassinette for Evie!

  “Thank you so much, Verdun,” she said in a soft voice, one hand reaching out to stroke the intricate scrollwork on the sides of the piece. It was a work of art, a wooden bassinet on curved legs with the softest of padding inside. Gwen laid Evie down in it with care, smiling with delight when her little girl snuggled in drowsily. By the time she was covered with the little blanket, she was already asleep.

  A cozy tent, a soft bed and a warm blanket…all things Gwen would have given an arm and a leg to provide Evelyn with. And this time when they went to sleep, for the first time in months, they didn’t have to worry about the Scourge. Tears burned her eyes again but she pushed them back. If she started crying, she wouldn’t stop for a good long time and she didn’t want Helion and Verdun to see her weakness.

  “Eat now, my lady. The child is resting peacefully,” Helion commanded, but softly, so Gwen didn’t worry he’d wake the baby.

  Gwen felt as if she would collapse at any moment but knew she’d sleep better with a full stomach and a clean body. So she ducked her head and began to eat her fill while Helion took a chair himself and ate heartily as he watched Verdun finish the preparations for her bath. She almost moaned at how delicious the food was but managed not to embarrass herself. She ate as quickly as she could while managing her desperation to shovel food into her mouth like the starving woman she was.

  “Everything is ready, Commander,” Verdun said with a short bow to Helion. The tub steamed with hot water behind him and Gwen spied how artfully he’d arranged the towels and soaps as well. “The bed is still being worked on but it’s nearly complete.”

  “Thank you, Verdun. You may go. See to that matter while the lady bathes. I’ll call you when the lady has finished her bath.”

  Gwen stiffened next to him but managed to resist the urge to glare at her captor. He’d finished his meal and was watching her eat, making no move to leave the tent. If he thought she’d take a bath with him sitting right here, he had another think coming. Her emotions must have been showing on her face, because Helion’s smirk was again evident.

  “No need to fret, little mother, you will bathe in private. I will go confer with my men and return in thirty minutes. I trust that will be sufficient time for you to bathe and change into fresh garments.” He stood up then and gave her a curt bow but seemingly couldn’t resist a final sally. “Unless, of course, you need some help washing your back?”

  Gwen looked into those mocking green eyes and was tempted to say yes. Clearly the Keeper loved to discompose her and the idea of him using those strong, elegant hands to wash any part of her body caused a temperature spike throughout her body. But this Keeper was an enigma to her. His attitude toward her seemed to jump between respectful, mocking and utterly cold. Caution in dealing with him was required. Some instinct warned her if she did call his bluff, he’d call hers. Behind that jade stare was an absolutely ruthless individual, something Gwen needed to keep in mind.

  “Thank you, Commander, but I can handle my own back,” she replied finally, leaning farther back in her chair to put more distance between them. There was an intoxicating smell coming from him. Maybe it was his washing soap but she felt the urge to get close to his skin and inhale that fragrance deep into her body. Just being this close to him made her skin itch with the need to reach out and touch. She must really have some sort of mental disorder to be so absolutely terrified of a person but extremely turned-on at the same time. He sketched a bow and left, which at least allowed her to start breathing normally again.

  “My lady, everything you need is by the tub, including some sleeping garments I found in your size. I’ll return with the Commander in thirty minutes with your bed so you may rest comfortably after.” Verdun bowed slightly and walked to the flap of the tent. Gwen stopped him.

  “Thank you, Verdun, I very much appreciate all the kindness you’ve shown to me and my daughter.”

  “You are most welcome, my lady,” he replied, bowing one more time, this time more deeply, before quitting the tent.

  Gwen was tempted to wake Evelyn for a bath but the baby was sleeping so peacefully Gwen finally decided against it. She had less than thirty minutes to get clean herself and cleaning Evie first would take precious time. Helion might not even wait the full thirty minutes—coming back early seemed to be just the sort of thing the confusing Keeper would do. Though she was positive someone like her would hold little attraction for one such as Helion, she didn’t want to be caught bare-ass naked by him or Verdun.

  The tub called to her, so much temptation in its warm depths. Gwen hadn’t really bathed in more than three months. Wetted napkins and baby wipes, whenever she could spare them, had been the extent of her ability to get clean. But now here before her was an enormous wooden tub filled with steaming hot water. She’d never stripped so fast in her life as she did then, mere seconds lapsing before her body was bare and slipping into the water.

  And oh god, it was better than she could have imagined. Her whole body went limp with pleasure, soothed by heat and steam. To her left on a bench was a bar of soap and she happily grabbed it up and lathered a cloth before scrubbing her whole body ruthlessly. It was heaven, absolute heaven. Her skin lost its dull tone and once again became the gleaming white she’d been so ashamed of her whole life. Having two-toned skin, albino and tomato, had once bothered her a great deal. Now she was just thankful to see skin instead of dirt and grime.

  For a few minutes she allowed herself to just lie back and soak, letting the warm water work its magic on her exhausted body. It gave her time to ponder all that had happened that night. Helion. His rescue. Her fears. Strangely she no longer feared these Keepers had nefarious intentions toward her people. Why feed her and get Evie a beautiful cradle and provide this delicious bath with scented soaps and soft towels if their intention was to kill her?

  That being said, these Keepers didn’t have her full trust. They were alien invaders on Earth. They hadn’t asked permission to come or excused themselves when they were here. The Keepers didn’t seem intent on harming humanity. Their stated intention was to wipe out all the Scourge troops and then leave. But why would they bother coming here? Surely they hoped to gain something from humans during this campaign.

  And really, why had they helped her? It surely only burdened their war camp to have a woman and child staying there. Helion had accepted her fear of the refugee camps and decided on a different course of action. But why? Why would he even care what happened at these camps, or why she was afraid of them? It certainly wasn’t his responsibility but now he’d made it his problem by granting her and Evie refuge. It made no sense why such a cold, menacing creature had shown them so much mercy.

  And they really were at his mercy. Helion was the Commander of this large encampment. She would be residing in his tent with Evelyn, subject to his moods and his whims. Even if she did want to escape, and she must, how was she to go about it? His threat of punishment hung over her head like a shroud. It was an untenable situation, to fear and lust after Helion. It was madness. In all her twenty-seven years she’d never met
a man who set her girl parts tingling like this one did, with just a look from those remarkable green eyes. For it to happen now with the most inappropriate creature in the universe…what was that, really bad karma?

  Helion was a cold, austere alien, with hair longer than hers, whose eyes glowed like green fire and whose hands were long, lean and more than capable of doing violence. His eyes constantly mocked her even while the rest of his face never shifted an inch. Maybe this was just sexual deprivation. She hadn’t had sex since right around the time Evelyn was conceived. Who could blame her for thinking a seven-foot-tall god was ideal for a roll in the hay? Gwen had never had sex without being committed to her partner, but she had a feeling Helion would be worth breaking the rules for.

  Time was running out on her rumination though. Gwen finished up quickly before scrambling to dry herself and don the clothing Verdun had acquired for her. Thankfully they were familiar items, cotton pajama bottoms with a long-sleeved cotton shirt, both in a pleasing shade of lavender. Thick socks were also provided and Gwen could only marvel at Verdun’s resourcefulness. How he had gotten these items, and so quickly, was a marvel. She made a mental note to ask him about procuring some things for Evelyn as well, so her own supply didn’t get wasted by this detour in captivity. She brushed her hair out as she composed a mental list of the things she’d like to ask for, enjoying the simple pleasure of having clean hair and a soft brush to smooth it with.

  Gwen was still brushing her hair when Helion returned with Verdun and a few other Keepers who were burdened with a large bed. Helion came to stand right next to her and watched as Verdun arranged everything in the corner opposite to Helion’s bed. The bed was piled high with fluffy pillows and soft-looking blankets, which Gwen ached to test out. In short order Verdun and his men were bowing their way back out of the tent, which unfortunately left her alone again with his Royal Coldness, who was even now staring at Gwen with an uncomfortable intensity.

  Helion couldn’t help but stare. Now it was clean, the woman’s hair gleamed with deep red fire. She smelled fresh now as well and now the grime had been removed her skin was revealed to be a lovely ivory shade, pearly and soft. Touchable. The drowsy, half-lidded gaze she turned up to him put him to thinking of instilling passion in those eyes instead of weariness. He wanted lust, not sleep, to soften that expression. It was foolish but he’d been without sex for a long time. Very few Keeper females were allowed to come on these campaigns and abstinence never had sat well with him.

  It didn’t set well with his men either. When he’d left the tent to give her privacy, his men had peppered him with questions about the girl. His men were as curious as he was about the human females. Having a woman and babe in the camp in the midst of a war was unheard of but these circumstances were unique. He’d sent one of his stealthiest and most ruthless scouts, Braith, to investigate the refugee camp a few miles away. He wanted to know why the idea of going there had terrified the girl so. He’d get to the bottom of it but in the meantime, Gwen and Evelyn were his to protect.

  “Did you enjoy your bath, my lady?” he asked finally, aware as always how his nearness and gaze discomfited the woman. She was fidgeting even now, gripping the hairbrush with unnecessary force. But she met his eye and that aroused him more.

  “Very much, Commander, thank you,” she replied softly. It was probably the influence of the woman’s fatigue but he could practically taste her fear giving way to a drowsy sort of lust. She was staring at him almost helplessly, as if she wanted to look away from him but could not.

  “You need to rest, little mother,” Helion said finally. “You may sleep sound tonight. Our enemies cannot find this camp, nor get through my warriors and me.”

  He gestured her toward the bed, a delicate piece. He spied the artistic hand of Tohran in its construction, just like the cradle. For all his seeming laziness, Tohran was a fine artist who specialized in bending wood to his will. Back on their home planet, Tohran’s artistic furniture was much sought after and highly prized.

  The little woman stood, her legs a little wobbly from fatigue. Standing only put her even with the bottom of his chest, which she’d dropped her gaze to stare at. Helion would have been amused by the upsurge in her warmer feelings but her reaction to his body only made his own respond in kind.

  “Commander, I have to thank you for what you’ve done for me and my daughter. I know without you and your men, Evie and I would be dead now. I owe you our lives, and more, for all the care you’ve shown us tonight. We haven’t been warm or had a real bed to sleep in for such a long time. So really, thank you.” Her cheeks were a bit rosy after all that, a condition that fascinated Helion. He wondered if the color spread all over her body.

  “Your thanks are appreciated but not necessary. It is a Keeper’s duty to see to the safety and comfort of women and children, be they Keeper, human, mage or shifter kind. But if you truly wish to show me your gratitude, you will get into the bed quickly and fall asleep even quicker.”

  Being this close to her was too much of a temptation, so Helion strolled over to his own bed before he gave in to the urge to strip those unattractive garments from Gwen’s body and lay her out on the table for a little feasting. He thrust off his robe. As sensitive as his skin felt, the gown was only an irritation and he always slept in the nude.

  Helion heard Gwen choke and looked back sharply, only to find her staring at his ass, mouth agape. Really, his little captive was so prudish. But the flush on her cheeks and the admiration in her eyes was flattering. He was no stranger to being lusted after; back home the Keeper women found him very pleasing. But their interest had as much to do with his position at the court and his military prowess as it did his looks. Gwen knew nothing about his standing back home, so all her admiration was just for him, and that felt good.

  “See something you like?” he drawled, arching one wicked white brow.

  Gwen’s gaze jumped north immediately to lock with his, looking abashed. Helion wasn’t embarrassed though. If she gave him permission, he’d show her a lot more. She seemed incapable of answering his challenge, however. He’d caught her ogling his ass and she was wise enough not to lie and deny it. Helion loathed liars, expecting honesty from all under his command.

  “S-sorry, Commander,” she stuttered, before dashing farther away from him to the young one’s crib, which she attempted to drag across the floor. It was quite a heavy piece and the woman was still weak from fatigue. She pulled harder and it inched forward slowly but not even half a foot later Helion found himself standing at her back. Standing behind her, naked as the day he was born, was a nearly irresistible temptation.

  His Gwen focused her eyes on her daughter’s sweet sleeping face. Helion mentally dared her to turn around. He wanted her to get an eyeful of the front of his body so she’d see what she did to him, but she remained stubbornly still. So he moved his heat even closer, until his entire front was molded to her back. He circled his long arms around her to cover her hands where they gripped the sides of the crib. The long sweep of his hair drifted forward to fall over her shoulder, caressing the side of her right cheek before he allowed his lips to lightly touch her ear.

  “What are you doing, lady?” His lips spoke softly right into that ear, absorbing the shiver of reaction that pulsed through her body. He desperately wanted to grind his cock into her round ass but he kept his hips pulled back a little. No need to spook his prey.

  He felt her swallow a few times before she replied, “The cradle, I need it next to me in bed. Evie will wake in the night and need diaper changes and more feedings.” Her voice quivered a bit but Helion knew it wasn’t fear she felt. He could taste her lust on his tongue at this point but she successfully resisted his silent urging to rub herself back against him.

  “Allow me, my lady. Get into that bed while you still can.” His voice rumbled now in her ear, sending shivers once again through her body. His captive had a very responsive body and her ears were a trigger spot. He’d make sure to remember that fo
r the future. Her body was undeniably preparing itself for him anyway. Odds were she was drenched and aching to be filled and all he’d done was whisper in her ear. Once he got his lips and hands on that sweet, rounded body, she’d be his.

  But apparently, not tonight. It took her a minute but then she did as he told her. Her hands were gently tugged out from under his much larger ones before she gingerly pushed her way out of the circle of his arms. She rushed over to the bed and somehow managed not to take a peek at Helion’s naked body. Her eyes were kept firmly on the bedding as she crawled underneath the covers and Helion could only marvel at her self-control.

  “There you are, little mother. I trust you will both sleep well this night. If you have need of me, call out and I will come to you.”

  From his own bed Helion watched both females as they slept, snug in their blankets. He indulged in a moment of regret Gwen hadn’t taken him up on the subtle hints he’d been dropping. He knew she was interested; he could smell the intensity of her desire, but she was exhausted. It was doubtful she could keep up with his sexual drive even fully rested, much less completely exhausted. Rest was something he himself needed if he was to go into battle again in a few hours. Verdun would be left in charge of seeing to her needs but he would also leave a shadow scout to watch her movements covertly. She’d made it more than clear she didn’t want to be here, but if she tried to leave…well. He’d warned her.

  Chapter Five

  Gwen felt as if she was swimming through layers of sludge, trying to get her eyes open. She heard the sound of clinking metal, the subdued voices of men and the soft grunts of her daughter stirring for a feeding. But it was so hard to wake. Her body still cried out for rest and the heavenly warmth under the covers was almost impossible to leave. But Evelyn’s grunts became increasingly irate, culminating in a short little cry, which propelled Gwen to full wakefulness in a heartbeat.