ROMANCE: BIKER ROMANCE: Werewolf Rider (MC Shifter Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Paranormal Romance Short Stories) (32 page)

Whatever was contained in the potions must be working for he was already looking better, the colour had come back to his cheeks and he didn’t seem as weary. As soon as she entered the room he sat up and smiled and her heart sang. She never thought she could have been so happy with him, and now the only fly on the ointment was Gertrude.

Beatrice started chattering away telling him more stories about her childhood when she stopped; he looked concerned and she wondered if he was in pain.

Grabbing her around the waist he pulled her to him.

“Beatrice, my dear sweet Beatrice, you are but a child and I must seem an old man in your eyes. You must think me very selfish bringing you out all this way in the name of peace to marry you. I have been thoughtless and unfeeling and if you want to leave I will understand. This is a barren place and you should have laughter and fun in your life; I fear you would be lonely if you stayed here.”

He had never loved her more than he had at that moment; her beautiful heart shaped face smiling up at him; innocent and full of life.

His eyes were saddened as she looked at him yet never had she loved him more. Her heart was his, and her eyes brimmed with tears.

“Oh my Dear, I could never leave you, I love you so much.”

She had spoken the magic word and he thought his heart would burst. This enchanting woman-child set before him loved him, something he had dared not believe, yet still a shadow hung across his heart. There was so much he had to tell her, so much she needed to know, but how could he and where would he start? There would be time enough.

“We will marry when you are well again yes?”

Her face pleaded up at him and he could not disappoint her and in answer he swept her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

At that moment the door opened and there stood Gertrude, her eyes wide and her mouth smiling as if discovering her husband in the arms of another woman.

Thomas seemed not to notice, his heart was so full of joy that he smiled at his sister.

“You see Gertrude, I will soon be well enough to marry do ye think?”

It was difficult for her to smile and her mouth twitched as if she didn’t know what to say, and bowing out of the room she closed the door giving Beatrice a sly glance as she left.

“I don’t think your sister likes me.”

Thomas laughed “I don’t think she likes many people. She is overly protective of her brother. Now both our parents are dead I’m all she has left. I think I’m well enough to join you both for dinner tonight. Leave me while I dress and I will see you later.”

Back in her bed chamber she thought she heard raised voices coming from Thomas’s room.

Opening her door she listened carefully, the voices shouting until she could hear the words clearly along the hallway.

“But I love her.”

They were Thomas’s words and after that, Gertrude fell silent.

Before long Thomas was well enough to set the date. His words must have worked for even Gertrude seemed to have given up the battle and resigned herself to the marriage.

Over the next few weeks Thomas spent time showing her around his lands and soon she began to love them as much as her own Lowlands. He took her into the great pine forests and pointed out the wildlife; he seemed to know the names of every plant, animal and bird that lived on his land. He gathered bunches of wild flowers for her, the blue sow-thistle and spotted orchids, the purple thrift and cheerful primrose; she loved them all.

              On the eve of her wedding she couldn’t be happier, and with a final glance at her dress hanging on the screen she blew out her candle ready to dream of her lover. This time tomorrow she would be in his bed and they would be properly joined as man and wife. In her dreams she was in the little Kirk of St Andrews awaiting her love, but he did not come. Instead, her brother appeared, the dear departed Michael. It had been so long since she had last dreamed of him. He was running towards her with his arms flailing and shouting something at her but she could not hear him. He was getting nearer and his movements were becoming more anxious until he was almost upon her.

“Run, run as fast as you can. RUN”

She sat up with a start. Someone was in the room with her, she could hear the breathing. An arm suddenly caught her by the neck and was holding her head onto the pillow. Her eyes opened widely’ it was Gertrude, and she was smiling as she brought up a small glass vial to the girls lips.

Beatrice struggled and let out a cry as the acrid smell of deadly nightshade hit her nostrils.

As the vial was pushed to her lips the door burst open and Thomas was at her side pushing passed Gertrude and hardly noticing his sister. Her face was ghostly in the candlelight.

“My love, what on earth is the matter?”

Beatrice could hardly speak and her heart was fluttering like a bird. “I think she was trying to poison me?”

Thomas looked around puzzled. There was only his sister in the room. Shining his candle towards Gertrude’s face he was shocked to see the look of hate in her eyes and in her tightly clasped hands a glass vial.

“What’s happening Gertrude?” he swung around to face her.

Gertrude was visibly shaking, her eyes large and white in the candles glow.

“You can’t love HER Thomas, I was meant to be your wife, to look after you. I have looked after you for all of these years. You belong to me.”

Thomas looked bemused and shook his head slowly.

“But you’re my sister?”

Her eyes lit up with a maniacal glee. “But that’s not so Thomas. I am only your step sister. Your mother had a friend who died in childbirth and promised on my mother’s death bed that she would look after me as her own. They told no-one and soon everyone accepted me as Lady Selkirk. Your mother only told me as she lay dying on her own death bed”

Thomas looked visibly shaken and sat down on the bed.

“So you see, we too can be married as I am not your sister by blood –my darling Thomas”

Gertrude rushed to him with open arms but as she reached him he stood up and pushed her away, repulsed by her sudden show of affection.

“Stop this Gertrude; I am going to marry Beatrice”.

Laughing she approached him again “But I love you Thomas, you are mine. We can be together at last.”

Thomas pushed her away once more and this time she fell to the floor.

For a moment all was quiet until she stood up again and smiled at the couple.

“But what about your little secret Thomas? What about your other life?”

This time she had his attention.

“She doesn’t know does she? DO you think she will still love you when she finds out? I will look after you Thomas; I love you”.

“But I don’t love you Gertrude, not like that and I never will. You are my sister and that is enough,” his voice was low and desperate.

For a second or two Gertrude looked straight at her brother as his words began to sink in; almost triumphant. Then her face began to slowly crumble into one of utmost sorrow. Raising the glass vial to her lips she poured the foul liquid into her mouth before Thomas could stop her. For a moment she stood erect and defiant before the poison started to take hold and she started to gasp for breath, her hands on her chest as if in pain. It didn’t take long for the potion to do its worse and within a minute she was lying stone dead on the floor.

Thomas went to her in sorrow, carefully lifted her with his arms, and carried her away down the hall.

When Thomas returned he sat back down on Beatrice’s bed with his head in his hands.

“Thomas, I am so sorry,” Beatrice touched his arm gently.

Grabbing her by the waist he pulled her close. “That nearly was you Beatrice my love; I nearly lost you,” and he wept into her shoulder.

Picking her up in his arms he carried Beatrice to his bed chamber and laid her on the bed. Stepping to the window he opened the curtains, letting the brightness of the full moon wash over the room.

“I need to tell ye something, show ye something. Gertrude was right, I do have a secret and it is only fair that ye know before we are married”

Moving to the bed he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. “If ye do love me, promise me that ye will not be afraid, whatever happens.”

She looked into his deep brown eyes and promised.

“Beatrice, do you love me no matter what, no matter whom or what I am. Do you trust me?”

It was a silly question.

“Yes my darling, I love you and trust you no matter what”.

Without taking his eyes from hers he drew her firmly towards him, pulling her into his strong arms. The heat was already rising from him and it spread across her, moistening her skin beneath her thin cotton night shirt.

“Never be afraid of me Beatrice, whatever happens. I will never hurt you, ever.”

Bending his head slightly towards hers Thomas started to kiss her face, softly at first, soft gently kisses lightly skipping over her face that made her body weak, and she leaned further into his arms for support. His strong arms pulled her even closer and she could taste his masculinity in the air, a tang of salt and something else, something wild and fresh. His kisses became harder as he found her mouth and her soft lips yielded to his passion, his tongue exploring, pressing down into her.

His large hands delicately found the soft material of her nightshirt and pulling it up, his fingers found the soft flesh beneath. She sighed as his hands moved upwards, slowly stroking her skin until he reached the soft flesh of her pert breasts, the nipples hard and firm beneath his fingers. She had never been touched like this before and as he gently squeezed her yielding breasts a tremor of pleasure coursed through her body.

“Are you alright?” his voice was throaty, full of desire against her ear.

Beatrice nodded as his mouth found her neck and started kissing her as his hands pulled up the nightgown and lifted it over her head.

Thomas stood back a little way to admire her nakedness, and Beatrice wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly bashful under the gaze of this handsome man.

“You’re beautiful,” he smiled gently at her before pulling her to him again.

This time his mouth found her breasts, his hot lips sucking on her small nipples until she could hardly bear the pleasure, and when he started to push her down onto the soft bed she did not resist. She wanted him as much as he needed her. She could feel his long fingers slide up towards her inner thigh and instinctively she let her legs relax, allowing him easy entry. He brushed over her soft mound and she let out a small moan of anticipation as his fingers slid gently into her soft, moist recesses. Beatrice moaned with pleasure as his agile fingers slipped inside her, she had never been touched so intimately before.

Now kneeling at her side, Beatrice looked up into his face, now a mask of desire. Parting her legs slightly he lowered his mouth onto her, his tongue quickly licking into her wet folds and moving slowly over her wetness. She arched her back as waves of pleasure flooded her body as he flicked his tongue lightly over her. When it seemed almost too much to bear Thomas stopped, kneeling once again before her. This time he started to remove his clothing, his hands shaking with pent up desire. First he removed his shirt and standing up began to unfasten his breeches, his ardour already discernible in the bulge of the material.

Beatrice had never seen a man naked before and Thomas looked perfect in the moonlight and now undressed he joined her on the bed, covering her with half of his body whilst supporting his weight with the other half. He stretched out her arms above her head and she could feel his hard cock against her leg, hot and throbbing. It felt thick and long and her body ached to have him inside her. Shifting his position she felt his weight upon her, his large manhood poised and gently pushing at her.

She was a virgin, had hardly kissed a man let alone been penetrated by one, and the thought slightly frightened her. She braced herself as his large cock pushed at her opening. She felt a dull ache as his girth stretched and tore into her. Arching her back she moved onto him and with one firm push he was inside her.