Lord of Raven's Peak - Catherine Coulter [81]
“No, I don’t wish you to hurt me, Erik. I must go now.” She whirled about even as she spoke, but she wasn’t fast enough. He was as strong as Merrik, and his long fingers dug into her upper arm. “You are still too thin. My fingers can wrap about your arm. Don’t try to run from me again. I don’t like it.”
She turned back to face him now, looking up at his face, now brutal to her, its beauty masked by his lust. She remembered that long-ago night, how she’d managed to fool the one man by pretending to be faint. Somehow she didn’t think she could succeed with the same ploy with Erik.
“I don’t wish to couple with you. I belong to Merrik. Why would you want to anger your brother? Do you not love him? Is there not honor between you?”
His eyes narrowed on her face; his fingers worked on her arm, squeezing still, but not hurting her now. He said easily, as if to a half-wit, “You think yourself above Caylis and Megot because you weave a tale well. You are not. Listen to me, Laren, I am now the lord of Malverne, not my father, not my brother. I am the master of all you see from here. I have waited and waited for my turn and it was long in coming. I wanted to leave, to make my own way, perhaps voyage to Iceland, but my father begged me not to, told me that I was the future lord of Malverne and my duty was here. I am sorry that my parents died, but with all their damned words, their damned promises, I was still but a son, someone to be governed by them, naught more. But it is different now. Even Sarla now sees that she will be what I wish her to be. I had not struck her before, for my parents defended her, even though she is barren and useless to a man. At least now she will obey me without question and tread lightly around me.”
“Erik, I am not a wife. I am naught of anything. I am useless as well. You have said I am too thin. It is true. Please, Erik, don’t hurt me.”
He smiled down at her and now he grasped her other arm. He pulled her against him and she realized he was as tall as Merrik, as strong and as big. She would have no chance against him, none. She didn’t want him to rape her. She didn’t think she could bear it.
She threw back her head and looked at him straightly. “Don’t do this or you will regret it.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d made a mistake. A woman didn’t threaten him. She watched his eyes narrow until they were slits, she saw the pulse pounding in his neck. He was furious and now she would regret it. She did regret it. He slapped her hard, just as he had his wife. She caught the cry in her throat. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing her cry out.
“Now,” he said, and kissed her hard, his mouth grinding against hers, his teeth cutting her lower lip. One of his hands clutched her right breast and he kneaded her furiously, hurting her. His other hand was ripping her tunic, but the material was sturdy. He reared back, took both of his hands and grasped the neck of her gown and jerked.
She heard the rip even as she drove her knee upward into his groin. He loosened his grip just enough in his shock. She jerked away from him, running frantically down the narrow winding path. She heard him bellow behind her, but she didn’t turn around. She heard him groaning, gasping for breath from the blow she’d dealt him. But still, she was terrified that he was behind her, almost upon her, and any moment now she would feel his hot breath, his clutching hands on her arms, spinning her around, and striking her hard. Then he would rape her and then he would kill her. She ran until she tripped, falling on the steep path until she struck a rock. She saw an explosion of white, then she saw nothing.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when she awoke, slowly, her head spinning, her eyes unfocused. She shook her head, and felt the lump over her left ear. Pain coursed through her, striking hard behind her eyes. Suddenly she remembered. She grasped the edge of the rock and pulled herself upright. She stood there, weaving, trying to gain her balance and control the pounding in her head. She was