I stood by the edge of the hill to get a good look while Marcus went down, relieved to see that Neill was already on his horse. I slowly climbed down after asking the servant to leave from the other side so that Marcus didn't fire her for helping me.He waited for me with his horse. I was so tempted to leave from the other side of the hill like the servant did to avoid his wrath but decided against it to not get him anymore riled up than he already was. I braced myself for his ranting and was surprised when he just offered me his hand to climb up his horse.He was riding extremely fast, just like the guy from my dream. He ignored my words and looked straight ahead, trying to focus on the rocky terrain."Marcus, slow down please."No response."Don't misunderstand this meeting. I don't feel anything for him, and I can't remember him, at all."Even his horse would have responded better if I talked to him instead. Marcus went deaf."You

With his eyes fixated on me, he slammed me on over the bed and undid my shirt. Excitement surged through my body with anticipation. Was this really happening? Finally?!"Shouldn't you be drying off your hair first?""No, it can wait." He pulled my clothes off and threw them across the floor.I tried to move to grab a towel saying, "You will catch cold, it will only take a...""Shut up!"He wrapped a solid arm around my midriff and gave my hair a ruthless pull before crashing his lips into mine. A shuddering moan left my lips when he left a trail of passionate wet kisses all over my breasts and stomach."Oh, Marcus""Mhm...""I missed you."He got hold of my neck and his kisses turned violent. His rough hands grasped onto my hips aggressively. My heart lurched in my chest when his eyes met mine. I tried to keep up with his passion and roughness. His tongue swept and teased me in all the right spots, and a sharp sensation of pleasure was rising between my legs. He rubbed his length a

I watched Marcus walk Laelia out of the house through the garden entrance, close to the riverbank to talk privately. I could probably hear their conversation, at least in bits and pieces, if I hid behind one of the bushes in the garden. I fought the urge to actually do it.I should trust Marcus because he just promised that his love for me won't change. Really? I paced around the house for almost thirty minutes but he did not return.What were they doing?Were they even there anymore or did he take her somewhere?I didn't like his reaction at all to her when she saw us making out. Why does he owe her any explanation? Too bad ex-girlfriend, he doesn't feel the same about you anymore.Shouldn't he break it off with her if he's so clear about his feelings towards me? Plans change, things don't work as expected, and we move on; she should get over it too.I was pulling my hair and chewing my nails when Maia suddenly came into the atrium asking,

Even without stopping much for food and rest, it took us almost nineteen hours to reach the point near the river where Allena saw Marcus and Laelia making out. It was close to midnight and the river looked swollen and angry. We took the alternate path that went through caverns in the dark. I was scared stiff but the men walked their horses through like they did it every day."Most of these caverns run underground, below the river bed. But when the river overflows like now, some of the caves are also flooded." Seamus explained.He was Marcus's other friend that I never met before. Marcus was very good at dividing and delegating his work was what I realized. Conan who grew up near the fortress took care of most of his responsibilities there. Seamus grew up close to Allena's village and was Celtic. He knew these devious routes like the back of his hand. From what Max told me, Seamus also knew how best to deal with the emerging Italo-Celtic folks and their sentiments.

If I had to describe the days spent without Marcus in the words of music, it was one of those sad violin pieces playing in the background continuously, blending days and nights together. The kind of sad music that had the power to evoke suppressed feelings, bringing tears to the eye even on the brightest of the days.To make matters worse the days were far from bright where I was. It had been raining cats and dogs from the day I returned. A windowless roundhouse, dark rainy days, and my regretful longing; it made me yearn for the bright Mediterranean sun and Marcus's cheery smiles."It's okay to stay in bed if the morning brings you sadness," Selma said, handing me a hot cup of spiced ginger mead.This drink did bring me comfort, for more like five minutes every time I had it. I missed coffee! The smell of freshly brewed coffee, the taste of the first sip, and the feel of the hot mug on a cold day. I also missed chocolates, french fries, pizza, and what not! I wanted junk food right no