Bram wondered if she felt anything close to the attraction for him that he was feeling for her. Did she remember the dreams they’d shared? Did she have the same urge to touch him that he felt to touch her?
He didn’t know but he prayed to the Goddess that he might soon find out. In the mean time he would simply have to be patient.
* * * * *
Alanah led him through the kitchens, which were buzzing with excited, curious women, to the entrance of the castle cellars. When she came to the curving archway, she turned to find Jenla close by as always and felt a surge of relief.
“Jenla,” she said loudly, raising her voice so that everyone in the kitchens could hear her. “I am granting this giant a private audience as he requested during the High Court. We are not to be disturbed unless I call for you.”
Jenla’s brown eyes were wide but she bobbed a quick curtsey.
“Yes, my Princess,” she said, in an equally carrying voice. “I will stand guard and see that no one bothers you.”
“Thank you, Jenla.” Alanah nodded her head regally and looked back—and up—at the giant. “Follow me. You, er, may need to duck your head,” she added somewhat lamely.
“I can manage.” There was a quiet amusement in his deep voice. “Lead the way, Princess.”
Aware that she was putting herself in a very vulnerable position with this strange, huge, male, Alanah turned her back and led him down the cellar stairs and into the quiet, dim depths of the area below the castle.
When she reached the foot of the stairs she took a torch from the wall and lit it with a practiced flick of the flint and steel medallions she wore around her neck. They had been her father’s and they had never failed him—they served Alanah well too--the torch lit quickly with the first clear spark.
“Where are we going?” The giant’s voice rumbled like thunder in the caverns.
“Someplace private.” She looked up at him. “That is, if I can trust you.”
“You can,” he said simply.
“So…you’re a gentle giant, then?” Her hands itched to touch him. She wanted to reach out and stroke the broad, strong chest and rippling abdomen—she really couldn’t reach higher than that with him standing up.
His chest was smooth but there was a trail of curling dark hair that started at his navel and led down, disappearing into the waistband of his simple blue trousers. Alanah wondered what it would feel like against her fingers. Would it be silky or coarse…or both? She was actually reaching out to him—her fingertips so close she could feel the heat radiating off his big body—when she realized what she was doing.
What’s wrong with me? I don’t even know him! Mortified, she drew her hand back quickly, as though she’d been burned.
“Oh yes,” the giant murmured, his eyes catching and holding hers as she looked up uncertainly to see if he’d noticed her movement towards him. “I can be very gentle, Alanah.”
“How…how do you know my name?” Her voice was slightly breathless in her own ears but she couldn’t seem to help it.
“The same way you know mine. Don’t say you don’t know it,” he added when she opened her mouth to say exactly that. “Just think about it for a moment.”
“Bram.” The name came to her from out of the darkness, a soft, silent note meant for her ears alone. “Your name is Bram,” she said, looking up at him.
He nodded. “It is, Alanah.” A slight smile curved the corners of his sensual mouth. “But you can keep calling me ‘giant’ if you want.”
“Bram will do.” Trying to recover her composure, she jerked her head. “Come on. Even with Jenla standing guard, there are bound to be lots of prying eyes and listening ears.”
He followed her willingly enough and Alanah led him through the echoing caverns to the place she’d been dreaming of all day—the bathing cave. There the soft murmur of the rushing water would cover the sound of their speech and render their words unintelligible even to Thiera’s spies, Alanah was certain.
She sat on the raised stone edge of the hot spring pool and motioned for her companion to do the same. He settled beside her but considerately sat on the floor which was several feet lower. This had the effect of nearly putting their heads on the same level. At least, Alanah didn’t have to crane her neck quite so far to see him.
“Why are you here?” she asked as soon as they were settled. “What do you want from me?”
“You know what I want.” His voice was deep and quiet. “You’ve known it from the first time we dream-shared.”
“Um…” Alanah cleared her throat, uncertain how to answer his words. She decided to ask another question instead. “So you’ve been dreaming of me the whole time I was dreaming of you?”
“That’s how I found you,” he said simply. “I followed my dreams.”
“But…from where?” Alanah shook her head uncertainly. “Did you come from some other land beyond the great waters?” Her father had told her once that men used to venture out in boats much larger than the small fishing craft they had now. But the seas were rough and there was no land to be found, no matter how far the sailors went. Eventually they came home and tried no more. Maybe there was something out there though—maybe the sailors hadn’t gone far enough…
But the giant was shaking his head.
“I am not from beyond the waters,” he said. He looked at her intensely. “Alanah…what if I told you I’m not from anywhere on your world?”
“Not from…what do you mean? I know you're not a demon from Hell as Thiera claims. But…do you mean you’re from…out there somewhere?” She nodded up at the stone ceiling, meaning the sky.
The giant nodded. “Yes.”
“But…but that’s impossible,” Alanah protested. “How could you possibly be from…from up there?”
“Think about it,” he said softly. “Remember what you’ve seen in the dreams you had of me. Did you never see me in the command center of my vessel? Did you never see the viewscreen when it was showing space?”
“Space?” She frowned. “I remember thinking that you must be very high up because your window showed only stars.”
“We were very high up indeed—we fly among the stars,” Bram said gently. “I captain a ship that is able to move through space.”
“Space?” she said again, frowning. “I don’t understand.”
“Space is the black, airless, freezing void that surrounds and separates planets and stars and other heavenly bodies,” he explained patiently. “You can see it at night but during the day because the light of your sun blocks it out.”
“So…there are other worlds? Other…planets? Out there just…floating around in blackness?” What he was telling her was hard for Alanah to comprehend.
“I know it sounds strange but please try to let your mind be open.” Bram spoke earnestly. He had his arms wrapped around his knees and he leaned forward, his sapphire eyes blazing into hers. “Please, Alanah—I need you to be open to me now.”
“I was taught that the stars were the fires of the gods who…who watch over us,” she explained haltingly. “And I never thought about there being other worlds…or people who might come from them.”
“My people are from Hallah Six—home of the Jor’gen,” Bram explained. “Well, some of them are. The other half of my ancestry is Kindred—a group of genetic traders who are mostly male. They seek out females of other races to mate and bond with.”
Alanah’s breath seemed to catch in her throat.
“Is that what you’re doing here?” she whispered, looking up at him. “Looking for…for females?”
“In part. Most of our females died long ago and so we left our planet in a great Mother Ship and have been searching for more every since.” He held her eyes earnestly. “But Alanah, I’m also here to warn you. Your people—all of them—are in grave danger.”
Alanah frowned. “What kind of danger? What do you mean?”
He sighed. “It’s difficult to explain and I’m afraid you might not believe me
unless I show you.”
“All right.” She shrugged. “So show me.”
Bram shook his head. “I can’t—not here. I’d have to bring you up to my ship to see.”
“You want to take me…up there?” She looked at the ceiling again, imagining herself flying up into the stars. “How?”
“I have a smaller ship—a short range shuttle—parked not far from here. I can use it to reach my larger ship which is in orbit around your planet.”
“In orbit?” She shook her head. “What is 'orbit?' You keep saying things that make no sense. And why should I agree to go with you—to fly away into this black, airless ‘space’? I don’t even know you.”
“Yes, you do.” His look was so intense Alanah had to drop her eyes. “You know me, Alanah,” he murmured. “You know you can trust me.”
“I don’t…I can’t leave my people,” she blurted.
“I’m not asking you to—not yet.” His deep voice was soft…soothing. “Let me stay here with you for a little while. Let’s get to know each other in person—not just through dream-sharing.”
“I don’t know…” Alanah looked at him uncertainly. “I have a lot of work to do.”
“I’ll help you.” He leaned towards her again and she had the feeling he was holding himself back from touching her, just as she’d had to stop herself from touching him earlier. “Let me be by your side whatever you do,” he rumbled softly. “Please, Alanah—give me a chance.”
“Well…” She bit her lip. “I guess but I’m not sure where you’ll stay.”
“I can sleep in my ship if having me here at night makes you uncomfortable,” he offered.
“It doesn’t make me uncomfortable,” Alanah said quickly and was surprised to find that it was true. “But the others might…we haven’t had a lot of men around here lately. Not since…the plague.” She swallowed hard, surprised all over again at the grief that washed over her.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I watched you in the dreams we shared. I saw how hard it was for you, losing so many of your people…losing your father.”
“You know about that?” Alanah looked up at him.
“I guessed it when I saw the males around you dying.” He shook his head. “Almost all our females are gone as well. Our race is in danger of dying out…just like yours.”
His words brought back the thoughts she’d had after the harvest. The fear of growing old with no children to light her life or take care of her. The sorrow for the fact that she was certain she’d never have a husband. But surely Bram couldn’t mean…
“You…you want to join with us? Your people and mine?”
“Perhaps.” His tone was cautious and she had the feeling he didn’t want to scare her off. “It would make sense—you have no males and we have no females.”
“But you’re a giant,” Alanah pointed out, rather unnecessarily. “You’re so big.” Her eyes involuntarily flickered down to his crotch. He was sitting cross legged now and the prominent bulge in the worn blue fabric was plain to see. It looked huge to Alanah’s untrained eyes.
“My people are much larger than yours, that’s true,” Bram said calmly. “But there are ways…”
“What ways?” Alanah demanded. She was certain there would be no way she could make love with a male as big as Bram. Even if Thiera performed her most powerful fertility ritual there was no way Alanah’s flower could bloom enough to accommodate him.
“We don’t need to speak about it now,” the giant murmured. “Let’s just get to know each other. I’ll leave the castle for tonight but may I come to first meal?”
“First meal?” Alanah frowned. “Oh…you mean breakfast?”
He nodded gravely. “If that’s what you call it, yes.”
“I…I guess so.” For some reason her heart fluttered in her chest.
“Thank you. Then I’ll take my leave for now as it will be growing dark soon.”
He started to get up but Alanah put out a hand almost but not quite touching his muscular arm.
“Wait—is your, uh, ship very strong? There are beasts in the forest—gnashers. They have wickedly sharp teeth and tusks. Even someone of your size might have trouble with them.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you for your concern but I’ll be quite secure, I promise.”
“All right then.” He started to leave again but Alanah held out a hand once more. “Yes?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Can…can I touch you?” she blurted out. “I mean…to be sure this isn’t just…just another dream?” she hurried on, trying to explain her sudden request. She could feel her cheeks heating but she couldn’t help herself—she couldn’t let him go until she assured herself of his reality. This was all so strange, so surreal. She didn’t think she could actually believe it was true unless she had some kind of physical contact with the giant.
To her relief, he reacted calmly to her request.
“Of course you can touch me,” he murmured. “Any time you like…little one.”
Alanah wasn’t sure how to feel about being called “little one.” All her life she’d been too big—too tall. But of course, compared with Bram she was tiny. It was an odd feeling.
Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and felt his cheek with her fingertips. He was clean shaven but she could feel the slight scratch of whiskers when she rubbed his square jaw. Her fingers tingled with the contact and she told herself she ought to stop—he was clearly real, all right. But somehow she couldn’t do it.
Her traitorous fingers continue to touch, tracing the arching shapes of his brows… traveling down the straight line of his nose…exploring the curve of his sensuous mouth and finally finding their way up to the long black braids of his hair which felt like silky-soft cords against her palm.
Bram shivered slightly but sat perfectly still for the operation, allowing Alanah to touch him in whatever way she chose.
He’d probably allow me to touch him anywhere—everywhere, she thought and her eyes were drawn involuntarily down to the crotch of his blue trousers again. Did the lump there look larger than before? Was she doing that to him? Making the giant’s body react by touching him?
Feeling ashamed of herself, Alanah stopped abruptly. But before she could draw her hand completely away, Bram caught it in his much, much larger one.
“I love your soft little fingertips on me,” he murmured. Holding her eyes with his, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. “Thank you, Alanah. I’ve been waiting for months to feel your touch.”
“Oh…” Alanah wasn’t sure what to say. Her heart was thumping so hard she could barely breathe and somehow she was leaning towards him as he leaned down so that their faces were only inches apart. She became aware of a warm, spicy scent she’d never smelled before. It reminded her of fur and leather and the deep, salty waters of the ocean and it was somehow completely masculine…completely Bram.
Shouldn’t be doing this, she thought but even as she thought it, her mouth touched his and she was lost…completely and utterly lost.
His mouth was considerably bigger than hers but it didn’t seem to present a problem. His lips were gentle as he returned her kiss and Alanah had the feeling he was holding himself back a great deal and being extra careful not to hurt or scare her.
I shouldn’t do this, she thought again but somehow she couldn’t stop herself—didn’t want to stop herself. It was her first kiss and it was sweeter than anything she’d ever imagined.
Her body throbbed with desire, her nipples were tight little points and the place between her thighs felt achy and hot, almost as though her flower wanted to bloom though she had not had any ritual said for her.
His dark, spicy scent filled her senses and she parted her lips slightly to taste him and found that he was every bit as delicious as he smelled. His mouth tasted sweet and salty at once and when she licked delicately at the seam of his lips, he parted them, clearly inviting her in.
Alanah took his invitation eagerly, slipping her
tongue into his hot mouth in order to taste him more deeply…to know him more fully… Very gently, she felt Bram’s tongue stroke hers in return and one large, warm hand curled around her hip and caressed her back, bringing her closer…
“So! I might have known I’d find this kind of illicit activity going on down here!”
Thiera’s high, dramatic voice echoed shrilly in the bathing cave, scaring Alanah so badly that for a moment she felt her heart had jumped right out of her chest.
“Elder Witch!” she gasped, leaping back, away from Bram. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in? I promised this, uh, supplicant a private audience.”
“And now I see why,” Thiera snapped. “You wished to bring him down here so none could see you fornicating. But I see all—just as I know all the routes under the castle.”
“We’re not fornicating,” Alanah exclaimed. “We were just…just talking.”
“Just talking and then suddenly you found yourself kissing him?” The Elder Witch narrowed her sharp black eyes. “He’s bewitched you, that’s what! I knew no good could come of a giant.”
“I have not bewitched your Princess.” Bram spoke quietly but put emphasis on her title, as if reminding Thiera of her place. “She kissed me because she wanted to—as is her right. She is her own woman and may do as she pleases with her body.”
Alanah felt a surge of empowerment at his words. He was right—she was the ruler here, not Thiera. She could do as she liked.
“Bram is correct, Elder Witch,” she said, using the older woman’s title to enforce the formality of her words.
“He has bewitched you!” Thiera insisted. “He must leave at once!”
“On the contrary, I have given Bram my word that he may come and work and live among us for a short time so that we can get to know him.” Alanah spoke with more calmness and authority than she actually felt. It helped to have Bram like a solid, warm wall at her back.
“Blasphemy,” Thiera muttered. “It will lead to ruination and despair.”