panting, I
retreated.
“I think I will visit my family,” I said as I
darted past him and out the door.
“Men aren’t the only ones to suffer pent
energies,” he yelled at me as I ran.
I didn’t know what he meant by that, but
didn’t slow to ponder it.
By the time I reached the gate, which swung
open for me, I was out of breath and had a stitch in my side. The
beast roared in the distance again. He still hadn’t regained
control of the estate, and it seemed to frustrate him as much as
his pent energies.
I sprinted through the trees until I came to
the gravel road and slowed to a hitched walk. Perhaps we were going
about this wrong. He didn’t respond well to self-denial. Perhaps I
should have started with something smaller, like using the word
“no” more often.
As I walked, I became aware of the sound of a
wagon approaching from behind and turned to see Henick again.
I waved as he pulled up beside me.
“Going to the Water?” I asked.
Henick greeted me with a smile.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”
He jumped from the seat. “Your face is healed,” he said in surprise
and reached out to run a finger along my jaw.
“Yes, I’m very fortunate it didn’t scar.”
His touch left a slight tingle, and I
blushed. Yet, the beast’s parting comment rang in my ears. Why
didn’t I suffer from pent energies? Aryana had also hinted that I
should feel my heart flutter or some such nonsense. Was I
defective?
“Henick, why did you think I didn’t notice
you?”
He smiled again and lowered his hand, holding
it out to me instead. I wrapped my sweat-dampened fingers around
his warm, dry ones as I accepted his assistance and climbed up to
the seat.
“Because you never lingered,” he said easily,
moving around the team to get to his side of the bench. “You never
stopped to watch us like we stopped to watch you.”
“Watch me?” I echoed, thinking of Tennen’s
words the night he’d waited for me in the dark. Was this what he’d
meant? He’d been angry because I’d never noticed him?
Henick laughed and shook his head at me.
“Everyone stops to watch you when you walk
through the village, Benella.”
That made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
“Is there something wrong with me?” He looked
at me with worry. “Not that everyone watches me,” I clarified
quickly, “but that I don’t watch back.”
He smiled again, a small, soft smile.
“I don’t think so. I think you’re waiting for
the right moment.”
I frowned, and he laughed.
“You think before you feel,” he said.
As I considered his words, I knew he was
right.
We rode the rest of the distance in silence,
and I asked him to drop me off by the mill so I could walk the rest
of the way. When he slowed the team, I turned to kiss his cheek
again. However, he turned at the same time and our lips met. A
tingle of shock ran through me, and I pulled back in surprise.
Henick chuckled at my expression.
“Have you ever been kissed?” he asked.
“I have now,” I mumbled.
“I’m honored to be the first,” he said. He
made no move to claim another one. I felt sure if it were the beast
beside me instead of Henick, I would be fighting for my
freedom.
Beside us, a crow cawed from a post bordering
the mill. I stared at it as I licked my lips.
“Thank you, Henick,” I said quietly, jumping
to the ground before he could move to help me.
“Perhaps I’ll see you on the road again,” he
said in farewell and encouraged the team forward.
I watched him disappear down the lane and,
lost in thought, started toward the market district. A familiar
laugh drew me from my reverie as I passed a baker’s stall.
Bryn stood with the baker’s son in quiet
discussion, leaning toward him and touching his arm lightly. He
looked similar to Tennen. The young man’s eyes repeatedly dipped to
Bryn’s cleavage, and his blush deepened each time.
Bryn spied me and said a quick, shy farewell
to the man before walking my way. I waited for
retreated.
“I think I will visit my family,” I said as I
darted past him and out the door.
“Men aren’t the only ones to suffer pent
energies,” he yelled at me as I ran.
I didn’t know what he meant by that, but
didn’t slow to ponder it.
By the time I reached the gate, which swung
open for me, I was out of breath and had a stitch in my side. The
beast roared in the distance again. He still hadn’t regained
control of the estate, and it seemed to frustrate him as much as
his pent energies.
I sprinted through the trees until I came to
the gravel road and slowed to a hitched walk. Perhaps we were going
about this wrong. He didn’t respond well to self-denial. Perhaps I
should have started with something smaller, like using the word
“no” more often.
As I walked, I became aware of the sound of a
wagon approaching from behind and turned to see Henick again.
I waved as he pulled up beside me.
“Going to the Water?” I asked.
Henick greeted me with a smile.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”
He jumped from the seat. “Your face is healed,” he said in surprise
and reached out to run a finger along my jaw.
“Yes, I’m very fortunate it didn’t scar.”
His touch left a slight tingle, and I
blushed. Yet, the beast’s parting comment rang in my ears. Why
didn’t I suffer from pent energies? Aryana had also hinted that I
should feel my heart flutter or some such nonsense. Was I
defective?
“Henick, why did you think I didn’t notice
you?”
He smiled again and lowered his hand, holding
it out to me instead. I wrapped my sweat-dampened fingers around
his warm, dry ones as I accepted his assistance and climbed up to
the seat.
“Because you never lingered,” he said easily,
moving around the team to get to his side of the bench. “You never
stopped to watch us like we stopped to watch you.”
“Watch me?” I echoed, thinking of Tennen’s
words the night he’d waited for me in the dark. Was this what he’d
meant? He’d been angry because I’d never noticed him?
Henick laughed and shook his head at me.
“Everyone stops to watch you when you walk
through the village, Benella.”
That made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
“Is there something wrong with me?” He looked
at me with worry. “Not that everyone watches me,” I clarified
quickly, “but that I don’t watch back.”
He smiled again, a small, soft smile.
“I don’t think so. I think you’re waiting for
the right moment.”
I frowned, and he laughed.
“You think before you feel,” he said.
As I considered his words, I knew he was
right.
We rode the rest of the distance in silence,
and I asked him to drop me off by the mill so I could walk the rest
of the way. When he slowed the team, I turned to kiss his cheek
again. However, he turned at the same time and our lips met. A
tingle of shock ran through me, and I pulled back in surprise.
Henick chuckled at my expression.
“Have you ever been kissed?” he asked.
“I have now,” I mumbled.
“I’m honored to be the first,” he said. He
made no move to claim another one. I felt sure if it were the beast
beside me instead of Henick, I would be fighting for my
freedom.
Beside us, a crow cawed from a post bordering
the mill. I stared at it as I licked my lips.
“Thank you, Henick,” I said quietly, jumping
to the ground before he could move to help me.
“Perhaps I’ll see you on the road again,” he
said in farewell and encouraged the team forward.
I watched him disappear down the lane and,
lost in thought, started toward the market district. A familiar
laugh drew me from my reverie as I passed a baker’s stall.
Bryn stood with the baker’s son in quiet
discussion, leaning toward him and touching his arm lightly. He
looked similar to Tennen. The young man’s eyes repeatedly dipped to
Bryn’s cleavage, and his blush deepened each time.
Bryn spied me and said a quick, shy farewell
to the man before walking my way. I waited for
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