Malia Martin Read Online Free

planes of his back. He was alone in his silence, alone in the dull wit of his mind. Aleene knew how it felt to be alone. To feel as if her body was a huge prison, and her soul a small, useless creature inhabiting a tiny corner.
    The man on the bed made another sound, this time a snorting, snuffling sound. He slept. Just like that he had fallen asleep. Aleene frowned. How dare he fall asleep! She had stood, pressed up against her trunk, scared, while the man she married went to sleep.
    Resolve straightened her spine and determination filled her chest with a deep, cleansing breath. She must get herself with child, now, before Aethregard came back from his audience with the king and tried to annul this hasty marriage. Quickly, before fear could stop her, Aleene pulled her soft blue kirtle over her head, and dropped it over the chest on the floor.
    For a moment she hesitated, everything within her fought this. She curled her fingers around the cloth of her tunic, needing to remove the clothing, but unable to. Her breathing quickened, making her feel faint. She smelled the tangy scent of her own fear. Gritting her teeth, Aleene finally jerked the tunic over her head, rushing so she would nothave time to balk.
    When she finally stood naked in the dark room, terror wrenched through her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she chased it away, locking it back in that dark place inside of her.
    She went to the bed, quickly, her arms brushing against her breasts and awakening new panic. Standing near the bed, she stared at her husband’s back for a long quiet moment. His side rose and fell with the slow intake and gentle exhale of his breath. He was well made, this husband of hers.
    She frowned, this stupid poacher had the breadth of shoulder and muscles of one who swung a heavy sword in battle. The thought brought new fear, but Aleene pushed it away, knowing that she only tried to delay the inevitable with silly wanderings. He was no soldier, but a simpleton. Obviously, he had been taking care of himself for many years, chopping wood and fending off men who would hurt him.
    Berthilde’s words ran through her mind. This man must touch her breast. Disgust roiled through Aleene with a power that nearly brought her to her knees, but she wiped her mind free of any thought except her goal. Freedom.
    Seabreeze would be hers, completely. She would have no man hurting her, humiliating her. Aleene stared down at her new husband, a man unable to hurt her in any way. But she must get with his babe, and make the marriage unbreakable first before she could banish Aethregard forever from her sight and her mind.
    Aleene reached down and took the man’s hand. It was large, strong. Hard calluses scraped against her own soft skin. What had this man done to obtain such work-hardened hands? She shook her head, dislodging the thought. She did not care about the man. She only cared what he could do for her.
    With a violent shudder, Aleene turned her husband’s hand toward her, spreading the long fingers wide and fitting the palm over the mound of her breast. Closing her eyes, she let go of his hand.
    It flopped back to his side.
    Aleene’s eyes flew open. She stared down at the listless form of her husband. The fear and terror that lingered just beyond her control slithered away. Grabbing the man’s hand again, Aleene pressed it hard against her.
    He did not move, did not grunt, did not snort, nothing. She rubbed his palm back and forth across her nipple. It hardened, puckering against the male hand in her grasp. She breathed in sharply at the unsettling jolt of feeling that snaked its way from her breast to her belly.
    Biting her lip, she let go of Cynewulf’s hand, and pushed her chest forward. Again, his traitorous limb dropped uselessly to the bed. Aleene let out a frustrated sigh as she stood naked beside her husband.
    Anger now replaced any trace of fear. “Cynewulf!” She used her most commanding voice.
    Lord Cynewulf did not stir.
    “By the gods, man,