Page 98 of The Outlaw Viking

“Selik, let me explain. I know you’re upset, but—”

“Upset! Lady, there is no name for the fury I feel toward you. But know this, upset is a sorry understatement.” His eyes widened slightly as they scanned her face. “You are bleeding.”

Rain raised a fingertip to her cheek and felt the finger welts on her face and the soreness near her nose. “The soldier hit me. It’s just a nosebleed, I think.”

Selik sucked in his breath slightly, the only indication that he cared one way or another that she had been hurt. His hard gray eyes still regarded her with utter contempt.

He will never forgive me now, Rain concluded bleakly.

“Come,” he ordered in an icy voice. “I will deal with you and your traitorous acts inside.” He grabbed her arm and started to pull her toward the barn.

“No!” Rain screamed. Arrows of agonizing pain shot from his iron grip on her bruised skin through her arm, up to her neck and down to her fingers.

“What?” he asked, his forehead furrowing in confusion. He dropped his hand when he saw the purpling bruises on both upper arms.

“Oh, hell,” he said tonelessly as his shoulders slumped.

Rain couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes and overflowing at the intense pain she felt, both from her arms and in her heart at Selik’s obvious hatred for her.

His long blond hair blew about his shoulders and straw floated up from his tunic and braies, but he just stared at her arms with an unreadable expression on his face. Lifting one arm, he traced the darkening finger marks with a forefinger, light as a feather, as if to erase the pain. Suddenly, the bland expression on his face changed to puzzlement.

“What is that?” he asked, pointing to the small scar near her inner elbow.

“My birth control implant.”

“Your what?”

“Birth control implant. I had it put in two years ago when I thought I was going to be involved with a man, but then…I didn’t,” she said with a shrug, pulling her arm away from him.

“Exactly what does a birth control implant do?”

“Prevents conception.” Really, Selik talked about birth control when all she could think about was her world splintering apart like fine crystal under his shattering contempt.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s a birth control device. I know it sounds hard to believe…Can we talk about this some other time? I don’t—”

“And why did you not share this marvelous information with me afore?”

Surprised at the sarcasm that oozed from his voice, Rain answered truthfully, “You never asked.”

Selik made a low gurgling sound under his breath. “And how long do these—these implants work?”

“About five years.”

Selik smiled widely then.

And Rain shivered because his smile carried none of its usual warmth or affection. It was a dangerous smile—the deadly, sexual smile of a predator.

Confusion washed over Rain. “Selik, is that why you refused to make love with me? You said it was because warriors needed to save their strength before a battle.”

He took her arm more gently now. “Come, Rain. We have long-overdue business to attend to, and it cannot wait another moment.”

When they entered the barn, Rain saw that Ubbi already had the children working industriously, sweeping up the mess made by the soldiers. The children looked from her to Selik with curiosity, some with fear for her safety in their eyes.

“Ubbi, gather these verminous street rats and take them to Gyda’s house in Jorvik.”

“Fer how long?” Ubbi asked, not bothering to ask why.