The Master (Free Men, #3) by Kate Aaron

Author:Kate Aaron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, war, menage, conflict, slave, alternate universe, mm romance
Publisher: Croft House

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I rose before Tam and Kai the next morning, and was already dressed by the time they began to stir. “Hurry up,” I said brusquely, sweeping from the chamber before they had a chance to say anything about my conduct the previous night.

They slunk into the kitchen as I was finishing a bowl of porridge. Tam could barely bring himself to look at me, his face downcast, eyes reddened like he’d recently been crying. I’d never considered myself a cruel man, but in that moment I became a monster in my own eyes.

It’s for the best, I reminded myself, swallowing the bitter bile of self-recrimination.

“I thought we’d go into Otiz again today,” I said as they took their seats at the table. “See how the nursery is getting on.”

Tam nodded, still not looking at me. Kai, after a long moment of fierce contemplation, also agreed. I wondered what he saw when he pierced me with those brilliant eyes, when he looked like he could see straight through me. My clumsy effort to continue as though nothing had happened hadn’t fooled either of them, but it would. Given time, they’d forget, and things could go back to how they were before I’d lost control of myself.

Well, almost how they were. I could do nothing about our sleeping quarters without raising questions among the rest of the household, and in truth, I was still selfish enough to want them to share my bed. We’d only been intimate twice since Kai had engineered our rescue from the desert stronghold, and after the way I had rebuffed Tam last night, I doubted either of them would initiate any further contact in the coming weeks. Men shared beds all the time: it didn’t necessarily make them lovers.

The scouts bustled around, laying more bowls of hot, thick porridge along the table. A clatter of footsteps and the sound of voices heralded the arrival of the soldiers from their dormitory, Caspar accompanying them.

He mock-started in the doorway and barked a laugh. “We didn’t expect to see you three awake so early,” he teased, nudging the nearest man, who joined in a ribald leer. “I had a bet with Freddy you wouldn’t surface until mid-morning.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” I swallowed the last mouthful of my breakfast, placed the spoon in the bowl, and pushed it away. As I rose from the table, the men took their seats.

Cas caught my arm, his voice lowered. “I meant no offence.”

“I know.” I clasped his elbow. “I’m tired. Pay me no mind.”

He retreated, a worried crease marring his forehead.

“If you have no need of us, I thought we might go into Otiz,” I said, getting back to business.

“Bored of cleaning tiles already?”

I met the eyes of the soldier who’d spoken. “Frankly, yes.”

The men laughed, and I smiled, some of the tension slipping from my shoulders.

“I’ll stay,” Tam said in a small voice.

“What?” I rounded on him in a billow of robes and suppressed the wince that tugged at my features as he flinched.

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