13. Cherine

Chapter 13

Cherine

T he noise in the dining hall was deafening that evening. From the clinking of my wine glass and ale mug to the slobbering eating habits of the unmannered Vikings and their riotous conversations, I could barely think. Not that I wanted to think all too much; after all, I kept dwelling on what Rolf had ordered, and that prospect scared me. Still, I wanted to be prepared for it, though I knew it wouldn’t do much good.

How could I ever be prepared for a night with a Viking leader, especially one built like a small house? Erik, I could manage. In fact, Erik, I enjoyed more than I wanted to admit. But Rolf? He was a whole other animal.

He is an animal , I thought as I took another gulp of honeyed mead. The man himself was sitting across the table from me. Every so often, his eyes would meet mine and crinkle at the corners, something that made my heart flutter in an unwanted way, but for most of the meal, he was either watching Erik beside me or egging on conversation with the newcomer, Arvid.

Arvid was a rather handsome older man, with shining red hair and a crooked smile, and, as I soon found out, he spoke fluent French from having lived in a Viking-won settlement further down the coast. He was as charming—and civilized—as anything, almost fooling me into thinking he was a Frenchman and not a Northerner.

“So, as you see, dear Rolf,” Arvid said as he dabbed the corner of his sleeve against his mouth, finishing his plate of pheasant, “this could mean the French king is open to negotiations with us chieftans.”

“But you say it’s just a rumor,” Rolf pointed out.

“Yes, it is just a rumor. However, if it happens to be true, then you might be able to take the land and become a duke.”

Rolf looked down at his glass of ale and took a hearty sip. He chuckled to himself. “I can take the land anyway, and I wouldn’t have to swear off my gods. Do you think Odin would look proudly upon me for turning my back on him? Do you think Valhalla would wait for a traitor? I think not. I’d rather die than turn to Jesus and be admitted a scrap of land and a village of sniveling Frenchmen. Wouldn’t you?”

“This is not what I’d do, Rolf, but it is apparently what Helge has done. He signed the treaty with the king and now controls several towns around the Seine, towns you had lost the last time you were in the country.”

Rolf scoffed and exchanged a pointed look with Erik.

Arvid went on, “And the further inland you journey, the more resistance you will face. Is it better to die with nothing than to live with something? I think not.”

Rolf gave him a dismissive wave. “Ah, these politics bore me, Arvid. Why do you think the king of Norway had me exiled?”

Arvid and Erik exchanged a look while I leaned forward, my curiosity piqued. Rolf was exiled?

He caught my eye and smiled most charmingly. “Would it shock you, my beauty, to learn I am not operating under my country’s wishes and have in fact been ousted by a petty old man so many claim to be their king?”

I took another sip and shook my head. “Nothing you could say would shock me.”

My eyes sparked dangerously, just for a second. When I looked closer, he was back to his roguish ways. “Is that so?”

I cleared my throat. “So, tell me, why were you exiled?”

He leaned back in his chair and folded his big hands on the table. “Because he fears me. The King of Norway would rather his subjects stay in their own country. Oh, he ordered us to claim these lands at first—first for M?re, then for Bergen—but then, he grew soft. And where does that get us? How can we achieve greatness if we die at home in our beds? We can’t. And so the king has turned his back on the gods. I wouldn’t be surprised if I one day returned home to see them all worshipping Jesus.”

“The king just doesn’t want to see his people die in needless battle,” Arvid interjected, picking at his teeth with a thin stick, “although I am inclined to agree with Rolf here. There is no such thing as needless battle.”

“Damn right,” Rolf said, slamming back his drink. “And that is why you left the country, isn’t it, Arvid?”

“It is,” he conceded politely.

I looked to Erik, who had been silent this whole conversation. I thought perhaps things would be awkward between us after what had happened during the night and the lewd events of the morning. But since Rolf had left me with Erik’s semen still in my throat, the two of us hadn’t had a single moment to ourselves. I was ushered back to my chambers at Erik’s insistence, and I hadn’t seen anyone until Knut took me upstairs for dinner.

Now, he was stoic and on edge, watching everything and everyone. Everyone except me, that was. I felt rejected and alone, even with him sitting beside me, and I cursed myself for having feelings for the man.

What was the use anyway? We had sex, and now, he was done with me. The fire, the short burst of playfulness, was out, and he was back to his handsome yet glacial self. Even Rolf was asking for my company, as if he too knew Erik didn’t want me anymore. It hurt more than it should have, and I busied myself with more drink. The spread of food was more than I had ever eaten in my whole entire life, yet my appetite was almost entirely gone.

It wasn’t just Erik who was being frustrating, but Rolf. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted from me and why. One minute, the man oozed confidence and greed; the next, he was batting angelic eyes at me. When he asked for my presence after dinner, I felt vulgar for assuming it was for his own pleasure, yet I couldn’t fathom why he’d want my company otherwise. He was the type of man who could just take me anywhere he wanted and not wait for a specific time.

I shifted in my seat, wishing the numbing effects of the wine would work quicker. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Rolf was extremely beautiful in a rather wild way or that I didn’t fantasize about seeing him in his raw form. But I was scared, nonetheless, and for once in the short time I’d been with the Vikings, I felt Erik wasn’t on my side.

I was abandoned.

After dinner, Rolf said some parting words to me and stalked off down the hall, his black hair flowing over broad shoulders. I looked sympathetically at him, knowing he was working himself into a corner. I didn't think he could take another village like this one and become a duke, but it wasn’t my place to say anything.

Erik and I were left in an uncomfortable silence as we finished our drinks. I kept glancing at his face, hoping for some kind of recognition or explanation for his cold demeanor, but I decided to keep my pride and not ask him if he was mad at me.

When Erik got up suddenly and slammed his glass on the table, I knew it was time to leave. We made our way towards Rolf’s door, Erik walking a few feet ahead of me the whole time. As we approached, I couldn’t help but ask, “What's going to happen?”

His eyes turned dark as he looked down at his feet. “You’ll have to ask the future Duke of Normandy.”

He knocked on the door, and it swung open quickly, revealing a drunk and satisfied Rolf. He seemed pleased I was brought here but said nothing else.

Erik took a deep breath before walking inside, and I followed, feeling tense and on edge. Rolf’s new chambers were lavish and luxurious, fit for a wealthy baron, which is what I supposed he now was. There were silk rugs, gold-plated furnishings, and ornate tapestries adorning the walls. In the center of the room was a large, four-poster bed adorned with velvet curtains.

“Quite impressive,” Rolf said to me with a sly smile. I smiled back shyly, unsure of how to respond. “Oh, to be a baron in France,” he continued. “But only a foolish baron would let himself be captured by barbarians like us. He’s certainly not very wealthy if he doesn't even have the thumbs to pleasure himself with.”

“You cut off another one?” Erik asked, his tone filled with indignation. I could tell he was struggling to hide his anger.

Rolf nodded with a cruel smile, his teeth impossibly white. “He wouldn’t stop crying in his cell like a little baby. I’m shocked Cherine hasn’t been bothered by it.”

Having been in the room next door to the baron, I was, in fact, bothered by it—so much so that when the baron’s screaming became too much, I began to stick hay in my ears, hoping to block the sound.

It hadn’t, and the mere mention of the event brought a sickened scowl to my face.

Rolf noticed, raising his black brows. He came over to me, his step asserting his power while his eyes remained soft and inquisitive. “I suppose it can’t bear well for you to hear about the treatment of your fellow countrymen, can it?”

I straightened and looked blankly at him, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me meek and vulnerable. “What is it you wanted to see me about?”

He studied me for a second before looking to Erik. “Erik, go close the door, please. You can stay…this time.”

I saw the strange wave of relief in Erik’s dusky eyes and wasn’t surprised to feel the same way myself. Being alone with Rolf would have been too much.

“Now,” Rolf said slowly, looking between us both. “I’ll tell you what I want, and you both will give it to me. Understood?”

Erik’s jaw tensed, but he nodded just the same. I was terrified, and when I looked to Erik for support, I didn’t find anything but his hard expression. Perhaps I had underestimated him as well. I held my hands up to my chest and began to wring them together.

“Erik,” Rolf said, pointing at him, “keep your clothes on. And stay there until I tell you to move. Cherine, come here.”

He had walked over to the foot of the high bed, patting the end of it. “I want you to stand here and slowly disrobe in front of us. Slowly. Like you want to. Like you want to make our cocks hard. When you’re done, I want you to get on the bed, on all fours, like a cat in heat.”

I blinked a few times at his commands until his words sank in. I was stupid to think Rolf wanted anything other than the physical from me. Just that morning, he had ordered me to suck Erik’s cock until he came. Why would this have been any different?

I bit my lip and glanced over at Erik. His eyes were on the ground, looking lost in his own head. I knew he could feel me staring at him, and still, he gave me nothing, just as he had all night.

Well, fine then. If it was all right with Erik for me to just strip my clothes off in front of Rolf and wave my bottom in the air, then that’s what I was going to do. It didn’t mean I wasn’t scared as hell at the prospect, but now, I had spite on my side.

And spite was always my friend.

I decided to put on a show.

I walked slowly toward Rolf, my head held high. As I walked, I began undoing the silky ribbons at the front of my dress until it loosened and my breasts were close to bursting out. Rolf’s eyes were glued to the creamy rounds of my chest, making me shiver internally.

I stopped in front of him then turned around. I peeked at him coyly over my shoulder as I asked sweetly, “Can you help me with the back?”

Rolf growled in response but then agreed and placed his strong hands on the corset. With a loud tear, he ripped the back of my dress in half, leaving me exposed from ankles to neck. I felt shock course through me as I tried to hold onto the remains of my dress, but it was too late. Rolf's actions had left me completely bare in front of him.

He commanded me to turn around and, reluctantly, I did so, still trying to cover myself with the front of my torn dress. But it was no use; I stood before him completely naked.

His eyes roamed my body appreciatively, making me feel both frightened and desired. But I couldn't look away from him; his gaze was like a magnet, drawing me closer.

He grunted and rubbed at his beard, his eyes never leaving my form. I could feel my heart racing as I waited for his next move.

“Get on the bed and open your legs,” he finally said, and I obeyed without hesitation. As I crawled onto the soft surface, Rolf's commanding voice filled the room again. “Face me.”

I pivoted towards him, my breasts swinging under me. His hands cupped my face gently, and he murmured, “You’re the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.”

Before I could respond, his lips were on mine, kissing me sweetly. It felt like being protected by a dragon; all his fire and fury were replaced with tenderness and sweetness. But soon enough, our kisses grew more frantic and passionate.

Suddenly, Rolf pulled back and discarded the rest of his clothing until he was completely naked in front of me. My eyes widened at the sight of him—he truly was a beast in every sense of the word.

But it wasn’t just his physical appearance that scared me; it was the realization of what was to come. I wasn’t sure how his impossibly large and thick cock would fit inside me.

But as Rolf approached me, all thoughts melted away.

He was built like a Norse god himself, from muscular thighs up to rounded shoulders and arms the size of my legs. A scattering of dark chest hair spread out among his firm pecs and down the V-shape of his taught, rippled abs, all the way to the base of his erection. His skin gleamed a bronze color, like polished coins, and I found myself yearning to touch it.

“So we both like what we see,” he said, his voice low and rich. “Now, try to remember what I look like when I’m pounding you from behind.”

And at that, he reached down and picked me up by the small of my waist, his large hands completely circling it. He flipped me over so my bottom was facing him and pulled me back until my soft cheeks met with the hard length of his cock.

“I’m not that barbaric,” he soothed me. “I will get you ready first. But you’ll have a hard time getting me to stop.”

I started to tremble and tighten in anticipation, but after hearing him lick his fingers, I soon felt them being slid between my legs. The movement was slow at first, the pressure light, until he pressed in a little harder and faster. My cunt grew wetter, and I felt myself open for him. I collapsed onto my elbows, my dark hair gathering around the bed as I raised my ass higher.

While Rolf rubbed me back and forth with his whole hand, he lowered his lips to the small of my back. I flinched at his touch then wriggled in expectation as he brought his full mouth lower and lower and lower. With his free hand, he teased down the hot length of my crack and followed up with his tongue, rimming around the edges.

I had never felt so dirty and immoral in my entire life. Yet, with Rolf’s warm tongue gently sliding between my ass and ending in my cunt, sucking around the hole, dipping in and out, I’d never felt more alive. Then, there was the fact that Erik was watching the whole display, and my sex pulsed in need at the thought.

“I hope you’re ready,” Rolf said, bringing me back to him. “Because I won’t take no for an answer.”

I felt him pull away then come back to me. The fat head of his cock stroked from the rosebud opening of my bottom to the bloom of my cunt, back and forth, back and forth. I willed myself to open wide, to accept him as much as I could, but before I could relax fully, he slammed into my cunt, and I saw stars from the quick burst of pain. It felt as if I was being ripped in two, and I gasped for breath, my hands making fists in the velvet blanket.

Rolf grabbed my hair and pulled my head back roughly. He pumped into me again and again, each thrust shaking the bed and jolting me forward. I cried out, trying to get a handle on the situation, when I was met with thrust after thrust.

“Let it happen,” Rolf whispered, tugging my hair back harder. “Or beg me to take the pain away.”

This time, my pride didn’t have the best of me. “Please,” I managed to say, my voice shaking as he kept ramming into me, my body weeping from the stretch and strain.

He let go of my hair. One of his hands went to my clit and started massaging the nub, the other fingering my ass. As my clit grew thicker and wetter, he borrowed some of the moisture and slid his finger into my other hole. He pressed it in while still fucking me steadily, and though my tight muscles automatically clamped around his finger, I was beginning to enjoy the foreign sensation. It was almost confusing having so much stimulation in the area, and I wasn’t sure what part of him was making me close to coming. Soon, the pain was a distant memory, and I was close to going over the edge.

“Yes, that’s it,” he hissed, pumping me harder now. “Come for me. Scream for me. Beg for me.”

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I let loose, all my muscles constricting as the waves shuddered through me from head to toe. I cried out over and over, moaning and yelling involuntarily.

He chuckled to himself, only slowing his pace slightly. “You French women really know how to stroke a man’s ego.”

I barely heard him. I was busy catching my breath, my face pressed into the blanket. It had done nothing to muffle my cries.

“Erik,” he boomed, and I remembered we weren’t alone in the room. Erik was still there…and wasn’t he supposed to join in?

He slowed and slowly pulled out of me, keeping his hands on my soft ass cheeks.

“Erik, I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me,” I heard him say. I was tempted to raise my head and look at them, but I didn’t know if I had the strength. My muscles felt like jelly.

That’s what you get for fucking a beast, I thought to myself, unable to suppress a smile.

“All right, move over,” he said suddenly, slapping my ass. Before I knew what was happening, he had joined me on the bed, the whole thing rocking back and forth from his large carriage as he moved beside me.

He lay down on his back and nodded at Erik. “Disrobe, old friend.” He looked at me and made a turn-around gesture with his hands. “My beauty, come lie on top of me, on your back. We’re going to try a little something here, something that will make coming worth it.”

I frowned, surprised we weren’t done yet. Then again, he hadn’t come inside of me, and by the look of his thick, purple-veined cock, he was absolutely dying to.

Erik began removing his clothes, his face cold and impassive, avoiding my eyes. I had no choice but to ignore his indifference and do what he said. I crawled over to Rolf and tried to lie on him, back down. He helped me up, his hands reaching around and grabbing each tit. He held on hard and flicked my sore nipples with his thumbs before rubbing me up and down his body.

“Erik, I don’t dare let go,” Rolf’s husky voice was in my ear. “Grab my cock and place it inside her.”

I felt Erik hesitate ,and then I was filled again, Rolf’s thickness stretching me, pressing hard against my inner wall from the change in position. It felt amazingly good, and I was suddenly insatiable again, as if I hadn’t been gifted with an orgasm just minutes ago.

I groaned as Rolf whispered in my ear and then slowly began lowering me up and down his body just by holding onto my breasts. I felt weightless and completely at his mercy.

“Now, old friend,” Rolf said, his voice strained with desire. It thrilled me to hear him that way. “Give her what she needs. Make her come while I fuck her.”

As Rolf moved me up and down, my back pressed against his body, sliding me up and down on his cock like I was riding a pole, Erik’s hands went to my thighs and opened them wider. I tried to raise my head to see what he was doing, but I couldn’t, not with Rolf’s massive hands on my breasts. Then, I felt the wet tip of Erik’s tongue teasing my clit, and I knew exactly what was happening. Erik was going to give me what I needed. After all, he had been the first one to do it to me.

I opened my legs wider for him and tried to look at him again. Through the haze of pleasure, I saw his light hair between my thighs, his arm muscles straining as he pleasured himself while licking me. Meanwhile, Rolf’s hard cock continued to thrust slowly in and out, triggering intense sensations inside me. His hot breath tickled my neck and ears. Lost in an overwhelming wave of pleasure, I couldn’t control myself and came again. This time, tears sprang to my eyes as the dam burst inside me, filling me with indescribable feelings.

It must have been enough for the men too, because soon after, Rolf came loudly in my ear while Erik gave a small cry before exhaling in satisfaction. The sound of our heavy breaths filled the room, and the weight of what we had done settled on us like a decadent dessert.

Growing up, I had heard stories of brutal Vikings stealing women and ravishing them, but now, I knew none of them had been as fortunate as I.