Tabitha’s heart flumped heavily in her chest. This she didn’t need.“Guy’s gotta eat,” Jared said in a pleasant manner. “The Mistress of th... house provided.”“She likes doing that.”Tabitha bit down on her rising anger.“I hope I didn’t steal your share, darlin’.”“Trust me, I really don’t care if you ate it all.”“You missed out, that’s all I can say.” Jared was resolutely refusing to pick up on the girl’s irony, Tabitha noted with gratitude. “Look, I gotta hit the road…”“Sure you don’t wanna. She admitted that she did many of the things she did at home just to upset her mom. She wasn't trying to be mean about it. She just resented being forced into a two bedroom townhouse with her grandma and grampa, and having to share a bedroom with her mom and three sisters. I was always willing to listen and not judge her, so she had no problems telling me anything.She called me up crying one evening asking me if I could pick her up from one of the football games she had been cheering at. I got. The load of lumber fell onto the street where the c***dren had just been playing. That night King Jorund himself invited me to the Mead House where he praised me profusely for risking my life to save those Viking c***dren. He pronounced that I was no longer a Praell (slave) but a Karls (freeman) and gave me an abandoned farm as a gift. We all got drunk to celebrate the rescue when Jorund with roaring laughter yelled out “Alanus, you can have Maeve tonight, if you can survive the experience!!”. He slowly lifts up his head, starring into her eyes with concern saying, ‘I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.’ She gives him a smile with ease then gently whispers in his ear, ‘I know . . . But I want to.’ Giving a small grin, he gently lifts her up into his arms holding her tightly. She wraps her legs around his waist putting her arms around his neck, while sliding one of her hands through his short dark hair. Walking towards his bedroom, their tongues intertwine taking each of.