***Ryevin***

Anna was the most intriguing woman Rye had ever met. She would look at him with fearful eyes one moment and then speak with such ferocious boldness the next. Her tongue dripped lies like honey, strangely, he anticipated the taste.

He enjoyed hearing her talk of her world, even though he had a difficult time understanding it. Her world sounded soft. Women didn't need protectors? It was unfathomable. He knew he would have a difficult time taming her without extinguishing her spirit. He wanted her submission, her trust.

They were riding at a more comfortable pace than they rode the prior evening. The journey would still be difficult for her. It would most likely be trying for any woman. Surprisingly, Anna never complained. She was mostly stoic and silent.

Rye delighted in having her body next to his. Her hair smelled like flowers and he loved leaning his face into her and inhaling her scent.

He held her with one arm across her chest and the other holding the reins. He couldn't help but explore her with his hand. She had the most perfect breasts. He absently caressed and squeezed them. He then slowly dipped his hand under her tunic and continued.

"Rye!"

"Hmm." he murmured as he continued his exploration.

"Rye! Stop! Please!" Anna choked out. As if waking from a trance, Rye startled and finally took notice of Anna's state. She was trembling with tears forming in her eyes.

"What is the matter? You are crying?" He was genuinely confused.

"I don't want you to touch me like that. I'd prefer it if you didn't touch me at all,"she spat out. Rye narrowed his eyes.

"It is my right. I have claimed you," he replied defensively. Anna stiffened.

"I told you, your claim means nothing to me! Please don't touch me again!" Anger burned through him.

"If I want to touch you, I will. You are mine. How will you stop me?" He snarled.

"I was hoping all I had to do was ask," Anna said softly. Her eyes shone with tears. He didn't mean to get so angry and scare her. He remembered what she told him about men and women getting to know each other before joining in her world. He would be more patient with her.

***Anna***

Anna's stomach had churned at his words. She was so confused by him. Rye sometimes acted like he genuinely cared about her and then other times he acted frightening and cruel. He knew she was lying about her powers and even acted amused by their banter that morning, but when she told him she didn't recognize his claim he erupted like a volcano.

Despite his threat he didn't continue to touch her intimately. Instead, he brooded. Anna stressed about what he would do to her in the tent that night. He had let her sleep last night, but he obviously wanted her, and didn't seem too picky about consent. She would fight him tooth and nail, she decided. She shivered when she thought about how much he could hurt her. Didn't his stupid chain mean that he was supposed to protect her? She guessed it didn't mean from himself.

Rye gently tilted her face toward him. "I was speaking to you but I don't think you heard me."

"Oh, sorry. What did you say?" She said apprehensively.

"How are you feeling? Would you like to try some bread now?" Anna's head was spinning. Thoughtful Rye had returned.

"You probably don't really want to hear how I am feeling." She sighed and answered, "I should probably try some bread. Thank you." Anna was dizzy from lack of food and being bounced around on a horse didn't help. Her backside was not happy and her wrists were still being shredded by rope. She already complained about the latter, and Rye hadn't cared.

Rye handed her a good sized chunk of bread from his pack. She took a bite and waited to make sure it settled. When it seemed like it would stay down she took another bite and continued until it was finished. "Would you like anything else to eat?" Anna shook her head. She didn't want to overdo it.

"Is Anna your whole name?" Rye asked thoughtfully.

"My full name is Anna Holland," she answered.

"Anna is your short name? Your name is Annaholland?" Anna shook her head.

"No. Anna is my first name. Holland is my last name. A last name is a family name. Typically members of the same family share a last name," Anna clarified.

"So you have no short name? We are familiar, I'd like to call you a short name. I will call you...Ann." Anna cringed.

"Please don't," she pleaded.

Rye lips twisted upward. "You do not like Ann?" Anna shook her head in an enthusiastic "no."

"My middle name is Lynn. We can pretend my long name is Annalynn. Anna for short. Okay?" She said desperately.

Rye chuckled. "Alright, Annalynn." Anna thought he looked so much younger when he smiled, maybe even handsome.

"So, Holland is the name of your family?" Rye asked softly. Anna took a deep breath. She didn't really want to talk to him about her lack of family.

"No, not anymore." She didn't expand any further. The truth was the Hollands were her first family. They adopted her when she was around two. She was too young to know she should hide her gift and she was too young to have any control over it. She would freak them out by the things she would say and she frequently had huge meltdowns in public. Her adoptive parents were overwhelmed and they had three other young children to care for. She was back in foster care by the time she was four.

Rye was thoughtfully quiet for a while. Anna took in the lush surroundings. It was really quite beautiful. She wondered if the wildlife was different here. She hadn't really tried to notice before. Birds flew above her. One was all black like a crow, and the other had a black body and an orange head. She gave a soft smile. Some differences then.

They had been riding for hours with only a couple of short stops for her to relieve herself. Rye never left her side. She shuddered thinking about when she will have to do more than pee in front of him. Gross. The men rode with two in front of them and two behind them. They kept enough distance that it always felt like Rye and her were alone.

The bread had helped her dizziness and she decided she would try to eat more that evening. She wanted to remain strong.

Rye leaned to her ear and murmured, "I want to know more about you." Why did her heart skip a beat?

She shrugged her shoulders and turned toward him. "I will share what I want to," she replied stubbornly. She then felt badly about it. It was out of character for her to be so rude. It's okay to be rude to your kidnapper, Anna," she reminded herself.

"How about you answer one of my questions truthfully and I'll answer one of yours," he offered.

Anna thought for a moment. She did have a lot of questions, particularly about mages. "What is your question?"

She thought he would ask her about her power again but instead he asked, "Did you have a man in your world? I don't remember all the terms you used before. You are incredibly beautiful and fascinating. I would be surprised if men weren't interested." His face flushed. His vulnerability in contrast with his fierce persona was endearing.

She hesitated on whether or not to answer. She did have questions and his were harmless enough. "No, I didn't have a man. Men were interested and I've been on many dates. I didn't like anyone well enough to continue a relationship." Now it was her face that was coloring.

"Have you ever lay with a man?" He asked intently. Anna shifted in embarrassment. The farthest she had gone with a guy was making out. She shook her head 'no,' and refused to look at him.

He tilted her head towards him,"Thank you. What is your question for me? I will answer you honestly." Her stomach fluttered from his gaze.

She didn't like what she was feeling. Was she softening toward him? She meant to ask about being the last mage, but instead she asked, "Why did you kill all those men? Did they all die because of me? Did you know I would be there?" Her voice cracked with emotion while she spoke.

Rye didn't speak for a moment. She thought he decided to not answer but eventually he said, "I knew you would be there. A long time ago, a mage with the gift of foresight told me where you would be and when. We made sure to kill anyone who saw your face...They could have eventually realized what you were."

Her heart dropped. She was suddenly flooded with guilt. "They all died because of me. Fin too, because of me," she said shakily. "I killed him." The world seemed to stop, and her head felt like it was underwater again. She could hear the waves crashing in her ears.

Rye gave a commanding whistle and stopped the horse. He grabbed her face between his hands. "Shh. You are blameless. Do not cry for them. Do not feel guilt for them. They do not deserve it. Those men decimated whole villages for greed. They would have raped you and sold you. They do not deserve another thought from you."

"But...Fin...He didn't. He was just a boy. Why did he have to die?"

"Anna, he was just a slave. He could have told someone about you. I had to do what needed to be done." Rye's eyes pleaded for her to understand.

Just a slave. Bile rose to her throat. "It didn't have to be done. It was wrong. It was murder. He was a boy and he had only helped me." She closed her eyes and she saw the event replay in her mind. His fear, his pain. She leaned over and threw up.