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Therest of theSkai’svoices rose around it, speaking aloud their assent, their favour.Isee your gain.Isee your gain.
Andagain, still lost in the hazy spinning wonder,Louisacould see it, too.Couldsee it, and feel it, like a soft tangible thing, glowing in her chest.Withthis rut,Ulfarrhad gained a mate, yes — but he’d also gained, perhaps, a second pack, a shadow pack, to run alongside his first.Agroup ofSkaiwho would support him, and guard him, and uphold him — and who would offer the same to his mate.To…theirmate.
Butno, that wasn’t right, not quite — and whenLouisashifted to look atKillik, he was already meeting her, shifting too.Releasingyet more slick seed from inside her as he settled beside her on the fur, his face again buried in her neck. “Whatis it?” he murmured. “Anypain?”
Louisashook her head, drew in a breath with him. “Sowhat amInow,” she whispered, “to them?”
Sheglanced at all the orcs still around them, and comprehension flashed acrossKillik’seyes. “Ach, they are all yet your rutmates,” he murmured. “Theyare each bound to help you, and guard you, until they swear vows to a mate of their own.Andshould your mates meet death, any unmated orcs amongst them would come to you and offer to mate you, instead.”
Oh.Ofcourse.Soit was also a way to protect the woman, to guard her even beyond death.Andsuddenly it felt almost — generous.Almostnoble, to share a mate like this, and to ensure she and her children were cared for, no matter what befell them.Andamidst that endless war, death would have come for theSkaiso often — and the danger for their human mates would have been so great, too.
Buteven now, even without that, it was still a gift.Stilla pack, a band, strengtheningLouisa, supporting her.Andas she blinked at the orcs surrounding her, she could suddenly appreciateUlfarr’scare in choosing them, and in gaining such a breadth of them.Powerfulorcs, and common orcs.Knownorcs, and unknown orcs.Orcsat multiple camps, orcs at the mountain.Fightersand healers and craftsmen, young and old and scarred and hale.MakingsureLouisahad many, many options, spread across theSkaiand across the realm.
Ulfarrhad still been standing before the platform, his head bowed toward the watchingSkai, his hand over his heart.PrayingtoSkai-kesh,Louisaknew, and she offered up a brief, heartfelt prayer of her own.Shewas so, so blessed.Sograteful.
Sheonly distantly noticedKillikgesturing forRurikto look her over, or the brief touch ofRurik’shand stroking against her, firm and efficient this time.Becauseher eyes were only on her mate, her wolf.Waitingfor him to turn back toward her, to drink up the sight of what he’d done to her, marked and claimed and safe amidst the pack he’d chosen for her.
“Ithank you for your great fealty tonight, my rutmates,”Ulfarrtold them, his hand over his heart. “Nowyou may kiss her farewell, until next time.”
Untilnext time.Itshot a shivery little thrill upLouisa’sback, her eyes darting towardKillik— but he hadn’t even blinked, and his eyes looked almost indulgent onHjaltas he leaned in, and gave a soft, reverent kiss toLouisa’scheek.AndthenVaeni, andDvergr, andSaxar, working their way backwards, one by one.UntilTarrwas kissing her reverently on the mouth, his tongue brushing hers, his hand cupping her sweaty cheek.
“Ihope to see you again soon, beautiful,” he murmured. “Youhave brought me such joy this night.”
BesideLouisa,Killikscoffed and rolled his eyes, and then he drew her in for a kiss, too.Histeeth sharp and scraping, in a way none of the others had dared to do, andLouisamoaned beneath it, clutching back toward him, while a few indulgent laughs rose around them.
Andthen it wasUlfarragain, her mate, hermate, kissing her with his usual deep, steady thoroughness.Makingher his, his, his, and then slipping his strong arms beneath her, lifting her up close into his warm, safe chest.Andafter one more thank-you to their rutmates, he strode from the room, withLouisain his arms, andKillikstriding beside him.
SheinhaledUlfarr’ssweet, beloved scent as he carried her down the tunnel to their room, and then settled her carefully on the fur-covered bed.Notseeming to care about the mess she was making on the fur, and whenLouisagrimaced and glanced downwards,Killikwas already here, settling back in his familiar place beside her, patting her cheek.
“Nobathing until the morn,” he said lightly. “Needto let the seed settle, and sink inside you.”
Louisablinked vaguely back toward him — why did they need to do that? — and now here wasUlfarr, her strong, gorgeous new mate, sinking down onto her other side, inhaling deep against her hair. “Thiswill deepen the bonds between you and your new rutmates,” he murmured, “and make it easier for them to track and scent you, should we ever need this.Andmayhap, ifSkai-kesh has blessed us, their seed shall grant you traces of their strength, also.”
Tracesof their strength?Louisastill wasn’t following, butUlfarrgathered her a little closer, pressed a kiss against her hair. “Allyour rutmates bore great gifts, ach?” he said. “Tarris mayhap the strongest orc amongst theSkai, andArgarrour best smith, andHjaltour best scenter.AndStigrandSaxarare both fearsome warriors, andRurik—”
“Ach, do not even speak ofRurik,Wolf,”Killikcut in, his voice sharp. “Hedid not even grant her his seed!Cannotbear the thought of anotherSkaihealer to rival him,Iken.”
Wait, were they implying — did they think all those orcs’ gifts would now — filter intoLouisa, somehow?Andsomehow — becomehers?
“Ach, butRurikyet gave us much else,Iken,”Ulfarrsaid, his voice mild. “Andhis skill in pleasure greatly pleased you, ach, my sweet mate?”
Louisacouldn’t quite seem to meetUlfarr’seyes now, though a convulsive shiver rippled up her back.Andwhen she curled closer into him, his warm arms circled around her, his mouth gently kissing at her hair.Solovely, so perfect, but that question still kept nagging, scraping atLouisa’sthoughts.
“Youdon’t really think,” she murmured, “orc seed is strong enough to transfer an orc’s — skills?Andstrength?”
Butwhen she drew back to look atUlfarr, his nod was immediate, his eyes on hers astonishingly sincere.WhileKillikscoffed, or maybe laughed, and flicked his sharp claw at her cheek. “Ach, no, woman,” he drawled. “Haveyou not seen yourself hunt, these past moons?Orclimb?Orspar?Orhave you not heard how oft you speak of scents?Ach, how just last week” — he jabbed his claw at her — “you told meyoucould scent theKa-esh stench, also!”
Louisawrinkled her nose and grimaced, because it wasn’t astench, exactly — just a sharp flavour that theKa-esh all seemed to share.Andwhile orcs from all five clans seemed to carry a distinct clan scent, theKa-esh somehow seemed the strongest, andLouisacould now understand — far more than before — how it could be particularly irksome, when combined with chattering and condescension and correction, too.
“Ka-esh smell just fine,”Louisasaid loyally, to whichKillikloudly snorted, and evenUlfarrchuckled, too.ButLouisa’sthoughts were still caught on this, spinning on this, because — they couldn’t possibly be right.Couldthey?
“Andif you should wish to bed any of your rutmates again,”Killikcontinued, with a shrug, “their gifts may yet grow stronger upon you, also.”
What?Therewas again far too much to untangle in that statement, andLouisa’smouth opened and closed, as her traitorous thoughts flicked back toTarr, kissing her with such gentleness.Ihope to see you again soon, beautiful.AndhowUlfarrhad said,Youmay kiss her farewell, until next time…
“But,” she began, her eyes darting back toUlfarr’swatching face. “Youwouldn’t still —wantthat, now that the rut is over.Wouldyou?”
Andno, no, of course he wouldn’t, not after how he’d struggled withKillik’sother bedmates for all those years — but damn it,Louisaknew that look inUlfarr’seyes.Thatlonging.That…hunger.
