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Killik’seyes flicked away, and surely he hadn’t meant that, surely it had just been a slip of the tongue.Butit kept pulsing there, swirling and simmering between them, and finallyLouisajerked a nod, and fumbled her shaky hands at her dress.Yankingat the buttons, pulling it up and off over her head.Andthen kicking off her boots, her stockings, before tugging at her stained shift, and hauling that off, too.
Itleft her fully naked and shivering on the fur, with every single scar, bulge, and imperfection on display for the eyes of two watching, judging orcs.AndLouisacouldn’t even look at them, couldn’t bear to see their faces.Whatwere they thinking, please…
“Nowyou speak,Wolf,” cameKillik’svoice. “Tellher what you think upon this.”
Therewas an instant’s horrible silence, the misery scraping upLouisa’sspine — and she could feelUlfarr’sslow exhale, prickling against her bare, quivering skin.Againsther breasts, her belly, he was looking at her, he was going to say…
“Youare — lovely,Louisa,” said his low, hitching voice. “Mayhapthe loveliest sightIhave ever set eyes upon.”
What?No.Hewas taunting her, this was some kind of trick — but whenLouisa’seyes darted up, searchingUlfarr’sface, his expression was earnest, almost painfully so. “Solovely,” he repeated, quieter. “Iam honoured to witness such a gift.”
Louisacouldn’t seem to breathe, or look away from his sober, intent eyes.Andwhen his hand slipped toward hers, his fingers curling warm and safe around her palm, she didn’t even twitch.Justwatched, her heartbeat stuttering, as he brought her hand to his mouth, and gave it a slow, careful kiss.
“See?” cameKillik’sclipped voice, from where he was now stretching on his haybale, and smirking with distinct satisfaction. “AndIcan scent this asWolf’struth, woman.Soyou shall now accept this, and settle yourself.Mayhapnow” — his smirk drew higher — “inWolf’slap.”
Louisa’salarm skittered again, her hand spasming inUlfarr’s, her eyes snapping to his face.Towhere his cheeks looked oddly flushed, his black tongue brushing his parted lips…
“Only— should you wish,Louisa,” he rasped, as he gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Youken you must not always obeyKillik, ach?Thisis always your choice, and —”
ButLouisahad already flailed forward, lurching shaky and awkward towardUlfarr, crashing into his solid bare body with shameful, pathetic urgency.Andfor an instant, there was only more shrieking alarm, because what the hell was she doing, what wouldUlfarrdo, his muscles stiffening against her, his wide eyes darting towardKillik, who —
Nodded.Andeven smiled, brief and approving, as he reached out his dagger, and tapped its blade againstUlfarr’scheek. “Good,” he said firmly. “Nowbreathe, andsettle, both of you.”
Right.Ulfarrtwitched and nodded, his body slowly relaxing beneathLouisa, whileKillik’seyes flicked back and forth between them. “Sinkinto him, woman,” he ordered, “and feel him draw up into you.Feelhow warm and strong he is.Ach?”
Itwas just the same way he’d spoken that afternoon in the forest, whenLouisahad nearly fallen into the bog.Andto her vague surprise, it felt almost instinctive to obey, to curl up sideways inUlfarr’slap, to sink into the solid steadiness of him.Sowarm and strong, just asKillikhad said…
Ulfarr’sbig arms slowly circled around her, drawing her closer against him, tucking her into his chest.Andoh, it felt so good, his warm bare skin so smooth and alive against hers, his breaths steady and slow.Hishands gently spreading, stroking againstLouisa’sback and shoulder, and her breath shuddered out in a sigh, her eyes fluttering closed.Gods, how long had it been since someone had just touched her, held her like this, breathed in against her hair…
“Good,”Killiksaid again, and whenLouisablinked toward him, he did look pleased, spinning his dagger in his fingers. “Now, again, we speak.Mayhap” — his lips pursed, his brows raising towardLouisa— “you tell him of how you spent this day.”
Louisamanaged a nod, and drew in a deep, fortifying breath. “Well,” she began, “Killiktook me hunting today.Andhe got a buck for us!”
Hervoice sounded far too shrill, and it belatedly occurred to her thatKillikhad probably already toldUlfarrthis, right?Andbeneath her,Ulfarr’sbody indeed didn’t betray any surprise, and his hands kept stroking, tentative and slow. “Andhow… was this?” he asked, his voice just as careful as his touch. “DidKillikshout at you, or swear to bind you to a tree if you spoke to him?”
Wait, he was making ajoke— andLouisa’slaugh was wry and genuine, her head shaking. “Hewas actually — very patient,” she said, with a glance towardKillik’sface. “He’san excellent teacher, andIlearned a lot.”
Shecould almost feelUlfarr’ssurprise beneath her, whileKillikshrugged, and looked away. “Ach,Iken this was only because you did not babble at me all day,” he replied, with a careless wave of his hand. “Orstomp about making noise at the worst moments.Thiswas almost… restful.”
Louisablinked, while beneath her,Ulfarr’schest faintly shook, in what might have been a laugh. “Thisis true praise,Louisa,” he murmured, “forKilliknever finds humans restful, ach?”
Hisvoice sounded warm, almost easy, andLouisasank closer into him, flashing a brief, grateful smile up at his face.Buthe was looking atKillik, who again rolled his eyes, and huffed a loud snort. “Youhumans speak too much,” he said archly. “Alwaysspeaking, prattling on and on and on, whilst never taking time to watch, and listen, andlearn.Neverasking the right questions, or” — he jabbed his dagger toward her — “allowing the truth of the answers.Neverseeking the other side of the tale!”
Therewas surprising vehemence in his voice, enough thatLouisastiffened inUlfarr’sarms — butUlfarronly cleared his throat, and drew her a little closer. “Ignorehim,Louisa,” he said.Youken if he is forced to be kind all day, this is oft what comes next.”
Hesounded almost indulgent, his eyes soft onKillik’sface.AndtoLouisa’svague surprise,Killik’seyes softened, too, and he barked a laugh, and kicked his foot atUlfarr’sknee. “Traitor,” he snapped. “Oughtto bindyouto a tree, instead.”
BehindLouisa,Ulfarr’sbreath drew in, short and sharp — and whenLouisaglanced up again, his eyes were glinting onKillik’sface.Asif he would very much enjoy being bound to a tree byKillik… and wait, that was new, wasn’t it?Andcurse it, that was not jealousy, plummeting low inLouisa’sbelly — and maybeKillikhad caught that, glancing narrow toward her, and away again.
“Nowkeep speaking, both of you,” he snapped, waving his dagger between them. “Andkeep touching her,Wolf.Coverher all over with your hands, so she shall scent fully of you.”
BeneathLouisa,Ulfarrbetrayed a curious shiver, his hands stilling on her skin — but he was still so warm, so damnably comfortable, thatLouisasank closer into him, and twitched him a hopeful little smile.Asif… as if she did want him to keep touching her, and yes, yes, she did.Andwhat was she supposed to do, speak about something, anything, so he would keep going…
“Um, well,Killikalso told me more about your camp,” she said, a little rushed. “Andhow you’re trying to help your clan, and give them a safe place close to your mountain.”
Somethingflared inUlfarr’seyes, warm and surprised — and yes, his big hands were touching again, one slipping tentative towardLouisa’ship, the other skimming up her shoulder. “Ach, this is truth,” he replied. “Indays past, our clan oft had camps like these.Womenoft prefer them to the mountain, and it is good for our young brothers to run free under the sky, and learn ourSkaiways.Thesecamps bring gain to our mountain also — they serve as outposts, and as a refuge for any passing orcs.Skaitravel the most out of all the clans, so we ought to bolster this, and offer our brothers safety.”
Itwas perhaps the mostLouisahad ever heard him speak at once, and the enthusiasm was almost palpable in his voice, in his touch.Andit was easy to keep smiling back up toward him, to sink deeper into the caress of his warm hands. “Doyou still have otherSkaicamps as well?” she asked. “Orwere they all… taken, during the war?”
