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Louisa’sunhelpful brain was now dredging up memories of all the ways she’d helped that sweet girlRosa, up to and including being locked in a library’s tiny back room with an orc.He’dbeen huge and highly intimidating, frowning and towering over her — but whenLouisahad gathered her courage and introduced herself, he’d given her a careful, kind smile in return.IamSimon, he’d told her, in a deep, rich voice that had rumbled in her belly.OfClanSkai.
Andwait, this new orc had said he was from theSkaiclan too, hadn’t he?Andhe was again circling his dagger toward her, his eyes speculative, his mouth pursed. “Andnow, for all these past moons,” he continued, “you have allowed my kin to live on your land.Youhave seen the gain in this, in how it has helped you care for your own kin — and thus, you have made this trade.Andyou have made it without sulking or weeping, or casting demands or blame upon us.”
Louisaattempted a dismissive shrug — she’d only done what any responsible person would have done in her place — but the orc was already speaking again, smooth and certain. “Youhave shown yourself to be a shrewd, strong, steady woman.Youhave borne much, but you have not buckled beneath its weight, nor abandoned those in your care.Andthis” — his circling dagger-blade jabbed a little toward her — “thisis whatIwish for.Thisis what anySkaishould wish for.Inhis life, and in his bed.”
WhatanySkaishould wish for.Itwas a bizarre statement, an impossible claim, and it rang throughLouisa’sthoughts with strange, dizzying strength.Because— no.No.Thisorc didn’t think this.Noone thought this.Ashrewd, strong, steady woman.Thisis whatIwish for…
Andas those words kept ringing,Louisa’sgaze seemed caught, frozen, on the orc.Onthe quick glittering watchfulness of his eyes.Onthe way his long lashes slightly lowered as he looked back toward her.Onhow his throat bobbed, brief but unmistakable, and a sliver of a glistening black tongue brushed against his lips.Asif inviting her to look at it, at him.
Andyes, yes,Louisawas looking.Lookingat the orc’s tall, fluid, relaxed body, at his deft, long-fingered hand on his dagger.Atthe scarred silver skin of his arms and shoulders, at all the hard lean muscle beneath…
Andthen at his bare, exposed chest.Thedeep grey nipples, the ridges of his abdomen, the taut navel, the sharp cut of his hips above his shabby, low-slung trousers.Andthat distinctive line of black hair, leading down toward his groin, toward where those trousers now betrayed a… abulge.Ashocking, highly obvious bulge, one that seemed to swell even larger the longerLouisalooked at it…
HeandItake pleasure together, as we wish.Itake as many others to my bed asIplease…
Andfor another startling, frozen instant,Louisacould almost see it, bright and alarmingly vivid behind her eyes.Thisorc coolly, carelessly taking his pleasure, tossing out easy commands, wielding his lean, supple body to gain whatever — or whoever — he pleased.Andthat was not —not— longing, or even jealousy, curling up deep inLouisa’sbelly, no, no,no—
Whenin a sudden movement, the orc’s body stiffened all over, too.Itsrelaxed languidness snapping into cold sharp distance, as he again jabbed his dagger inLouisa’sdirection, far harsher than before.
“Butyou ken, woman,” he hissed, “Ihave no wish for you.Ionly wish for you forhim.Andonce this is done,Ishall have naught more to do with it.Orwithyou!”
Itwas as though he’d hurled that dagger straight toward her, its sharpened end plunging deep into her gut — andLouisahad to drag for air, shaking her head, digging her palms painfully into her eyes.No.No.Shedidn’t care.Shedidn’t.Thisorc had broken into her house, he kept waving a weapon at her, making proposals that she did not want or need whatsoever…
“Butwould you keep taking pleasure withhim?” her rasping, treacherous voice demanded, all on its own. “Yourkin-brother?Duringhis ten nights with me?”
Sheglared at the orc again, blinking back the damnable stinging behind her eyes — and she was viciously satisfied by how he betrayed a faint flinch, his eyes narrowing toward her.Becauseno, clearly he didn’t want to be kept from his own enjoyments either, did he?Heis a big, strong, hearty warrior.Hisface and form are pleasing to the eye.Hebears one of the biggest pricks in our mountain…
“Thenno,”Louisasnapped, because maybe she just needed to strike back at him, to hit him where it hurt, just like he’d done to her. “IfI’msharing my bed with an orc, he’s most certainly not sharing his bed with anyone else during that time,especiallyyou.AsifIhave any desire to contract some sort of debilitatingorc-pox, due to my bedmate being highly injudicious with his partners!”
Hervoice scraped out between them, cold and contemptuous, and the orc’s glower deepened, glittering with a dark, malicious dislike.Whilehis long fingers hungrily caressed at his dagger, as if he indeed longed for nothing more than to hurl it intoLouisa’sbelly, and watch her weep and scream upon it.
ButLouisakept frowning back toward him, unflinching, demanding.Untilfinally — finally — the orc looked away first, his mouth and jaw very tight.
“Ach, then,” he replied, clipped. “Heshall touch no other, whilst he shares your bed for these ten nights.Arewe agreed, then?Youwish to do this?”
Wait.Wait.No, they weren’t agreed, hell noLouisadidn’t want to do this — right?Right?
“Thenhere is a list of our terms for the camp, and our offer of payment,” the orc flatly continued, as he produced a folded square of paper from his trousers, and tossed it onto her desk. “AndmayhapIshall add my own terms to this, also.First, you shall not speak to him of his past, or ask him of this.Youshall not bring him guilt or shame for what is done, and what cannot now be undone.Ach?”
Louisamight have nodded, even as she winced — was she really doing this? — and the orc rose to his feet, and reached into a little pouch she hadn’t noticed before, hanging off his belt. “Andsecond,” he added, sharper than before, “you shall prove to me that you can please him.Thatyou can bearthis.”
Hethrust out something toward her, something long and thick and cylindrical.Somethingrather the size and shape of a — arolling pin, perhaps, but with a wide flare at one end, and the other tapering to a blunt, rounded bulb.Butunlike a rolling pin, it appeared to be carved entirely of grey stone, and it was polished to a smooth, glossy shine…
Andeven asLouisareflexively reached to take it, gripping the cool heavy stone in her hand, her suspicion was rapidly rising.No.No, this couldn’t be what she thought it was, he wouldn’t dare…
“Whatthe hell is this?” she demanded, but curse it, she already knew.Andthe devious bastard only smirked at her again, and even reached down to circle his fingers around the massive girth of it.Hislong claws scarcely touching on either side as he gave a slow, suggestive stroke up and down, easy and familiar, as if this was something he’d done a hundred times before.
“Ach,Iwonder what it could be,” he drawled at her, all smug slippery satisfaction. “Aloaf of bread, mayhap.Ora shoe?”
Louisaglared at him, at his smoothly stroking hand, at his cruel vicious smile. “Itis just the shape and size of his prick,” he hissed. “Andif you prove you can swallow this within you” — his brows arched up — “then we shall go forth with our vow.Butonlythen, ach?”
Wait.Wait.Theyweren’t — really making avow, right?Louisahadn’t agreed to anything, had she?Andthis orc wasn’t actually leaving this monstrosity herewith her?!
Buthe was already spinning away from her, and striding toward the window. “Itis newly made, so you need not fear anyorc-poxupon it,” he said over his shoulder, his voice flat and cold again. “AndIshall come back tomorrow eve to gain your proof of this, and hear your answer.”
What?Louisagaped at him, and then down at the shockingly large stone still in her hand — but wait, the orc was thrusting up the window’s sash, and casting a brief, surveying glance down beyond it.Asif he was going to jump, gods curse it, and they were all the way up in the attic, and —
“Wait!”Louisagasped, flailing her hands toward him. “Wait, orc!”
