“I must go train. You will stay here with Simon. I will return later.”
I opened my mouth to protest. I had no interest in staying behind until he pointed out, “My training will be outside. You will get cold.”
My jaw snapped shut, and my gaze flicked to the tent entrance. It flapped in the wind and despite sitting near the fire as far from it as I could get, I could still feel the cold against my skin. I did not want to spend who knew how long out there.
“Go,” Simon encouraged Uttin. “I’ll bring him to see later.”
At my questioning look, he switched to my tongue and said, “Believe me, you’ll want to watch. It’s sexy.”
I hadn’t considered that. It might be worth it to face the cold just to see Uttin all sweaty and ferocious. I nodded once.
“Go. I see later.”
A flash of amusement crossed Uttin’s face before he dipped his chin and nodded. “Be good.”
“No.”
My automatic refusal made Simon cackle. Uttin looked annoyed, but I could see the mirth in his eyes. He knelt beside me, leaning close enough that only Simon, being nosy and listening in, could overhear him. He said something I didn’t understand, and Simon’s shit-eating grin preceded him translating, “He said be good and he’ll reward you.”
A shiver wracked my body, and I bit my lip, considering my options. While I lived for causing trouble, I also wanted my reward. Knowing Uttin, I’d enjoy it very much.
He leaned closer, this time with his lips to my ear so even Simon couldn’t overhear him. Then he began whispering all those sexy words I still didn’t know into my ear, the tone seductive and downright filthy. I gave in embarrassingly quickly, nodding rapidly in agreement. My whole body swayed toward him when he pulled away, and I whined a little at the thought of waiting until later to get my reward. Couldn’t he bring me back to his tent now and?—
“Okay, I’m starting to get jealous,” Simon quipped beside me.
His comment brought me slowly back to reality, and I let out a shaky breath when Uttin pulled away. He tugged lightly on a lock of my hair, making me bite back a gasp, and a smirk flashed across his face before he stood and walked away. He stopped before he left, giving me one last heated look, then disappeared, leaving me breathless and horny, forced to wait until later for relief.
“Don’t tell my bondmate that works,” Simon said, drawing my attention to him.
“What works?” I asked, still a little dazed from that interaction.
“The sexy promises to get you to behave. I don’t want him thinking it would work on me.”
I couldn’t help but ask, “Would it?”
He shook his head, then bit his lip to hide a smirk. “Maybe.”
Laughing, I forced my mind away from the sexy barbarian who had captured my full attention and onto my friend. I couldn’t keep Uttin. No matter how much I wished to. I would leave eventually, and he would return here. There was no future for us.
For a while,Simon and I just socialized, both with each other and with other tributes and bondmates. There were quite a few male bondmates in this clan, and more that weren’t in the tent with us, apparently. Not all of the male tributes stayed in this clan—a few were given to other clans—but it seemed the biggest concentration of them was here.
“Honestly, I’m glad I stayed here,” Simon explained, leaning back on his hands, his legs sprawled in front of him. “I know at least one male tribute went to a clan that didn’t have any others. That would be isolating as hell. Finn was lucky he only had to be here alone for a few months before Patrick showed up.”
I nodded in agreement. “It seems so strange to me that it is not legal to be with your gender in the towns. In Al Nuzem, it is legal as long as everyone is of age. They are more likely to frown upon it if the object of your desire isn’t of your station.” One of the reasons it felt impossible for me to find someone of my own that my parents would approve of. None in the courts that I knew were interested in males like I was.
Simon made a face. “Damn. I didn’t know that. I’m not sure many people do. If they did, they might be willing to make the pilgrimage to Al Nuzem to start over. The town where I lived was tolerant, but I wouldn’t consider them accepting. I couldn’t cuddle or sit in my lover’s lap like I can here. Can you do that in Al Nuzem?”
I tipped my head thoughtfully. “I’ve never seen it myself, but a few of the staff are in same sex relationships. They don’t hide it or pretend otherwise. And I happen to know the bakery where my staff gets my favorite breakfast is run by two men and theirteenage daughter. They are a happy family, and no one treats them poorly just because of who they love.”
Simon raised his eyebrows and huffed. “Must be nice. Honestly, given how much the towns hate people like us, I’m surprised they don’t just kick us out and send us to Al Nuzem. In some towns like Patrick’s and Finn’s, loving the same sex is a death sentence.”
Startled, I jerked my head back. “Death sentence? Truly? But why? Who does it affect other than those in the relationship? Why should the government care who is with who?”
With a shrug, Simon replied, “That’s the question of the century, my friend. Maybe once you return home, you can spread the word about the tolerance in Al Nuzem. If people knew where it was safe to go, they might attempt to make the journey.”
I nodded fervently. I would tell whoever I could and see if something could be done. I wasn’t sure if my parents would get involved—I didn’t know their thoughts on the matter—but I was pretty sure my second oldest brother would support me. His best friend was in a relationship with another male. He was never bothered by the thought.
Clapping his hands together, Simon jerked his chin toward the tent flap. “Now, come on. I’m betting my barbarian is with yours, and I want to watch sexy men wrestle with each other. Let’s go.”
