“Put me down.”
“No.”
He froze as I gave back the same response he loved to give me while he was learning my tongue. It felt good to give back to him the treatment that he’d gifted me.
“Uttin!”
Shrugging my shoulder and making him bounce, I gave our mothers a concerned frown. “He is so light. I must feed him more to fatten him up.”
That got another squawk of protest and more wiggling. Zakai launched into a tirade in his own tongue too fast and complicated for me to keep up with. But we all understood his tone, and the clan laughed at the predicament he found himself in. He could complain all he wanted. He’d agreed to be mine. I wasn’t going to let go until I absolutely had to.
Twenty-Four
ZAKAI
Since the alliance was contingent on Uttin becoming clan leader, it was agreed by the whole clan to move up the tournament. Word was sent to allied clans, and a few from each showed up to participate or observe. It was more ceremonial than an actual tournament, since very few who went up against Uttin truly wished to take his place. Most who did it were his friends, and the spar was friendly in nature.
There were a few who tried their hand at beating him. One from an allied clan who was strong and wished for an opportunity to attain the title of clan leader, but was friendly when he lost. Another was a former tribute who thought the clan would thrive more under a matriarchy, her indulgent bondmate watching with a proud smile on his face. Uttin didn’t treat her any differently than any other opponent, but he gave her a warrior’s bow when she was forced to forfeit with a blade to her throat. Only one truly worried me. People side-eyed him when he showed up and kept their distance from him and the two buddies who had come with him. The tournament was opento anyone, but even I could tell these guys weren’t clan leader material.
“I heard the winner is to marry a prince for an alliance,” the asshole commented with a smug grin. He shot me a lecherous look. “I am not normally interested in males, but I will fuck him properly if it means I can become?—”
He had no chance to finish his sentence. Uttin swung his sword, sending him scrambling to block it. The idiot had decided to talk shit after their fight had already begun. And Uttin was out for blood.
He came at the man with fury etched in his face, giving the idiot no chance to get a swing in. The clang of metal on metal was ferocious, and it was a wonder Uttin hadn’t gutted him already. Apparently it wasn’t his goal. He kept up his movements until his blade broke through the asshole’s with a resounding clang, shattering it. His blade stopped less than a hair’s breadth from slashing across the asshole’s face. The entire clan and everyone in attendance sucked in a collective gasp, waiting for Uttin to make his final move. Would he remove the man’s head for insulting me? Or would he back away and reset?
He did neither. Instead, he moved his blade to the man’s throat, resting it with just enough weight to draw a drop of blood. “If you do not wish for me to spill the rest, you will leave here and never return. Your clan is not welcome here. Insult my bondmate again, and I will not hesitate to declare war. Now go!”
Most of the clans who had been invited to the tournament were staying overnight. This guy and his friends weren’t allowed the luxury of rest. They’d arrived that morning and were leaving the same evening. All because they insulted me.
A smug grin overtook my face as the two helped their friend to his feet. When he looked in my direction, Simon threw his arm around my neck, his blades out and a feral grin on his face. I wiggled my fingers at them, watching with amusement as theyheaded for their stallions. When Einar began following them like a terrifying shadow, they squealed and ran, one nearly toppling over the other side of his stallion in his haste to mount and leave.
A presence in front of me drew my attention, and Simon slipped away just as I turned to look into Uttin’s ocean blue eyes. He took my chin in a rough grip, tilting my chin in a kiss meant to claim. It took my breath away, and I almost didn’t hear the cheers and catcalls fill the air. All I could focus on was Uttin.
When he released me, his expression was still borderline violent, but with a fiery heat in his eyes that I adored. Whenever he looked at me with that expression, I got fucked so hard, I saw stars.
“Are there any more challengers?” Orthorr called to the crowd, an amused smile on his face as Uttin came back to his side. After seeing just how much Uttin had been holding back all day, no one else volunteered. “Then our winner is decided. Uttin of the Northern clan will be the next clan leader!”
Cheers exploded throughout the village, followed by a chant by the barbarians that gave me goosebumps. I watched in awe as each barbarian approached Uttin and bowed their head with a fist across their chest, the same greeting they gave to Orthorr.
The line was long and would take a while, so I wandered over to where my parents had watched the tournament while enjoying food and conversation with the clan. My mother looked up at me, raising an eyebrow at my giddy smile.
“Why is my mischievous son looking at me like that?”
“Because… this means we can get married. Right?”
She nodded once, but before I could get too excited, she added, “In Al Nuzem.”
My mouth dropped. “Wha—But?—”
She gave me a bland look. “You did not truly expect me to give up the opportunity to throw another wedding, did you? Your father discussed it with Orthorr and Bren, and it wasdecided that all allied clans would journey to Al Nuzem to witness the alliance and learn of their new opportunities. Your wedding will be a perfect celebration for the occasion.”
I couldn’t say I hated the idea—I’d wanted to bring Uttin to Al Nuzem at least once—but I couldn’t help but whine. “That will take too long. When can we even leave?”
“As soon as the clans can pack up,” she answered blandly.
Startled, I asked, “Wait, what? Uttin said they didn’t move from this place until spring.”
“For prime hunting, I know. It was agreed that food would be provided while in Al Nuzem. They have no reason to linger so long as we provide. And I’m not waiting that long to see you wed. Knowing you, you’d cause some kind of trouble, and the opportunity would slip away from me. It has to be soon.”
