I keep crying, unable to hold back a single tear—completely lost to my bodily instincts.
“That’s it. Give me all those pretty tears.” He leans in and kisses the hot drops away, but more come in their wake, rushing down my cheeks, snot running from my nose, baring me in a display of extreme vulnerability as painful as it is liberating—like everything else tonight.
He keeps going, on and on, fucking me with startling stamina. And I keep crying and crying, the tears unending, the overwhelming exhaustion, exposure, pain, and pleasure clashing and crashing inside me like unrelenting strikes of lightning.
“Please,” I start whimpering repeatedly, unable to take any more. Yet I don’t want him to stop. “Please,” I repeat, my muscles contracting deep in my belly. I need this to end, but I need to come just as much. I need that final release. I’m so close, yet I can’t quite seem to reach the peak. I need… something. Just a little more.
Ulf releases my gaze, and the loss of his steady connection nearly drops me into despair. But then a buzzing sensation jolts into my already sensitive nerves.The butt plug.My eyes go wide, my mouth falling open to release a long, wild moan.
Ulf locks our eyes together again, a slow smile tinting the darkness of his gaze. “Come for me, Elina,” he says, long, steady words that carry above the beat of the music and light a spark in the flammable pool of my lust.
A scream rips from my lungs, and spasms jerk and tear at my body, making me writhe and thrash in the ropes.
Never releasing my eyes, Ulf wraps his other arm around me to offer more stability. And just as I think the storm of the orgasm is about to die down, he deepens his thrusts and sends me reeling with new ripples of staggering sensation as he finds his own release with a feral growl.
Another orgasm tears through me, agonizing and astonishing, and I keep screaming and panting, unable to take the unending rush of pleasure.
Finally, it snuffs out the last embers of strength in my body, and I fall limp in Ulf’s arms as the world and my mind go black.
24
Ulf
Elina is passed out on the big bearskin close to the fire, and I watch her closely as I prepare to leave. Her eyes flickered open for a brief moment when I placed her there and held a bottle of water to her lips, but they fell shut again once she had finished guzzling water.
The drums are slowing and softening, but they won’t completely quiet until we leave—keeping her lulled into calmness as long as possible. I hope she’ll remain fast asleep for the rest of our journey. She’s been through more than enough and given plenty to be mine—and part of the group.
The ritual to initiate her into the group is not quite over yet, but tonight’s events secured the sacred bond between us, making her irrevocably mine. Now I’ll carry the rest of the weight for tonight, doing my part to prove that I can protect and guide her as I vowed—bring her the rest of the way to the top of the mountain.
My backpack is light since I’ve already brought all the things we’ll need to the shelter on the summit earlier today. I only carry some water, a little food, and an extra blanket in case Elina wakes and needs sustenance or more heat. And of course, Elina’s lip balm, which I know she can’t live without. After putting on my pants, boots, and backpack, I wrap the big bear skin aroundher and secure it with a belt around her middle, then lift her into my arms. I wore the skin when I waited for her; now it’s providing her with warmth while she waits for me to finish the journey.
Asbjörn is standing to the side, watching closely. A worried expression deepens the faint lines across his forehead—visible despite the paint covering his face in a mask that renders his features unrecognizable.
I give him a firm nod—a thank you and a promise to take care of her. I want to go to him and hug him. Let him hug her one final time before we go off into the night. But it’s just her and me now. He said his goodbye before he delivered her to me, and letting him interfere after our sacred bond has just been forged would be disruptive and inappropriate.
So I settle for a nod, turn my back on everyone, and head up the steep trail leading further up the mountain. I know this trail like the back of my hand, and I’ve been preparing for this part for months. But no matter how many times I’ve trodden this path or how much strength I’ve built in my muscles, this mountain is a challenge at night with a grown woman in my arms. She weighs next to nothing, but as I walk the steep terrain, the weight and the responsibility become significant. My muscles strain, my breath shortens, and my mind hones in on the responsibility of bringing this precious woman safely to the top. But the sleeping woman in my arms doesn’t feel like a burden. She feels like purpose. Finally, I have someone to protect—someone who relies on me. I relish every strained step and every labored breath, and when I reach the summit twenty minutes later, I feel more alive and stronger than ever.
I place her on the many skins covering the cot made of woven willow in the shelter Asbjörn and I made when we were fifteen and have kept in good shape over the years.
She stirs a little, eyes flitting open in the darkness under the thick layer of birch bark, spruce boughs, and forest debris that shelters us from the weather.
“Where…?” she blinks repeatedly, scanning the place, voice thickening with worry. “Am—Are—Who—”
“Shh. It’s me, Ulf,” I reassure, stroking her hairline. “You’re safe. I’ve got you. Just close your eyes and let me take care of you.”
Eyes adjusting to the darkness, she finds my gaze. “Ulf,” she whispers, surprised and confused, but also hopeful. And that small twinge of hope warms my heart more than anything.
“Yes. It’s me. Your master. Your protector. You’re mine now, Elina,” I remind her.
“Yours?” she asks, still deep in subspace, not quite understanding.
“Mine,” I say with a surge of fierce possessiveness, curving my hand around her cheek. I lean close, imbuing the full meaning and importance of that word into her with a serious look that she reads through the shadows. I can tell the impact is strong from her sharp breath and the way her gaze softens.
“Yours,” she whispers, this time a statement rather than a question.
“Mine.” I seal my word with a kiss, connecting our lips in a soft but firm promise. I don’t move, I just keep my lips on hers, letting them speak all the things I need her to know.I’ve got her. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll forever protect her.
“Sleep, sweet Elina,” I whisper when I finally break the connection.
