Within the settlement, it seemed like a flurry of activity. I spied many Dakkari milling between the spaces of each tent, hauling baskets of wood, or food, or cloth. I heard the distant, strange laughter of Dakkari young, saw some dart between the tents as we walked, peering at us curiously. I heard metal clanging together, like a blacksmith shop, of swords being forged. I saw what looked like a training ground, with young Dakkari males sparring with spears and blades.
The further we walked into the settlement, the larger notice we drew. Every Dakkari we passed stopped and stared at me, though I noticed that whenever I returned their gaze, they darted their eyes away. It didn’t matter if it was males, females, or children…no one would look at me directly.
Many had already seen me. I remembered that first night, when Arokan’s horde had greeted him, touching hispyroki, his legs and mine, as we rode through the camp.
But perhaps in the light of day, it was different.
It was intimidating.
I was the only human in a camp full of Dakkari. And I stuck out like one.
It didn’t help that I was practically naked. The clothes covered my breasts and my collarbones and my lower half, but not much more.
I did notice, however, that many Dakkari females also wore revealing clothing, despite their age. Some females were even topless, baring their large breasts to the sun. Most of the males only wore a cloth over their sex, just like Arokan.
It was something else I would need to get used to, a difference, of which I was sure there were many, between Dakkari and human culture.
We made multiple passes throughout the entire settlement, so many that by the end of it, my thighs were rubbed a little raw again.
Arokan had said his horde would see me and he’d been right. I didn’t think a single Dakkari hadn’t by the time we were finished.
Throughout it all, Arokan didn’t look at me once. Whenever I tried to ask him a question—about something we passed, about how many Dakkari lived in his horde, about the training grounds, about the bustling cooking area I spied—he remained silent. He ignored me—completelyignored me—like I hadn’t spoken at all, like I didn’t even exist.
It was dismissive and humiliating, especially considering that his horde was witness to it.
So by the time we returned to the tent, after we both stepped inside and Arokan dismissed Mirari and Lavi, once we were alone, I was irritated and unsure and my face was burning in embarrassment.
His eyes finally turned to me and he watched me for a brief, silent moment. It felt strange to finally have his gaze on me.
“What was that?” I asked quietly.
“I presented you to my horde,” he said, as if it was obvious.
“Not that,” I said. “You expected me to follow you, like I was an animal, and you ignored me like one.”
Arokan’s eyes narrowed. “Do not question my actions,kalles. I expect you to obey me, especially among my horde.”
I bristled. “Am I just a—a pet to you? You feed me and touch me and clothe me and brush my hair and I’m expected to do whatever you want?”
“You agreed to it,” he rasped, taking a step towards me. “Even if I considered you my ‘pet’ as you call it, you agreed to it,kalles.”
“Do you even know my name?” I asked, surprisingly stung by his words and I didn’t even know why. “Do you even care?”
“Luna,” he answered swiftly. My lips parted, my body stilling as I heard it curl off his tongue. “That was what your brother called you, was it not?”
Stunned, I looked down to my feet, slightly dirty from the walk around the camp. Hearing my name from his lips felt…wrong. Different. Strange.
“Whether I care,” he hissed next, “does not matter. You are not Luna anymore. Not here. You will be myMorakkari. You will be theMorakkariof my horde and you will show your respect of me when we are among them. Whatever I demand of you, you will do without question because I am still theirVorakkar. It does not matter what you want. It matters what theysee, what theythink. I will not have you threaten that. Do you understand me?”
Disbelief made my head swim. He wanted to take my identity away, my past. He wanted my only purpose to behim, his people.
“Go to hell, Arokan,” I whispered, deliberately using his name.
His hand flashed out and he gripped my arm, just above my bicep, dragging me towards him until he loomed over me. His eyes were furious, his slim nostrils flaring.
But I wasn’t afraid. I glared up at him and rasped, “I agreed to be your whore, not your queen and certainly not your obedient little slave.”
“You said you would serve me,” he corrected, “and you will. However I want. Iownyou,kalles. And when the black moon comes, I will show you just how much. In three nights, you will truly bemine.”
