His voice broke into another hoarse, incredulous laugh, his warm hands firing hungry little flares into Kesst’s skin. “You can… keep it there, right?” Eft whispered now, more tentative than before, or perhaps even ashamed. “For a while?”
But he was speaking to quite possibly the most shameless orc in this mountain, and Kesst pulled up to give him a warm, approving smile. “Of course I can, love, for as long as you like,” he murmured. “Want me to marinate a little, do you? Soak in your scent, until it’s just as strong as my own?”
Eft’s eyes widened with satisfying shock, his throat bobbing as he gasped. While the affection, the sheer blazing fondness, seemed to flare up in Kesst’s chest, so strong Eft could surely taste it. But Kesst wanted Eft to taste it, wanted him to know. He was new. This was new. Them.
“And I’ll do you one better, love,” he whispered. “Why don’t we do it all again, and then maybe again. And you can see just how much more you can fit inside me. What that willsmelllike. Will you need to makemoreroom, do you think? Make me yours, even more than before?”
And oh, the way Eft groaned, and bucked, and pricked his claws into Kesst’s back. His eyes fluttering, his hunger swerving and roaring beneath his fingers, swarming into Kesst’s lungs, his soul…
“Gods, yes, Kesst,” he breathed, promised. “More.Mine.”
20
Kesst couldn’t have said how long he and Eft stayed in that bed, writhing and gasping in one another’s arms. Learning each other, lavishing each other, remaking each other.
And while it was still Eft making those physical changes, shifting and revising until Kesst could indeed slide all the way down, suck him deep in one smooth, head-spinning stroke, while also holding in multiple loads — along the way, Kesst had somehow decided that he was remaking Eft, too. Taking those lingering uncertainties, those hints of human shame and humiliation, and sweeping them all away with easy, unfettered enthusiasm.
“Of course I want to taste you here,” he’d purred at Eft, when Eft had flailed and flushed at the sensation of Kesst’s tongue, seeking deep below his bollocks. “Why else do you think the gods gave us such long tongues?Really, Eft.”
Eft’s cheeks had turned fully scarlet by that point, but he’d willingly obliged, and then gasped and writhed with enthralling abandon upon Kesst’s onslaught. And when Kesst had lightly suggested that perhaps he could have a turn, Eft had instantly tackled him back, and again proven with dizzying intensity that his tongue could make magic just as well as his cock.
That had, of course, led to a greedy, breathless lesson on Kesst’s part, teaching Eft how to suck his first — and hopefully only — prick. And oh, the way it had felt, the way it had looked, Eft’s mouth sloppily sucking him while that tongue had done impossible things, would be forever burned into Kesst’s memories, together with all the rest.
By the end of it, they were both covered all over with one another’s seed, and so exhausted they could barely move. And Kesst found himself again sprawled and sticky on Eft’s chest, while Eft’s finger gently stroked up and down his wide-open, dripping-wet crease, flaring lazy twinges of magic up inside.
It was the most wonderful feeling, the most sated and content Kesst had surely felt in his life. And it was so easy to finally drift away into sleep, knowing for certain that Eft wanted him, Eft cared for him, Eft trusted him. They’d done this, together.
And that certainty was still there when Kesst’s hazy wakefulness slowly returned, a long time later. Because Eft was still here, still lying close and warm beneath him, his hand still possessively gripped against Kesst’s bare arse. Even though — Kesst’s awareness shifted a little closer — they were no longer alone in the room, and that new scent was instantly familiar. It was Grimarr’s scent, now carrying a steady, settled ease in it that Kesst had very nearly forgotten.
“What it means to swear vows to another orc?” Grimarr’s distant voice was asking, almost as if repeating a question. “Ach, this is how we make bonds between us. You would swear your sword, your fealty, and your favour. And should the other orc return this with his own pledge, then henceforth, you are mates. And all the Ash-Kai — even my father — shall honour this.”
That last bit was said with a grim determination, suggesting that Grimarr would likely still need to throw his weight around on this — but without Ofnir and Skald in the way, that would surely be far easier. And Kesst could feel his own relief reflected in Eft’s hollowing chest, in the way his big body relaxed against the bed.
“And the vow is… all it needs?” Eft asked now, his voice unmistakably uncertain. “No jewels, or ceremonies, or the like?”
“No, naught such as that,” came Grimarr’s reply. “Though I ken most orcs spend a few days mating together, covering one another with their scents. This shall speak their new truth to all our kin, ach? And I ken” — he huffed an amused-sounding laugh — “you have already made a strong start of this.”
Eft didn’t reply, though his hand had slightly tightened on Kesst’s arse. And Kesst could almost feel Grimarr’s eyes on it, could taste a familiar wary watchfulness in his scent. “Kesst shall make a good, eager, faithful mate,” he said, quiet. “He deserves one who shall treat him with kindness and care in return. One who shall honour him, and keep him safe, and grant him peace.”
Kesst could hear Eft swallow, could feel his strong arm drawing him even closer. “I know,” Eft said, just as quiet. “I will.”
There was another instant’s silence, and then an approving-sounding harrumph. “Your payment, then,” Grimarr said. “Do you wish it all at once, or in parts? And in coin, or trading-credits?”
Kesst felt himself stiffening, waiting for Eft’s answer, for him to change his mind, to take the coin and run — but Eft’s arm drew him still closer, and that was surely a twitch of magic, twining into Kesst’s skin. “Neither,” Eft said, his voice very certain, his familiar stubbornness easing into his scent. “I’ve decided to stay here indefinitely, and therefore, I want terms from you instead.”
Grimarr’s surprise was all too obvious in his scent, but he must have waved for Eft to continue, because Eft cleared his throat, and kept speaking. “I want you to swear to me that you’ll never allow Kesst to be sent out fighting again, ever. In fact, I want you to swear never to give him another order again. He’s done enough. More than enough.”
That was surely more surprise in Grimarr’s scent, but Eft clearly wasn’t done, his voice hardening. “And you’re going to make me your Chief Healer,” he said, “and let me run my own sickroom as I see fit, without interference.And, you’re going to move it to somewhere Kesst feels comfortable. Somewhere out ofKa-esh hell.”
Those were Kesst’s words, and he slightly startled at the truth of Eft remembering them, saying them — and that was more of Eft’s beautiful magic, sparkling into his skin. “And actually,” Eft continued flatly, “you’re going to let him choose where it is. You’d pick a good place for us, right, Kesst?”
For us. And Kesst’s eyes had snapped open, searching up for Eft’s face, and finding him already looking back, his mouth twitching into a slow, affectionate smile. And Kesst felt himself blushing —blushing! — as he smiled back, slow and warm and true.
“I’ll find us the best place, Eft, of course,” he murmured. “Th-thank you.”
Good gods, now he was stammering, he’d clearly been reduced to a state of abject lovestruck absurdity — but he truly couldn’t find other words, in the midst of the longing and gratefulness and relief. Eft was giving up his payment, the payment he damn well deserved, to keep Kesst away from the war? To find a place he feltcomfortable?
“And,” Eft continued, harder now, his eyes flicking back to Grimarr, “you’re going to give us more warning when you change a damned plan on us. Sending Skald down here on a sudden rampage like that wasridiculous.”
