Raye couldn’t hide her flinch, and her breaths were heaving now, her head shaking. “As if I would be jealous ofyou!” she shot back. “You arrogant, aggressive, overbearing, invasive —”
She wildly flailed her hand up and down Gaelfr’s big enraging body, and in return he came a swift step closer, glowering down his nose toward her. “Youwerejealous, woman,” he hissed. “Youare. I can yet scent this upon you, near each time you look upon me! You wished to keep myástvinurand our son all to yourself, and away from me!”
Raye’s laugh sounded far too shrill, and she again flapped her hand at Gaelfr’s huge form. “And can you blame me? When you’ve shown yourself to be rude, and judgemental, and demanding, anddangerous—”
“Ach, what danger have I brought you this day?” Gaelfr’s booming voice cut in, far too loud and close. “I have fed you. I have warmed you. I have guarded you. I have cared for you, and our son. I ken,again” — his voice deepened into a taunting rumble — “you are only stubborn, and greedy, and jealous! You only wished for me to crawl to you on my knees, begging for your mercy and your favour and your touch!”
His eyes blazed on hers, cold with mockery and scorn, and Raye scoffed back toward him, a little too late. “As if I wouldever,” she spat back, “want to touch the likes ofyou!”
There was an instant’s silence from Gaelfr before her, a widening of his eyes that might have been hurt — but then, oh gods, he laughed. Carrying hard and cruel through the air, pitching in Raye’s stomach. “Ach, stubborn woman,” he drawled, as his nostrils flared. “I can scentnaughtof this upon you. You shouldneverwish to touch the likes of me.”
Raye froze to a strange, sudden stillness, blinking at his face, his voice — and then, oh hell, his hand. His big clawed hand, reaching out slow and purposeful toward her. Giving her plenty of time to dodge sideways, or maybe to strike back, knock it away — but instead she just kept standing there, unmoving, as that hand slowly found her waist, and settled against it. Fingers spreading wide, proprietary, until…
He yanked her close. Not easy. Not gentle. Just thrusting Raye bodily up against his broad bare chest, all his warm scarred skin, flooding her breath with his scent. Musky and wild and rich, tinged with salty sweat and woodsmoke. So…familiar, so impossibly entwined with pleasure and longing — and damn it, that was again because he smelled just likeKalfr. Just like how Kalfr had smelled as he’d arched and shuddered over her, as he’d emptied himself deep inside her.
It was enough to draw a ragged moan from Raye’s mouth, her feet staggering beneath her — but Gaelfr’s strong hand still held her, crushing her tight and close against his solid bulk. While his other hand slipped easy and familiar up to her head, sinking into her tied-up hair, already loosening her curls around his strong fingers…
“Ach, no,” his deep voice breathed, vibrating through his big body into her chest, her groin. “You shouldnever, woman.”
He was mocking her again, Raye’s distant thoughts shouted, judging her again, but that truth didn’t match the gentleness of his hand in her hair, or the way his other hand was now gripping firmly against her arse. Guiding her tighter into his own groin, and into — Raye shuddered all over — the sudden, shocking ridge in his trousers. A ridge that was far too large to be real, even compared to how generously proportioned Kalfr had been — and what the hell was Gaelfrdoing, what the fuck was she allowing, was she really going to just stand here and —
“You cannot deny this, woman,” Gaelfr breathed, as his hand in her hair tilted her head sideways, away from him. Moving her as if she was his doll, his possession, his plaything, as if he had every right to do whatever he pleased with her. And why wasn’t she arguing, why had the entire world coiled down into his hands, his warmth, his familiar dizzying scent, those hungry demanding spasms of the beast in his trousers.
“For this was settled with our vows, many moons past,” he went on, a soft taunting caress. “It was sworn into sacred law before the goddess. Kalfr is myástvinur, and you are his mate. And thus” — a low, satisfied growl — “you aremine.”
Mine. Mine. Mine. Echoing, simmering, burrowing quiet and strange. And in this taut, hanging moment, maybe Raye could see it, maybe she could admit it, drink it up for just one more breath…
“Mine to guard,” Gaelfr whispered, his breath hot and hungry against her shivering skin. “Mine to command. Mine to tend and feed and fatten as I see fit. Mine to touch, and taste, andkeep.”
The words were impossible, unthinkable, the most appalling things anyone had ever said to Raye in her life. So why was she thrumming to life beneath them, the heat rushing to her lower belly, her body arching into his —
Hismouth. Hot. On her skin. Lips, so soft. Tongue clever and slick, tasting and twining down her neck, firing out stunning flickers of bliss beneath her skin. He waskissingher, and now seeking down further, and further. Until he found that perfect spot, just at the crook of her neck…
Raye quivered and gasped, because it was the same place Kalfr had liked most, too. The same place where she surely still borescarsfrom Kalfr’s teeth. And how had she forgotten that, how had she forgotten what it must look like, what itfeltlike. That taunting scraping sharpness amidst the softness, a warning, a dizzying wonderful threat —
And with a groan and a shudder, Gaelfr’s teeth bit down, and pierced deep into Raye’s throat.
8
Raye’s eyes snapped open, the shock and disbelief shrieking through her skull.
Gaelfr was biting her. Gaelfr wasbitingher?!
Raye yelped and flailed away from him, streaking sudden pain through her neck — his teeth tearing out of her, ohhell. What the fuck had she been thinking? What in all the gods’ names had come over her, to allow this horrible terrifying orc to touch her, to taste her, tobiteher?
But now Gaelfr looked even more terrifying, looming before her with his eyes burning, his claws long and sharp and vicious, his mouth smeared with blood. Withherblood. And it was all Raye could do to stay upright as she reeled away from him, desperately groping for the wall behind her. What the hell. What thefuck.
“You,” she gasped, amidst her panicked heaving breaths. “You — you —”
She couldn’t get it out, couldn’t form the words, and Gaelfr’s huge body lurched closer. His bloody teeth bared, his clawed hand reaching out toward her, again as if he had every right to bite her, to take her,mine…
“Mama?” cut in a new voice, slicing all the way to Raye’s bones. “What’s wrong?”
Raye whirled around to look, as yet more panic and dread shot through her shaky body.Svein. Svein, fully awake. Standing in his open doorway, staring at her, and clutching Mr. Snuggles tightly to his chest.
Damn it,damnit — and for an instant, Raye could only stare at Svein. And then at Gaelfr, whose eyes caught wide on hers, and then flicked brief but unmistakable down to her neck. To where she could feel a distinct trickle ofbloodseeping down onto her dress, ohhell.
“N-not to worry, love,” Raye told Svein, though her voice sounded far too faint. “Gaelfr and I were just” — she met his eyes again, caught the wince on his bloody mouth — “having a disagreement.”
