And against all reason, Raye shuddered, and gasped, and — nodded. Agreeing, obeying, and spreading her thighs wider, drawing up her knees. Giving Gaelfr more room, while desperately fighting to relax, to soften, to open. To welcome in all that hard invading strength, to surround him with warmth and softness, to take him deep where he belonged. To make himhers.
Gaelfr growled with triumph as his fingers thrust in, sinking all the way, while Raye writhed and arched beneath him, clamping hard and fervent around him. She’d taken him, made him her own, and she couldn’t contain it, couldn’t hold it any longer, the threads tightening and fraying, ready to —
She cried out as the relief shot through her, convulsing her all over, clamping her against Gaelfr inside her. Blazing hotter and brighter than anything she’d felt in years — maybe in her entire life — and oh, Gaelfr felt it too, his hand spasming against her, gripping almost painfully hard against the curve of her. While his sharp teeth scraped against her throat, his mouth so wet and hot and perfect, his hips grinding up with sudden, straining purpose —
And with a jolt, a slick sucking slide of skin, he was — gone. Gone, reeling away from the bed, over toward — the half-full washbasin. And with a jerky movement, he yanked down the front of his trousers, and —
Sprayed. Spewed out into the washbasin, in sharp, streaming jets of white. The angle just enough that Raye could see it pouring from his fat rounded tip, could catch a glimpse of his thick grey shaft straining with every fresh pulse. Until finally the streams began to slow, his hard length slackening, his rigid body sagging, his head tipping back with a long, shuddering exhale.
And only then, in that intimate, unguarded breath, did Raye really…seehim. His tall, bulky body. His wide shoulders, with his long black hair fanned out over them. His smooth, scarred grey skin, gleaming with a sheen of sweat in the firelight. Even his face, with its strong stark features now distinctly softened, relaxed, turned into something warm, something appealing, something… handsome.
And when he cast a rueful glance toward Raye in the bed, her mouth went dry, her swallow scraping against her throat.And she felt a sudden, alarming urge to reach out toward him, or maybe even to slip out of bed, to go spread her hands against that scarred skin of his back…
But then — he turned away. Fastened up his trousers with swift, abrupt movements. And then swiped up the full basin, and strode for the door. His hand fumbling with the bars and latches, and he wasn’t leaving, was heleaving…
“Gaelfr,” Raye said, her voice choked, almost pleading — but beyond a shake of his head, he didn’t acknowledge her. Didn’t speak. Didn’t even look at her, still sprawled and debauched in the bed, after what they’d just done.
And instead, he yanked the door open, and stalked out into the darkness, alone.
10
When Gaelfr returned, Raye was fully dressed again, and curled up beneath the fur. Pretending with all her strength to be asleep, though her heart was still beating far too fast, her breaths strained and thin.
What the hell had she done? What thefuckhad she been thinking? To let Gaelfr touch her like that? To behave as though she was his property? His…mate?
She twitched at the sound of his heavy footsteps, moving toward the wash table — he was setting the basin down, perhaps — and after a long moment of silence, he came toward the bed. And gods, she could feel him there, could smell him there, and what the hell was he doing, why was he waiting?
But then, a shift. An exhale, as he sank down onto the bed behind her — but this time, keeping a slight but noticeable distance between them.
He still didn’t speak, but it was loud enough to be a clear statement, all on its own. He wanted to keep his distance from her. He regretted what he’d just done with her. He didn’t actually want her. He only wanted Kalfr. This was only, only about Kalfr.
And truly, how could Raye have thought otherwise? How could she have allowed that, or welcomed it? Gaelfr was dangerous. Gaelfr was her enemy. She could never trust him.
She repeated that to herself as she attempted to deepen her breaths, and fall back asleep. But it took far too long for sleep to come, and even when it did, it felt uneasy, scattered, tainted. She should never have trusted him, never.
She finally snapped awake again at the feeling of Gaelfr shifting behind her, easing out of bed. And when she shot a narrow glance toward him in the early morning sunlight, he was — oh. Standing up to greet Svein, who was wandering out of his room with his curls standing all on end, and Mr. Snuggles clutched in his arm.
“You’re still here!” he exclaimed, blinking owlishly at Gaelfr’s face. “Mama, look! Papa Gaelfr’s still here!”
Raye sat up and attempted a smile toward Svein, but he was beaming at Gaelfr, his eyes shining with pleasure and relief. Suggesting… oh. Svein had perhaps expected Gaelfr to leave. He’d expected him to break his word, and abandon them.
“Ach, son, I am yet here,” Gaelfr’s gruff voice replied. “I swore I would stay and care for you, did I not?”
He cast an unreadable glance back toward Raye on the bed, and she fought down the burning in her cheeks as she intently looked away. No. He was awful. He had notcaredfor her last night in the slightest. She could never,evertrust him.
“So what will we do today, Papa Gaelfr?” came Svein’s excited voice. “Will you hunt for us again? Will you teach me more lessons? Oooh, and I have a book I want to show you!”
There was an instant’s silence, and when Raye glanced at Gaelfr again, he was fully focused on Svein’s face. “Ach, I wish to do all this with you, son,” he replied. “But first, I must go west for a spell. There ought to be a Skai scouting track mayhap a quarter-day’s journey from here, and through this, I ought tobe able to send word back to Orc Mountain. To — your other father.”
To your other father. ToKalfr. Raye’s stomach flipped, her heartbeat suddenly racing in her chest, and she clutched her hands at the fur. Gaelfr was sending for Kalfr? Now?Today?
But Gaelfr’s glance back toward her was stubborn, his mouth set and thin. Suggesting that yes, damn him, he was going to send for Kalfr.Today.
“But,” Raye’s cursed voice said. “What… what if Kalfr doesn’t want to come?”
She grimaced as she spoke, casting a wincing look toward Svein, who was glancing between her and Gaelfr with sudden, nervous intensity. Gaelfr gave her an odd searching look too, and Raye glanced away, and fought to keep her breaths steady. It wasn’t an irrational question, was it? She’d driven Kalfr away, and they hadn’t spoken for years — and apparently now he might have that beautiful new woman, too. Maybe even a whole new family.Worse than you…
“Kalfr will come,” Gaelfr said, his voice flat, utterly certain. “We are his kin. Svein is hisson.”
