EPILOGUE

Becca

Ten months later.

W arm tendrils of pleasure curled through my body, waking me up. Agor’s thick, long tongue slipped inside me, swirling along my inner walls. His lips closed over my swollen clit. I moaned but kept my eyes closed, teetering on the verge of wakefulness as sleep refused to go away yet.

“Agor...” I murmured, rolling in our enormous bed.

He hummed in reply, the vibration sending another rush of heat through my lower belly.

“Oh, yes...” I writhed under him, rubbing myself against his mouth in chase of pleasure.

He sucked softly, and suddenly reality felt far more exciting than any dream could ever be.

I opened my eyes, finding my beloved orc with his head between my thighs, his tongue driving me insane with pleasure. This was one of my most favorite ways to wake up. I gripped his hair, grinding against him harder.

“Not yet, my eager little newt.” He chuckled. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he shifted up my body. “We’ll come together, sweetheart, you and me.” He fitted his thick, hard length against my opening, then thrust inside me.

Air rushed out of me with a loud moan. I arched my back, my inner muscles stretching around him with tingling pleasure—hot, overstimulated, and as needy as ever.

“Fuck me, Agor,” I begged. “Fuck me hard.”

Propped on his elbows, he rammed into me, making our bed and the whole house shake. Heat throbbed between my legs. I pushed against his shoulders, and he let me roll him over onto his back, placing me on top of him.

With my hands pressed into his chest, I rode him with abandon until the orgasm slammed into me almost too hard to bear. I clawed at his chest. He roared, jerking his hips up. His seed gushed into me, dripping out and onto the sheets.

I trembled with the receding spasms of my orgasm. Agor cradled me in his arms, and I relaxed against him, with our bodies merged in a comfortable fit.

Since I first bedded a man years ago, a healer inserted a star pebble in my womb to prevent any man from impregnating me until I was ready to start a family. I hadn’t removed the pebble yet. There was no need for it.

For one, Agor and I still weren’t officially married.

I’d moved into his home in the keep a few days after our victory over Farod. First, I’d made sure that Faeena was well on the mend from the blow of the rock to her head. Then, several orcs from the keep had volunteered to stay in the human settlement to guard it, allowing me to move out without concerns for my people’s safety. But even after moving in with Agor, I’d been reluctant to sign off my freedom to anyone, even to the orc whom I loved with all my heart. Because once lost, freedom was hard to regain.

Living with Agor all these months, however, proved to me that he respected me as an individual just as much as he loved me as a woman. With him, I remained free to be myself.

The other reason why I wasn’t in a hurry to get rid of my star pebble was that we felt no pressure to produce an heir.

The bog orcs’ Head Chief wasn’t born into his position. Anyone could fight for and win it. For now, it didn’t feel like anything was missing in our life. If I had to spend the rest of my days with only Agor and our dogs as a family, it’d be absolutely fine with me. Agor also said he was happy with the way things were. We’d been enjoying each other too much to change anything, at least for the time being.

“If we count all the ones from last night, it was my eleventh orgasm,” I murmured, smiling in the early morning sunlight. “You’re so close to getting all your piercings back, honey.”

With me finally saying “yes” to him, Agor came up with another meaning for his collection of fogbird bone piercings. He decided to keep track of my orgasms instead, determined to give me a full dozen in one night. Ever since, he’d been coming closer and closer to that goal of his.

He kissed my hair.

“I’d make you come again right now, sweetheart, but you have an alligator to wrestle.”

“I do.” I stretched through my entire body, letting him finally slip out of me.

“Let’s clean up. Then, you need to have breakfast and warm up. Those beasts are nasty.”

I’d been training all through the past winter and spring, getting ready to face the man-eating monster as a challenge in a contest for the position of a general in Agor’s army.

The purple crested alligators lived in the southern parts of the wetlands, preferring warmer waters. In the summer, however, they often made it all the way up here in search of new prey. Huge and ruthless, they terrorized the local wildlife and hunted humans and orcs alike.

I felt nervous, apprehensive, but ready. Getting an orgasm before facing the beast was a good idea on Agor’s part. It relaxed me a little, taking the edge off the apprehension.

“Let’s do it, then, chief.” I jumped out of bed to let Dumpling in while Agor prepared a bath.

Almost fully grown now, my dog reached up to my waist, but he remained very much a puppy at heart. Agor insisted that Dumpling should spend nights outside with his mother, guarding our house in the keep. During the day, however, I often let him nap in our bed, despite Agor’s grumbles that I was “spoiling” the dog.

“And how is my favorite little puppy this morning?” I petted Dumpling’s head, and he licked my nose, making me laugh. “I love you, too, sweetie.” I went to change the bedding and make the bed.

“Are you talking to me?” Agor hugged me from behind as I bent over the bed.

I giggled, turning around to place a kiss on his nose.

“Sure, sweetie . I love you too.”

THE POPULATION OF THE entire keep appeared to have gathered on the muddy banks of a wide pond today. Several creeks flowed into the pond, making it wide and deep enough to house the giant monster like the purple crested alligator. A lot of people arrived from the human settlement too.

Since our joint victory over Farod nine months ago, many things had changed for the better.

For the first time in so many years, my people had truly settled. We’d been building big, sturdy houses now, turning a caravan of wagons into a proper village with a schoolhouse and a workshop. With the help of the orcs, we had considerably strengthened the fence as well. Karut also proved to be shrewd and charismatic enough to sweet-talk our elders into building a tavern.

Gleb, Faeena, and their daughters sat on a fallen log in a dry patch nearby. Since I’d moved to Agor’s house in the orcs’ keep, Gleb had taken over the security of the humans’ village as the leader of the guards.

“Good luck, Becca!” Faeena and the girls shouted and waved at me in encouragement.

Nacy raised her mace at me in greeting. “You can do it!”

Her other hand was cradled between Ilya’s palms. Ever since she’d taken his hand during the attack of Farod, she didn’t seem to let go of it. Nacy and Ilya had been officially dating for months now. As a present for his girlfriend, Ilya had carved pretty designs in her battle axe handle. Nacy now had the prettiest weapon in the entire keep, if not in the whole of the wetlands.

Granny Magra rubbed her hands together, taking a place on an old tree stump.

“Let’s hope you know what you’re doing, frog legs,” she chuckled.

Grat greeted me along with the other two contestants for the general’s mace and rank, Thar and Nogul.

“Choose your weapons, warriors.” Grat gestured at the arsenal of swords, knives, maces, and other tools and weapons. Some were spread on the ground. Others were displayed in an empty barrel nearby.

I knew what I wanted, quickly grabbing a long hunting knife and a coil of strong rope. Thar and Nogul could have the heavy swords and axes, but I didn’t have their strength to successfully use those against the alligator. My plan was to rely on my speed instead.

Agor placed his hands on my shoulders, peering into my eyes intently. “Ready?”

“As ready as I can be.”

After years of leading men into battles based on nothing but my skills and merit, I finally got a chance to have an actual rank. My heart fluttered in excitement. I wanted it so much, but I inhaled slowly, calming my nerves and reining in my eagerness. To win, I needed a cool head.

I smiled and pointed at one of the thick logs strewn around the dry ground above the muddy banks of the pond. “Why don’t you take a seat, my love? Relax, and cheer for me.”

He didn’t return my smile. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened.

“You...” His throat bobbed with a swallow. “You be careful out there, all right? Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“One doesn’t win battles without taking risks,” I teased.

“One stays alive,” he echoed. “I need you alive, Becca.”

“Agor.” I stepped a little closer, so that he’d be the only one to hear me. “Promise me you’ll sit right here on this log, like a good boy, and will not intervene no matter what happens.”

“I won’t intervene,” he promised. “I know you well enough to realize how that’ll offend you.”

“Offend me?” I whispered. “It’d humiliate me. It’d ruin my chances of ever earning the respect of your warriors. It’d also infuriate me, and not in a sexy way. It’d—”

“I know.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I trust you.” He drew me into a firm hug. “Now, go get that monster, my brave fire newt.”

With a bracing breath, I stepped toward the pond, joining Thar and Nogul.

Grat swung a rope with a huge chunk of fresh venison tied to its end. The meat splashed into the pond, but Grat pulled on the rope, slowly dragging the venison out of the water.

The pond bubbled as if the water in it boiled.

Then, the beast emerged.

The male purple crested alligator was roughly the size of my old wagon, rising from the pond like a mountain. The water sluiced down his black, shiny skin covered with bumps and spikes. Two rows of short, sharp horns ran from above his eyes along his back. On the top of his head, a magnificent purple-and-pink plumage swayed in the breeze. It extended down the beast’s spine, eventually tapering into a purple crest that gave the alligator its name. The plumage rose into the air on thin, flexible spines that ended in frills of colorful membrane. The membrane emitted an alluring scent that drifted over the water.

The alligators hunted while submerged in water, with only their plumage visible on the surface. Its scent and beauty lured birds, animals, and even the unsuspecting humans and orcs straight into the alligator’s hungry jaws.

I shrank back from the shore, faced with the monstrosity that was steadily advancing toward us on his six clawed feet.

“Aaargh!” Impatient, Thar lunged at the alligator first.

His heavy mace crushed the beast’s leg. The monster whipped around. Its tail splashed through the water, knocking Thar off his feet.

The creature opened his mouth, set with three rows of dagger-sharp teeth. Nogul charged the alligator from the right, as I ran to him from the left.

Our dual attack snapped the beast’s attention away from Thar, likely saving his life. Thar tried to scramble to his feet, then sank back into the mad with a cry of pain. It appeared the alligator broke both his legs with his tail.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Terror chilled me despite the hot summer day. Stepping on the alligator’s front leg, I jumped up as high as I could. I lunged forward, with the knife clamped in my both hands. The blade scraped the monster’s thick skin under its eye, causing no damage at all.

The crowd gasped as I fell down. My knees buckled, sending me backwards into the mud.

From the other side of the monster, a tortured roar came. Nogul must’ve gotten hurt too. Now, the alligator directed all his attention to me. His massive head whipped around in my direction. His mouth opened wide. The teeth glistened in the sunshine, ready to tear into me.

I glanced around for a solution.

Agor sprang to his feet. I should’ve known he wouldn’t sit still. I should’ve chained him again. His hands clenched into fists. With his shoulders squared, he looked ready to rip the alligator into shreds. Yet to my relief, he didn’t move from his spot.

Ever since we met, we’d been a team. We did everything together. We’d fought and hunted side by side. But today, I had to be on my own. I had to do it by myself, and I would rather die than accept his help.

Covered in sweat, my heart thundering with terror, I crab-walked away from the approaching monster. My back hit an old fallen log. There was no retreating any further.

With my eyes firmly on the alligator, I slammed an elbow into the rotten bark. The log broke. I reached inside it and pulled a fat, glowing toad out by its leg.

“Hey! Want a snack?” I yelled at the alligator and jumped to my feet.

Shoving the knife into the holster strapped to my arm, I grabbed the coil of rope. Holding the rope in one hand and the toad in the other, I climbed on a flat but dry knoll of moss nearby.

The alligator followed me, moving quickly on his six legs. I allowed it to come closer, so close that the water splashing from under his wide feet splattered over my pants.

The giant jaws opened. Panic zapped through me, urging me to run, but I forced it down, staying where I was.

“Here you go!” I tossed the toad up as high as I could.

Catching the toad, the alligator closed its mouth. The moment his jaws snapped together, I threw the rope around his snout and yanked, tightening the noose.

The rope flexed. Caught between the knobs and bumps around the monster’s mouth, it didn’t slide off. The alligator jerked his massive head. He was so strong, the gesture swept me off my feet. My arms felt as if being wrenched out of their sockets, but I held on to the rope.

Dragged through mud, the rope gave slack as the beast turned his head in the other direction. I quickly wrapped the rope around a tree trunk.

No rope and no tree in the world would anchor this monster for long. I might have less than a second before he’d get free.

I leaped as high as I could, then climbed the rope to the monster’s face. Enraged by the noose, he jerked his head again and thrashed his tail, whipping the lake water into a high wave.

I dangled on the rope, holding on for my dear life. He jerked to the left, with my body slamming into his jaw and my feet hitting under his throat. With my left hand, I grabbed the rope over his mouth, then drew my knife from the holster with my right hand and slammed it into the alligator’s eye, sinking it all the way to the handle.

“The brain of the purple crested alligator is between his eyes,” Agor had told me. “An eye is the best way to get to it, provided you can reach it.”

Well, I reached it. I twisted the knife once before the alligator jerked to the right, shaking me off.

I fell and rolled along the muddy bank into the pond. Dark water closed over me. I pushed away from the soft, mucky bottom.

The alligator thrashed, rolling through the mud in agony. Gathering my hands and feet under me, I scrambled away from him as fast as I could. The giant body collapsed next to me, sending a swell of mud, water, and duckweed over me.

My knife’s handle stuck out of the creature’s eye. I killed the monster. I was the winner. As long as he didn’t crush me under him while dying.

Crawling on my hands and knees, I made it out of water and mud.

Agor stood on the edge of the bank. His eyes were still open wide in horror, but his mouth was already relaxing into a smile of relief as I reached the dry ground. He waited until I climbed to my feet on my own. Then he gave me time to raise my arms into the air as the crowd cheered, screaming my name.

Only when I made a step toward him and my knees buckled from strain and exhaustion had he stretched his arm for me to lean on.

The moment I grabbed his hand, he pulled me into a hug.

“Congratulations, my general. You did it.” He kissed me, just the way I was, all covered in mud and blood.

“You looked a bit worried there for a moment,” I teased when he let me up for air again.

“I nearly fucking died,” he confessed. “No matter how much I believe in you or how many times I’ve seen you succeed and survive, I worry about you. Every single time. But I’m so fucking proud of you, my bride.” He pressed his forehead to mine, looking giddy with happiness.

Love for this man spread through my soul, filling every part of my being.

“About that,” I said quickly as both humans and orcs were already rushing to us to congratulate me. “I think I’ve been your bride long enough.”

“What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.

“I mean I’m ready to be your wife, Agor.”

His breath hitched. But people already surrounded us, not giving him a chance to reply.

Faeena wrapped her arms around both Agor and me, as wide as she could reach.

“I’m so, so happy you’re alive,” she gushed.

“Congratulations, General.” Gleb smiled.

Anna and Sveta bounced around, giggling.

“Well done.” Grat slapped my shoulder.

Granny Magra poked her elbow into Agor’s side. “You found yourself a true match, grandson.”

“Becca won the rank of my general,” Agor announced to the crowd. “She also had just agreed to be my wife.”

The crowd cheered with the renewed shouts of “Congratulations!”

Karut whistled in delight. “There will be a wedding, after all!”

“There will be a wedding.” Agor beamed, looking happier than I’d ever seen him. “This amazing woman has finally agreed to be mine.”

“I’ve been yours for months, Agor, with or without the wedding.” I leaned against him—my rock, my lover, and soon to be my husband. “And you are all mine.”