Chapter 33

33

H akon walked with Captain Aodhan to the barracks that evening, restless and ready to have this over with. Everything he'd ever wanted was within his grasp, his beautiful, brilliant mate waiting for him, and he was determined to end the night as a fully mated male. The quicker they could finish this, the better.

"Just be careful," Aislinn had told him anxiously. "I worry."

"Of course." He'd tipped up her face with a knuckle under her chin. "Your people and all the plans you've made are one of your best designs. Everything is working as it should. You just have to let it work."

Her eyes had gone wide in understanding, and Hakon couldn't resist tasting her wonder in a kiss. "I'll be back soon. I have many promises to keep."

"Easy, consort," Captain Aodhan said when Hakon tried again to hasten their pace. "Let everyone get into place."

Hakon grumbled but did as the captain said, letting the man catch him up. Shaking out his shoulders, he rounded the barracks with Aodhan, keeping to the shadows to watch Bayard's knights filing in for the night.

They had been allowed to carry on as normal that afternoon and evening, drinking in town and making general nuisances of themselves. Everyone coming and going from the castle was strictly controlled, and word never reached them that Bayard now inhabited a dungeon cell. A few made inquiries, wondering when Bayard would return from the Choosing, but all the Dundúran guards had strict instructions to prevaricate.

The moon hung high in the sky by the time the last of the knights straggled into the barracks, and the slow minutes itched at Hakon's skin.

When the last knight finally staggered inside, Hakon's blood began to pump fast.

With a signal from Aodhan, the doors were quickly shut and barred from the outside.

"Are you ready?"

"More than," Hakon confirmed.

He followed Aodhan through a side door that was promptly locked behind them. Touching his wrist, the silky fabric of the handfasting ribbon gave him enough calm not to barrel through the captain and make short work of all this.

Fates, I'm going to marry her.

His fortunes had changed so fast, his heart had whiplash from the force and suddenness. He'd never doubted his resolve, only the circumstances that kept them apart. He could hardly comprehend it, but he would never, ever question or take it for granted.

She chose me.

Hakon would rise to that honor, starting tonight.

It was time to meet Bayard's underhandedness with a show of force.

He and Captain Aodhan entered the main block of the west barrack, full of cots and confused knights. Bayard's company had gathered loosely in the center, some looking on in a drunken daze, many already down to their underclothes. Dundúran's knights and guards marshalled around the perimeter of the room, their helms drawn down and hands on their weapon hilts.

Hakon and Aodhan approached, the Dundúran knights closing ranks behind them.

A tall, fairly young knight with dark hair and a pug nose that'd been broken more than once stalked forward to meet them. Hakon knew him to be the captain of Bayard's company, and he'd asked after the baron several times throughout the day.

"What's this, Aodhan?" the other captain spat, mouth twisted with outrage. "Piss poor to attack us in our drawers."

"I'm not attacking you, Garth, and I don't intend to. Provided you mind your manners, of course."

Garth sneered. "Where's the baron?"

"Exactly where he belongs," said Hakon, stepping forward.

Garth turned his glower on him, but Hakon merely looked back, unimpressed.

"Lady Aislinn has rejected your lord, and he's been taken into custody on the charge of treason," Aodhan informed Garth, though he projected his voice so all in the barrack heard. "I'm willing to be gracious and assume none of you knew the extent of your lord's treachery, threatening violence against our heiress and the people of Dundúran. No knight worth their spurs would be part of such a plot."

The company's silence was telling, and Hakon's beast growled with disgust.

"As he is without an heir and in custody, your oaths belong now to your heiress," said Aodhan.

"You can honor your oaths," Hakon said, "or you can join your lord in a cell."

Murmurs, angry and anxious, burst through the company.

With a snarl, Garth advanced on Hakon. "And who're you to make such demands, halfling?"

Hakon squared his shoulders, looming over the man by half a head. "She's my mate . Do you want to find out what it means to cross an orc's mate, human?"

By the old gods, no words ever tasted or sounded so good.

A sort of horrified understanding overcame the captain's face, and he recoiled in disgust. "She chose you? "

"She did. And you'd be wise to choose her, knight."

Garth snorted in derision, but it took only a glance over the man's shoulder to see his company weighing their options. Hakon seriously doubted any would truly wish to join Bayard in the dungeon; the baron didn't seem the sort to garner loyalty out of respect.

Instead, Hakon spoke their language. Bribery may not have been necessary, but he was willing to participate if it meant getting back to Aislinn that much sooner.

Hakon held an uncut gem up to Garth's face, letting the deep purple catch the light. Garth's eyes betrayed him, pupils dilating as he fixed on the sudden sparkle.

"You won't go without compensation. You owe Lady Aislinn your loyalty, but she is fair and ensures all her knights are paid well."

Garth's gaze reluctantly flicked to Hakon then Captain Aodhan. The other captain gauged them for a long moment, but his gaze drew unfailingly back to the gem.

From behind him, one of the other knights cried, "Long live Lady Aislinn!"

"Long live the heiress!"

"To the lady!"

A chorus of pledges rang out, filling the barracks with ardent promises of loyalty to Aislinn.

Hakon contained his smugness when Garth reached out and snatched up the gem. "Have it your way. We'll fight for her."

"Your show of loyalty is heartwarming," Hakon drawled.

Garth scowled, even as he pocketed the gem.

"Keep your knights contained and ready," Captain Aodhan warned. "We expect the mercenary force in a few days. Until then, your company is confined to the barracks and courtyard."

The other captain's lips thinned, but begrudgingly he nodded in agreement.

Captain Aodhan nodded back. "Excellent. I always knew you were a smart man, Garth."

Hakon would've reveled in the triumph of the night—if he didn't have an even greater, more precious triumph waiting for him.

Aodhan escorted him through the castle, although Hakon wasn't entirely sure why until the captain said, "I'm pleased for you, Hakon. But I'm more pleased for our heiress."

Hakon looked at the captain in surprise.

"Lady Aislinn is a good woman. Everyone in the Darrowlands knows it. She needs someone who will love and protect her as fiercely as she deserves. I have hope that's you."

"I won't fail her."

He would give everything to and for her, including his life—both his mortal life and the life he thought he would have. It was nothing to an orc to sacrifice and die for their bonded mate; Hakon had lived for a long time with that truth before meeting Aislinn. Giving up his ideas and dreams of what a good life was, though, had been harder to accept.

As had the difficult truth Orek tried to make him see. Hakon spent so much of his life hoping and wishing for a mate of his own that the idea of one nearly eclipsed the real woman. He'd built up and clung to the idea of a mate and a life with this imaginary woman so tightly that he'd nearly lost her.

He had to love Aislinn as Aislinn, not just his mate.

He'd come to these realizations almost too late, and the thought of how close he'd been to losing her entirely sent a shiver down his spine.

Leaving her yesterday had been difficult, as was asking Orek for help. Neither would have compared to losing her, though, so Hakon swallowed his pride and chose his mate, chose Aislinn, above all else.

Those hours leading up to the Choosing had been a blur of movement. He and Orek had bounced down the country lanes as fast as they could in a spare cart, arriving at Scarborough in a cloud of dust. Allarion and Bellarand hadn't seemed surprised to see them, and the fae agreed to come to the aid of Aislinn and Dundúran. For his help, though, he asked one promise of Hakon. He agreed without thought or care, already halfway down the lane back to the Brádaigh estate.

Over dinner in the otherly camp, he'd traded his land away—this time with some thought and care. He mourned the life that would never be, but in the end, Aislinn was worth every sacrifice. And, he was proud that the land would help establish his friends within the Darrowlands.

Half belonged to the manticore pack, who drove a hard bargain for their aid. Orek had been disappointed and disgusted, but Hakon understood. All the males hoped to find their own mates and begin their own pride. They needed land for homes—and to impress the families of possible brides.

The other half went to establishing a true village for those still in the camp—the small harpy flock and the dozen halflings who had yet to purchase farms of their own now had a permanent place, no longer dependent on the charity of the Brádaighs.

Hakon, however, had thrown himself on the charity of Aoife Brádaigh. He'd been scrubbed and trimmed and fitted. The morning of the Choosing, Orek bundled him into a cart as Calum and Blaire helped him don the finery they'd cobbled together. It felt as though he'd just slid his arms into the sleeves of the coat when he'd walked into the great hall, his eyes only for the woman he'd come to claim.

Fates, he couldn't believe he'd done all that in so little time. He owed Orek and the Brádaighs a great deal.

But that was for tomorrow.

He and Aodhan arrived at Aislinn's door in the wee hours, but Hakon knew he'd find her awake.

Turning to the captain, Hakon extended his hand.

The captain took and shook it, bowing his head in respect. "It gives me peace of mind to know that now, any threat to her has to go through you first."

"I'm a much larger target," Hakon laughed.

Bidding the captain farewell, Hakon nodded at the guards flanking Aislinn's door. They bowed their heads and opened it for him without question.

Hakon walked through the threshold into her solar for the first time, his chest so full of satisfaction and triumph, it made his ribs ache.

He was sure their union would be met with ugliness. No doubt today offered them a respite from the sheer shock of it—an heiress choosing a halfling—as the news spread. Not everyone would welcome him nor Aislinn's choice, and they had to prepare themselves for the backlash.

That was for tomorrow, too.

Shutting the door behind him, Hakon beheld a scene more perfect than even his dreams.

Aislinn sat curled up in a plush armchair by the hearth, the book in her lap forgotten as she watched him enter. Wülf slept on a velvet cushion at her feet, and the toes of one foot stuck out from the hem of her dressing gown to scratch him.

She looked so soft and content, a smile overtaking her lovely face. Her hair hung unbound in a riot of mismatched curls from the pins and braids, and her freshly scrubbed face glowed in the firelight from the hearth. Putting the book aside, she bound from her seat and into his arms.

Hakon caught her up and lifted her off her feet, making her giggle.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

She shone brighter than the summer sun as she smiled at him, her face full of the same wonder that overwhelmed Hakon.

So many of my days will end just like this—with her, in this room.

The realization nearly brought him to his knees with gratitude.

"Did everything go all right?"

"It did." And he'd tell her all about it—later. Tonight, she had no need for worries or fears.

He scooped her up, earning more giggling as he strode through to the bedchamber. When he set her down near the bed, her hands made hasty work of all his buttons and knots, but he should've known better than to think she could be wholly distracted.

As they undressed the other, she demanded to know where he'd been, and he told her all about his travels and bargains.

"That land was yours," she said with a sadness that tore at his heart.

"Yes. Mine to do with as I wished. It did as I'd hoped—it secured a chance for us."

"More than a chance." Taking his face in her hands, her look grew shy. "Does this mean I'm your mate?"

Hakon couldn't help his wince. He hated seeing her uncertainty and knowing he could have spared her this worry.

"It means that I'm yours. Your man, your mate. When an orc finds the person they wish to bond with, little in this world can stop it. The bond I felt to you grew even before I knew it was there."

Taking her hands, he placed them over his heart. "This is yours. Should you claim me as your mate, I would be the luckiest male alive."

Her gaze was terribly serious as she looked up at him then. She'd already chosen him in front of a hall full of her people, but this felt even more important. She'd chosen him in her way, but in the soft darkness of her bedchamber, half-naked and desperate for her, he asked her to claim him in his.

"I'm yours," she whispered. "For longer than I knew it myself, I've been yours. I love you, Hakon. I would be your mate."

Hakon shuddered with the impact, the bond cinching tight just behind his ribs. He'd never imagined it could manifest like that, nor that he would feel the echo of her heart alongside his. He could wait no longer. Stripping away the last of their clothing, he placed her in the center of the bed.

Fates, what a vision she made, all warm golden skin, her leonine curls strewn across the blankets. She gazed up at him with such love, such acceptance—his heart could hardly hold his love for her. It was too vast, too heavy.

He had to show her.

Crawling over her, he purred when she welcomed him into the cradle of her body. He claimed her lips in a searing kiss, the first of many, a whole lifetime of kisses that told her without words that he was hers. Wholly. Irrevocably.

He covered her body with his, claiming her in kisses and caresses. Nowhere was spared, he had to have all of her, if only to prove to himself that this was real.

When he reached down to feel how her cunt burned for him, his purr deepened.

"My good mate," he rumbled, "how you burn for me. Do you want to feel how I burn for you?"

Her needy moan was his answer, and he guided her hand to take hold of his straining cock. Together, they fed him inside her waiting body, and together they moaned and cried out as he pushed deep. She clasped him tight, her grip a promise that she'd never let him go.

Seating himself to the hilt, Hakon came home.