Chapter 6

Varkaan

By all the gods and their mighty weapons, what had I done?

Well, I knew very well what I'd done:

My Kteer had taken over, and I'd pushed Roxanna too far. But I might've guessed my wee firebrand would meet the challenge head-on.

Then, instead of focusing on her pleasure, I'd allowed my own to rule me, and I'd spilled all over her face and hair. Palton's Spear, was there anything, anywhere more erotic than that sight? Roxanna on her knees, her face tipped back to stare boldly up at me, licking my seed from her own skin?

I liked to think I'd made up for my gross negligence by milking her own pleasure from her…but honestly, by that point she'd been so aroused I could've done it easily. I doubted, however, I'd forget the sensation of her taking her pleasure from my mouth and fingers. It had been well worth a few breathless moments.

And then, after all that…I'd bathed her. I'd carried her to the waterfall again and I'd bathed her, as gently and reverently as she deserved. And fell asleep holding her.

As if she really was mine, as I'd claimed.

To be fair, ye claimed her cunny. The rest of her…

Nay, the rest of her was just as special. I wanted all of her.

Well, ye cannae have her .

Aye, and that was the problem.

Which is why this morning, we were heading straight toward my village.

Forget what Drakolt said about taking our time. I knew the humans hadn't followed us through the stones; ‘twas my duty to know. I'd hunted and tracked enough to know the signs, and we were safe.

From all humans but one.

I needed to get away from Roxanna before I forced her to do something I'd truly regret.

Like take my cock into that wet, delicious cunny.

Unable to help myself, I groaned at the thought.

My firebrand was riding in my lap, of course. Now she twisted to glare at me.

"What?"

"Naught," I hastened to remind her. "Just…clearing my throat."

"Nay, you were not."

I loved the way she challenged me. Roxanna didn't back down.

"You groaned. Am I too heavy?"

Exasperated, I snapped, "Female, ye've been sitting on my lap for days now." She didn't suddenly become too heavy. I was an orc, for fook's sake!

"Aye, and last night, I sat on your face."

For a moment, the only sound was the steady beat of the horse's hooves as he picked our way along the mountain pass. Her words hung in the air like a challenge.

I thought I couldn't feel worse. Now I did .

But she was studying my expression, and now scoffed and shook her head. "Stop overthinking it, Varkaan. "

I could not even look at her. I kept my attention locked on the trail ahead and tried not to think of the flavor of her cunny as her juices had spilled across my tongue.

"What?" I scraped out hoarsely. "I am aright."

She snorted. "You are remembering what we shared last night, aye? You regret your actions, but I do not. We are two consenting adults and we shared something beautiful."

Beautiful ? Incredulous, I dropped my gaze to hers.

"Regret?"

Roxanna's expression fell slightly, her brows drawing in, as if uncertain. "Aye, regret. I can see it. I have felt it a time or two, but not…" She swallowed and looked toward the horizon. "Not last night," she finished with a whisper. "But I understand why you might."

My voice was dangerously low when I asked, "What do you think I regret?"

"Wh-what you did for me. I have never had a man offer me such pleasure. And after, when you washed me…" I felt her shudder in my arms. "You were so gentle. I know you held me all night because you felt guilty, but…"

Thank the gods the path was obvious and there were no predators about, because I think, in that moment, I might've been knocked off the horse by a stiff breeze.

Roxanna had managed to surprise me yet again.

The longer I took to answer, the more she seemed to shrink in on herself. My arm around her tightened, but that didn't help. She needed reassurance, she needed…I don't know, cuddles . Like last night.

Finally, I cleared my throat. "Ye think I felt guilty? ‘Twas why I treated ye so reverently?"

"Was it not?" she whispered, without looking up from her lap.

My firebrand should not feel this way. ‘Twas wrong .

"Hells Roxanna, of course I felt guilty!" I burst out. She twitched, but didn't look up, so I lifted my hand to her chin and tipped her head so I could see her downcast eyes. "What I did to ye…" I shuddered in revulsion. "Nae male should ever use a female that way. A vessel for his lust. I should have licked ye a dozen times afore ye ever touched me, I should've driven ye mad with wanting afore my cock was even mentioned. I should've made ye—"

"Wait," she said softly. Then, slowly lifting her confused gaze to mine, she repeated, "Wait. You are saying…you feel regrets for what… I did for you ?

My fingertips slid along her jaw, and my skin felt…tingly. As if insects crawled over me. "Och, my wee fi rebrand…I shouldnae have disgraced ye that way," I murmured. "Everything else, ‘twas my privilege. But ye—"

She knocked my hand away.

I knew I should give up on being surprised by this human, but still, I blinked at her, trying to understand what she wanted from me.

With a snort, she turned back to face the horse's head, and folded her arms. "You did not disgrace me, Varkaan."

Something was bubbling under my skin, and I didn't like it. The irritation snapped out. "How can ye say that?" I flexed my hips forward, so she could feel how much I still wanted her. "I chased ye through the woods. I pinned ye to a tree. I threw ye over my shoulder and demanded ye service me."

Her chin rose mulishly and she kept her gaze locked forward when she snapped, "And I liked it. So there. I took you into my mouth because I wanted to, Varkaan. You did not force me, and I do not regret it."

Her words stunned me. "How can—ye expect me to believe…I am an orc , Roxanna."

The horse trotted down a hillside toward the creek it had smelled, so I tightened my hold on my passenger to keep her from falling. I think I surprised a little snort out of her.

"Believe it or not, Varkaan, I noticed your orcness."

"And ye still…I mean…"

"Oh, for the love of God," she muttered, and slapped my hand away from her waist so she could twist to glare up at me. " Aye . I am no stranger to a man's touch, and I know what I like. And what we shared last night? I very much liked that."

Gods below.

Gods below.

My Kteer crowed, demanding I show her all the other ways I could bring pleasure to a willing woman. But I hesitated.

Roxanna wasn't mine, no matter what I'd said last night.

Drakolt hadn't planned on her or her cousin when we'd planned the raid. I didn't know my chief's plan for the females, I'd merely volunteered to escort her to the village.

I definitely hadn't planned to hunt her, to find such pleasure with her.

But my brother almost certainly had plans for her, right? Plans that didn't involve me. Mayhap she was to be given back to her father—unharmed. In which case, I could not touch her again.

Ye fool .

I could hear the words as clearly as if my Kteer had howled them derisively.

And my body…my body didn't like the decision either. My skin itched, my claws tried to extend, as if we were in the presence of an enemy.

And Roxanna sucked in a breath.

"What?" I barked, yet again.

I should've known my firebrand wouldn't back down. "Your eyes…last night, and now, they are glowing. Green."

I scowled and lifted my gaze to the path ahead, since I couldn't hide the telltale sign from her. "'Tis an orc thing. When we are in the grip of some emotion."

"Which emotion? Guilt?"

She dared to mock me? Torvor's Hammer, I needed to reach the village and be rid of this temptation.

"Anger," I snapped. "Rage, lust." Fear, uncertainty .

And, my Kteer reminded me, a Mating thrall.

Aye, of course I wanted to fook Lady Roxanna Tarbert. After what we'd shared last night? After the way I felt her come on my face? Tasted her spend on my tongue?

And that's why I wouldn't. Because I had to wait for my brother's decision.

Cursing myself under my breath, I kicked the horse's sides, urging it faster.

Soon I'd be home. I could leave Roxanna with my grandmother and go off to hunt.

And I would be settled once more.

Gods below , I prayed desperately, hating the unbalance I felt. Let it be so.