Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

BILLIE

I was dreaming that Steve was carrying me back to my room. His strong arms held me up as we walked, and I nestled into his chest. Only his chest didn't smell like him at all. It smelled of some other man's musk. I tried to cry out in my dream but couldn't make any noise. I couldn't lift my arms or legs. Was this what sleep paralysis felt like, or was this part of the dream? My brain was too foggy to answer this question, and I drifted back into darkness. I was at the mercy of whoever was carrying me.

It felt as if no time had passed when I groggily opened my eyes. My whole body felt stiff and sore. I couldn't see anything around me. I blinked again, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the low light.

I was on my side on an earthen floor with Joey knocked out next to me. I moved slightly, trying to look around. We were in a cave, and a small fire was lit at the entrance, with Tyr and Berit sitting there . What in the actual fuck?

I shifted quietly and nudged Joey's shoulder. Tyr and Berit weren't looking at us but out looking out the cave opening, whispering. I shook Joey harder, and she finally opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly and assessed the situation much quicker than I had.

"I knew those bastards were up to something," she whispered, squinting at Tyr and Berit.

"Well then, why the fuck didn't you say anything to me?" I whispered back.

"I didn't want you to think I disliked your man's friends. But whatever. They hadn't thought through their kidnapping plan very carefully. You'll notice that neither of us is tied up?" She nodded to my wrists, which weren't bound.

I hadn't thought of that. Neither of us was restrained in any way. Did they expect us to wake up and go along with their half-cocked plan, whatever it was? I was in Joey's hands. She would be in charge of whatever we did in this situation. She had military training. She squinted at the two orcs.

"I surprise one, no problem. The question is whether or not we can get the second one down once he realizes what's going on. Do you have anything we could tie him with?" she asked.

As if I had methods of restraining giant orcs on my person. "Uh, no, do you?"

Tyr shifted and looked back at us. We instantly went motionless, eyes closed, and stayed that way until we heard Tyr and Berit pick up their conversation again.

I opened my eyes to find Joey unlacing her boots very quietly. Why are we taking our shoes off at a time like this? Had Joey completely lost her mind?

She pulled up her laces and showed them to me. Oh, okay, restraints, got it. Check.

I quietly held my knees to my chest, keeping my eyes on Tyr and Berit while I pulled the laces out of my boots.

I had never even punched a person before. There was no way I could restrain a nearly seven-foot orc. But Joey had already silently rolled into a crouched cat-like position. She jerked her head toward Tyr and then tapped her chest. Okay, she was on Tyr, and I was on Berit. She stalked up behind them with graceful, silent movements, and I followed behind, trying to tell myself we could pull this off. As she got up to Tyr and Berit, she stood, swung around, and did a full roundhouse kick to Tyr's chest, knocking him to the ground, then tying his wrists and ankles before he was even aware of what had happened.

I gaped at her, shoelaces in hand. Berit was also entirely surprised and hadn't jumped into action yet. Joey didn't pause. She descended on Berit, hands outstretched to detain him. Berit hesitated momentarily before going to his side, where he must have had a weapon. I finally got over my shock and jumped into action. As Joey went after his arms, I went for his hair. In a frantic tussle, we were shockingly able to get Berit to the ground. Joey was tying his arms behind his back with shoelaces, and I still had a firm grip on his hair.

"What can I do?" I asked.

"Gimme your laces. I want to make sure his hands are firmly bound." Joey didn't even look up from the knots she was tying. I handed her my laces, and she added them to the bindings already around Berit's wrists. Berit seemed to be in shock.

"But you're so… tiny." He looked from my face to Joey's.

"Yeah, in all those times we worked at the bar together, you never asked me what I did before I was abducted. I was a soldier . That right there was just basic training. You two are fucking idiots." She kicked him in the shin to add insult to injury.

I wasn't sure if Joey was mad about having to take out giant orcs or being underestimated. Probably both.

"Well, what are you going to do with us?" Berit asked, unable to contain his fear.

"I don't know. It depends on what you planned on doing with us!" I did not want to be the recipient of Joey's look at Berit and Tyr as they sat utterly bound.

"It was all Tyr's idea?—"

"Well, isn't that fortunate for you." Joey rolled her eyes.

"A few days ago, we started noticing that one of you…Billie, in particular… started to smell of arousal while working at the bar. Tyr, because he is the tallest and best-looking male from Snaerfírar decided it must be because of him. He wanted to show Billie they could be Elska mates, but couldn't get her alone. So, he decided it would be best to take her away from the rest of the tribe. When you showed up with her, I decided to take my chances with you…" he trailed off as if saying his plan out loud was the first time he realized how stupid it was.

"So you decided, based on me smelling like arousal alone, that kidnapping and forcing a matebond with someone from a rival tribe was the best course of action?" I asked, voice dripping with venom.

"Well, it doesn't sound like a good idea when you put it that way," he admitted lamely.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe our tribe wouldn't be pleased if you abducted us?" Joey asked, speaking slowly as if she were explaining something to a toddler.

Berit brightened up. "Yeah! I did! I mentioned that! But Tyr said if one of us were to come back with a matebond, then all would be forgiven."

"Oh my god. You two are so fucking stupid I cannot even." I put my face in my hands to stop myself from popping off.

Now that we were out of danger, I was more annoyed than anything to be put in this situation. Berit and Tyr were completely immobilized due to Joey's handiwork.

"Berit," I crossed my arms, feeling thoroughly irritated at the whole situation. "Did you ever stop to think that perhaps I smelled of arousal or sex or whatever you weirdos can smell because I was fucking an orc that wasn't Tyr? Obviously, if I were pining after Tyr, I would have taken some steps to remedy that. I never even considered him. I was and am deeply involved with someone else." I kept my voice saccharine, wanting him to realize exactly how stupid they'd been with all of the assumptions they'd made.

"Uh… who?" He seemed shocked.

"I've been fucking Steve, you moron." I threw my hands in the air in exasperation.

"Steve?" Berit gave me a look of disbelief. "But he's so small compared to the rest of us. And he spends so much time thinking, whatever that means."

"You know, a male that is actually capable of thinking does have benefits, you absolute twat waffle." I was actively stopping myself from punching Berit in the face, though he definitely deserved it.

I heard Joey giggle, knowing Berit would have no idea what I was saying. I couldn't help but give her a grin. Now that it was clear we were never in danger, this situation was absolutely laughable. My only concern was how far we were from the tribe and if these two idiots could lead us back. Joey and I would be fine, but the problems this could cause for the tribe and tribal relations would be astronomical.

STEVE

Billie was gone. Even though we didn't have plans for the evening, I grew worried both she and Joey disappeared after last meal. We hadn't expressed intent to each other, but I assumed we'd spend the evening together. I must have been getting a second helping when she and Joey headed out.

I went to Billie's room after dinner and knocked on her door. No answer. Knowing that most of the Fyrifírar didn't have locks on their doors, I gently pushed it open, hoping Billie wouldn't be annoyed with my invasion of her privacy.

But she wasn't there. Her bed was made, and her cloak was hung next to the door. Wherever she was headed, she hadn't planned on being gone long.

I left Billie's room and went directly to the bar, the only place I could think she would be. I jogged there, starting to fear what may have happened to her, and was surprised to find Rekyr already at the bar.

"Billie is missing," I told him, and looked around to see if she was standing outside somewhere.

"So are Tyr, Berit, and Joey," Reykr said flatly.

I headed inside the bar to find it reeked of the sweet smell of svefanil, the herb our healer used to knock someone out when they needed to reset a bone. There was even a burnt-out torch with the herbs tied to it upstairs in the attic.

Reykr and I were both astonished.

"Do you think they are with Tyr and Berit somewhere?" I surveyed the rest of the bar for any other signs of abduction.

"I don't see any other reasonable explanation. What a disaster. Joey and Billie wouldn't have left without telling Piper. Tyr and Berit had to play a role. If we don't fix this, Fyrifírar will be furious that a rival tribe stole away two of their females. Do you think you can track Billie's scent?"

I inhaled deeply, trying to catch a whiff of Billie underneath the overpowering stench of the svefanil. It took a second, but I caught it—her spicy, floral musk was there. I glanced at Reykr and nodded.

"Do you think you can follow it?"

"I have only ever used my hunting skills to track animals, but I am going to do my fucking damnedest."

I was a member of the guard. I was never considered the strongest or the best because I was only a half-orc, but I had always excelled in tracking. It was the one area in which I outshone others. I had a keen eye for picking up details that others missed.

I followed Billie's faint scent out of the bar and into the woods with Reykr on my heels. We reached a path into the forest that split, and it was harder to catch Billie's scent while surrounded by the smell of the furutré. I knelt down and examined each fork. Only one had fresh footprints, with the trees on either side having disturbed and snapped branches.

"They had to go this way, because this trail is fresh," I told Reykr, pointing out what I saw.

Luckily, the moon was full, and orkin eyes were keen even in the dark. I could see the lazy trail left behind by Tyr and Berit. I couldn't help but wonder what they had planned with Billie and Joey. The idea of one of them carrying Billie while she was unconscious and sampling all of her soft curves made my blood boil. If they had taken Billie and Joey intending to try to take them as mates, I was going to kill both of them with my bare hands.

It wasn't long before I started to smell smoke, the telltale sign of a fire burning nearby. I followed the smoke to a small cave opening just off the path and was slack-jawed at the scene I found.