Chapter 23

Killikwas here. AndKillik wanted her to… come back.

Louisa'slaugh grated into the silence, thick and incredulous and almost — relieved. "You do not mean that," she shot back. "You threatened to kill me today! Again! Good gods" — she drew in a shaky breath — "it's like some sort of horrendous pantomime I keep walking into, over and over and over again. TheKillik-KillingExtravaganza! A miserable musical entertainment where you die at the end!"

Therewas an instant's startled-feeling silence, and then — curse Killik — a low, reluctant laugh. "You should not die at the end," came his voice, huskier than usual. "You should only limp away from this entertainment bloody and raging, mayhap. For how else would I keep you buying entry for next time?"

Louisaglared viciously up into the darkness, pressing her mouth into a tight line that was not — not — anything like a smile. "I'm finished attending your terrible show, Killik," she snapped back. "I want a refund."

Therewas another silence, longer this time. "You do not," he said, his voice steady. "You only wish for a better seat."

Louisa'sscoff was too loud, and certainly not even close to a laugh. "There are no good seats to this hellshow," she replied. "Only ones where you get spat on, and shouted at, and blamed for the host's mess!"

ButKillik's silence felt taut and watchful this time, quivering into the darkness. "Ach, but woman," he drawled, and was he moving, why was he moving? "You forget the best seat in the theatre. The seat you have been seeking all this time. The seat where" — she could almost feel his smirk — "you sit stuck and screeching upon my wolf's prick."

Godscurse him, and Louisa's breath caught, her head shaking. "That seat doesn't actually exist," she shot back. "It's only a taunt from you! A dangled temptation in the advertisement!"

Butthat was his laugh, low and mocking and far too close, and then — Louisa froze — a touch. Something hard, smooth, cool, trailing suggestively at her neck…

Louisa'shand snapped up, clutching tightly against it — and found — that. The stone rassja, damn it. AndKillik's fingers, warm and steady against it, and trailing it… downwards. DownLouisa's front, to her collarbone, nudging down the blanket with it…

"What the hell are you doing," she hissed, but she wasn't even stopping it, her hand even releasing Killik's as he kept purposefully sliding that cool stone down. Tracing it between her bared breasts, over her belly, toward her navel…

"I am granting you a better advertisement," came his infuriating voice, as he slipped it down further, further, over the coarse hair at her groin, nudging it against the crease of her tightly closed thighs. "Reminding you what you have to gain, from visiting my show."

Louisashould have stopped it, should have ignored that imperious little tap of the cold stone to her thigh. And she should not, not, have let her thighs fall a little apart, let that firm head prod in between…

"More false advertisements," she belatedly snapped, frowning up toward the sound of Killik's voice above her, even as that cool blunt tip kept nudging, stroking, seeking. "You might as well stop acting, Killik. You don't want to share your precious wolf. You want to keep him all to yourself. But" — she gasped as the stone found its place, pressed a little deeper — "you're not willing to — admit that — to him! Or — yourself!"

Ohgods, it was pushing into her, it was breaching her, stretching her wide around it, oh. Feeling so strong, so damned good, and a choked moan escaped Louisa's mouth as she fought to relax, to open her thighs wider. This wasn't happening, Killik wasn't doing this, this was just — just —

"Wrong, woman," came Killik's clipped voice, as the stone hovered, halted, jutted just up inside her… and then slowly slipped out again, and tapped firmly against her knee. Wanting her to open more, oh hell, waiting for her to oblige, before easing itself back against her slick, convulsing heat.

"I have shared my wolf with you again and again, woman," Killik's flat voice continued. "Ach, I have taught you how to touch him. Commanded you to suck him. Taught you to be bared for his touch and his pleasure. And now" — another gentle little push of the stone inside her — "I ready you for his prick, also."

Wait, that wasn't what he was doing — was it? Surely it wasn't, and Louisa had told him she was finished with this, with him, for good. And she couldn't think, not through the fullness and the ache, the thrilling stretching tautness of that stone now driving inside her…

"You still," she gasped, even as it pressed deeper, "don't — want me. Taking him. From you."

Therewas another instant's silence, punctuated by the abrupt, visceral sensation of the stone slipping out, releasing from her body's slick grip with a mortifying sound. "No," Killik said coolly, as that slippery head trailed up and down her crease, teasing, taunting. "I do not. I am Wolf's oldest, most faithful friend. I am the one who stayed with him, amidst all his darkness. And no matter what you might think, woman, I am the one who saved him. I am the only one who has stood beside the shamed Wolf of the Skai, for all these years!"

Hisvoice had deepened, gone hard and vicious — and Louisa's swirling, scattering thoughts flashed with memories of that afternoon, of everything Halthorr had told her. HowUlfarr had lost his pack, and he would never get it back. And what had he done to deserve that? How bad had it been? Why had he needed Killik's saving…

Butthen the thought twisted, splintered, as Killik's stone pushed back in, stretched her around it again, harder this time. "And thus," he added flatly, as it kept shoving deeper, deeper, "I do not wish for you to prance onto my stage, and start playing the part of my wolf's mate, before all our watching kin! Most of all when Iknow — better than any other — that this is only play-acting, for our ten nights! For my coin!"

Play-acting. For his coin. For the ten nights, for the deal. AndLouisa still couldn't think, couldn't wield her wheeling thoughts toward it, could only gasp and choke as that huge driving stone kept pressing. Plunging itself deeper, deeper, it was everywhere, everything, stretching her, baring her, stripping her down into raw, shivering shame…

"But what if it — isn't play-acting," she gasped, helpless, quivering, as the stone kept pressing, demanding, flooding her from the inside out. "What if I just — likeUlfarr. And your camp. And y?—"

And you, she was about to say, damn her to hell and back — but it broke it off just in time, as the stone rammed even deeper. Deep enough that she could suddenly feel Killik's hand, curving warm and alive against her, his sharp claws gently prodding into her taut, too-sensitive skin. Holding there, silently shouting of command and power and control, because he'd buried the stone all the way inside her. He'd done that, he'd done this, he'd wanted to do this, he'd wanted her fucked and opened and shaking upon his wolf's prick while he watched…

"Then show me," came his voice, harsh and hot above her. "Prove this to me, woman."

Itfired through Louisa like a blast from a furnace, because it was — a command. A promise. Show him. Prove this.

Herawareness was flickering, her breaths dragging, her entire body rigid and shaking and needing, needing, needing. So strong, screaming with such single-minded fervour, that she could only nod, and arch, and flail her trembling, tingling hands downwards. Down to press over Killik's fingers, to grind him harder, closer, digging those claws in, burying the stone even deeper. Plunging her full of orc, of him, taking him all the way, just as he'd asked, just like he wanted, please, oh, please —

Theflash and the maelstrom burned through her in a bright trammelling charge, crushing and consuming her in its wake. Convulsing her upon Killik, around Killik, her inflamed open body spasming against his firm pressing hand. And no, no, that even felt like liquid, streaking and streaming out onto him, this wasn't happening, not while he watched, not while he witnessed her utter undoing in such cool collected silence…

Whenit finally finished, Louisa felt raw and trembly all over, her face burning with shock and shame. Gods, what had she just done, just betrayed, and what must he think of her, what if he laughed, what if he left…

Hershaking fingers were still clutched over his hand, still holding him there, damn it — and when she snatched her hand away, his stayed for a moment, slick and warm and far too powerful against her. And then — oh — it gave a light, gentle slap against her before easing away. Allowing the stone to push out after it, Louisa's still-convulsing body pressing it into his hand, as if they were still doing this, as if…

Shegasped as the stone finally slipped free, out into Killik's fingers. And then, it began trailing its way back up over her again. Its wet blunt tip dragging against her belly, her heaving chest, up to her neck, her chin…

"Better," came Killik's low, taunting voice, as that still-slick tip brushed against — her lips. As if yes, they were still doing this, and she was still proving this. Showing him.

SoLouisa's mouth… opened. Welcomed the soft kissing press of the stone, its demand, its hard threat against her teeth. And its tangy taste against her tongue, the taste of her, because Killik had buried it all the way inside her, and now he wanted this. This statement, again, of his power, his command, his control.

Andas bizarre as it was, as exposed and bared and humiliating, Louisa suddenly again — understood. Killik needed that command. That control. OverUlfarr, and maybe — over her. And maybe that was what the other bedpartners were about, too, or maybe — maybe even the ten nights in the first place. Not just a means of gaining pleasure, but a way to wield that control. A way of maybe finding his own peace, amidst all this.

Pleasure always calms him, Ulfarr had said, and grants him peace and ease…

Shecould feel Killik's exhale, the stone slightly trembling as he finally drew it away — but then Louisa clutched for it. For his hand. Felt it stop, taut beneath her fingers, warm against her cheek. Waiting, obliging, as she turned her face, and…

Shekissed him. Kissed that smooth, rich-scented skin of his fingers, his knuckles. Letting her tongue slip out, shuddering an exhale at the taste of him…

ButKillik didn't resist. Didn't pull away. Just let her do it, let her prostrate herself like this, licking him, tasting herself upon him. Offering up that power, that control.

AndKillik didn't even need to speak, or ask, as his long finger slipped smoothly between her lips. Allowing her to suck him, to clean him of her juices, to risk her tongue against his viciously sharp claw. And then the next finger, and the next, she was sucking an orc's fingers and he wanted it, she wanted it, the longing again pooling in her belly, oh please…

"Enough," came Killik's voice, firm but surprisingly mild, as his hand slipped away, and gave a brief pat to her cheek. "Now, shall you come speak your truth to my wolf, woman? And face your next lesson?"

Louisa'sbreath shuddered out, shivering into yet more longing, and maybe even a nod. Yes, she wanted to see Ulfarr again. Yes, she wanted another lesson from Killik. And she wanted that warmth in Killik's voice, suggesting that maybe — maybe he truly wanted it, too. Wanted the power, the pleasure, the… peace. With his wolf, and maybe… maybe… with her?

"Good," Killik said, the single word flaring more hunger, more warmth, deep into Louisa's belly. "Now rise, and dress, and come."