THE NEXT WEEK PASSES IN a blur.
After feeding Bazur that meal we’ve entered a mating frenzy. Which has led to us rutting like animals at all hours of the day. We only break so I can help Myren and he can train the soldiers. The moment we are sharing space again, he’s inside of me.
On a few of our walks home, he’s pulled me into a dark alcove and fucked me against the wall, muffling my screams with his mouth.
It’s heady stuff. Even now as we sit at the table, I catch the looks he’s giving me. We do this every morning as well. My mate wakes me up with his mouth on my pussy until I come on his tongue. He then fucks me quickly in bed until I come again and then once more in the bath. My legs feel wobbly but some mornings, especially when he’s told me training is going to run long into the evening, I let him take me one more time before we leave for the day.
“I’m taking a few of the soldiers into the surrounding woods for terrain battle training. I’ll be home late.” My pussy heats, making some of his seed still inside of me slide out. I bite my lip, no longer interested in my breakfast as lust fills my stomach.
“Really? How late?” I ask, my chest rising and falling as my nipples pebble against my gown.
“Late,” Bazur breathes, leaning forward. Our lips are just a hair apart when the front door creaks open. It’s Karth. In the short time since being reunited with my brother our relationship has grown tremendously. The more we learn about each other the more similar we realize we are. With time our relationship will only get stronger.
With a quick peck to Bazur’s lips I pull back.
Karth’s face is serious as he approaches us. “We’ve just gotten a report from one of our scouts. There are orcs coming here from the west. They wear Vorgak’s crest.”
Bazur curses and rises from the table. I do the same and look up into his face.
“Ready the soldiers. We will ride out to put down the threat before it reaches us.” Bazur wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his chest. Pressing up on my toes, our lips connect and our tongues tangle together. His hand cups the back of my head and I pour everything into our kiss. “Be on your guard until I have you back in my arms.”
“Be safe,” I say, pulling back from our kiss. “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t, my mate.” Bazur presses another kiss to the top of my head. “Wait for me to return at Myren’s.”
We both walk towards my brother and I wrap my arms around him next. “You be safe too, I just got you back.”
Karth returns my hug and promises me he will be. I lead them both to the door, with one last squeeze to Bazur’s hand they make their way towards the barracks and I let the tears burning my eyes flow freely. He will be fine, I assure myself.
Giving myself a few minutes to cry, I wash my face and run a comb through my hair. Myren needs my help today and that will distract me from my worry for the next few hours. Gathering my things, I head out into the snow towards the healer’s house.
Pushing in the front door I see Myren by the fire and an angry Targoc next to her.
“I heard what happened,” Myren says, rushing over to me. I can only nod. My eyes glance toward Targoc in a question and Myren sighs. “He was left behind. The general told him he’s to stay back and protect the village.”
“It’s not fair!” Targoc cries. “I should be with them.”
“I don’t like being left behind either, Targoc,” I say, my smile sympathetic. Myren looks conflicted and I understand. Targoc wants a chance to prove himself and being left behind wounds his pride. I don’t want him feeling like that, maybe we can both try and take our mind off of today. “I came to help collect winterberries for those fever elixirs.”
“Yes, we do need those. I was able to grow a few bushels out by the front gates.” Lady Myren nods. “Targoc, why don’t you help Kaethe. You can protect the general’s mate while he is away.”
“I would love the company,” I say, trying to coax the young male. Targoc’s nod is reluctant but he rises nonetheless and comes to my side. “We shouldn’t be gone long.”
The morning sun is bright overhead as we make our way towards the front of town. The village is quiet, word has spread of where the soldiers have gone. A few people nod at Targoc and I as we pass. I will time to move quickly today. I need to be back in Bazur’s arms where I can assure myself he is safe and unharmed.
We stop in front of the old wooden gate. It’s open slightly letting in a stream of light. Kneeling down in the snow off to the side I pluck a few dark red colored berries and begin placing them in my basket. The berries smell sweet and are good for lowering body temperature and reducing swelling.
“I wish there were more of these,” I say to Targoc who’s remained sullen at my side. Placing the last shiny red berry in my basket I sigh.
“We’ll only have enough for a few more elixirs.”
Targoc’s eyes are narrowed until he perks up.
“I saw these berries yesterday, when Bazur took us training out front. A whole bunch of them had grown at the base of an evergreen tree. Here it’s right outside the gate,” Targoc babbles, excitedly. As pleased as I am he isn’t sad anymore, venturing outside the gates makes me apprehensive.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. When the other soldiers are back maybe—”
“Come on, Kaethe! It’s less than fifty feet away, the frost could come at any time and they’ll all be killed by then.” He does have a point. Still, I don’t feel right about this.
Targoc doesn’t give me much of a choice as he slips between the crack in the gate and enters the other side. With a curse, I stand wiping the snow off my knees and follow him through. The gate opens out onto the tree line path. The sun makes me squint my eyes, it’s eerily quiet out here.
“Over here, Kaethe!” Targoc calls. He is waving at me from under a nearby tree, the red berries sparkling in the sun. I sigh, I’ll make this quick so we can head back inside. I stomp over to him and kneel down to collect the winterberries.
“That’s strange,” Tarogc says, I look up to see his dark brows furrowed.
“What?”
“Where are the guards that patrol the gate?” he asks, pointing a finger to the empty watchtowers along the side. Dread curdles my stomach as I rise to take in the scene. There’s a blood red stain coating the bottom steps and trailing off into the snow.
Something is very wrong.
“We need to go,” I say, tugging on Targoc’s sleeve.
“We should—”
It all happens too fast for me to register. Hulking figures, dressed in icewolf fur make them impossible to see in the snow. Orcs. Two of them creep up on us from a snow mound and before I can even let out a scream, Targoc’s head is rammed into the trunk of the evergreen tree.
His face makes a crunching sound and my stomach turns.
Targoc falls into the snow unmoving, his nose clearly broken. Adrenaline makes me drop my basket and run. The orcs move faster, easily overpowering me. I try to let out a scream but a hand wraps around my mouth. I’m hauled back against one of them. He twists me in his grip, his skin a yellow-green, his eyes bloodshot and beady. A scar runs through his eyebrow and he’s wearing the crest I’ve only seen once before at Dread’s Keep.
I thrash in his grip to try and break free but it’s useless.
“Vorgak wants to see you,” he snarls into my face. The other orc stands over his shoulder wearing a lecherous grin. I can’t allow myself to be taken. I need to get help for Targoc, to warn the village. I escaped orcs once before, I can do it again.
I bite down into the tough skin of his palm. The orc curses, his grip on me loosening enough for me to break his hold and run as fast as I can through the snow. I let out a scream but it is of no use. My arms are grabbed and I’m spun around. The one with the scar through his eye backhands me, making my ears ring.
“Bitch,” he spits, before slamming his forehead into mine, sending me plumenting straight into an unending darkness.
