Steagor
A year later
“Poppy says she will make no more chemises for Dawn if you will keep ripping them to shreds,” I inform my king.
I never thought I would have to speak these words to my oldest friend and sovereign, but here we are.
He crosses his arms over his chest, his lips pursed. “I will pay her twice the rate if she wishes.”
I shake my head, hiding my grin, and cradle my daughter in the crook of my elbow. “She said you would offer more money. For her, it is not about the gold. She says you do not respect her work if you destroy everything she creates.”
“I have the utmost respect for your mate’s work,” Gorvor protests. “It’s just that the fabric she uses is so—so delicate.”
He motions with his hands, a helpless gesture I more than understand. I’ve become skilled at removing Poppy’s creations without tearing any of the ribbons and bows she puts on them. Sometimes, I feel like she purposefully makes them as complicated as possible to frustrate me, but I always solve her puzzles and get to my prize in the end.
“Just be more careful,” I tell him. “She’s not going to be able to work as fast now that Juniper is here.”
Gorvor looks down at the infant in my arms. “She is strong, is she not?”
My daughter, who sleeps peacefully for now, is most definitely strong, like her mother. Juniper’s skin is as green as mine, her hair as dark, but it’s starting to curl like Poppy’s, and her eyes are a lighter shade than I’ve seen with other orc children, so there’s a distinct possibility they will turn out blue like Poppy’s.
I love her with all my heart and have been carrying her everywhere with me over the past two months, as the king has given both me and Poppy time off work to spend with Juniper, as is usual when orc babies are born.
“Has Vark considered returning to duty?” I ask, changing the topic. “Neekar has matured a lot, and Uram is a good male, but it’s been a while since the incident with Dawn and your brother.”
Gorvor’s mood sours. “I have given him ample opportunity. Sometimes, people change. He may never want to be my guard again, or Dawn’s.”
I grimace. “That’s a pity.”
Shame shoots through me, acute and bitter. Vark used to be as close a friend as Gorvor, but ever since the attack in which he lost his eye, he has kept to himself. I’ve had my head so full of Poppy this past year that I haven’t given him enough of my attention, and it’s time I fix that. As soon as he returns from this trip to the human city of Ultrup, I will speak with him.
If he and the entire convoy don’t get stuck in the early snowstorm that’s been howling around the Hill for the past several days, that is.
Juniper gives a little mewl and turns her scrunched-up face into my chest, her rosebud mouth opening and closing.
“I had better return her to her mother,” I tell Gorvor. “Or you’ll have a first-hand experience of how strong her voice is.”
He claps me on the shoulder. “She cannot be louder than Arvel.”
His son, born this spring, is teething for the first time, and as every orc parent knows, the teething period is a time of great turmoil in any orc household, what with our tusks and all. I am not looking forward to all the sleepless nights to come, nor will Poppy appreciate having to nurse our daughter when her teeth come in, but we will manage, as we always do.
Juniper makes another sound, more impatient this time, so I raise my hand in farewell and take leave of Gorvor. Through the corridors we go, and I sing quietly to Juniper to postpone her inevitable outburst.
We make it back to our new rooms just in time. I asked Mara for a new suite of family rooms when Poppy learned she was pregnant, so we would have room for the baby and also a workshop for Poppy’s expanding seamstress business. It took me a while to get used to the new location—I kept returning to the room I’d spent a decade in as a bachelor—but now that Juniper is here, I appreciate having a larger space for our family, especially since I want it to grow even more in the coming years.
Poppy looks up from where she’s reading in bed as we come in. She sets aside her book, one that her teacher has tasked her with reading this week, and reaches out her arms for the baby.
Before I hand Juniper over, I steal a kiss from her mother, tasting her sweet mouth with a quick swipe of my tongue. It has been a long time since we’ve made love together, past a quick release here and there since Juniper has been born. Taris, our herbalist, informed me that it was customary for human women to wait before allowing their men to touch them after giving birth, and I’ve been waiting patiently, only pleasuring Poppy with my tongue in the meantime.
We’ve grown creative at fulfilling our need for each other, but I remain hopeful that her body will soon heal enough for her to take all of me.
Poppy unbuttons her dress, one of her own making that allows for easy nursing, and uncovers her breast, allowing Juniper to latch on. At first, Poppy had been self-conscious about nursing in front of me, but I have told her every day how beautiful she is when feeding our daughter, how gorgeous with her new curves, and she has slowly relaxed enough to allow me to be there with them.
I sit in the bed next to them, my attention straying from Poppy’s breasts to her beautiful face. She’s watching Juniper, but when she lifts her gaze to me, something changes in her expression, and she gives me a smile that’s both sweet—and just a little wicked.
“I thought we could try something tonight,” she whispers.
I focus on her pink lips. “What did you have in mind?”
Poppy bites her lip, then leans closer to murmur in my ear, “I think I’m healed enough. I want to make love to you.”
My body instantly goes hard, my cock coming to attention. In the past weeks, Poppy has given me her mouth often, and I love that, but the mere thought of sinking inside her hot pussy has me weeping precum in my pants.
“But I’m worried things won’t be…the same,” she adds, her cheeks turning red.
I crowd in closer, careful of the baby, and nuzzle my mate’s cheek. “You are perfect, no matter what. We will go slow, and you will tell me if anything doesn’t feel right.”
She gives me a watery smile and nods, then goes silent, allowing Juniper to fall asleep in her lap. When the baby releases her nipple, Poppy buttons up her dress and takes Juniper to her room, setting her in her raised cot. Then she draws the curtain I installed to give us some privacy while allowing us to hear any sounds from the baby.
“Come here,” I say, motioning for Poppy to join me in bed. “Let me hold you first.”
She grins, climbs into bed, and curls up in my lap like a cat. Then she cuddles close and sniffs at my neck.
“Mm,” she says, “I’ve missed this.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the present I’ve been holding on to for several weeks now. I didn’t want to give it to her when she’d first had Juniper, because it felt strangely like I would be rewarding her for giving me a daughter. But as much as I wanted to find a special moment to offer her my gift, I can’t imagine a more perfect scene than this.
“I have something for you,” I murmur.
Poppy’s blue eyes twinkle. “I know, I can feel it under my butt.”
I pinch her side gently in admonishment. “Minx. Not that.” I offer her the small parcel, wrapped in a soft piece of gray cloth. “Here. See for yourself.”
She takes the parcel in her hand and unwraps it. In the light of the single lantern by the bed, the gold locket gleams yellow, polished to a shine.
Poppy’s breath hitches on a sob. “Is this…?”
Her fingers shake as she pries open the locket, and the moment she sees the forget-me-nots inside, she bursts out crying, burying her face in my chest. I hold her close, muttering into her curly hair, until her sobs subside and she wipes her cheeks on her sleeve.
“How did you find it?” she asks. “I thought it was lost—the lady at the pawnshop only agreed to keep it for a while.”
I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “I asked Vark to track it down on his last trip to town. And to buy a new chain so you could wear it again.”
“Thank you. I’ll have to thank Vark as well. This couldn’t have been easy to find.” She hands the locket back to me. “Will you put it on me?”
I take the delicate piece of jewelry and fiddle with the small clasp. It’s almost too dainty for my big hands, but I manage anyway, clipping it safely around Poppy’s neck while she holds her hair up. She touches the locket and remains silent for a moment, then leans up and presses her lips to mine. Her kiss is sweet at first, but it grows bolder—she slips her tongue into my mouth and teases me, then bites down on my lower lip, sending a shudder of lust through me.
Then she breaks away, presses her palms to my cheeks, and says, “Thank you.”
“It’s nothing much,” I say, feeling the warmth in my face. “I will give you many more gifts, you know.”
“I am very much looking forward to them.” She smiles brightly.
I draw my palm up and down her back in slow strokes. “Did you have anything particular in mind for tonight?”
She peers up at me. “Beyond getting your cock inside me? No.”
I laugh. “I never thought my mate would be a woman of such simple tastes.”
She takes my braided hair and gives it a tug. “Don’t tell me you’re not as eager as I am.”
I lean in and lick the shell of her ear, then blow a gentle stream of air over it. “You cannot imagine how much I’ve missed you.”
She shivers and fits her mouth to mine. “Then show me.”
Heat flaming inside me, I focus on the singular task of making my mate feel good. I undo every single fiddly button and peel her dress from her body, then roll up her chemise and tug it carefully over her head. Every inch of skin that I reveal, I cover with kisses, and by the time I toss the chemise over the side of the bed, Poppy is panting and squirming under me, her honeyed scent intensifying. She is now wearing only her gold locket, and it gives me intense satisfaction that I brought it back to her.
She puts her hands around my neck and tries to tug me over her. “Hurry up.”
But I shake my head, take her wrists in one hand, and pin them to the bed over her head. “Not yet, sweet. I need to make sure you’re ready so I don’t hurt you.”
Poppy scowls at me, but when I lower my head and drag my tongue over one of her nipples, she arches her back off the bed in search for more pressure. Her tits have been so sensitive these past months, I have had a lot of fun playing with them, even though Poppy was at first self-conscious about having them touched.
Today, I don’t linger there, however, because I want to focus on her beautiful pussy. I kiss my way down her belly, releasing her hands. She brings her fingers to my hair, and when I reach the right spot, she tightens her grip, telling me exactly where she wants me. In the past year, she has learned to be a demanding and generous lover, and I can never get enough of her. Even while she was round with our child, we enjoyed being together, inventing new positions to satisfy our needs.
I want to show her so many more things we can do together. But first, I need her wet and slick, mad with lust. I tongue her little pearl, slowly at first, then with more and more pressure as her breathing hitches and she rolls her hips. I force her thighs farther apart to make room for my shoulders, then push one finger into her channel.
She was worried her body might have changed because she gave birth. And it is true, she might not be as tight as she’d been when we first met, but that only means she will take my cock more easily and there will be less chance of me hurting her. Her pussy still clenches hungrily around my finger, so I give her another, slowly stretching her for me.
I listen to her whimpering moans. She grasps my hair hard and squeezes her thighs around me. Closing my lips around her pearl, I suck, hard, then run my teeth ever so gently over it.
Poppy comes with a hoarse scream, turning her face into the pillow at the last second to muffle the sound. I coax more pleasure from her with my fingers and tongue, until she pushes at my shoulders. I pull my hand away from her pussy and bring it to my mouth to lick her sweet wetness from my fingers.
“You are ready,” I declare.
“Then why are you wearing so many clothes?” she demands, voice husky.
Grinning, I stand by the edge of the bed and quickly strip down my leather pants and linen shirt. I used to hate the thought of Poppy seeing me like this, completely naked, but she has given me nothing but love ever since that day at the baths when I’d first allowed her to touch me. Now, I cover her body with mine and kiss her, letting her taste herself on my tongue.
“I’ve changed my mind,” she gasps between kisses. “I don’t want to make love to you.”
I rear up on my arms, frowning at her. “You don’t?”
Poppy shakes her head, her curly blonde hair swishing on the pillow. “No. I want you to fuck me first. Hard. Then, after you’ve knotted me good, you can make love to me. But I need you right now.”
I let out a bark of laughter. My mate never fails to surprise me in the best possible ways.
“You know I will give you anything.” I take her by the waist. “You only need to ask.”
With a quick flip, I turn her to her hands and knees, and she rocks back her ass, seeking contact. Instead of allowing her to lead, I place my hand between her shoulder blades and press down gently. She lowers herself to her elbows, presenting me with a view so beautiful, I could spend hours admiring her.
But my mate needs me, and I cannot deny her. So I fit myself at her back, notch my rock-hard cock at her pussy, and slowly push in.
We groan in unison as my cockhead sinks in. Her body offers up some resistance, like always, and I stroke her back, waiting her out, even though all my instincts are screaming at me to thrust. I reach around her and pinch her nipples, and gradually, her pussy accepts my cock, allowing me to sink deeper.
This feeling is everything. Her small body has been built for me, and mine for her, it seems, given how well we fit together. She squeezes me inside, and I groan against her neck, shuddering to keep control. But her sweet berry scent wraps itself around me, seducing me, whetting my need, so I give in just a little and thrust forward.
“Yes,” Poppy gasps. “Faster!”
I let out a hoarse chuckle. “So demanding.”
She reaches back and sinks her nails into the flesh of my ass. “I need your knot.”
I rock my hips forward, sinking my cock into her until my knot bumps up to her pussy. She will take it, but only after she has climaxed, so I reach around her hip to finger her slick button, listening for her cues. She’s so sensitive from before, she bucks under my touch, her back arching in a way that pushes her ass higher, and when her inner muscles clamp on me, I hiss, control fraying.
“Remember that day,” I rasp in her ear, “when you ran away from me in the forest?”
She whimpers, her forehead touching the sheets. “Yes.”
“You were so innocent, but you knew what you wanted even then.” I fuck her in deep, powerful strokes that send waves of pleasure through my body. I’m barely holding on, and from the way her pussy flutters around me, I know she’s close as well. “You would have taken my knot that day, isn’t that right, sweet?”
“You know I would,” she cries, trembling. “I loved you from the moment I saw you.”
I think of the night she stumbled into our camp, hurt and sick. Rage rises inside me at the thought of her being left alone like that, and my next thrust is harder, a savage, deep push of my cock.
“Just like that,” Poppy commands. “Don’t stop, Steagor!”
I allow my anger to morph into passion, and I vow again and again to protect my mate, to never let her go, to make sure she is happy and satisfied and safe. My control breaks completely. I reach down to spread Poppy’s knees wider, giving me more access, then pick up her hips to line her up better with my cock. She gasps, bracing herself on the bed, then moans when the angle of our connection changes. My cock disappears into her wet pussy with every powerful thrust, but I need more, I need to see Poppy come apart.
So I pull all the way out of her, and she protests, fingers scrabbling to bring me inside her again. But I flip her to her back and settle her into the pillows, then rear over her. She accepts me into her arms, her legs splayed wide, and I simply stare at her for a moment, at my beautiful mate, naked and stunning.
Her pink pussy is ready for me, her tits full and round, her gaze soft. She’s looking right back at me, admiring me, and I can’t resist bunching my muscles for her, knowing how she likes them. But she focuses on my cock at last. I won’t be able to hold back much longer, even though I want her pleasure to last.
“Come here,” she whispers, motioning with her hand.
I lean over her, expecting a kiss, but she wraps her soft hand around my cock instead and guides it to her pussy. To have her accept me so, her body wet and willing, is my greatest dream, and I bow my head, kissing her deeply. Poppy gasps into the kiss. I rock my hips forward, and she throws her head back, her body tensing around mine. Her hands come to my shoulders, fingers grazing the edges of my scars. I haven’t told her yet, but having her touch them, having her accept me as I am, is everything to me. So I kiss her again, and at the same time, I step up my pace, fucking her deep and hard.
Poppy shatters in my arms, her body going taut, and her mouth opens on a soundless scream. I wrap myself around her and fuck her through the tremors of her climax, and when her body relaxes for me, I push my knot into her pussy on one last, desperate thrust. My release roars through me, a flood of sensations, and I spill deep inside her, coating her hot core with jets of cum.
She’s been drinking her tea lately to give her body some time to rest after the birth of our daughter, but the thought of her growing ripe with my seed again has me climaxing once more, and I groan against her neck, shuddering as I grind my hips into her.
Poppy clings to me until her muscles give way, and then she flops on the bed, laughing softly. “Did you just finish twice?”
I huff, surprised. “I thought of you getting pregnant again,” I admit.
Her gaze turns speculative. “And that turns you on so much?”
“Of course.” I press my lips to her kiss-swollen mouth. “You are beautiful always.”
“I want to have more babies,” she whispers as she runs her palms over my chest. “We said we’d wait, and Juniper isn’t even sleeping through the night yet, but I—I love her so much, and I love you, and I want a big family.”
Her words settle deep in my heart, fitting like some long-lost missing piece. “I will give you as many babies as you like,” I promise. “And provide for you all. Protect you until the day I die.”
She sniffles, and her eyes glaze over with tears. “I know you will.”
I kiss her again, and we rock slowly together, unwilling to separate, until our pleasure crests again and Poppy falls asleep, spent and happy. My knot releases from her pussy, so I quietly get up and wet a cloth to clean her up, then cover her with clean sheets and let her rest.
I check on our daughter, who is sleeping peacefully for once, her small green fist clutched around the edge of her soft woolen blanket. Leaning over the cot, I gently brush the backs of my knuckles over her soft cheek, and she snuffles, then settles back into slumber.
I was so afraid at first that I wouldn’t know how to hold her, how to be anything but a brute warrior, but Poppy placed her into my arms without ceremony and told me I was going to be the best father in the world. And I believed her, because my mate always tells me the truth. Now I am happy that I’m so much stronger than both of them because I get to protect them like I promised.
After so long, I have found my mate, and she has given me what I have missed most in the world—a family. And I will do everything in my power to keep them happy.
