Page 40 of The Widow and the Orcs

Oh.Well.Louisa’sface heated as she smiled back, and she said a shaky goodbye toEliseandGladys, before followingUlfarrout into the bright morning sunlight.Itwas another lovely day, the air crisp and clear, andLouisadrew in a deep breath as they began walking, withJoantrailing behind — and nowHalthorrwas jogging over too, and looking decidedly delighted byJoan’spresence.

“Goodmorning, sisters,” he said, with a sweeping bow toward them both, though his eyes lingered onJoan. “Areyou ready for your tour of our camp, with two strong, stalwartSkaias your guide?”

Joanrolled her eyes, but didn’t protest whenHalthorrfell into step beside her, a satisfied smile curling at his mouth.AndasLouisaglanced atHalthorrover her shoulder, she was suddenly, starkly reminded ofKillik, strong enough that her own smile faded, her eyes darting sideways towardUlfarr’sface.

“Sowhere’sKilliktoday?” she asked, as lightly as she could. “Still— away?Onwhatever project he had to go off to work on last night?”

Ulfarr’sshrug was quick and jerky, his gaze held straight ahead. “Ormayhap now sleeping,” he said.WhenIfound him early this morning, he was yet…busy.”

Theword sounded flat and bitter, hinting at some deeper meaning — andLouisablinked at him, as a blank, shocked incredulity flashed behind her eyes. “Wait,” she said. “Youdon’t meanKillikwas busy — inbed?!With— someoneelse?Afterhe left you in the —”

Shebroke off there, darting a chagrined glance back atJoanandHalthorr, but they’d fallen a little behind, and now seemed intently occupied with looking through the trees.Andbeside her,Ulfarrheavily exhaled, and gave another sharp shrug of his shoulder.

“Ach, why should he not?” he replied, his voice steady. “Killikis a strong and lusty bedmate, and pleasure always calms him, and grants him peace and ease.Andhis other bedmates are always very pretty and hale, also, and they can always fulfill what aSkaiought to —”

Butperhaps he’d seen the wayLouisawas staring at him, because he audibly swallowed, and looked away.Buthis face was flushed, his shoulders slumped, andLouisacould almost feel the ache, the misery, the shame.Fartoo close, too tight and familiar in her chest.

“Well,I’dsay you’re just as handsome and hale as any of them,” she said firmly, as her hand found his, and gave it a squeeze. “Andjust as able to fulfill whatever you think aSkaiought to, either.Imean, last night was —”

Ulfarrshot a brief, searching glance toward her, andLouisadrew in a breath, squared her shoulders.Hewanted her truth, right?Wantedher to do this with him…

“Itwas probably the most pleasureI’veever had in bed,” she said, quieter. “Ever.Maybeonly rivalled by the other night with you.Youfelt — you wereincredible, sweetheart.”

Hervoice cracked, her face heating, but she held his eyes, let him see — or smell — that truth.Andyes, he was inhaling, as something like shock, and then relief, filtered across his eyes. “Ach, you also,Louisa,” he replied, low. “I…Ithank you.”

Itcurled quiet and contented inLouisa’sbelly, settling her shoulders, and it felt easy, suddenly, to squeeze his hand again, and smile up at his face. “Andas forKillik,” she said, as bracingly as she could, “Iknow he cares deeply about you, too.He’smade it very,veryclear to me how highly he thinks of you.Howmuch you — mean to him.”

Butwait, why was she bringingKillikback into this, or defending him?Oreven seeking to reassureUlfarron his behalf?AfterKillikhad run off and leftUlfarralone like that last night, so he could take his pleasure with someone else…

Butmaybe this was why she’d said it, that stark gratefulness inUlfarr’seyes, his breath hitching out. “Ach,Killikis a good friend,” he replied. “BetterthanIever deserved.Ishall never forget all he has done for me, even if he no more wishes for me in his —”

Hewinced and shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “Ach, forgive me,Louisa,” he said, faster than before. “Iought not to be speaking of — ach.Ishould never wish you to think —Ihave no need of other —Ideeply long for what we —”

Hisvoice choked, his eyes searching panicked on hers, andLouisadesperately shook her head, clutched back at his hand, and gave him a too-wide, frantic-feeling smile. “Notto worry, sweetheart,” she said quickly. “Iknow we’re not — exclusive.AndIcertainly understand that you andKillikalready have a long-term relationship, and that’s not something you can just…”

Butnow it was her voice trailing off, because curse it, she’d been the one to demand thatKillikstay out ofUlfarr’sbed.She’dbeen the one to requireUlfarr’sfidelity toward her, even afterKillikhad told her how unhappyUlfarrwas about it.HowKillikhad needed todenyhim, and had made excuses to him, and taken away his touch and his comfort…

And— wait, wasthatwhyKillikhad leftUlfarrlast night?Wasthat whyUlfarrwas now so miserable about this?Anddamn it, hadLouisaeven discussed any of this withUlfarr?Shehadn’t, had she?

“Wolf!” interrupted a small, squealing voice, startlingLouisaall over — but when her swirling thoughts refocused again, there was… achild.Asmall, grey-skinned orc child, bursting out of the trees up ahead, and racing toward them.Hisslim body was dressed only in a knee-length kilt, his hair a wild black mess about his head, but his gap-toothed grin was broad and delighted, his eager eyes fixed onUlfarr’sface. “Wefound you,Wolf!” he crowed. “Wehunted you, and caught you!”

BesideLouisa,Ulfarrwas smiling, too, slow but genuine, and he released her hand so he could catch the little orc up into his arms. “Ach, this was good hunting, brother,” he said, as his eyes angled toward the trees — toward where another small orc appeared, and then another.Allthree of them rushing over to pile ontoUlfarrat once, and then proudly regaling him with the details of their hunt, and how they’d so carefully tracked his scent.Andglancing backwards,LouisarealizedHalthorrhad fallen quite far behind withJoan— but he was now fondly grinning toward the little orcs, suggesting that perhaps he’d been partly to blame.

“Shescent of you too,Wolf,” one of the small orcs announced now, pointing his tiny black claw towardLouisa. “Makethis extra easy for us, ach?”

Ulfarrchuckled, a low, warm rumble in his throat, even as he shotLouisaa distinctly apologetic look. “ThisisLouisa,” he told them. “Sheis… a friend, and the owner of these lands.Andit is polite” — he raised his heavy brows between them — “to bow and say a greeting when you meet someone new.Andto speak your name, mayhap.”

Thethree little orcs nodded, and toLouisa’sever-rising surprise, they took turns introducing themselves, giving careful little bows toward her.Thefirst one with the wild hair was namedLeikr, and the other two wereOskiandSindri.Andapparently, they all lived at the camp with their guardians, though —Leikrsolemnly informed her —Sindri’sfather was gone, andOskilived with his grandparents.

“Butwe are all brothers and sisters,”Ulfarrsaid firmly, with a gentle rustle of his hand toSindri’shair. “Andwe all help care for one another.Now, mayhap you three can help us hunt our way to the camp?”

Leikrexcitedly nodded and squirmed out ofUlfarr’sarms, and soon he was racing back through the trees, with the other two close behind him.AndLouisasmiled as she watched them go, and when she metUlfarr’seyes, he was still smiling, too, and looking more relaxed than he’d seemed today yet.

“They’readorable,”Louisatold him, as they followed the little orcs deeper into the forest. “Isyour son here today, too?”

Shecouldn’t quite hide the curiosity in her voice, butUlfarrregretfully shook his head. “Notthis time,” he said.Butnext time, mayhap.”

Hisvoice was a little too careful, and it belatedly occurred toLouisathat perhaps it wasn’t an accident that his son was away.PerhapsUlfarrhadn’t wanted to introduce her to his son yet.Andwhile she might have once been insulted by that, she now felt only appreciation, simmering warm in her chest.Becauseof course a good father wouldn’t introduce his son to a casual bedpartner after only a few nights — and in truth, she’d likely have thought less ofUlfarrif he’d done otherwise.

---