Page 46 of The Widow and the Orcs

“Ishall leave you here, then, sisters,”Halthorrsaid, with a flourishing bow toward them, though his eyes lingered onJoan’sface. “Itwas a true joy to spend this day with you.”

Joanlooked surprisingly flustered, suddenly, but she jerked a nod, and mumbled something under her breath.Andas she andLouisawatchedHalthorrwalk away,Joanlooked just as unsettled asLouisafelt, and finally she veered off toward the stable without a single word of farewell.

Louisa’sown mood only darkened as she strode into the house, first facingGladysandElise’swaiting litany of questions, and then all the looming chores she’d put off by going to the camp.Buteven as she plodded through the day, doggedly working through into the evening, the misery kept catching, circling, seething with guilt, and with something like grief.

Gods, she shouldn’t have letUlfarrkiss her like that.Sheshouldn’t have gone off alone with him like that.Andshe certainly should have been honest with him about her own boundaries around his other bedpartners, and his fidelity toward her during their ten nights.Sheshouldn’t have left it toKillikto communicate — or not communicate — those boundaries toUlfarr.BecauseKillikcouldn’t be trusted, sheknewthat, and how did she keep forgetting that?Whydid she keep trusting him, giving him more chances, after all his rages?Histhreats?

Andeven asLouisafinally stalked into her dark bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind her, why did she keep looking over her shoulder for him?Whydid she keep jumping at the faintest sounds, the slightest prickle on her back?Shedidn’t wantKillikto come back, did she?

Untilyou sort out your mess, she’d snarled at him,and your ghastly temper,I’mstaying the hell out of this.I’mstaying the hell away from you.

Andshe’d meant that.Shehad.Evenif it meant the end of their ten nights, she could try to find another way.Shecould try to get over this.Shecould.Right?

Sherepeated that thought to herself again and again as she hurled off her clothes, and threw her naked body into bed.Lyingthere stiff and furious, glaring up into the darkness, and blinking back the cursed prickling behind her eyes.Butnot sleeping, not even close, because it was almost like she was still waiting, listening, as if… as if…

“Willyou just talk to me,” she snapped into the darkness, her voice cracking. “Please.”

Andwhat was she saying, what was she doing, and…

Asigh.Slow, heavy, resigned, trailing up her spine like a hot, shivery touch.

“Ach, then,”Killiksaid, his voice hoarse in the darkness. “Iwish you to come back.”

23

Killikwas here.AndKillikwanted her to… come back.

Louisa’slaugh grated into the silence, thick and incredulous and almost — relieved. “Youdonotmean that,” she shot back. “Youthreatened to kill me today!Again!Goodgods” — she drew in a shaky breath — “it’s like some sort of horrendous pantomimeIkeep walking into, over and over and over again.TheKillik-KillingExtravaganza!Amiserable musical entertainment where youdieat the end!”

Therewas an instant’s startled-feeling silence, and then — curseKillik— a low, reluctant laugh. “Youshould notdieat the end,” came his voice, huskier than usual. “Youshould only limp away from this entertainment bloody and raging, mayhap.Forhow else wouldIkeep 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’mfinished attending your terrible show,Killik,” she snapped back. “Iwant a refund.”

Therewas another silence, longer this time. “Youdo not,” he said, his voice steady. “Youonly wish for a better seat.”

Louisa’sscoff was too loud, and certainly not even close to a laugh. “Thereare no good seats to this hellshow,” she replied. “Onlyones where you get spat on, and shouted at, and blamed for the host’s mess!”

ButKillik’ssilence felt taut and watchful this time, quivering into the darkness. “Ach, but woman,” he drawled, and was he moving, why was he moving? “Youforget the best seat in the theatre.Theseat you have been seeking all this time.Theseat where” — she could almost feel his smirk — “you sit stuck and screeching upon my wolf’s prick.”

Godscurse him, andLouisa’sbreath caught, her head shaking. “Thatseat doesn’t actually exist,” she shot back. “It’sonly a taunt from you!Adangled temptation in the advertisement!”

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

Louisa’shand snapped up, clutching tightly against it — and found — that.Thestonerassja, damn it.AndKillik’sfingers, warm and steady against it, and trailing it… downwards.DownLouisa’sfront, to her collarbone, nudging down the blanket with it…

“Whatthe hell are you doing,” she hissed, but she wasn’t even stopping it, her hand even releasingKillik’sas he kept purposefully sliding that cool stone down.Tracingit between her bared breasts, over her belly, toward her navel…

“Iam 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. “Remindingyou 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.Andshe should not,not, have let her thighs fall a little apart, let that firm head prod in between…

“Morefalse advertisements,” she belatedly snapped, frowning up toward the sound ofKillik’svoice above her, even as that cool blunt tip kept nudging, stroking, seeking. “Youmight as well stop acting,Killik.Youdon’t want to share your precious wolf.Youwant 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.Feelingso strong, so damned good, and a choked moan escapedLouisa’smouth as she fought to relax, to open her thighs wider.Thiswasn’t happening,Killikwasn’t doing this, this was just — just —

“Wrong, woman,” cameKillik’sclipped voice, as the stone hovered, halted, jutted just up inside her… and then slowly slipped out again, and tapped firmly against her knee.Wantingher to open more, oh hell, waiting for her to oblige, before easing itself back against her slick, convulsing heat.

“Ihave shared my wolf with you again and again, woman,”Killik’sflat voice continued. “Ach,Ihave taught you how to touch him.Commandedyou to suck him.Taughtyou to be bared for his touch and his pleasure.Andnow” — another gentle little push of the stone inside her — “Iready you for his prick, also.”

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