Page 82 of The Widow and the Orcs

Louisa’sbreath shuddered from her throat, her body sagging back intoKillik’swarm steady strength. “Itwas all true,” she managed, with a shrug. “Itwasn’t — anythingIdid.”

Shecould feel the huff ofKillik’schuckle on her hair, the spasm of his fingers on her shoulder. “No, naught you did at all,” he said lightly. “Andafter this meeting, whenJulestomped off to fetchEfterar, and took him to healWolfat once, this was naught of your doing, either.”

Louisajerked back again, clutched at his arms, searched his warm shimmering eyes. “Really?!” she demanded. “Anddid it help?Ishe better?”

Killik’sthroat convulsed, and he twitched a short nod. “Ach, much,” he replied, without even a trace of sarcasm in his voice. “I—Inear forgot how he scents when he is not in pain, or how easy he laughs.EvenSunescented it at once, and has scarce left his side since.Andbefore we left” —Killik’slaugh sounded thick this time — “Suneand his little packmates dragged us to the shop, so we might buy you more gifts.ThosecraftyGriskandAsh-Kaihad a stack of costly garb just waiting for us.”

He’djerked his head toward the window, toward where there was an overstuffed canvas packLouisahadn’t noticed before, with a generous quantity of black fabric spilling out the top. “Oh,” she said numbly. “You— you didn’t need to do that,Killik.”

Killikscoffed, but it was halfhearted, almost rueful. “Ach,Idid,” he replied, “lestIwished my own son to fly into another rage at me, and again call me aslug.WhichInow ken” — he jabbed his claw atLouisa’sface — “wasyourdoing also, you meddling witch!Aslug?”

Louisa’slaugh felt shaky but genuine, her eyes dancing onKillik’sface. “What, would you have preferred something worse?” she asked lightly. “Howabout a maggot?Ora tapeworm?Ormaybe a limp little leech?”

Killik’seyes flashed, and he barked a low, incredulous laugh, shivering deep intoLouisa’sbelly. “Alimp littleleech?” he demanded, though his voice was husky. “Youwish to test me on this, woman?Wishto meet my leech?”

Louisacouldn’t seem to stop grinning at him, her heartbeat skipping — and in a flash of movement,Killikgrabbedher.Grabbedher by the hips, and then spun her around toward the desk, facing away from him.Shovingher upper body down, and — yanking up herdress.

“Killik!”Louisayelped, at the sudden, shocking sensation of cool open air on her legs, her arse, her — well. “Whatthe hell are youdoing?”

Killik’slaugh was low and triumphant behind her, and his booted foot kicked between her ankles, shoving them apart. “Ach, it is a great mystery,Iken,” he drawled, and oh, that was the sound of shifting fabric, of his own trousers, oh gods. “Havinga nap, mayhap.Oreating a picnic?”

Louisachoked and twisted around to glower at him, at where his eyes were gleefully glinting, and then dropping down to the sight he’d exposed between her legs. “Orsharpening my dagger, mayhap,” he murmured, lower, as he shifted forward, and nudged himself just — there, intoLouisa’sopened, quivering heat. “Ordigging tunnels.”

Heraised his brows at her, the challenge glimmering in his eyes — and oh, oh,Louisawasn’t challenging it.Hellno, she wanted him, she needed him so much she felt dizzy with it.Andhe damn well knew it, just watching her like that as he slowly pushed in, opening her breath by breath, ohfuck.

Butthere was still something, something important, curse it, andLouisafought to grasp it, even as she shuddered and moaned, felt her body clamp at his hard flesh steadily sinking inside her. “But—Ulfarr,” she managed, her voice breaking asKillik’ships gently slapped against her skin. “Won’the — mind, if you — if we —”

ButKillikhuffed a chuckle as he began drawing out again, his eyes hooded on the sight. “Ach, no,” he replied, husky, as he slipped free of her with a soft squelch. “Iasked his leave, beforeIcame.”

Wait, what?He’d—plannedto do this?AndLouisacouldn’t think, couldn’t follow it, not with him already easing back inside, faster this time. “You— did?” she gasped, as her traitorous body gripped him tighter, maybe even shoved back deeper upon him. “Andwhat — what did he say?”

Killik’shalf-lidded eyes flicked to hers, as his skin again slapped tight, his hard spasming cock plunged deep inside. “Hesaid,Ach, pup, you ought to plough her, and grant her your joy,” he replied, in a creditable imitation ofUlfarr’svoice. “Butseek to be gentler with her, this time.”

Louisa’sbreath was heaving too hard, her body helplessly clutching against him, because — wasKillikobeying?Washe obligingUlfarrwith this, being slower, gentler,Ulfarrhad given him permission,Ulfarrhad wanted this…

“Iken it pleased him, to be asked,”Killikadded, with a rolling shrug of his shoulder, as he slowly drew out again. “Tohave the right and the power to grant a woman as he pleases.Toknow he has offered up this womb for my ploughing, and for my goodSkaiseed.”

Louisaattempted a snort back toward him, because of courseKillikwould be givingUlfarrthe credit for this, rather than the actual woman he was currently fucking — but then he drove back in, so hard she shook all over, a harsh gasp choking from her mouth. “You— absolute — fucking — prick,” she gasped, as he dragged out again. “You— slimy — slug —”

ButKillikagain broke it off with a swift, stunning slam in, swirling her full of sensation, of sweeping shattering strength. “AndafterIhave finished with you, my foul-mouthed little harpy,” he crooned, with another draw out, another sharp slam in, “and flooded you with my scent and my goodSkaiseed,Ishall go back and tellWolfthe full tale of this, ach?Ishall tell him” — his voice deepened as he drove in again, again — “how you shivered and shouted and squealed for me.Howyou begged me for my touch and my seed.”

Godscurse this infuriating bastard, and his infuriating incredible cock, now plunging in and out of her, sparking more jarring jolting ecstasy with every driving thrust. “You— leech,”Louisamanaged, between gasps. “Iwill not beg you for anything, you — you —”

Butoh, hell, he’d abruptly stopped thrusting, and his warm sweaty body shifted closer over her, his hand slipping down her front.Rubbingat where she most desperately wanted it, moving in hard, perfect little circles, and she moaned and shivered against it, against the sudden shocking scrape of his sharp teeth against her throat.

“Youshall beg,” he murmured, a hot whispered promise. “Youshall beg, woman, orIshall stop.”

What?No.Hewouldn’t stop, he couldn’t — but wait, he was already slackening his hand’s touch, drawing himself out from inside her, damn it. “Ishall stop, and leave,” he breathed, even as he scraped his teeth harder against her neck. “Ishall deny you all relief, lest you beg me.”

Gods,Louisaloathed him, and she needed him, and he had no right to feel so good, to sound so good, to be everywhere, everything, trampling all her awareness at once.Andshe should be fighting it, she needed to fight it, to fight all this power he wielded over her, all the ways she craved him and longed for him, four more nights…

“Begme,Louisa,”Killikwhispered, his fingers only a flutter now, his cock finally falling free of her. “Onlysay,please,Killik, andIshall grant you all you long for.”

Oh.No, he didn’t mean it, it was only four nights, he still wanted to walk away — butLouisacouldn’t bear it.Couldn’tbear to stop it, couldn’t bear to lose any more of it, oh gods…

“Please,Killik,” she choked. “Please, give it to me, all of it, please,please.”

Hisgrowl in her ear was low and triumphant, almost a laugh — and then it all swarmed her at once.Hisfingers grinding, his mouth scraping, his cock again finding its place, and rooting itself slow and deep inside.WhileLouisaquaked against it, against him, quivering all over with the staggering strength of him, the ecstasy swirling out from him, pooling harder and deeper with every touch, with every grinding thrust.Untilhe was plunging into her again, both of them gasping with every sharp slam of hips, raw and reckless and rutting, closer and closer and closer —

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