Page 10 of The Widow and the Orcs

ButKillik’seyes looked almost amused again, as if he was enjoying her humiliation, her pathetic attempts at salvaging this appalling situation. “WhydoIhave no right?” he asked, his voice damnably calm. “Ionly seek my own goods.AndIonly left this with you for one night, for this…test.Ach?”

Louisacursed and lunged for his arm again, but he only looked even more amused than before — and in another flash of movement, something cool settled against her throat.Somethinglong and slim, something —

Hisdagger.

Louisafroze all over, the furious heat in her body cracking into cold, staggering fear.Goodgods, he’d had the dagger in his other hand that entire time.Andwhat the hell had she been thinking, to try to fight with a powerful armed orc in her bedroom, over a ludicrous stone orc-cock.

AndKillikwas smiling again, the utter bastard, as he gazed down atLouisa’sface, her frozen body.Atwhere she’d begun to betray a slight but uncontrollable trembling, was he going to kill her, he could kill her so easily…

“Breathe, woman,” came his low voice, cutting through the alarm still screaming inLouisa’sears. “Youno wish to quake thus under threat, ach?Youmust breathe, and be wise.Bewatchful.”

Godscurse this odious condescending bastard, becauseLouisawas — doing it.Obeyingit.Draggingin a long, desperate breath, and again, and again.Andyes, the fear was even fading beneath it, her shoulders sagging, her awareness slowly returning.Pointingout that as infuriating as this orc was, he surely wasn’t about to kill her.Killingher would only result in her land immediately going toRikard, and his clan losing their camp for good.AndKillikwanted that camp, didn’t he?Thisis a great gift to theSkai, he’d said.Onewe do not wish to lose…

SoLouisakept standing there, breathing hard, only distantly noting that her trembling had stopped, too.Butthat dagger was still there, still resting cool and powerful against her skin, andKillikwas still gazing down at her, something she couldn’t at all read passing across his eyes.

“Better,” he said, smooth and low. “Nowspeak truth to me, woman.Youwielded my wolf’s prick, last eve.Ach?”

Theheat surged back intoLouisa’sface, into her belly, as her throat spasmed against the dagger’s cold steel.Andwhy wasn’t she pulling back from this, from him, he wasn’t even holding her here, she was the one still gripping at his arm…

“Ach?” he said again, deeper this time. “Youwielded this, and tested this.”

Louisacouldn’t speak, wouldn’t, and that dagger caressed a little against her throat, the movement almost gentle. “Didyou swallow this within you?”Killikasked, his eyes glimmering, strangely alight. “Didyou seek to prove this for me?”

Toprove this, for him.Louisa’sthroat spasmed again, flexing against the cold steel, but she bit back her gasp, kept her breaths slow and deep.Inhalingthat rich close scent of him, holding his glinting eyes…

“Didyou swallow this whole, asIasked?” he murmured, raising a brow toward her. “Ordid you whimper and tremble and retreat?Didyou crumple beneath the strength of my wolf’s prick?”

Louisa’sdefiance flared sharp and angry, and she might have scoffed at him, or shaken her head, if not for the cold steel still kissing gently at her throat.AndperhapsKillikknew it, because he finally flipped the dagger around and away, letting its handle dangle down between two fingers, so he could pat his warm hand at her cheek.

“Speaktruth to me, woman,” he ordered, his harsh tone at strange, hurtling odds with the softness of his hand on her cheek. “OrIshall ask you to show me, instead.”

Showhim.Andcurse her, curse the entire damned realm, becauseLouisa— gasped.Thesound loud and betraying, hurling out the shocking depths of her shame before him.Becauseno, she did not want such a thing, she would never want such a thing, she would never everever—

“Ach?”Killikasked, so smooth, so implacable, as a slow, satisfied smile curled at his lips. “Youwish to show me, woman?Wishme to ask?Ormayhap” — something flashed, darker, in his eyes — “to command?”

Oh, hell.Ohhell no, no, she did not, this was ridiculous, unthinkable, utterly unconscionable.Shewanted nothing from him, not that gentle touch of his hand, not this richness of his scent, not that look in his eyes.Alook almost like approval, like… hunger.

“Good,” he purred, all sharp, dangerous triumph. “Thenshow me, woman.Now.”

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Showhim.Now.

Louisa’sbreath betrayed another strangled, shameful gasp, even as her distant rational awareness finally flailed, shouting wild, desperate warnings.Thiswas absurd, this was outrageous, this was an orc, she shouldn’t, she couldn’t…

“Isaid,now, woman,” cameKillik’svoice, sharper than before. “Eitheryou do this, or we stop this.”

Louisatwitched, trembled, gaped atKillik’scold, implacable eyes.Theycouldn’t stop this, he couldn’t leave, not now, please —

“Youchoose,” he continued, flat and decisive, as he dropped his hand from her face, flipping the dagger’s handle back into his fingers. “Ishall not force you, or bring you harm if you refuse.Ionly shall not waste my time any further here, ach?Yes, or no.Yourtruth.”

Yes, or no.Thetruth.Hertruth.Thetruth inKillik’sglinting eyes, in his lean waiting body, in that brief brush of his tongue against his lips.Inthe strength of his arm, still clasped inLouisa’sgrip, and why hadn’t he pulled it away, either.Whyhadn’t he left, why was he offering this, ordering this…

Andwhy was it coiling like this, so hot and hungry inLouisa’sbelly.Whywere her shameful eyes darting up toward his hand, still holding that stone —replica— above them.Andwhy was he slowly bringing it back down, holding it here before her face, so she could…

Snatchfor it.Clutchit tightly in her numb fingers.Andlurch toward the bed, toward the familiar safety of its blanket, its hangings, her shaky body scrambling into it.Shewasn’t really doing this, andKillikwasn’t… following her.Comingto stand close beside the bed, casting a brief, assessing glance down at the rumpled blanket, and then… grasping it.Yankingit down.Away.

Louisamight have protested, should have protested, but surely she’d already known he wouldn’t allow her to hide this… right?Andas she sank back onto the bare bed, there was the shouting realization that he likely wouldn’t allow her to hide this under her skirts, either.Andno, he didn’t even need to say it, just raising his brows at her still-covered bottom half, waiting.

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