Oath of War (The Cursed Bonds #2)

24. Chapter 24

O rmond’s hands on my hips felt right, mollifying the sense of dread that had been my constant companion since Alaric had told me his plans.

I craved more of his strength, his ferocity, of the love that knew no boundaries. He was the embodiment of all that was good and honourable in this world, and I needed to feel it. I needed my beast to tear me apart so I could put myself back together again.

‘Harder,’ I rasped as his grip tightened on my thighs, and he groaned in response.

‘I will hurt you if I do as you ask,’ he said. Despite the hesitation in his voice, his hands flexed, holding me just a little tighter while the yellow glow of his eyes grew brighter.

He needed this as much as I did .

My fear for Ari had blinded me, and I’d lashed out at Orm, pushing him away before the fates could take him, too. I’d seen the pain in his eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to reach out. It wasn’t until Zalesie and the loss of everyone there that I saw the fragility of human life and realised the foolishness of my behaviour.

‘I don’t care if it hurts,’ I groaned, sliding my hand down to grasp his member through the fabric. His hips jerked, and he threw his head back.

‘Fuck, Nivale, you’re strangling the life out of me ...’ he growled. ‘Fine, whatever you wish, whatever makes you happy again.’

He grew harder, working against my hand, holding me possessively against his body.

My Ursus, my big protective bear, would stand by me through my rage and tears, bearing the brunt of the power that scared even me. He was my rock, sheltering me from the storm, the man whose strength lifted me when everything came crashing down. I loved my broken fae and cherished my bonded dragon, but it was Ormond’s steadfast love that had healed me.

He took hold of his belt, undoing it, and I rose just enough for him to free himself. His cock sprang out, making me moan in delight as I rocked against it.

‘I need the beast. Take me. If it hurts, so be it, but I need you, all of you,’ I murmured before grasping his short beard and pulling him into a brutal kiss. ‘Fuck me as hard as you love me ...’

Orm liked to be gentle with me, acutely aware of his own strength, but I didn’t need his gentleness tonight. When I bit his lip, he growled again, pulling away.

‘You’re playing a dangerous game, Nivale,’ he said in a voice so low and deep it sent shivers down my spine. ‘My control has its limits, and I will hurt you if I ... Fuck, Annika ... I can’t. I will rip you apart,’ he cursed, his hips bucking when I grabbed his cock, aiming it at my entrance.

It slipped from my grasp when Ormond roared, lifting me and slamming me back onto the desk. Papers scattered, falling to the floor, but I didn’t care. My gaze was focused on him as he stood over me, panting harshly before he grasped my thighs and spread them open.

‘Remember you asked for this.’ His voice was a tense grunt as he slammed inside me in one harsh thrust. The move was so forceful that it pushed me back on the desk, but he locked his hand around my throat, drawing me back in and impaling me on his cock.

I groaned, half-throttled, as he slammed into me again. His harsh, punishing rhythm forced another cry from my lips. My control fractured, and strands of aether shimmered in the air, floating towards him. Orm snarled as our magic mixed, shredding the last of his control.

‘ More ,’ I groaned, wrapping my legs around his hips and pulling him farther into me.

His pleasure burned through the Anchor bond, fuelling my own; Orm was aroused by the searing heat of my primal power, so I let it flow. His eyes blazed brighter than any fire, wild magic roaring through the beast he’d unleashed.

I didn’t care that the vortex of power roiling around us rattled the windows, shredding the scattered reports he’d been reading in the aethereal storm. Nothing mattered but him: my berserker, wrenching pleasure from my soul as he chased the darkness away.

‘ Mine ,’ Orm howled as the aether lit his skin from within with each punishing thrust.

Pleasure built in my core, washing away the stench of the funeral pyre and the feeling of failure, all eclipsed by his brutal touch. Suddenly, I was moving, held aloft by the sheer strength of his battle-hardened muscles.

‘I love you,’ I rasped, scratching his back. He roared, pressing my body into the mattress as he threw me on the bed, groping my breasts so hard I was sure I would have bruises tomorrow. My pleasure crested, and my world became overwhelmed by the absolute love radiating through our bond.

I felt him lose himself in the sensation, my body pulsing around him, gripping his shaft when he erupted deep inside me. I whimpered and held him close, stroking his back as his body shuddered, beautiful golden eyes dimming when the beast retreated, calmed by our joining.

When our breathing evened out, he rolled us to the side, wrapping his arms around me. ‘I didn’t hurt you, did I?’

Orm had just given me exactly what I needed, yet he worried it was too much. I felt the dam I’d built around my heart over the last few days burst. A short sob escaped me as I pulled away, panting to hold my tears at bay.

‘I’m sorry, it’s not your fault,’ I said, feeling like I needed to run away, but Orm grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close.

‘I know, and you are not leaving. You said you needed me, and now I need you to stay with me,’ he murmured into my neck. I jerked my head back, shocked by the pain in his voice. ‘I’m not forcing you. I will let you go if you truly desire it, but I need you. Please stay.’

‘I can’t, Orm. I’m afraid that if I crack, I’ll break ... Too many people are counting on me to be strong. I can’t fall apart, so please, let me be. It hurts too fucking much.’

He caught my hand, pressing it to his chest before caging me in his embrace. Ormond was inhumanly strong, and without my magic, I couldn’t break free, but nor did I actually want to.

‘Will it hurt less if you let this guilt and doubt fester? Cry, my love,’ he said. ‘I know how much you love Ari. I know how angry you feel, how scared ... I know because I feel it, too.’

Orm kissed the top of my head, stroking me gently. ‘The night you slept in Vahin’s lair, Ari gave himself to me. I’ve never felt that way before. It’s different from what you and I share, but no less meaningful. When he told me he had interrogated Ihrain and needed to leave, I thought I’d done something wrong ... but I didn’t.’

He sighed, gently lifting my chin until I looked into his eyes. He brushed away the hair that was plastered to my forehead and smiled. ‘Ari made a difficult choice, maybe the wrong one, but it was his choice, and we must respect it. No one’s at fault, and only Cahyon’s to blame for Zalesie.’

He looked down, tracing a finger over the Anchor mark on my chest. Within a dark, slowly swirling circle was a dragon, a sword, and a thorny vine, all entwined together in perfect harmony.

With a tender smile, Orm bent down and kissed each aspect of my mark. ‘I never considered what it’s like to be a conduit mage. How deeply you must feel the souls entwined with your own,’ he whispered, his breath raising goosebumps on my skin. ‘If I lost you, I would drown this world in blood and dragon fire, and yet you were able to let Alaric go. I could never be that strong.’

His calm words and soft caresses eased my trembling body, and I embraced him, pressing my face hard against his muscled chest. ‘I shouldn’t have come looking for you, but I’m glad I did. I don’t deserve you.’

A low growl vibrated through Orm’s chest. ‘If you hadn’t, I would have come to you. I need you, Annika,’ he said, crushing me to his body. ‘Promise me one thing, Nivale. Rage, scream, lash me with your words or your magic, but never turn away from our bond. If you love me, never let me feel so alone again.’ His arms tightened around me with bruising force. ‘Promise me, Annika.’

His last words were barely audible, but the love that surged through our bond was unmistakable.

‘I promise,’ I answered, returning his hug. As we drifted to sleep, I knew the darkness in my soul hadn’t vanished, but the pain had lifted, just a little. Still, if I was going to get my fae back and ensure no one else shared the fate of Zalesie, I needed to be stronger, and the source of my strength was now snoring into my hair.

Angry voices and a loud banging dragged me from a deep slumber. I groaned, unable to remember the last time I got to sleep in. Muscular arms tightened around me, and my hairy, musk-scented pillow shifted, muttering curses. ‘Spectrae’d better be attacking, or the gods have mercy on whoever is pounding on the door!’ he shouted.

The door burst open to reveal Bryna leading the charge, followed by Tomma, who was trying to hold Katja back as my friend fought like a mountain lioness to get into the room. I could even spot Ian’s scarred face peeking from around them in the corridor.

‘What the—?’ I muttered, pulling the covers over my naked body, but our friends seemed oblivious to our state of undress. Worse, Orm didn’t seem to care either, and I had to grab his arm in hopes he wouldn’t jump out of bed to chase our visitors away.

‘You’re back,’ Bryna said as she sat down next to me. ‘These fuckers wouldn’t tell me anything, and you didn’t come see me ... I thought you were lost, especially when I had to chain your man to the forge. You should’ve come to see me as soon as you arrived.’

The next thing I knew, my face was crushed against her ample bosom while I frantically tried to protect my modesty.

‘I was exhausted. I’m so sorry,’ I said, my bones groaning from the friendly pats she delivered to my back.

‘We know,’ Katja said, ‘and your two idiots didn’t bother saying a word, either. The guards only said that the commander had landed. What if you’d needed help? And where’s Alaric? I need him in the infirmary.’ She was jabbing her finger into Tomma’s chest, and the poor dragon rider withered under her accusing stare.

‘You were tired from trying to help Zalesie’s survivors— oof ,’ Tomma grunted as Katja stomped on his foot with such force that even I felt it. I realised that her attempt to silence him, coupled with Bryna’s affectionate behaviour, were my friends’ way of showing their worry about my reaction to the news.

‘I know about Zalesie,’ I said, untangling myself from Bryna’s smothering embrace. ‘We flew there as soon as I found out.’

My words silenced everyone.

Katja’s shoulders sagged. ‘Are you alright?’ she asked quietly.

I shook my head. ‘No. How can we be alright? They destroyed our home and all those people ... I’m not alright, but I’ll survive, and that undead bastard will pay for this.’

Orm shifted, pulling me back from Bryna to hug me. ‘There will be time to reunite later, but as you can all see, Annika is uninjured. Unless you want to inspect my very naked body, I suggest you give us time to get dressed, and we can meet in my office in an hour,’ he said, his grumpy tone leaving no doubt it was an order.

‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ Bryna said. ‘You’re not the first man I’ve seen naked, Commander.’

Ormond’s answering growl was enough for Katja to roll her eyes. ‘Oh, shift your green arse off their bed, Bryna. No ogling that one—he’s taken,’ she said before looking Tomma up and down. ‘This one’s off limits, too.’

The smile that blossomed on the injured rider’s face was worth a thousand words, and meek as a puppy, he let her lead him away. Bryna sighed deeply and followed, closing the door behind her.

Orm nuzzled my hair. ‘They care about you, Nivale.’

Contrary to everything that had happened in the last few days, their affectionate chaos made me chuckle. ‘I care for them too, but not enough to share. Get yourself dressed, Commander , and don’t you dare offer yourself again.’ Orm grinned as he leapt off the bed, presenting his perfectly chiselled body to the world. I slapped his thigh. ‘No teasing. Get dressed, Ursus.’

‘I’m not.’ He winked. ‘Well, maybe a little. I just wanted to keep seeing that beautiful smile,’ he said, standing in front of me. ‘I know difficult times are coming, but I will tease you, love you, and prove to you that life is worth living over and over again. As long as I can make you smile, whatever burden fate throws on my shoulders, I will bear it.’

I had no answer. I kissed Orm softly, marvelling at the gentle heart under those stern eyes and thick muscles.

‘ A dragon would never choose someone unworthy to bond with, ’ came Vahin’s thought, ‘ although I was beginning to reconsider my choices after last night’s inferno. Coaxing the berserker out of him ... Really? ’

I blushed, scolding him playfully, ‘ Neither would I, so stop peeking into my thoughts. ’

When we arrived at Ormond’s office, everyone was already seated, except for his adjutant, who grumbled under his breath about missing documents while rifling through a chaotic stack of paperwork on Orm’s desk.

The space was incredibly crowded, so as Orm dropped into his chair, I casually leaned against the back of it, content to remain standing. That is, until he let out an annoyed grunt and, without warning, yanked me onto his lap. The audacity earned him a sharp glare and a solid punch to the shoulder. Fully justified, in my opinion.

He was quiet for a moment, letting everybody settle down before he nodded to the adjutant. ‘Please take notes. I want everything from this meeting’s discussion to be written down and sent to my brother.’ The old soldier inclined his head, fumbling with his inkwell and preparing a quill and paper.

‘First things first,’ Orm went on, ‘we’re expecting an army from Dagome and the allied forces of the dark and light fae, as well as the dwarven kingdom.’

The clattering of a goblet hitting the floor reverberated throughout the room. One of the younger officers quickly picked it up and bowed in apology. ‘I’m sorry, my lord. But how? For years, we’ve known the senile old king has been dismantling Dagome’s army, and now you’re telling us it’s headed here, and that the Lowland Kingdoms have honoured the alliance? How?’

The other riders nodded, wanting to hear the answer.

‘Lady Annika,’ Orm replied. ‘She has managed to receive the endorsement of a goddess, so when my Nivale told them to honour their promises, they listened.’ I noticed the mischief in his eyes just as I drew a breath to correct him. ‘Right after she proclaimed my brother king, of course.’

The pure glee in his voice made me want to punch him again but the eyes of everyone in the room had turned to focus on me at his declaration.

‘Fucking hell, I’m friends with a kingmaker,’ Bryna roared, and not even an elbow in the ribs from Katja could shut her up. ‘Ouch! Stop elbowing me, woman, or I will sew padded vambraces to your sharp bones.’

Katja ignored her, getting straight to the point. ‘That’s so Ani. I’m half expecting her to say it was just an accident, but as good as that news is for Dagome, we don’t have enough space in Varta Fortress to accommodate three armies and their support. Especially not after relocating the survivors from Zalesie.’

‘First, I’m right here ,’ I complained, ‘and yes, it actually was an accident. We needed a king, so I named the best man for the job. Second, there is a good chance they’ll be bringing their own supplies and ... Well, if push comes to shove, I can ask Valaram to create a portal to the capital.’

Orm gave me a curious look, so I hastily explained. ‘We can leave supplies behind that way. I don’t think Talena will be happy to have her mages use their aether for such a mundane task, but we won’t know until we ask.’

He nodded, and I felt the gentle play of his fingers as he absentmindedly stroked my back. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Regarding the armies, we can make room in the castle for the leaders and fortify a field for the rest. I discussed strategy with my brother, and we’ll be heading towards the Rift as soon as possible. Ensure all dragons are well-fed and ready. We need to clear the sky of spectrae so that the ground forces have a chance of facing the monsters.’

‘Will Lady Annika be flying with us?’ the man who’d dropped his goblet asked.

‘I will,’ I responded, aching to fly across the border. ‘I have a score to settle with that immortal bastard and his minions.’ Even surrounded by friends, I felt a crawling sense of doom.

At my words, the dragon riders visibly relaxed, and I could even see a few smiles, as if they were welcoming the upcoming battle.

‘We’ll join you,’ Katja said, and I looked at her with a frown. ‘You’ll need healers and cooks. Someone has to mend soldiers’ clothing, and many of the women here can fight and will protect the camp when you move farther into the enemy’s lands.’

‘There is no need for that,’ I said.

She huffed, shaking her head. ‘No need? Say that to the mothers, wives, and daughters of those who died in Zalesie, or to those from the mountain villages who lost everything in the attacks. They want revenge. Many couldn’t even bury their families.’

I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat, wondering how many had perished.

‘I appreciate the sentiment,’ Orm cut in, ‘but they will be a hindrance, and our soldiers will feel obliged to defend them. As much as I want to grant their wish, this is the wrong way to do it.’

Katja bristled. Before my friend could snap at him, arguing during what had turned out to be another war council meeting, I intervened.

‘She’s right, Orm. There is nothing more dangerous than a mother fighting for her child, nothing more vicious than a woman whose heart has been broken. You won’t have a bunch of weak females to protect—you’ll have a pack of wolves that will rip out the enemy’s throats for the chance to spit in the Lich King’s eye.’

Orm’s eyes softened. He raised his hand, gently trailing his fingers over my cheek, uncaring of the looks we were getting. ‘If you’re sure they can fight,’ he murmured, turning to Katja. ‘Fine, get your pack of she-wolves ready. They’ll train with the soldiers and behave like them.’

‘Splendid, I’d better get to work. We need more chain-mail shirts and armour with tits,’ Bryna said, rising from her chair, and her entirely inappropriate comment burst the bubble of tension in the room.

‘Thank you, mistress blacksmith,’ Orm said. ‘I’m sure many will appreciate armour with ... I mean, designed for females. Can I also ask you to work with the soldiers to fit a gate to the dragons’ cave? Having a secure place like that saved a young rider at Roan Fortress, and I want our citizens to have a shelter, too.’

He looked around at the rest of those in the room. ‘I’ll have more details when Reynard arrives. Until then, please stay vigilant. Patrols must not engage in fighting unless a civilian’s life is at stake. Miss Katja, as you run the town council, I’ll need you to ensure the town has enough supplies for both our visitors and a potential siege. Tomma, you’re in charge of the riders—I’ll take the ground forces. Does anyone have any questions?’

‘Since everyone’s planning to march to war, who will be in charge here once you all go, sir?’ asked Orm’s adjutant, who sat quietly in the corner.

‘We have a town council ... and Ian will take over any military matters,’ Orm replied.

The adjutant frowned. ‘Ian? The barkeeper, Ian? But he is—’

‘Disabled, yes, but not stupid. He was a dragon rider and a bloody good one. He’ll know what to do. I don’t need heroes to stand with naked swords. I need a leader who can keep his head when the worst happens. Ian is the perfect choice.’

If I thought I couldn’t love him more, I was mistaken. Orm’s logic saw past scars and physical constraints, finding qualities many overlooked, and as long as men like him were around, we had a fighting chance.

‘You are right, my Ursus. Ian will be perfect.’