Chapter 19
Nineteen
“ G o to hell!” she screamed back, lifting her head in an attempt to headbutt me. I stayed out of range, though, so she missed. “Your kind should be hanged! You’re disgusting!”
More clan members joined us, some helping Rath cover the flames with dirt, while others pulled me off the woman and separated us. I didn’t fight against them, they weren’t trying to hurt me like she was, but she didn’t see it the same way. She screamed and lashed out, kicking and scratching anyone who came in range before her arms were pinned to her sides.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The crowd parted for the clan leader, who I recognized from the new birth celebration. He was an older barbarian, but still massive and burly. The only difference being that his hair was white, and he wore robes instead of the legwear and tunics the other barbarians wore. He looked at Rath, the woman, then at me, raising an eyebrow in a silent demand for an explanation.
Still breathing heavily from the fight, I looked around warily. I’d just seen what happens when someone hurts a tribute. Since I was already part of the clan, did those rules pertain to me as well?
A heavy hand on my shoulder drew my attention and Godr gave me an encouraging nod. “Tell us what happened, brother.”
Bolstered by his support, I turned back to the clan leader. “We came back to Rath’s tent tonight to find it in disarray. I didn't know why at first, nor did Rath. He pulled me back out so we could speak with someone, I’m assuming to get help.” I shot a questioning look at Rath, who nodded in the affirmative. He looked pissed, but not at me. He was glaring at the woman. “Right. So, we were going to leave to handle it, but right before we were out of sight, I glanced back and saw someone sneaking up to our tent with a lantern. “I gestured to the lantern on the ground. “There was spilled oil inside. I feared whoever it was intended to light the oil and burn our things. So I tackled her.” Frowning at my feet, I twisted my fingers nervously. “I know we aren’t supposed to hurt tributes, but she was going to ruin Rath’s things. I’m not sorry for what I did.”
My shoulders came up, waiting for the worst. If I didn’t apologize, would they make me leave? Would I have to walk away from Rath? I could lie if I needed to, but I wouldn’t mean it. I didn’t regret it. She deserved it.
“What is he saying?” the woman screeched, fighting against the hold on her. “He’s lying! He attacked me! He said he would rape me! He should be hanged!”
Horrified, I whipped my head up to look at her, but before I could defend myself, someone in the crowd scoffed.
“He did not. He has no interest in females. You lie to save yourself.”
I knew that voice. Khaul stepped forward to translate, his lip lifted in a sneer as he told the clan what she’d said. I hadn’t realized she didn’t understand the barbarian language. She’d been here a few weeks at least. She should have known enough to follow along by now.
Looks of disgust crossed the faces of the clan, all aimed at her. The last time someone accused me of something, it ended poorly for me. This time, no one believed her. The relief was so intense, I felt tears prick my eyes.
“Why attack him?” Khaul demanded to her. “What reason do you have?”
She refused to answer him, instead focusing on struggling against the man who held her. I hadn’t met him yet, but he looked resigned and angry, like he’d dealt with her before.
“I, um…”
The clan leader looked to me again, his expression softening to something more kind. “Finn? Do you have more to say?”
I didn't want to admit that she’d attacked me before. I hadn’t been lying when I said I didn’t see her face, but I knew she was a woman. It might’ve been easier to figure things out if I’d been honest about it. But it was embarrassing and I hated how easily she got the upper hand.
Godr’s hand squeezed gently, reminding me of his support. When I glanced at Rath, he was seething nearby, held back by Verus and a few others to keep him away from the woman. This would only make things worse.
Grimacing, I admitted, “This wasn’t the first time. She cornered me near the trench and attacked me there too. She doesn’t like men who are not attracted to women. She thinks it’s wrong. Lots of town people do.”
Rath’s eyes widened as he realized what I was saying. His head whipped around and he fought harder against his clan brothers, roaring his fury. I’d never seen him that way before. Even when Godr upset me, he was angry but so much that he needed to be held back like that. I think if it had been a man who’d attacked me, the clan wouldn’t have stopped him, but she was half his size. If he hurt her for hurting me, she might not survive it.
“Finn.” The clan leader’s voice was calm, despite the tension in the air. When I looked over my shoulder at him, he jerked his chin in Rath’s direction. “Go to him. Only you can settle him now.”
Nodding, I edged around the broken lamp pieces and spilled oil. Rath’s brother released him just as I threw myself at him. He had no choice but to catch me or let me fall. His arms around me kept him from going after the woman, clutching me tight. I wrapped my arms around his neck, petting his hair and shushing him to get him to relax.
“I’m okay. I promise.”
He turned away from the crowd, putting a few steps between us and them, and buried his face against my neck. While he took the time to calm down, I listened as the clan leader confronted the woman.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I didn’t do anything! He attacked me! Why aren’t you punishing him?!”
“He was protecting his home,” the clan leader replied calmly. “Unless you have some other explanation as to what you were doing here?”
She screamed and raged about the injustice of them punishing her, but she didn’t offer any explanation. She couldn’t. The evidence was all there. In the end, they tied her hands and took her away, and Godr offered us his tent for the night, volunteering to stay with a friend instead. I was too exhausted to clean up the mess she’d made, and Rath didn’t argue. He kept me in his arms until we were safely ensconced in Godr’s tent, then held me close as I cried until I fell asleep.
When I woke, I was in my favorite place, smushed so tightly against Rath, that it was difficult to tell where he ended and I began. Normally, I woke first, but this time, he was running his fingers through my hair, pressing small kisses to the top of my head. Not to wake me. More like he needed to touch to ensure I was okay, and he wasn’t really paying attention to it. His movements stalled when I looked up at him, and when he glanced down, he looked apologetic.
“Did I wake you?”
I shook my head. “No. I liked it. Did you sleep?”
“Mm. Some. I prefer my own tent.”
There was a significance to their tents that Zoya explained a little. Not in a ton of detail, but she said it was equivalent to their homes and the space was respected as theirs and they took pride in taking care of it. Which made the woman’s actions even more deplorable. All because she didn't like my preferences for men.
Sitting up, I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner. I was embarrassed that it was a woman who attacked me. My brothers always said I wasn’t a real man. It just proved it and I didn’t want you to see me that way.”
Rath sat up too, trailing his fingers along my jaw to draw my focus to him. His smile was kind, like it always was when he looked at me, and it only grew when I leaned into his touch.
“I do not see you as less than a man. Their gender was not important. You are my gentle Finn. It is not in your blood to fight. There is nothing wrong with this.”
It was the first time someone had ever said that to me. That there was nothing wrong with who I was. He was right, I didn't like fighting. I never wrestled with my brothers or learned to wield a sword like proper gentlemen were supposed to. I stayed in the library and read my books and wrote poetry from time to time, though I’d never admit that to my family. The only reason I fought with that woman was because it would have hurt Rath if she did what she intended. He was worth fighting for.
Releasing my grip on my knees, I turned and crawled into his lap, hugging him tightly. He accepted my need for affection with a smile, kissing my temple and holding me close until I was ready to face the world again.
“We should go clean up your tent. With how cold it is, it will take all day for the blankets to dry.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment before twisting until I was lying beneath him with his big body between my thighs. My stomach tightened at the implication, but we were in Godr’s tent, not ours and if he started teasing me now, it would be hours before I got any relief.
“Rath…”
“Do you remember that thing my brother said he’d teach you about?”
My brow furrowed. Why was he bringing that up now?
“Yes… But you said he lied about that.”
He nodded seriously. “True. He did lie. But the act itself is real. It is just done without teeth involved.” A wicked grin overtook his face. “Want me to show you?”
My mouth opened and closed, a flush working its way down my neck until my whole body felt hot. “You want to… put your mouth…” My arousal swelled against his stomach, answering for me how I felt about it. Everything Rath showed me was amazing, and this would probably be no different, but still… “Here? Shouldn’t we wait?”
He lifted a shoulder, his expression smug. “It seems fitting to learn here what he should have explained correctly the first time.”
And that was all the explanation he was willing to give. He disappeared beneath the blankets, wrestling with my trousers and pushing the tunic out of the way. And then his mouth was on me and I couldn’t breathe.
My back arched off the bedding, a strangled scream catching in my throat. There was no teasing, no explanation or introduction. He sucked me into his mouth without hesitation all the way to the root and bobbed his head with enthusiasm. It felt as though he was attempting to suck out my soul through my erection, the pleasure so intense I couldn’t make a sound. I struggled to draw in a deep breath, scrambling for purchase and finding it in Rath’s hair. When I finally managed to breathe, my release slammed into me so hard, I quickly lost it again, my lungs tight as wave after wave of pleasure slammed into me.
The entire experience was over embarrassingly fast, but I was too delirious from the pleasure to panic over it. It felt as though I could feel my heartbeat through my entire body, throbbing so loud, I could hear nothing outside my heavy breathing. When Rath’s face came into my line of sight, I tried to speak to him, but no words came out. I could only gape at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.
That smug look came back, his eyes dancing with amusement. I could not even be cross with him for looking at me like that. I was too dumbfounded to speak.
Rath chuckled, pressing his lips against mine in a quick kiss. “You are fun to surprise, kolrav. I will give you a moment to recover before we return to our tent. You are right, the washing will take time.”
My eyes widened incredulously, but he only laughed at my expression, tossing the blanket away and pushing to his feet. His erection strained in his trousers and I felt guilty not reciprocating, but I needed time to recover, and by the time I could think clearly, he was pulling me outside and toward his tent. Then we were too busy cleaning and preparing the tent for me to find a moment to pull him aside.
I didn’t actually end up learning anything from that lesson. It was too fast and I was so stunned by the pleasure, I had no time to comprehend what he was doing to me. It seemed, if I truly wanted to learn, I would have to try it myself.