Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
ARLEN
The company returned to the wagons, separating themselves from the clan.
I felt guilty for causing trouble, but Tyos didn’t let me linger long enough to apologize.
He ushered me into the wagon we’d slept in before, bundling me in the fur and wrapping himself and his own fur around me so that I was warm and toasty.
I turned in his arms, burying my face against his chest, and soaked in his comfort as he petted my hair until I fell asleep.
I woke in the middle of the night, regretting not relieving myself earlier before I got settled. It had been too long to ignore it, and I felt guilty when I woke Tyos wriggling free of his hold.
“What wrong?”
“I need to relieve myself,” I whispered.
He grunted in acknowledgement, leading me around the sleeping bodies to avoid stepping on anyone as we made our way out of the wagon.
He helped me down with his hands on my hips, a move I’d seen men do to women before but never to another male.
It was surprisingly endearing. No wonder women liked it so much. It made me feel cherished.
After leading me to a trench to relieve myself, he gave me privacy to do my business, waiting close by so I still felt safe.
I finished quickly, not enjoying the cooler air on my privates, and hurried back to Tyos’s side when I was done.
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his pace more sedate as we headed back toward the wagon.
The rest of the tents were quiet, only a small group of warriors awake near the fire, watching over the clan like sentries.
They gave us the stink eye when we passed, and my stomach churned when I remembered how much trouble I’d caused the barbarians already.
“Wait.”
I pulled Tyos into the trees near the wagons, a lump forming in my throat as I considered what I was going to say. I didn’t want to go, I felt safe with him, but I felt it was necessary to offer after everything. Especially after Tyos got into a fight to protect me.
Tyos tipped his head, his curious expression barely visible in the moonlight peeking through the trees and the light coming from the fire a good distance away. “What, velren?”
Surprised, I was momentarily distracted from my mission. “Vel…ren? What does that word mean?”
Tyos made a face, shaking his head. “Can’t explain. I ask later.”
His response made me snicker, and when he stepped closer, I automatically leaned into him.
It’d only been a little over a day since we met, and already, I was getting attached.
Had I known such a sweet man would be waiting for me, I would have volunteered as a tribute like Matthew had.
Maybe then things wouldn’t have been so chaotic with me leaving.
The reminder of how awful things had been so far made my chest ache. I forced myself to say the words I didn’t actually mean, hoping if I did it quickly, it wouldn’t hurt as much as I felt it might.
“I’m sorry. For everything. You have no idea how much. There’s a town not far from here, so if you’d rather I leave, I’m sure I can make it on foot. You shouldn’t have to keep dealing with me just because you saved me. I can–”
His finger against my lips stopped me, and when I finally got brave enough to look up at him, he shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “Too fast, velren.”
I winced. I knew his common tongue wasn’t perfect. Expecting him to understand my rambling wasn’t fair to him.
“Sorry. Again. I just wanted to offer to leave if I’m too much trouble. You’ve done enough and–”
Once again he interrupted me, shaking his head. “No. No trouble. You are safe. Stay.”
“But–”
His next interruption pretty much guaranteed I wouldn’t keep arguing.
As opposed to silencing me with a finger on my mouth, he kissed me instead.
I’d never been kissed before. I gasped, melting into his embrace as he pulled me into his arms. The feel of his lips on mine was better than I’d ever dreamed of.
The softness was a direct contrast to the hardness of his muscles pressed against me, his fingers strong as they glided through my hair.
I shivered at the touch, moaning against his mouth when his tongue teased along the seam of my lips.
When I opened for him, his tongue slid against mine in a slow glide that made my stomach flip and my toes curl.
I’d never experienced anything like it before, and I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to stop.
Apparently, neither could Tyos. He refused to break the kiss, walking me backward until my back was up against a tree, and he surrounded me completely with his body.
The second I felt his arousal grind against mine, all thoughts of leaving fled from my mind.
I let out a desperate sound, trying to climb him like a tree, and moaned when he picked me up and pressed closer, eliminating the space between us.
Every roll of his hips sent pleasure shooting through me like lightning, little gasps and whimpers escaping me despite my best effort to stay quiet.
My fingers dug into his tunic, trying desperately to pull him closer even though that wasn’t possible with how closely we were wrapped around each other.
Still, I was desperate for more, especially when he shifted his hips and ground against me in just the right way.
“Tyos,” I gasped, ripping my mouth away from his.
“Yes, velren. So perfect.” Then he switched to his own language, the rough words making goosebumps spread along my skin as he whispered against my ear. I had no clue what he was saying, but the tone was sultry, and my eyes threatened to roll back into my head listening to him speak to me.
Having never gotten off with another person, I didn’t notice the warning signs of my release until it was too late.
The steady friction, the sultry words, it was all too much, and I came with a cry only half muffled by Tyos’s mouth slamming against mine.
I moaned helplessly, cum soaking my small clothes as my body contorted and writhed in Tyos’s hold.
He ripped his mouth away from mine the moment my body went lax in his hold, setting me on shaky legs and ripping open the ties of his trousers.
I watched in fascination as he pulled his cock free of its confines, his big hand stroking himself roughly as his face twisted with pleasure.
I wanted to touch him, I’d never touched another man intimately in my life, but before I could, he pressed his face against my neck, muffling his groans as he spent on the forest floor between my legs.
The sound of him coming stopped me from becoming fully soft, but I didn’t think we’d go again.
For one thing, we were too exposed, and when the lust cleared from my mind, I became hyper aware of how close we were to the wagons and the warriors near the fire.
It was also cold, and without Tyos wrapped around me, I shivered when the breeze swept over me.
There was also the issue with my wardrobe.
I didn’t want to sleep in a sticky mess, and I wasn’t going to let myself make things worse just because I was eager for more.
Tyos noticed me shiver as another breeze drifted over us. He lifted his face, studying me with a concerned frown. I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper when I said, “Cold.”
Nodding, he straightened and tucked himself away, scooping me up and carrying me to the wagon where we were blocked from the wind.
He helped me wriggle free of my trousers and small clothes under the cover of the furs, giving me his tunic to sleep in.
I’d regret making such a mess in the morning, but for the time being, I was sated and warm in Tyos’s arms, sleepy despite the way my mind buzzed with excitement from the experience.
When Tyos tucked my head under his chin, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, I melted and let sleep take me, for once allowing myself to bask in the moment instead of fearing for the future.
For now, I was happy. I hoped I could stay that way.
I woke again to murmurs near the opening of the wagon. The voices spoke in the barbarian language, so I wasn’t sure what was happening, but when I opened my eyes, Tyos looked curious but not concerned. I figured if he wasn’t worried about it, I didn’t have to worry either.
He noticed me looking up at him and smiled softly, kissing my forehead in a sweet way that made me melt.
“Be at ease. It only Uttin.”
“What’s going on?”
“An old Northern Clan member and his bondmate want to travel back with us to join another clan. They want to experience the warmer weather,” Simon grumbled from where he was half asleep nearby, his voice partially muffled from inside the furs.
I remembered what Tyos said about Simon not waking well and snickered when he turned over and buried his face against his husband, who had lifted onto one elbow to see what was happening.
“Will Uttin let him?” I asked Tyos, not wanting to bother Simon if he was trying to go back to sleep.
Tyos hummed and nodded. “Yes. They are discussion with Ilvos clan leader to inform.”
His battered common tongue was amusing and, after remembering his request for me to teach him, I corrected him so he made more sense. “They are discussing informing the clan leader.”
His face lit up, and he beamed at me, nodding. “Yes. We eat first, then go. Hungry?”
A little, but I was also worried about leaving the safety of the wagon. I didn’t want to run into that other warrior again.
Tyos must have noticed my trepidation because he dipped his head, kissing me softly and whispering against my lips. “No fear. You are safe.”
With a bashful smile, I allowed him to pull me up to my feet.
Thankfully, there was no mess on my trousers, the small clothes and tucked in tunic last night being in the way spared me from that embarrassment, and Tyos had a spare tunic to wear so I could keep his.
It was huge on me, and I had to tie it tight in the front to prevent it from slipping off my shoulders, but it was warmer than mine, and after securing it on one side, it fit well enough for me to feel comfortable leaving the wagon.
Secretly, I loved wearing it. It smelled like Tyos and made me feel safe with his scent wrapped around me.
Zakai was dragged out of the wagon with a lot of protest, while Simon absolutely refused to wake long enough to eat.
His husband had to physically carry him out of the wagon and sit him up in his lap to force him upright, and the look Simon gave him said he’d get revenge later.
His husband didn’t bat an eye at the dark look, feeding Simon from his own bowl until he felt Simon was awake enough to eat on his own.
I watched it all with a smile, noting that no one around them looked disgusted or even bothered by the couple.
It truly was accepted amongst the barbarians.
Matthew plopped down beside me with a sigh, a dreamy look on his face I’d never seen before in the time I’d known him.
He looked happy, and when he glanced over his shoulder to track a conversation, I noticed a love bite on his neck that hadn’t been there the night before.
I wasn’t going to call attention to it, but I wouldn’t have had to bother even if I considered it.
Simon must have opened his eyes long enough to notice it because he called out, “Nice love bite, Matthew. Was that you making all that noise last night, or was that those two sneaking off when they thought no one would notice?”
He pointed at me and Tyos, and my face burst into flames as I gaped at him. “How–”
He snorted, raising an eyebrow at me. “You weren’t exactly quiet. Don’t worry, you weren’t the only ones. Pretty sure we all snuck off at one point. These barbarians are just too hard to resist.”
The man had a point.