Chapter 4
Four
It felt as though his cock was somewhere in my guts.
It was painful and my erection was gone, but no matter how long I waited for him to slam inside me and get it over with, he never did.
He paused and started petting me instead, whispering in that soothing tone like he was trying to make me feel better.
The care he gave me made tears well in my eyes.
Even if it hurt, I never expected to be treated so kindly.
He urged me to face him, and when his worried expression came into view, the tears spilled over. How could such a large and intimidating man be so tender?
He said something else I didn’t understand, running his fingers through my hair again.
Then he leaned down and kissed my cheek, my jaw, and finally my lips.
The angle was uncomfortable, both because of the sting in my ass and the way my head was angled, but I did my best to focus on his lips instead.
They were softer than I imagined, and a little hesitant.
I was struck again with the thought that he was new to this.
For some reason, that made me feel a little better.
Maybe he wasn’t the raping and pillaging type like the others who’d kidnapped me.
He distracted me with kisses for a little while until the pain settled into a dull ache and I felt like I could breathe again.
He must have felt me relax because he grunted in satisfaction and straightened, grabbing more of the slippery liquid and pouring it between us.
I shivered as it trickled down my balls and my cock swelled a little.
It had gone down with the pain, but the little tease brought it back to life.
With more slickness to ease the way, he rocked his hips, easing the rest of his giant cock inside me with as much tenderness as he could manage. At one point, the pain bloomed into a warm sort of pleasure and when his hips finally rested against my ass, I felt more interested in continuing.
Drawing his hips back, he thrust back in, groaning as he did.
I gasped as his cock brushed that spot he’d focused on with his fingers, burying my face into the furs to hide my moan.
My toes curled when he did it again, and I was embarrassed when more lusty sounds spilled from my throat.
His big hand ran up my back, gripping my shoulder, and then, finally, he started pistoning into me like I’d expected before now.
Only, because he’d waited and taken his time, I could enjoy what he was doing.
Each thrust brushed against that spot deep inside, sending sparks of pleasure through my body.
I gasped and moaned and even started rocking my hips to meet him halfway.
His heavy groan said he enjoyed it when I did.
I lost all sense of myself in that moment.
I was a bundle of pleasure, lighting up with each thrust of his cock.
The sparks gathered at the base of my spine until they exploded and my mind shattered.
I came so hard I couldn’t breathe, wishing he would keep going and wanting him to stop at the same time.
He didn’t stop, though. Not at first. He shouted when I came and fucked me harder, his hands moving to my hips as he rode out the waves of my release.
The pleasure got so overwhelming that I began to sob, and I felt myself coming for a second time.
I hadn’t known I could so soon, but then again, I’d never felt pleasure like this before.
My second release seemed to be his tipping point. He roared through his orgasm, his fingers tight enough on my hips that he was probably bruising them. When I melted into the furs, he came with me, peppering my shoulders and the back of my neck with kisses as he murmured foreign words to me.
Fatigue dragged at my senses. After my time in a jail cell, the kidnapping, and the sex, I was exhausted.
I didn’t know the barbarian still buried inside me and we didn’t speak the same language, but he showed me without words that I was safe with him.
For the first time in over a week, I felt safe enough to sleep. I could finally rest.
I became addicted to my bondmate. I couldn’t get enough of him.
It wasn’t just sex, either. The sex was amazing, and I wanted more every time we finished, but it was more than that.
Feeling him wrapped in my arms as we slept, or curled in my lap as we ate meals together.
Gazing into his pretty brown eyes as he spoke to me.
We couldn’t understand each other, but that didn’t stop me from falling for him.
He relaxed around me as the days went by.
The more I showed him that I cared, the more relaxed he became.
He even smiled at me and every time he did, I felt as though my heart was swelling until I was sure it would burst from my chest. I lost count of the number of times I tried to steal his smile, capturing his lips and kissing him until he made a happy sigh and threw his arms around my neck.
It wasn’t all good, though. I was growing angry with the amount of times my clan brothers showed up while we were having sex.
Hozat said it was to make sure I was using him as I should be, but I didn’t believe that.
I didn’t like them seeing my bondmate in the throes.
I wanted his sounds and the pleasure on his face only to myself.
He was napping against my chest after a round of morning sex when Hozat came again. I was lucky that I thought to cover him, so Hozat didn’t see him when he strode inside like he belonged there. Baring my teeth, I glared at him.
“Why are you here?”
“Ugbar wants to see you,” he said blandly, his eyes lingering on my bondmate. “Leave the tribute. He is not part of clan business.”
My bondmate wouldn’t understand even if I brought him along.
I didn’t have the first clue how to teach him our tongue, nor did I speak a lick of the languages the towns spoke.
We spoke to each other, but neither of us understood what the other was saying.
It was just that I enjoyed the sound of his voice. It was pretty.
I moved to stand so I could get dressed, but Hozat didn’t leave like I expected him to. He stood there, staring at my bondmate with heat in his eyes. Fury ripped through me and I shoved him away, pointing at the exit.
“Get out.”
He looked surprised that I would react in such a way. I was a little surprised myself. I never acted in that way with my clan brothers. But I didn’t trust him around my bondmate. I’d heard the way they treated the females who came here. I didn’t want them anywhere near my beloved.
Hozat lifted his chin, scowling at me. “Someone has to watch him. He cannot be trusted on his own.”
That was a lie. I’d removed the bindings on my bondmate’s wrists that first night and he had never tried to leave on his own.
The only time he left my tent was with me when using the trench or getting meals.
I even brought warmed water to the tent to bathe him because I was selfish with his body and didn't want anyone else to see. I knew Hozat wouldn’t believe me, though, and I didn’t like the idea of leaving my bondmate alone anyway.
I chose instead to leave him with the one clan brother I knew I could trust.
“Tyal will watch him, then,” I snapped. “Go away.”
It seemed as though Hozat wanted to argue, but I moved closer, looming over him.
They might consider me the clan simpleton, but there was one thing I was good at.
I would hurt him if he didn’t leave. I preferred peace over violence, but he would do best not to underestimate what I would do to protect my bondmate. Even from my own clan.
Thankfully, he backed off, glaring sharply at me. “Hurry up. Don’t keep Ugbar waiting.”
It was after he stormed off that I noticed he had woken my bondmate. The pretty male clutched the furs to his chest, looking up at me worriedly. Kneeling beside him, I smoothed back his hair and kissed him lightly.
“Get dressed, kolrav. You will go with Tyal to stay safe.”
I offered him a tunic of mine to show him what I wanted.
He was little, and I didn’t have anything his size, but he still had his trousers from when he’d arrived here, and he tied up my tunic enough that it no longer hung on him like a dress.
Once we were both clothed, he took my arm, cuddling against my side.
The fear was back, though not for me this time.
He was worried about what was happening. We hadn’t been separated before now.
Hozat was gone when I stepped out of my tent, which was a relief. I worried about fighting in front of my bondmate. I didn’t want to scare him. I guided him along with me to Tyal’s tent, calling out to him to get his attention.
“Brother. I need your help.”
He stepped out of his tent a moment later with a deep frown, his hand already on the sword at his side. “What’s wrong?”
I gestured to my bondmate. “I need you to watch him. Ugbar has demanded my presence and I don’t trust Hozat to leave my bondmate alone while I’m gone. Will you do this for me?”
His face softened, and he nodded. “It would be my honor to guard your bondmate, brother. Does he understand our words yet?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure how to teach him. I am no teacher.”
He huffed a laugh. “Probably for the best. Go. I will keep him safe.”
When I tried nudging my bondmate toward Tyal, he clung to me harder, shaking his head with wide, fearful eyes. I hated that I couldn’t explain things to him. Neither could Tyal. He didn’t speak the common tongue either.
Capturing my kolrav’s hands, I kissed his knuckles, giving him a reassuring smile. “I will be back soon. Tyal is my friend. He will protect you.”
“Do this gesture,” Tyal suggested, putting his hands up in a staying motion. “Show him you only want him to wait.”
Nodding, I mimicked the gesture and gave my kolrav a kiss to reassure him.
He looked uncertain but seemed to understand enough to let me go.
His arms went around his middle, and I wanted to gather him in my arms and hold him until he smiled again, but I needed to go.
So I kissed his lips one more time and nudged him toward Tyal’s tent. He would be safe until I returned.
After he was ensconced in Tyal’s tent, I jogged to Ugbar’s tent, a massive, gaudy thing that was a pain in the ass to move whenever we traveled.
But he liked to see himself as a king, and his tent represented that.
When I called out to him, he barked for me to enter.
I did so, eyeing the four others inside with him, Hozat included.
When had I stopped trusting my clan brothers?
Why did I feel the need to reach for my sword in their presence?
“Clan leader. Did you need something from me?”
“Yes. I have decided on a new law. Bondmates are no longer allowed. Tributes are to be shared amongst the clan.”
My stomach revolted at the thought and I whipped my gaze to Ugbar, opening my mouth to argue.
“You can either share him, or I will kill him. Choose.”