Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
SIMON
I woke up to an uncomfortable breeze, thanks to the rip in the tent lining. I frowned, snuggling deeper into the furs, and I was going to drag Feigrind on top of me to keep me warm when I realized he wasn’t there. I sat up with a frown, looking around. I knew he woke up a lot earlier than I did, but it was getting annoying how often I woke without him. I attempted to go back to sleep on my own, but the breeze was just chilly enough that I couldn’t, so eventually I got up to pull on some clothes. The tent was still a mess after my tantrum the night prior, and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it. Maybe I would have if he didn’t sneak off every morning.
He came in right as I tugged my boots on. I scowled at him, but he was used to my morning moodiness by now. He set the bowls of food he’d obviously gone to get for us on the table and scooped me up, putting me in his lap in front of the table so I could use him as a chair. I startled a little, looking over my shoulder at him.
“What are you doing?”
“You seemed to enjoy sitting like this when you first got here. I want to make you happy,” he murmured, nuzzling his face against my neck.
I melted. It was seriously hard to stay mad at him when he seemed determined to say such sweet things all the time. Still, I did my best to try. I poked him in the side and forced something resembling a scowl onto my lips.
“I don’t like waking up alone.”
That got a smirk out of him. “You don’t like waking up at all. I’d bet you’d sleep the day away if you could.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. Technically, he wasn’t wrong. I enjoyed sleeping, especially when I was wrapped in his arms and warm. Sitting on his lap had basically the same effect on my mood, so I settled and took the bowl of food when he offered it, snuggling against him with a sigh.
“Orthorr wants to speak with you after you’ve eaten,” he said between bites of his own food.
I made a face. Sitting wrapped up in Feigrind’s arms made me happy. Meeting with annoying clan leaders did not. I didn’t do well with authority figures. If the guards in town weren’t visiting the brothel for sex, they were there to cause trouble. I wanted more than a few hours to relax before having to deal with anything like that.
“Do I have to?”
He tipped his head with a frown. “No… But it would be kind.”
“I’m not kind,” I shot back with a scowl. “I don’t care to hear what he has to say.” He probably wanted to berate me for making that challenge. Or maybe for killing several people. They deserved it, and three were trying to rape people, but for some people that wouldn’t matter.
Setting his food down, Feigrind took mine and put it aside as well before wrapping himself around me again. My indignation settled, and I turned in his arms, straddling his lap so I could bury my face against his neck. Now that I was with someone who liked to cuddle me, I found myself seeking it out whenever I could. I liked the way he held me without expecting sex from the touch. Not that I’d say no to sex with him, but it was nice that it wasn’t the first thought on his mind.
“I need to speak with him,” he murmured, running his nose along my neck. “I need to claim you properly. But I don’t like being away from you. Leaving to get breakfast took too long. I would ask that you come with me.”
Ugh. He made a good argument. I wanted to claim him, too. I wanted to show all those stupid women who’d turned him down what they were missing out on. This gorgeous, sweet, fierce barbarian was all mine. I’d tell the whole world if I could.
“Fine…” I sighed. “But only for a minute. I was hoping to wake up with sex. You ruined my plans by sneaking off.”
He grinned, straightening so he could lean his forehead against mine. “I will make it up to you. I promise.”
Damn right he would. Just because I left the brothel behind didn’t mean I was going to stop wanting daily sex. If he really wanted to keep me, he had to be ready to take care of that. In return, I’d take care of him and make sure he knew I chose him every single day for the rest of our lives.
FEIGRIND
I could tell Simon was unhappy about seeing Orthorr. He was probably still angry from when the clan leader wouldn’t let him come with me on the journey. I’m not sure how things would have gone had he not been here. He’d saved Finn and Orthorr. His presence here was necessary, even if I hated that he was here without my protection.
There was no way of knowing the what-ifs, so I let it go, tugging Simon’s hand as he dragged his feet toward the healing tent. Orthorr had been badly injured during Feiskedr’s attack. Three against one would be a difficult fight for anyone, even for a seasoned fighter like him. He was resting under Zoya’s care, and would stay there until she saw fit to let him go back to his own tent. It was warm when we stepped inside, the fire in the middle always going to keep those sick and injured warm. The others who had been injured in the attack were resting nearby, and I nodded in greeting as I stepped past them to where Orthorr was propped up near the back.
Simon sucked in a breath when we got closer, his face twisted into a sympathetic wince. “Ouch.”
Orthorr huffed a small laugh at his reaction and grimaced for his efforts. “I believe I said the same thing upon waking. Thank you for coming to see me, Simon. Feigrind.”
Simon waved his free hand at me, the other still laced in mine. “He wanted to talk to you. I’m just tagging along.”
I wished he’d speak more respectfully toward the clan leader, but I could not expect that from Simon. Pushing him to do so would only make him lash out. Instead, I spoke to the clan leader about my intentions.
“I wish to claim Simon as my bondmate,” I told him.
Orthorr’s brows furrowed a little. “And does he agree to this?” He glanced at Simon expectantly.
Without hesitation, Simon insisted, “I want Feigrind. Returning to the brothel and leaving him behind is…” He shuddered and scowled. “I’m not going to do that. I want to stay with him.”
Pride and affection filled me, and I had to fight the urge to pull him in for a kiss. Now was not the time for it.
Orthorr nodded slowly. “If you both agree, then I see no reason to stop you. A bonding ceremony will do a lot to ease the strain on the clan as well. I will let the others know to begin planning.”
Relieved, I let out a long breath. It was not often that Orthorr stood in the way of a bonding. Only if he truly felt the match would lead to problems in the clan, such as jealousies or fights, would he step in. However, Simon was not well received when he first arrived. I’d worried that Orthorr would not wish him to stay after the way he’d acted—and would probably continue to act on occasion. He was happy with his choice to stay as my bondmate, he’d told me plenty the night prior about how he felt, but that probably did not mean he would stop being a brat. I wouldn’t want him to, either. I loved his fiery spirit.
With permission granted, Simon was eager to escape and turned on his heel, tugging me along behind him. Orthorr’s voice stopped him before he could get far.
“Simon? A word, if you will.”
A flash of annoyance crossed Simon’s face, and I bit back a chuckle at his reaction. Drawing him back, I tucked him against me to ease his frustration, rubbing his back lightly. He still looked put out, but less like he wanted to start mouthing off to our clan leader. Hopefully, that meant he would behave.
“What?” Simon demanded with a scowl.
Or maybe not. I tightened my grip a little, giving him a look. “Be kind, raknar. He only wishes to talk.”
He narrowed his eyes on me. “What does that word mean?”
Orthorr answered before I could. “It means small spirited one. It is a term of endearment for those who are not demure or quiet.” He glanced at me, his smile a little sad. “I used to call my bondmate the same thing.”
My heart ached for him. His bondmate had died a few years ago from illness. She was a good woman, kind and patient, but took sass from no one. She would have liked Simon. They were both spirited souls.
Simon must have understood the tension in the air, because he did not argue or demand more explanation. He crossed his arms, leaning his back against my chest in a possessive way that always made me smile.
“Okay. So what do you want?”
“I want to thank you,” Orthorr said sincerely. “You saved my life and the life of one of my clan. You distracted Feiskedr, and you gave the clan a chance to get the upper hand. And I was told you faced his challenge head-on before Einar intervened. You have brought great honor to my clan. I’d like to repay that somehow.” His gaze drifted to me for a moment, and I saw a flash of what looked like regret cross his face before he spoke again. “Had you not come to me with your plans to bond with Feigrind, I would have offered to have you brought back to your home, but…”
Simon shook his head before I could even begin to worry about it. “I already said I’m not going back. And I don’t need you to repay me. They would’ve done godsawful things to me had I not acted. I didn’t do it just for you. So you’re welcome or whatever, but I don't need anything.” He glanced over at me. “Can we go now?”
I bit back a laugh and shook my head. “Orthorr is not that easily deterred, kolrav. Sit with me. We will speak with him together.”
Begrudgingly, Simon let me pull him into my lap as we sat beside Orthorr’s bed. It clearly took great restraint on Simon’s part not to start arguing when Orthorr pushed for some way for the clan to repay him. He was still surly after waking up alone. If I could have stayed in bed all morning with him, I would have. But Simon liked to sleep, and I would have gotten restless lying in bed all day. I would need to find a better solution so that he did not wake up alone.
“What about a chance to travel?” Orthorr offered. I stiffened, frowning at him. I did not want him sending Simon away from me.
Simon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?”
“Uttin told me you knew many languages, including ours, before your arrival. It would make trade with towns easier if we had a translator present. When you are not working, you are free to explore the cities?—”
“Clan leader,” I protested. He shook his head to stop me.
“You would go with him. Your maman has spoken with me at great length about your hovering. She will not be without care in your absence, but you need to live for more than just her now. You have a bondmate to care for, too.”
I fell quiet, dropping my gaze. I knew my mother didn’t like my hovering, but she was the only parent I had left. I didn’t want to lose her.
Simon looked over his shoulder at me, then back to Orthorr. “Can I think about it?”
He nodded. “Do so. I will be here if you wish to discuss it more.”
With a nod, Simon stood, pulling me up with him. I let him lead me out of the healing tent and back to ours, grunting in surprise when he shoved me onto the bed. He dropped into my lap again, straddling me, and crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest.
“I’m not taking that job if it makes you unhappy. I’ll tell Orthorr to shove it up his ass. If you’re not ready to be apart from Maman, then he shouldn’t force you. That jerk.”
My breathing stuttered, and I reacted on impulse, yanking him to me for a frantic kiss. He groaned, kissing me back just as fiercely, and threw his arms around my neck. When we pulled apart, we were both breathing harshly, and I could feel his erection hard against mine.
“You are my other half. I don't care to know what I would do without you. Thank you, Simon.”
He tsked, his smile full of affection. “You need to stop thanking me. Choosing you was entirely selfish on my part. I didn’t want to let you go.”