Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
TORGRIND
I watched Brenek escort the beautiful stranger away with half a mind to get between them and take the man for myself.
Brenek and I competed in many ways, but rarely over conquests.
We generally weren’t interested in the same things when it came to romantic partners. But this man? This man was special.
“Torgrind?” Idrull’s voice held a hint of curiosity. He didn't pry, he wasn’t a nosy clan leader, but I could tell he was curious.
“Clan Leader,” I acknowledged him with a bow of my head. “Do you need something from me?”
A smile tugged at his lips, like he’d spoken before and I hadn’t been listening. I tried not to grimace. I wasn’t normally so easily distracted.
“Yes. See to it that Jamal’s escort is fed, and his horse is watered before he leaves. Your Erabi is better than mine.”
Dipping my chin, I turned to the gaping soldier who still looked incredulous by the turn of events.
It was his own fault. Had he been a better guard and escort, it was unlikely that Jamal would have turned him away.
His whining got him into this predicament, and I took great satisfaction in informing him of the changes.
“We take Jamal as our charge. He safe with us. You can join for a meal before being on your way.”
He jerked to look at me, wide-eyed, but seeing the determination on my face, he backed down, throwing his hands into the air with frustration.
He spoke in Erabi, but thankfully in words I understood.
“Fine. I did my duty getting him here. If he wishes to stay, that is his problem. Perhaps the spoiled little shit will learn humility out here.”
His jaw snapped shut when he noticed my glare, and he spun on his heel to avoid me, stomping toward the community fire where his horse was being tended to. Brenek was already fawning over the newcomer, sitting beside him around the fire and leaning to whisper in his ear.
If he thought I’d just back down, he was more stupid than I thought. There was something special about this stranger. I was not passing up an opportunity to get to know him just because Brenek got there first.
After fetching my own meal, I sat beside the man, feeling smug when he turned to smile up at me.
“You speak Erabi?”
“Some,” I agreed, shooting a smug look at Brenek when I noticed him glowering at me. “I studied with a teacher after our arrival here and have spoken with Al Nuzem people when we visit their towns.”
He hummed, giving me a slow once over, a sultry grin pulling at his lips. “You speak well. What other things are you good at?”
My eyebrows raised slowly. He wasn’t shy, was he?
Before I could answer his question, a familiar sound filled the air.
Garrun’s Musician had begun playing amongst the clan during the evening meal after enough of my clan brothers had overheard him doing so for his bondmate.
He brightened each evening with his music, and a few other brothers had begun to join him with their own instruments, making the evening meal my favorite part of the day.
When he first began to play, I hadn’t thought the drums our people favored would pair with the delicate tunes of his music, but Henry was adaptable while playing and easily matched the beats with songs he said came to him in dreams.
Jamal sat forward, eyes wide with curiosity and delight. “That’s pretty. What is it?”
“He calls it a violin,” I explained. “He brought it with him from his home when escaping Eldara.”
Jamal’s head cocked, his pretty face clouding with confusion. “Escaped?”
Brenek spoke up, taking over explanation in the common tongue. “Eldara does not allow same sex pairings. It is punishable by death. Many like Henry had to escape with clan brothers to Al Nuzem for freedom to find companionship.”
Jamal’s nose wrinkled distastefully. “Maybe I no longer wish to visit Eldara,” he murmured, eyes still locked on the three playing music across the fire.
Putting a hand on his knee, I squeezed reassuringly. “You are safe here, little one.”
His gaze dropped to my hand, and when he looked back up at me, his smile was wicked as he tipped his head. “What if I don’t want to be safe? I’ve heard many things about the devastating power of barbarian cock.”
His words shocked me, I’d never known a companion to be so blatant before, but the way he looked at me made my blood boil with lust. Perhaps there was merit to a partner who knew what they wanted.
Before I could come up with a response, Brenek interjected, putting his hand on Jamal’s other knee. “My clan brother is known for being soft with his partners. If that isn’t what you want, perhaps I can help you instead,” he offered with a smirk.
Jamal bit his lip, looking over his shoulder at Brenek with just as much interest as when he looked at me.
It irritated me that my clan brother was getting in the way when I clearly had the gorgeous man’s attention, and I couldn’t help but growl at him in our native tongue.
“Have you no honor? We were talking. Be a man and accept he chose me.”
“He did not,” Brenek snapped. “I saw him first.”
I rolled my eyes. “You still act like such a child.”
Brenek, never one to take an insult on the chin, shoved to his feet, bearing his teeth at me. “If you wish for a fight, brother, you need only ask.”
I stood as well, knowing if I gave Brenek the advantage of standing above me, he’d use it to fight unfairly. The little shit was always trying to squirm his way out of a real fight. He knew he would be bested if he didn’t cheat.
“I have no interest in fighting you when my time could be better spent. Accept your loss, brother. Only a child would throw a tantrum like this.”
Brenek’s eyes widened, and he shoved me hard, causing me to stumble a few feet. Unwilling to back down from his challenge, I shoved him back, hard enough to nearly lose his footing.
When Brenek came back swinging, I saw it coming, blocking his fist and punching him in the gut instead. I lost track of how often we fought like this. We’d been butting heads since we were only children, and his moves were now so predictable to me, I didn’t have to do much to block his moves.
“Enough!” a sharp voice snapped, forcing me and Brenek to separate or risk our clan leader’s wrath.
It wasn’t Idrull who came to join us, it was his bondmate, but should we continue to upset her, our clan leader would make us pay for the insult.
She stomped over to us, her glare furious as she stood between us.
“What is the meaning of this? You are frightening our guest with your childish behavior!”
Shamefaced, I looked down at where Jamal still sat on the cushions, then paused. He didn’t look frightened. If I was to guess, he looked almost delighted. Over a fight?
“Apologies, Clan Mother,” I murmured.
Brenek was smart enough to bow his head respectfully, grumbling out his own apology while avoiding eye contact.
She put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at the both of us. “Apologies aside, I want to know why you’re fighting. Close enough to our guest that you could have caused him injury, I might add. Explain yourselves.”
Brenek and I shared a glance. Did we want to explain to our clan mother that we were fighting over the beautiful man who was supposed to be a guest of our clan?
I knew I didn’t. The reaming we’d get would be embarrassing.
Especially since the music had stopped during our fight and more than half the clan was watching us get scolded.
Idrull, who was often happy to let his bondmate take charge of smaller disagreements, came to her side, giving us each a knowing look.
“They were fighting over our guest. Need I remind you that until he is bonded, neither of you can claim him? He is free to do as he wishes. It is his permission you should be looking for.”
Jamal, who had been watching this interaction with a frown, likely because we’d spoken in our mother tongue and not in a language he was familiar with, noticed all eyes swinging his way.
He looked confused and a little defensive, his chin lifting as he swung his attention to the clan leader. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re right,” Idrull agreed in the common tongue. “My warriors were acting like children. I apologize that you were caught in the middle of it.”
He seemed surprised that he wasn’t in trouble for our behavior, which made me want to ask questions. I didn’t think now was a good time to do so, though, and smartly held my tongue.
Jamal looked between the two of us and the clan leader, his face twisted in confusion. “What’s going on, then?”
Drawing in a breath, Idrull let it out slowly, annoyed that he had to explain this. “Torgrind and Brenek both would like the opportunity to earn your favor. They forget that it is your choice to make and thought fighting with each other would gain them that honor. I apologize for their behavior.”
Jamal’s eyebrows flew up, and he looked as though he was fighting a smile when he asked, “Do I… have to decide now?”
Idrull’s brows furrowed. “No. Of course not. You are not obligated to choose anyone if you don’t wish. You are a guest here. My brothers’ actions are a reflection of their childish rivalry, not anything to do with you.”
Oh, it had something to do with him. And from the look on Brenek’s face, this fight wasn’t yet finished.
I narrowed my eyes on him. We might not be able to settle this dispute with fists, but I wasn’t going to back off.
If I could gain the beautiful man’s favor, I would.
And if Jamal chose me, there was nothing he’d be able to do about it.