Epilogue #6
Svein sniffled and nodded against her, and Raye held him for another quiet, perfect moment, while all the rest of the world faded away.
Her precious son was safe, he was alive, he was happy, and surrounded by people who loved him.
She’d always sought to do her best for him, and it had never been a failure.
It had been enough. She’d always been enough.
Raye chuckled as Svein squirmed away again, in favour of flailing the wooden sword he was still holding, and demanding that Kalfr brawl with him against Papa Gael.
To which Kalfr and Gaelfr both grinned and nodded, and soon the three of them were sparring together, Raye loudly cheering at every one of Svein’s little victories.
By the time they finished, it was fully dark out, and Svein had collapsed into Gaelfr’s arms, his eyes fluttering closed.
And Gaelfr patted his head as he turned to take him toward the byrgi, to where all the children were camping together for the night, under the watchful supervision of Grum and Ivar, another elder from the mountain.
It left Raye entirely alone with Kalfr, for what felt like the first time since their prayers, and when he met her eyes, she could taste his affection, and his simmering hunger, too.
And when he drew her toward the altar, she went without hesitation, leaning into him, as he circled his arm around her, and pressed a kiss to her hair.
There were already multiple Bautul worshipping at the altar, drawn there as the night had deepened, as the full moon had risen above them.
Some of them were only murmuring their prayers, or swaying to the drummers’ slow steady beat, but others were already tangled on the altar together, sharing their joy beneath the moon’s silvery light.
Kalfr silently led Raye through the midst of them, and though the altar was already crowded, the worshippers eased aside to make room, offering the day’s victorious voreur his due.
And when Kalfr tugged off Raye’s clothes, and guided her down onto her side on the altar’s soft furs, there wasn’t even an instant’s shame.
And instead, she only smiled at him, circling her arms around his warm shoulders, welcoming his beloved body, with all its dirt and sweat and scars.
He slid into her smooth and easy, settling deep into where he belonged, and Raye arched as she welcomed it, opened for it, offered herself up to his pleasure and his light. To whatever her beloved mate wished to grant her, this night.
And it wasn’t always the same when they came together with their band to worship like this, every month beneath the full moon.
Sometimes they would play their games together, and Kalfr would hurl out heated tests and commands, while Raye eagerly moaned and obeyed.
Other times, their lovemaking was sweet and soft and worshipful, a way to find each other beneath the moon, and welcome the goddess’ blessing upon them.
And still other times, they spurred each other on to astonishing heights of pleasure, always with Gaelfr’s help, and with the help of their band, too, and any others who might wish to join them.
And as the months had passed, Raye had become more and more comfortable with sharing their worship on the altar, welcoming the help of their bandmates and friends.
Finding genuine pleasure in the touch of their hands and mouths, their tongues teasing her peaked breasts, even their lips kissing reverently between her thighs.
But the rest of her had always belonged to her mates, and them likewise to her, and these days, Raye had fully accepted her jealousy as not a failing or a weakness, but as part of being Bautul. Part of her trust, and her joy.
And it was only joy, now, as Kalfr buried himself again and again inside her, and then as Gaelfr’s bared body eased in to crouch over them, kissing them each in turn, caressing his hands in their hair.
Guiding them to kiss each other, too, and Raye clung to Kalfr as she drank him up, inhaled the depth of his longing and his love.
Their fellow worshippers’ hands had also begun touching her now, stroking warm at her skin, tucking flowers into her hair.
But all that mattered was this, her mate’s beautiful blessed body driving faster and smoother inside her, seeking its pleasure with her, its peace — and catching, sparking, pouring her full as he arched, his neck bared, his face bathed in white moonlight.
Next it was Gaelfr’s turn, slipping in between Raye and Kalfr on the fur, and filling her with his warm hungry strength, while Kalfr shifted down behind him, trailing hungry kisses all the way down his back, toward his crease.
And Raye could feel Gaelfr swelling harder in return, his pleasure heating and sparking too, his powerful body rutting hard and fast beneath the urging of his ástvinur’s clever hands and mouth.
And it was more joy, a shared prize between her and Kalfr both, when Gaelfr soon stiffened and sparked too, growling as he flooded her with his ecstasy and his favour.
But it was only the beginning, they all knew, because Raye could scent the hunger still swelling stronger around them — not only theirs, but every worshipper’s upon and around the altar.
All of them offering their ecstasy up together, feeding upon each other, whirling it up higher in the rich-scented air.
And when Kalfr slid back into Raye, plunging out his and Gaelfr’s seed with every thrust, she cried out and dragged him closer, while her leg drew his knee up, opening him wide for Gaelfr behind him.
And the familiar feel of Gaelfr’s thick pole piercing deep into Kalfr’s body shook Raye all over, fired her and Kalfr both with more heat and hunger and light.
She was only half-aware of the other hands still touching her, or of Stella’s soft body nudged up warm and close, trembling with every heated command from Silfast above her.
And up near Raye’s shoulder, Skirvir was grinding with feral intensity into a beautifully arching Fengr, and someone else had slipped up to lean over Raye’s side, licking at her breast — Egil, always so hungry and needy.
So she fondly stroked her hand through his silky hair as she drew Kalfr in for a kiss, and as a hot spray of seed — Olarr’s, from the scent of it — struck across them all.
But it was only more light, more blessing, especially when Kalfr and Gaelfr shot out in unison, in a way that Raye now knew meant they were both in utter accord now, their bodies in perfect sync, their bonds wound tight.
And she was already opening, waiting for it, when Gaelfr shifted over to lie on her other side, so he could slowly push into her from behind, slotting himself in deep together with Kalfr, stretching her as full as she could go.
Winding their bond even tighter, weaving them all together with flesh and seed and longing.
It was sheer sensation and light now, the earth spinning, the scents a shimmering smear of blended colour in the air.
A tapestry all its own, painted in love and trust, brighter and wilder with every thrust, every groan, every touch of her clanmates’ hands and mouths, every fresh splash of their seed across her skin.
Offering up their pleasure, their protection, their life.
Raye screamed as her release juddered and roared, blasting white across the sky, blazing through the dark.
Remaking her in its image, burning away any old whispers of shadows or doubts, kindling her to pure, dazzling light.
And her mates could only bow and offer themselves to it, feed it and taste it, sink their teeth with reverent devotion into their goddess’ gasping throat.
The earth kept spinning afterwards, slow and gentle and nurturing, the moon hanging so bright and close that Raye’s reaching hand could almost touch it, could feel its cool silvery light against her skin.
And in that breath, she was quietly, utterly certain of her goddess’ presence, her blessing, her salvation.
Without the penance, without the punishment, without the guilt and amends and failures. She was still enough. More than enough.
Kalfr’s hands silently spoke it too, and his mouth softly caressed at where he’d broken the skin on her throat.
Whispering, I love you. I trust you. And Raye almost sobbed as she drew his face close for a needy urgent kiss, speaking it back to him with every touch of tongues, every shared inhale of breath.
And next she twisted around to meet Gaelfr, too, feeling him smile as he kissed her in return, because there was nothing he loved more than honouring his goddess, wielding all his sacred power to transform her into colour and light.
“Good, saeta?” he whispered, so husky, so warm, his scent more peaceful than Raye had ever tasted it. As if he was finally enough, too, blessed and holy beneath his goddess’ favour.
“Yes,” Raye whispered back, full to the brim with happiness, with peace. “Perfect.”
THE END
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