Chapter 11 #2
‘Twas the way these two were so matter of fact about the situation that allowed me to relax even more. I glanced between them. They’d recently been through these same emotions, and I felt as if I could trust them. Lean on them.
“What sort of ceremony?” I asked.
Verna tapped her chin. “As I understand it, ‘tis basically a public claiming. The two of ye…” She made a circle with her fingers, then pushed two fingers from the opposite hand through the circle, while winking.
“In front of the clan.”
My eyes widened in shock. “In front of everyone?”
Isadora patted my leg. “We could arrange it to happen at night. The darkness will make it more private.”
Oh dear. My heart pounded madly.
And I was surprised to discover that ‘twas not entirely in trepidation.
The thought of Kragorn doing what he’d done today—more so—in front of the clan…I gulped down the tea, my hands already shaking. Why was there a part of me that didn’t hate the thought?
Likely because you are so desperate to feel his cock inside you.
Yes. Well. There was that, wasn’t there?
Nay…nay, this was wrong, wasn’t it? I wasn’t the courageous one, I wasn’t the one who could stand up in front of a group, put myself on display like that. I wasn’t a leader, not like Kragorn.
But…I wanted him. I loved him.
The tea was gone, but I still stared into the mug.
Verna squeezed my knee.
“We are getting ahead of ourselves,” she announced quietly. “The real question is: do you want to be Mated to Kragorn?”
Slowly, I lifted my gaze to her.
“What?”
Her green eyes were sympathetic. “I am not asking about the fucking, although I can see that you are as anxious for that as any of us were. I am asking about being his Mate. His partner. Being tied to him for the rest of your life.”
“My father…” I began, but she shook her head.
“I am not asking about your father, or whatever relationship Kragorn and your father had up until this moment. I am asking about your feelings for Kragorn.”
“I love him,” I confessed with a whisper, and Verna nodded in satisfaction as she sat back.
Isadora took the mug from my hands then twined her fingers through mine.
“There is a knowing, Lillian. That is how Torvolk and Nan explained it to me. There is a knowing. You meet your Mate and you just know. For Avaleen and Mkaalad, they both knew right away—”
“But Myra and Vartok took months,” Verna interjected, then shrugged. “Well, actually, Vartok apparently knew right away, but didn’t bother explaining it to Myra until…quite recently, really.”
“The point is,” Isadora continued, “that the Mating is not just from an orc male’s point of view. Once Torvolk explained it to me, I realized that I could feel it too.”
“Feel what?” I whispered, wide-eyed. My pulse was thundering in my ears as I gripped her hand, wondering what I had missed.
Isadora smiled softly. “The knowing. I know where Torvolk is, even when he is not with me. I know his heart, I know his mind. Some of the women who have been Mated longer tell me they can guess their Mate’s thoughts and feelings.”
“’Tis far more convenient than human marriage,” Verna noted.
But the woman shook her short blonde hair. “Human marriage is about contracts and agreements. You know this, Lillian, your father is a laird.”
She was right. “My father made a marriage alliance with a neighboring laird. When Sorcha—my oldest sister—was stolen by the Bladesedge chief, Father just…replaced the daughter. Elspeth is married to Laird McDonald now.” I remembered the ceremony. “He did not seem to mind.”
Isadora nodded once. “See? Human marriage is about survival—alliances, contracts, connections, then children and inheritances. To orcs, Mating is…well, I suppose it is sort of built in. It is part of their heart and soul.”
“Once an orc finds his Mate, he will not look at another female with interest.” Verna’s smile was smug. “And I have never heard of a female who, after accepting her Mate, rejects her heart’s choice.”
With wide eyes, I glanced between my two friends. Her heart’s choice. Is that what Kragorn was? Aye, I knew it to be true. There is a knowing. I loved him, and he claimed I was his Mate…
“There is a knowing,” I whispered.
When Isadora exhaled, her shoulders slumped and she smiled in relief. “Aye, there is,” she agreed quietly. “So, you understand it? You feel it?”
I did.
Slowly, I turned to her, awe in my voice when I admitted, “He is my Mate, and I am his.”
Her smile grew as she squeezed my hand. “And the fact that he is chief?”
“I still cannot believe he chose me—”
“I can,” Verna interrupted. “You are kind and caring. You might not like to lead, but you are the support Kragorn needs—you have proven that.”
“She’s right.” Isadora untangled her fingers to wrap her arm around my shoulders again. “You will be there, not just for him, but for the clan. You do not have to lead, because we have Kragorn for that…and he will have you.”
Sheepishly, I admitted, “He said something very similar today, when listing why he chose me—”
“Nay, he did not choose you,” Verna scolded. “’Tis not a conscious choice, Lillian, but something decided here.” Her fingers spread across her chest. “You two are meant for each other, and you will make a fine chief’s Mate.”
“If you are able to accept him?” Isadora’s question was hesitant. “It will not be easy, allowing the entire clan to be a part of something so intimate.”
I shifted my gaze between my two new friends, and grimaced.
Nay. Nay, it would not.
Kragorn
There was a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The council meeting was a good one, and I couldn’t deny the peace I felt at being among my clan again.
There’d been plenty of discussion about what I’d missed in the months I’d been away, and then I told them my story.
Some of them knew already, but this would be my official tale to the clan, and I made certain I took the blame for my initial capture, not wanting my warriors to think I was faulting them for any reason.
Then, as the great fire in the center of the Hall began to die down, I gripped the arms of my chair and stood. The council—my friends and clan members—quieted, watching me expectantly.
“I want to thank you all for your leadership these last months. My brother approached each of you to ask for your participation in this council, although I firmly believe he could have led the clan on his own—”
“Fook that,” growled Vartok good-naturedly, to much laughter. “Have I told ye how glad I am to have ye back?”
I joined in the chuckles. “No’ today, ye havenae.”
“I’m so glad ye’re home, Kragorn!” he called out in all sincerity, and my grin grew.
With only the one eye, I had to turn my head to take in the sight of the Bloodfire clan welcoming me home, but ‘twas worth it. Hells, losing the eye—although I was still acclimating to the lack of depth perception—was worth it, to be back home.
I allowed my gaze to settle on each council member, and as they quieted once more, I nodded to each of them.
“Vartok was wise to ask you to join this council, and I am proud of him for thinking of such a thing.
‘Tis unusual, aye, for a chief to share power, but I think it important to listen to the advice and wisdom from my clan. I plan to not only continue these council meetings, but to listen to your thoughts.”
“Bloodfire!” roared Torvolk, and the cry was taken up by the others as they realized the changes I was implementing.
“Bloodfire! Bloodfire!”
Grinning, I raised my palms, and when I was allowed to speak, I told them the truth.
“I hesitated, uncertain if I should break from tradition. Every other chief in the Highlands expects his orders followed, after all, but my Mate convinced me of the wisdom of following my brother’s example.”
There was silence for a few moments as my words sunk in, and then the Hall erupted in cheers and bellows as they understood my claim. My Mate.
“Lillian? Lillian’s yer Mate?” Vartok whooped, slapping me on my back. Then my cousins were there, offering their congratulations—Mkaalad tried to lift me in his hug—and even Auld Klorbkal called out unhelpful wooing tips.
Nan was the one to tug on my arm until I bent and she could place a kiss on my cheek.
“Welcome home, chief. We’ll begin the preparations for yer claiming, and the clan will ken their future is secure.”
I was grinning when I straightened, the new scars on my face tugging at my cheek just enough to remind me ‘twere there. But as the council began to disperse, and my friends and cousins offered to raise a toast to me, a new voice came out of the darkness.
“I see we chose the correct time to visit.”
I swung about, my good eye taking a moment to place the strangers in my memory. And when I did, I sucked in an angry breath, then made a chopping motion to the warriors surrounding me.
“Leave us. Vartok, you stay.”
I dismissed them from my mind as I settled back into my chair, my jaw tight as I surveyed the newcomers.
“Ye have ballocks of steel, coming here, Stormseeker.”