“There is a knowing, Lillian. That is how Torvolk and Nan explained it to me. There is aknowing. You meet your Mateand you justknow. 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. “Theknowing. 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,thenchildrenand inheritances. To orcs, Mating is…well, I suppose it is sort ofbuilt 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 nothaveto 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,hedid not choose you,” Verna scolded. “’Tis not a conscious choice, Lillian, but something decidedhere.” 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 wasa 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 themmystory. 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. Thecouncil—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?”
