“You please me, woman,” Simon’s voice rumbled, vibrating into Maria’s very bones. “You show yourself worthy of a Skai. Ach?”
The last word was so quiet, so painfully tender, but it still seemed to echo through the otherwise silent room. Because it was a… declaration, Maria’s whirling thoughts realized. A claim. Apromise.
And when Simon stepped close, and gathered her up in his arms, that felt like a promise, too. In the way he curled her against his chest, his clawed hand stroking her hair, his mouth pressing to her forehead with something almost liketenderness.
He kept stroking her as he grasped for the lamp and stalked toward the door, not giving a single backwards glance. Though Maria’s hazy eyes caught, somehow, on Drafli, still watching from the opposite wall, but now with his brow heavily furrowed, his gaze darting at — Ulfarr. Ulfarr, who was glowering straight toward Maria, with sheer, visceralragestill crackling in his black eyes.
But if Simon noticed, he didn’t seem concerned — and in fact, his face looked perhaps more content than Maria had ever seen it. And his glance down toward her was so gentle, so damnedaffectionate, that it stole away her breath.
“You have honoured me, woman,” he said, his voice hoarse, as he strode through the corridor. “Greatly.”
A sharp flare of warmth shivered down Maria’s back, and she felt herself slowly smiling at him, the heat suffusing her cheeks. “Really?”
“Ach,” he continued, oddly fervent. “With this, I have shown myself wise and powerful, and fulfilled all that is required of a Skai and his woman, but for the hunt or the rut. No other Skai shalldaretouch you now, even if I am no with you. No even Ulfarr.”
That was almost enough to cut through the hazy contentment in Maria’s thoughts — Ulfarr still touching her had truly been apossibility, until now? — but Simon had already followed that, his eyes narrowing, his hands hoisting her closer.
“You ken I shouldneverallow Ulfarr to touch you, ach?” he said firmly. “But now, my kin shall defend this also. Now that you have so bravely flaunted your hunger and your fealty toward me, with no even awhiffof fear.”
Something much like pride filled his voice, and even as more warmth swelled all through Maria’s being, there was suddenly something in that, something important. Something — Maria’s tingly hand rubbed at her eyes — somethingshameful.
“But don’t you think,” she whispered, “that I — lost it, there, for a while? It was all a bit —much, right? Irrational? Hysterical?”
Simon’s brow had furrowed, his head tilting, and oh gods, had sheinsultedhim? “Not that doing such a thing necessarily equates to hysteria, of course,” she continued, in a rush. “But truly, I’veneverdone such a thing publicly before, let alonebeggingyou for it, or not feelingafraidabout it. And for a woman of my — my uh,history, that is, uh, of hysteria, you know, it’s — I should have been —”
She couldn’t even hear herself, her heart hammering furiously in her ears, and Simon kept studying her as he strode into his familiar room, and carefully set her down to her feet. And far too late, Maria realized what she’d just confessed, just betrayed. A history of gods-damnedhysteria. And what would Simon say, oh gods, what would hethink—
But he only kept looking at her, and both his hands tilted her face up, fingers spreading against her still-hot cheeks. Making sure she was looking back at him, her eyes locked to his, to his truth seeking deep.
“Maria,” he said, very steady. “Your hunger was a great gift to me. There was naught amiss in this. Naught amiss withyou.”
But staring up at this bewildering, overwhelming, utterly distracting orc, Maria heard herself bark a laugh, far too loud in the sudden stillness. “But you’re wrong, Simon,” she choked out. “According to three separate physicians, my husband, my entire household in Preia, andevery single fucking acquaintanceI knew. Even you, at first, you called me irrational, you condemned my foolishfeelings, youknewI was broken, you —”
And what the hell was she saying, why was she bringing this up — and Simon still only stared down at her, unblinking. And surely now he would finally reject her, just like her husband, and gods she was not going to weep in front of him, she wasnot—
Until Simon abruptly stepped toward her, and wrapped her tight in his arms. Enfolding her deep against his chest, pressing her head close against his loud pattering heart.
“Peace, Maria,” he murmured into her hair. “I only no knew you then, ach? I no knew the strength of yourfeeling. But this no mean you arebroken, ach? And” — his chest filled, hollowed — “even if aughtwasamiss with you, this no yet bring shame. This only mean we next face this. Seek tohelpthis. Find new ways, and keep yousafe.”
Oh. The relief felt almost staggering in its power, and Maria clutched at it, at his certainty, his solid form against her. At the feel of his warm mouth, pressing against her hair.
“Also, you ken this husband is a fool, ach?” he continued, his voice hardening. “You oughtneverheed his words as truth. For this man held both your vow and your pure hunger thus, and yetwastedsuch a gift.”
An odd, derisive laugh escaped Maria’s throat — for all his faults, Duke Warmisham was no fool, and she was surely nogift— but Simon’s hands had found her face again, tilting it up, making her look at him.
“You were the envy of all my kin tonight, my pretty one,” he continued, a low, vehement rumble. “You were all a true Skai should be. You watched me, and met me, and strove with all your strength. And when you said how you wished for me, and begged me for my son —”
His voice caught, and he again dragged her close, fingers spreading wide against her bare back. “This tasted,” he whispered, “sotrue.”
So true. And standing here, cradled tight in a deadly orc’s arms, Maria somehow felt herself — nodding. Saying — yes? Yes? It —was?
But she didn’t take it back, couldn’t take it back, not with the way Simon had exhaled against her, so heavy, so relieved. And surely it was hysteria, surely Maria was truly losing all rationality for good, and — and —
And Simon was easing her down onto the bed. Hovering close and gentle over her, spreading her legs apart. And as he once again pierced her, slow and beautiful and impossibly powerful, Maria somehow just — accepted it. Welcomed it.Was.
New ways. A gift. Cleansing. Whole.
“You shall be mine,” he said into her ear, quiet. “You shall be Skai. Ach?”
