I startle when we round the corner. The path appears to terminate at the enormous face carved from stone. It fills the space completely, stretching from one corner to the other, and matches the entire height of the wall, its mouth opened wide to expose a double set of tusks. With the mist curling around its horrible teeth, it appears to be living, the mist itself giving the illusion of breath. Bodi tugs me toward it, and on closer inspection I can see there’s a dark tunnel through its mouth.
“Not as pleasurable as being devoured by one’s mate, but it seems it is time for us to be eaten,” Bodi whispers, his breath fanning my face as the promise in his voice causes a wave of arousal to pitch through me out of nowhere.
“Fuck, not now. I can’t think about sex in a place like this. That’s just twisted,” I retort with a little guilty laugh.
He chuckles, his hand releasing mine to stroke my ass for a moment before grasping my fingers in his once again.
“Incorrigible,” I mumble, unable to even feign being put out. I squeeze his hand. “I thought this is supposed to be such a venerated place.”
He shrugs unrepentantly. “The ancestors enjoy fucking too. They will understand.”
I snicker quietly at that, because I can certainly appreciate that perspective, and let him walk with me through the statue’s gaping mouth.
Although it’s just as dark in this part of the labyrinth, there seems to be fewer twists in our path as we make our way further into the labyrinth, and the frightening statues have dialed back to something more hauntingly beautiful. Silhouettes of lovers and children playing, as well as those of couples embracing. It is still more shadows than anything, but I feel suddenly less afraid and more in complete wonder.
Bodi tucks his big body close to mine and whispers. “Are you ready to play a game, my mate?”
A shiver runs over me. “What game would that be?”
“The divine hunt. It is said that our families wait for us, especially a mate who has passed, so that we can be reunited with them when we walk the shadow roads to the underworld. This part of the labyrinth is the memory dance, speaking to the heart of those who come down it, reminding us that the joys of the living are likewise received by the dead. It is like a promise that eludes our grasp,” he rasps.
Exhilaration and a needy excitement fill me at the idea of being hunted through this part of the labyrinth. I won’t even ask if it’s safe because he’s already said as much. And he wants this as much as I do. I can tell from the sound of his harsh breathing and the tension in the muscles of his body from where he’s pressed up behind me.
I want this divine hunt. I want to be pursued and captured by the one male I want and need.
“How do we start?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He squeezes my hand and then let’s go as he steps back into the shadows. Only his lamp provides some view of his face. The grin he gives me is sensuous.
“Run,” he growls.
With a gasped laugh, I spin around and sprint into the darkness ahead of me. Satyrs seem to bound all around me from the half-concealed sculptures and there is a sense of merriment as I increase my speed.
I can hear him pursuing me and the rasp of his breath filling the air. His feet pound up the path as I dip along one turn and then the next, not wanting to make this easy. It is frightfully easy to get turned around, but I don’t let myself dwell on it. This is a game. It’s fun! And as tempting as it is to just let Bodi find and claim me, I find that I’m enjoying this far too much.
There is a rustle of leaves to my left, and I let out a shout of surprise that he managed to find another route that cut directly to me. I giggle and begin to sprint forward in one last bid to make him work for it, but I don’t go more than a few feet until a pair of thick arms surround me and lift me off my feet. I gasp as the masculine scent fills my nose and then freeze.
This is all wrong. It’s not Bodi!
A scream rips from me as I thrash, my lantern falling from my hand to clank against the ground at my feet. The arms wrapped around me tighten further as I’m pulled back in along a narrow, dark trail. Leaves and bare branches scrape over me as I’m pulled through.
“Quiet!” he snarls.
Yeah, not going to happen. Bodi is looking for me, and I’m not going to make it easier for this male to take me. Clawing at the arm holding, I snap my head back hard enough to nail him in the chin and scream for all I’m worth.
My captor curses and then I hear it, an enraged bellow echoing through the labyrinth. The arms banding around me tighten painfully as he hauls me down the path. He’s picked up his pace now, flat out running the best he can with me wriggling and shrieking in his arms. I refuse to slow my attempt to escape for even a moment. My flailing is slowing him down, and my screaming, though it’s starting make my throat raw, will help Bodi find me. I know it will!
My scream stops suddenly when I’m thrown against a wall, my breath escaping my lungs in a giant whoosh of air that leaves me struggling to breathe. An angry face snarls up at me as he fumbles with something at his side. I can’t really see what it is he has because there is the only a faint light in the sky. Even his features are mostly concealed from me that I can’t tell who has me, other than knowing that it is an orc.
“Cursed human,” he snarls, his voice low and guttural with a savage fury.
He lifts his hand, and the faint light glints off a blade. Terror freezes my blood and makes my heart feel like its slowing when a loud bellow tears through the air. The orc startles and draws his arm high, preparing to stab me, when a larger shadow hits him from the side, tearing the male off of me.
Although there is a scuffle of violence, I can’t see much other than a pair of shadowy silhouettes scrabbling against each other, trading blows. Distantly, I can hear the rush of other feet pounding as others traverse the labyrinth. With one last roar, my captor is slammed against the floor.
Someone turns the corner, the illumination from a lantern spilling over us. Bodi rises to his feet, blood seeping from long gashes drawn across his arm and chest. His green eyes meet mine, burning with fury. His brow puckers with concern, and he leaves the male there to make his way over to me. His large hands stroke my face.
“Are you okay, lanara?” he asks worriedly.
I nod, my hands gripping his forearms, holding him tight to me. “Yes. Thank fuck. I’m fine… I’m so glad you’re here,” I whisper, my voice choking.
He leans in, brushing his forehead against mine. “I have you, my Lynn. No one will ever harm you again.”
“Who is it?” a voice quietly asks.
The one holding the lantern grunts. “Fellek, the dumb bastard. He’s lucky that Bodi didn’t kill him. Attacking the mate of an Ironclaw is suicide.” He sighs, gesturing to two tall shadows behind him. “Come on. We will need to restrain him and drag him to the cells at the keep.”
The shadows step forward, arms reaching down and picking up the unconscious Fellek. His feet drag on the ground as they haul him away. I don’t bother to watch any further. Bodi is the only one who matters. I wish I had better eyesight so that I could see him better, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s holding me, his big hand stroking my cheek.
“What is going on?” a sharp voice cracks, and my mate tenses.
“Not now,” he growls.
“Do not growl at me—and give her some space to breathe. No one likes a hovering male.”
I grab ahold of Bodi’s wrist so that he can’t move, and I feel his smile as he relaxes against my grip.
“Actually, as it happens, I enjoy it very much. He can hover over me and carry me around attached to his chest if he wants. Considering that he’s mine and I’m the one being hovered over, I think that’s my call to make,” I snap.
The female sniffs and comes into the light, her thick arms crossing over her chest.
“You think that gives you some authority among his family, do you?” she challenges, her eyes narrowing.
“W
ho the hell is this?” I whisper furiously to my mate.
His lips brush my cheek, and he mutters something that sounds distinctly unflattering under his breath that’s too low for me to catch.
“My mother,” he grumbles.
Oh. I see.
Craning my neck, I meet the female’s gaze. “Considering that I’m his mate, yes I do.”
Her rigid expression suddenly cracks, and she grins in delight.
“Good. That’s exactly how it should be.” She glances at Bodi. “Well, you heard her. Pick her up and let’s get to the center. There is a mating feast waiting.”
“Mother, my mate was just attacked,” Bodi growls in protest as he scoops me up into his arms. “She should rest.”
I laugh at the absurdity of everything and flatten my hand against his chest. “You’re the one who’s hurt not me.”
He glances down at his arm and grunts. “Just a scratch. It will be fine.”
“Uh-huh. Well then, I’m fine too.” I stretch up a bit to plant a kiss on his mouth. “And I would much rather enjoy being with my mate and attending our mating feast than giving that asshole the satisfaction of ruining things.”
He meets my eyes, his expression thoughtful. “You would, truly?”
His mother snorts as she strides toward us with her lantern. Although not as tall as her son, she’s still imposing when it comes to human standards. “Any mate of yours would have the spirit of a warrior to survive being mated to you. Of course she would.”
She meets my eyes though and I can see a fond amusement in them even when she rolls them in exasperation at Bodi’s huff of defiance. I share a knowing smile with the stern-looking female as I wrap my arms around my mate’s neck and hug him tight.
It may take a stubborn and strong female to love Bodi, and I have a feeling that his mother knows this from experience. That’s okay—because I’m the perfect one for the job. He’s my double shot latte on any day of the week.
Chapter 26
Lynn
It doesn’t take us long to get to the center of the labyrinth, and as we’re surrounded by so many members of his clan it’s a noisy affair. Erra, his sister, shouts over the clamor to introduce me to her child running out ahead of her while Garval and another male that I think I recognize from the tavern, trailing after her. No one seems to be in a terrible hurry, and despite the attack, spirits are high as we complete the final winding steps together.
As the path enters the most central part, I’m momentarily blinded by the torches set up. When my vision clears, I’m in awe of the beauty of the place.
Beautiful sculptures rise at various points of the perimeter, males and females outfitted in armor standing guard, their carved faces relaxed and smiling down on their descendants. Beneath those statues, tables are set up around a central firepit where something is being roasted. There are so many orcs packed in there that I’m sure that a number of the clan has to be present. I gawk a little when I see Orgath and his mate seated among those assembled, their smiles welcoming as we arrive.
My fingers dig into Bodi’s shoulder. “You didn’t tell me your chieftain would be here!” I whisper.
“He is my cousin. Of course Orgath wouldn’t miss my mating.” He chuckles. “I think he’s been looking forward to it almost as much as I have, just to know that I will have a female looking after me so I will not be tempted to do anything too risky.”
“I could see that,” I retort, trying not to laugh.
My mate is absolutely the type to fly by the seat of his pants and go with his gut instinct. I can only imagine that his family has some stories to tell about him, with the way they all seem to regard him as a troublemaker.
As we make ourselves comfortable in the spots reserved for us at the table, Erra raises her goblet with a broad grin.
“As the first mated between me and my twin, I am happy to see he has found a female willing to tolerate his ass so that he is no longer tempting war by his foolish courting efforts. Congratulations to Bodi… and Lynn, you have my deepest sympathies. To the couple!” she shouts, her salute echoed by those gathered as they too lift their cups.
I lift an eyebrow at my mate, and Bodi leans forward to whisper in my ear. “I can explain that. She’s exaggerating.”
“I’m sure,” I murmur around a quiet laugh.
Garval stands, his larger frame making him stand out among his kin. His goblet raises to us. “I like Lynn too much to wish her on my brother, but since it has happened, I’m pleased that she’s joining our family and clan. To the couple,” he growls, and is joined also by a laughing chorus.
“Backstabber,” Bodi grumbles, laughing when I elbow him in the stomach.
The elderly female in a long sapphire robe that was introduced as his mother smirks over the crowd, her own cup raised. “I love my Bodi and wish him all the happiness with his new mate.” She pauses. “It takes a strong female—a very, very strong female to put up with his antics, which I can see that she is. She has good heart and character to love him as he is. But for all his silliness, Bodi will love her with everything he has and will always be a good mate. This is how I know they will have a blessed mating. To Bodi and Lynn!”
Bodi feeds me tidbits of food and offers me sips of cider intermittently as the celebration goes on. Every now and then, he groans, his arms tightening around me while the members of his clan who have known him from youth stand to offer their congratulations with anecdotes about his days as a juvenile or his early attempts to find a mate. My mate grumbles at each one, but his eyes shine with humor, and he nods in thanks to each of them in turn. I suspect this is normal for a mating feast, and I’m both glad and a little sad that I don’t have anyone present to tell embarrassing stories about me. My family and I don’t really talk. Kassie is the only friend I have anymore, and she’s dealing with her own problems, so it’s probably for the best.
Everyone goes silent when the chieftain stands, a wide smile on his face replacing the amused look he’s been wearing for most of the evening. He raises his goblet, his eyes warm with obvious affection as he looks over at us.
“No one is more pleased than I to see my cousin mated. I have been present to hear some of the worst flirting in our years together only to watch him try again, despite repeated failures. And there have been a lot,” he adds amid chuckles rising from the clan. A fondness fills his expression. “Few know that in recent years Bodi ceased such efforts, hoping for the one female who would be his bloodbonded mate to come to him, much as I have found my Sammi.” He reaches down for his mate’s hand and squeezes it. “It brings joy to my heart to know that he has found her at last—and without her attempting to maim him.”
“I did puke on him, though,” I offer, which rouses some laughter.
“And you stabbed me with a fork,” Bodi reminds me, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Well, minimal maiming,” Orgath corrects with a booming laugh. “My deepest congratulations. Now that you’ve fed your mate by your hand and cup, I hope you are now ready to indulge us by presenting the collar.”
A murmur of agreement sweeps the crowd, and my mate actually blushes, his gray-blue cheeks reddening. Then Bodi withdraws two pouches from his pocket and clears his throat in a gruff manner that I find absolutely adorable.
“It is tradition for a male to present his female with a gift for their mating. I’m not particularly talented at much other than fighting, but I procured this for you.” He withdraws a golden vial filled with a glittering gold substance that swirls around the glass containing it as if alive.
Erra leans forward in fascination. “Is that what I think it is?” she demands and then shoots a glare at her mate when he tries to shush her. “Why didn’t you get me pixie dust? I can’t believe my own twin upstaged my mate,” she groans.
Bodi’s lips quirk , but he ignores her as he places the vial in my hand.
“It’s very pretty,” I whisper, “but I have no idea what it’s for.”
“I will show y
ou when we are alone,” he whispers back with such a wicked look that I instinctively curl my fingers around the gift with excitement.
“Thank you,” I say loudly. “I absolutely love this gift.”
“I bet she does. I would too. Screaming with pleasure, in fact,” another female says which brings another round of laughter that makes my own skin blush with the innuendo.
I turn my attention back to my mate, who’s watching with fond amusement. He then opens a second pouch and pours from it into his palm a beautiful necklace filled with polished pink gems and intricately carved claws. This has to be the collar because its design is common with what I see the other mated females wearing. Each one raises a hand her to throat, stroking over the stones with approving smiles as if they’re remembering their own mating ceremonies. Emotion chokes me, and I blink back tears as I watch the torchlight dance over the collar.
“Will you accept my collar and so accept me as your mate?” he says quietly.
I nod, unable to trust myself to speak as he lifts it up and clasps it around my neck. The silence that had descended shatters with loud cheers.
“Wait, what of the tattoos and piercing?” his mother calls out. “They must be done.”
“Only if my mate wishes it,” my mate contests, his voice lowering into a snarl. “She is human and doesn’t have to follow every one of our traditions.” So saying, he glances over at me, leaving the decision completely in my hands.
I look at the mated pairs, noting their matching tattoos and septum piercings. It’s not a look I would have ever just chosen for myself, but somehow it just feels appropriate.
“Okay…” I say slowly and nearly jump when an elder female sitting beside his mother hops up and stomps over toward me.
Carrying a kit in one hand and shrouded in plain black attire, she squints at me as she nears, her nostrils flaring. She doesn’t appear much older than Bodi’s mother but has obviously forgone some of the more fashionable trends to settle for bold tattoos and simple clothing. Suddenly she stops and steps back.
How to Claim a Human Mate (Monstery Yours #6) Page 19
