by Alana Serra
He was so caught up in it that he didn’t hear the creak of the door until it was too late, some instinct cluing him in to the presence of another. As Rhia lifted herself over him, so close to what they both needed, he saw someone standing in the doorway, still as stone. The tall, broad figure of Karak. His gaze was firmly on Rhia, on the lovely form she must have cut from behind, and Wesley felt something thrum inside of him, deep and needy.
He’d wanted her all to himself. Or at least… he thought that’s what he wanted. But seeing Karak there, seeing the way the handsome warrior was admiring this enticing, unbelievable woman they both protected, it made him want to see more. To see how the half-orc would worship her as she deserved to be worship. Glimpse his body as the clothing was peeled away, see just how hard his cock was for the promise of being with this woman.
Wesley very nearly vocalized that desire. You should join us. The words were there, on the tip of his tongue. Words he was sure he’d never say. But he never got the chance. Karak seemed to snap out of his daze, clearly having more self-control than Wesley. He cleared his throat, and Rhia stiffened atop Wesley, letting out a yelp.
Her head whipped around, her voice breaking as she yelled. “Karak! What are you… get out of here!”
Rhia’s whole body flushed, though Wesley imagined it was from embarrassment, and not the confusing desire he felt to have Karak remain exactly where he was—or to come to the bed, slip out of his leather pants, and join them.
“Sorry, Lady,” Karak stammered, looking away. “The shaman from the gnoll tribe is here. When you didn’t answer, I thought—”
To Wesley’s great disappointment, she climbed off of him, rolling to the side and covering herself in the blanket. He lay there, still aching with need, a torrent of emotions running through his mind.
They were calmed, though, when she rested a hand on his chest and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” came his reply, his voice hoarse.
When he looked up, Karak was gone, the sound of a door closing nearby. Rhia slid off the bed and searched for her gown. Turning to look at him again, her gaze roved over his body, still as hungry as ever, even if a blush stole across her cheeks.
“I have to…”
“I know,” he said with a reassuring smile. It edged into a smirk as he added. “Do you mind if I stay here for a bit? I need to do something about this before I leave this room, or it’s going to be a problem.”
He was vindicated by her sharp intake of breath. She bit her lip, started toward him, and for a moment, Wesley’s own breath caught with the thought that she might return. But she just nodded to him.
“By all means,” she managed, turning away once more, “but we’ll finish this later.”
Chapter 21
Rhia tried in vain to compose herself before she met with Karak and—presumably—the gnoll shaman.
A difficult task, when her whole body still hummed from her recent orgasm. She’d experienced them on her own, of course. She’d been curious about her body as a teenager, and she’d explored many times, her thoughts tending toward fantasies as she touched herself. Ineffectually at first, until she learned what felt the best and what could push her over the edge.
Wesley hadn’t needed those months of experimentation. He’d known from the start, and his touch was like fire. The press of his nimble fingers, insistent and demanding. The warm wetness of his mouth closed around her nipple. The feel of his… Goddess, of his cock sliding between the lips of her pussy.
A blush stole across her features anew. She’d never imagined herself so brazen, so wanton. Even now, she was tempted to turn around and—at the very least—offer to help him finish himself off, if not climb atop him and sink down on his cock until he filled her completely.
The need she felt for him was so deep, so resonant that she couldn’t think straight. She’d never experienced such a thing before, and she couldn’t help thinking it was part of her position as Dark Lady. The guardians hadn’t exactly been shy about admitting that Dark Ladies were normally intimate with their guardians, and she wasn’t oblivious to the looks they sometimes gave her.
It was the only way she could explain how quickly things had escalated with Wesley. Though even as she thought that, she realized it wasn’t fair. She felt a kinship with him. They’d gone through remarkably similar experiences and dealt with similar consequences because of it. He was the only one who truly understood her heartbreak over Desmond.
And yes, she’d wanted to soothe that pain, in herself and in him. But it wasn’t only that. If it was, things might have ended with a kiss, and Rhia pulling Wesley into her fantasies in the privacy of her bedchamber. Instead she’d straddled him, ground against him like a cat in heat, and had very nearly given herself to him in the most intimate way she could think to do.
As she dressed in more presentable clothing, though, she realized she wasn’t ashamed. She didn’t regret it. But perhaps the strangest realization was that she hadn’t been that bothered by having Karak’s eyes on them. His presence surprised her, and she felt the same stab of embarrassment anyone might have felt at being seen in such a compromising position.
But that feeling had receded, replaced by a burning need that she didn’t fully understand. She wanted him to watch. Wanted to see the bulge in his pants as she sank down on Wesley’s cock. She wanted him to be so overcome with lust that he loosed the laces and took himself in hand right there, while Wesley fucked her.
And once he was good and hard, she wanted him to join them in bed.
Her cheeks flamed at that realization and she had to press her thighs together to stem the sudden ache. Goddess, what was wrong with her? It must have been Aeredus’ magic. She would never consider such things otherwise, and Wesley would likely be disgusted to know it. He’d think she was just looking for as many men to fuck her as possible, and that wasn’t it at all.
Raking her hands through her hair, trying to make something of the tangled mess, Rhia did her best to push the thoughts from her mind and compose herself. She needed to get a grip. There were things to be done here and she’d wallowed in her self-pity long enough. She couldn’t afford to get caught up in… whatever this was.
Leaving the chamber—where she knew Wesley was taking care of his needs in the next room—did much to clear her head. She walked with purpose, and slowly the blush in her cheeks faded. She saw Karak waiting in the hall, head lowered. Rhia looked him in the eyes, refusing to feel any shame whatsoever over the way she’d behaved.
But what she saw in his amber eyes caught her off guard. It wasn’t embarrassment, as she’d expected. A heat burned there, threatening to combust into a raging inferno. When he blinked, it was gone, but Rhia was still left staring at him, her resolve buckling.
“I had him wait in the war room, Lady. I wasn’t sure where you’d want to receive visitors.”
“That’s fine,” she managed with some effort. “Though we should probably designate a room for doing so in the future.”
“I’ll make note of it.”
For his part, Karak’s voice was even, not wavering like hers. But it had a deeper, husky note to it that pulsed through her, only exacerbating the needs she was trying to ignore.
Or perhaps she was truly losing control and imagining it. All of it. She couldn’t be sure, but she redoubled her efforts to ignore it as she followed Karak to the war room.
The shaman Ghar was there, looking at the map that was stretched across the table. When they entered, he said, “I didn’t know the Divide was so vast. We’ve really gotten the short end of the stick, haven’t we?”
It was enough to get Rhia to focus, and she walked closer to the map to see what he meant. She’d never given it much thought before, but the Southlands were much smaller than the lands occupied by followers of Belisan. She hadn’t remembered that being the case when she’d first learned of the split.
“More than enough to live off of,” Karak put in, and Ghar nodded.
; “I agree with that, so long as we make good use of it. That’s what I came here to speak to you about.”
“Blessing the land,” Rhia said. “I remember.”
Over the next half hour, the gnoll shaman explained what he intended, and the importance of it. He planned to use old magic, the likes of which Rhia hadn’t heard of before. Magic that he claimed was gifted by the Mother, the Goddess of Fertile Ground. It would make the soil rich and make everything that grew there blessed in turn, lending strength to those who consumed it. The spirits of the land would grow more restful, calming from the agitated state he claimed they were in now.
“And if I allow you to bless the land, will you bring your people here? Or do you prefer to return to the mountains?”
They’d ended up beyond the stone walls of Ebonhold, walking the gardens that had begun to grow a variety of herbs and other crops, thanks to Karak’s clan.
“The mountains are no place for us anymore,” the shaman said, a touch of sadness in his voice. “I think we would be far more at ease here, so long as Mother’s bounties surround us.”
“And you’d be willing to help us? Bless these lands for our benefit as well? Defend them when they come under attack?” Karak asked.
“Of course. We will always protect our land, young warrior, and everything on it. As you would be giving us this land, it’s only right to protect you, as well.”
The nature of that protection was discussed in detail as they continued to walk down the footpath into the dense forest. Ghar explained that he and the other shamans had control over the elements, so long as said elements were well-tended and in the mood to assist.
At one time, Rhia would have considered such old beliefs to be little more than superstition, but she was willing to believe nearly anything now. Especially when autumn leaves began to dance around the gnoll as he spoke, seemingly of their own accord.
“The spirits here are a playful sort,” he said with a smile that stretched across his muzzle. Reaching out, he plucked a leaf from the air. “They like that you’re here, and if they like you, then it would be in my people’s best interest to do everything we can to protect you.”
She certainly wasn’t going to argue with that.
“We’d be happy to have you, Ghar. How much land would your people need, and do you require other resources? Food, lodging, weapons to defend yourselves?”
He scoffed at this, waving her off. “A gnoll who cannot provide for himself is no gnoll at all. If you allow us use of the land, we’ll take care of the rest.” He gave her a fanged grin that might have been frightening were he anyone else. “As for how much, there aren’t many in my clan. I can take a walk through this land and let you know the space that would be best for us.”
Rhia agreed, walking with the old gnoll as he marked boundaries, leaving feather-adorned stakes along the edges.
All told, she would guess what he’d portioned off was a little over five acres. Barely anything at all, considering how vast the forest seemed to be.
“You’re welcome to it,” she told him as they made their way back to the keep. “And I know you’ve said you don’t need anything, but if your people would like help getting here with everything intact.”
“I won’t hear of it!” Ghar yelped, making Rhia jump a little. “We’ll make our own way, Lady, or no way at all.”
“Apologies, shaman,” Karak said, amusement tugging at the edges of his voice. “It’s human courtesy to offer.”
Ghar snorted, sticking his snout up in the air. “Then human courtesy is no courtesy at all, and I’ll thank you to leave my people out of it.”
“I won’t offer you anything again,” Rhia said, having to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Once Ghar was gone, though, heading down the path and away from Ebonhold, she couldn’t help herself. She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle it, but still the laughter came.
“I’m sure this is very human of me, but he’s a strange little fellow.”
“He is,” Karak said with a grin. “I don’t actually think all gnolls are like that, you just happened to end up with one of the more eccentric ones.” His grin softened into a smile as he looked at her. “You did well. I thought you might need some help with diplomacy, but you handled yourself with grace.”
“Did you doubt it?” she asked, a playful edge to her voice.
“Doubt you personally? Never,” he said with such firmness that Rhia couldn’t help but be warmed by it. “Doubt the humans who raised you to believe all Southlanders are monsters? Somewhat, yes.”
Rhia’s pride deflated in an instant. He was right, of course. Everything she’d ever been taught told her that orcs, gnolls, and everything else were evil, loathsome creatures not to be trusted.
“Does it bother you?” she asked carefully. “I know your people have served Dark Ladies in the past, but they seem like they’ve had some… experience with the Southlands before, or were at the least devoid of the same prejudices.”
“They have prejudices plenty,” Karak said with a snort, starting back toward the keep. “The last Dark Lady who took in my clan would never have looked twice at a gnoll. She would’ve preferred they all be skinned and hung up to decorate her chambers.”
“That’s… gruesome.”
“She wasn’t a pleasant person,” Karak said with a grimace. “But we all have our biases. I think it’s inescapable. It just comes down to what we do about them.”
Had she done enough to make up for her own biases? The question played through her mind, meeting the resistance all uncomfortable questions met.
Throughout her life, Rhia had gotten very good at escaping into her mind and avoiding reality. She’d needed it early on, or she was sure she wouldn’t have survived. Now, though, she knew she needed to face the question, even if she didn’t have a solid answer. She felt like she was keeping an open mind, listening to people and not letting her assumptions rule her. Considering how new all of this was to her, she was certainly doing her best.
Not without help, though. Her guardians might not be acting as lieutenants to command her armies, but they each had their areas of expertise. Karak was her ambassador to the non-human world, having experienced both societies. Liam, for all his bluster and for as much as he got under her skin, had his uses as a tactician and planner, as well as somehow being the most approachable person for tradesmen to sell to. Tanris might even prove useful as a go-between and someone who could get her information, though he wasn’t a guardian. Just someone who’d shown up to make hay while the sun was still shining. Part of her expected to never see him again, but perhaps he would prove more honorable than he seemed.
And then there was Wesley. He’d been the most personally helpful, having walked in her shoes before. He seemed to have knowledge of Dark Ladies past as well as various schools of magic. And he was… well. She wasn’t entirely sure what to call him, after earlier. Was he her lover? Was she the type of Lady to take lovers? Given her wanton desires and the dreams she was having, it seemed some part of her wanted that. But she needed to ensure it wasn’t going to be a problem. The last thing she wanted was for petty squabbles and in-fighting to put them all in danger.
“Do you have anything pressing to get to?” she asked, not wanting to keep him if he had something planned.
“I promised some of the younger warriors in my clan a sparring session, but that’s not until later this afternoon. I’m at your service until then, Lady.”
There was a glint in his eyes that made Rhia falter. Did he already know what she wanted to talk about? Was he thinking about it, too? The way he’d watched them, that wasn’t the look of someone who was going to fly into some kind of jealous rage or shout about biases and unfair treatment among their ranks. It was the look of someone who’d been interested, who very much liked what he saw, and again Rhia recalled her desire to have him join in.
Outside of that moment, having had a chance to cool off, she hoped such ideas would be… less frequent in her min
d. Or at least less appealing. When she thought of it now, she still felt that same strong pull of lust that she’d felt back then. It was disorienting, and Rhia had to force herself to focus on the matter at hand.
Especially when it seemed very likely she was just projecting.
“Walk with me, then,” she said, managing to find her voice after a struggle.
She walked the perimeter of Ebonhold with him, passing the training yard he’d built and furnished with targets for sparring in melee and with a bow or spells. There were a pair of orcs there now, well before the time Karak said he’d set aside for them, but they looked to be older and more experienced. He greeted them and so did Rhia, earning a salute from both as their fists pounded over their hearts.
They cleared view of the orcs, reaching some of the old counter-siege equipment Liam had managed to find in the bowels of the keep. They’d brought it topside and were in the process of repairing it, but there was no one working on the devices right now. She stopped near one of the ballista, fiddling idly with the faulty mechanism, her back to Karak.
“I… wanted to talk to you about earlier,” she said, feeling heat suffuse her cheeks once more.
“I thought you might.” His tone was steady, but otherwise unreadable. She wasn’t quite ready to look back at him, so she kept busy. “I apologize. I didn’t intend to infringe upon your privacy. I did knock, but the only answer I received was… ah, well, one I interpreted—as muffled as it was through the door—as a sound of distress. And it certainly wasn’t that.”
She did turn to him now, cheeks still flaming, to find him grinning at her. His tusks were on full display, that glint in his amber eyes a mix of amusement and lingering heat.
“What? Am I not allowed to tease you?”
“No, you can tease,” she said, feeling more breathless than she liked. “It’s a situation that’s worthy of teasing. Quite hilarious, when not in the midst of it.” A smile pulled at her lips. Despite her mild sense of embarrassment from talking about her private life at all, Karak had a way of putting her at ease. “I guess I’m just a little surprised that you’re taking it so well.”
