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Ugh. He made a good argument. I wanted to claim him, too. I wanted to show all those stupid women who’d turned him down what they were missing out on. This gorgeous, sweet, fierce barbarian was all mine. I’d tell the whole world if I could.

“Fine…” I sighed. “But only for a minute. I was hoping to wake up with sex. You ruined my plans by sneaking off.”

He grinned, straightening so he could lean his forehead against mine. “I will make it up to you. I promise.”

Damn right he would. Just because I left the brothel behind didn’t mean I was going to stop wanting daily sex. If he really wanted to keep me, he had to be ready to take care of that. In return, I’d take care of him and make sure he knew I chose him every single day for the rest of our lives.

FEIGRIND

I could tell Simon was unhappy about seeing Orthorr. He was probably still angry from when the clan leader wouldn’t let him come with me on the journey. I’m not sure how things would have gone had he not been here. He’d saved Finn and Orthorr.His presence here was necessary, even if I hated that he was here without my protection.

There was no way of knowing the what-ifs, so I let it go, tugging Simon’s hand as he dragged his feet toward the healing tent. Orthorr had been badly injured during Feiskedr’s attack. Three against one would be a difficult fight for anyone, even for a seasoned fighter like him. He was resting under Zoya’s care, and would stay there until she saw fit to let him go back to his own tent. It was warm when we stepped inside, the fire in the middle always going to keep those sick and injured warm. The others who had been injured in the attack were resting nearby, and I nodded in greeting as I stepped past them to where Orthorr was propped up near the back.

Simon sucked in a breath when we got closer, his face twisted into a sympathetic wince. “Ouch.”

Orthorr huffed a small laugh at his reaction and grimaced for his efforts. “I believe I said the same thing upon waking. Thank you for coming to see me, Simon. Feigrind.”

Simon waved his free hand at me, the other still laced in mine. “He wanted to talk to you. I’m just tagging along.”

I wished he’d speak more respectfully toward the clan leader, but I could not expect that from Simon. Pushing him to do so would only make him lash out. Instead, I spoke to the clan leader about my intentions.

“I wish to claim Simon as my bondmate,” I told him.

Orthorr’s brows furrowed a little. “And does he agree to this?” He glanced at Simon expectantly.

Without hesitation, Simon insisted, “I want Feigrind. Returning to the brothel and leaving him behind is…” He shuddered and scowled. “I’m not going to do that. I want to stay with him.”

Pride and affection filled me, and I had to fight the urge to pull him in for a kiss. Now was not the time for it.

Orthorr nodded slowly. “If you both agree, then I see no reason to stop you. A bonding ceremony will do a lot to ease the strain on the clan as well. I will let the others know to begin planning.”

Relieved, I let out a long breath. It was not often that Orthorr stood in the way of a bonding. Only if he truly felt the match would lead to problems in the clan, such as jealousies or fights, would he step in. However, Simon was not well received when he first arrived. I’d worried that Orthorr would not wish him to stay after the way he’d acted—and would probably continue to act on occasion. He was happy with his choice to stay as my bondmate, he’d told me plenty the night prior about how he felt, but that probably did not mean he would stop being a brat. I wouldn’t want him to, either. I loved his fiery spirit.

With permission granted, Simon was eager to escape and turned on his heel, tugging me along behind him. Orthorr’s voice stopped him before he could get far.

“Simon? A word, if you will.”

A flash of annoyance crossed Simon’s face, and I bit back a chuckle at his reaction. Drawing him back, I tucked him against me to ease his frustration, rubbing his back lightly. He still looked put out, but less like he wanted to start mouthing off to our clan leader. Hopefully, that meant he would behave.

“What?” Simon demanded with a scowl.

Or maybe not. I tightened my grip a little, giving him a look. “Be kind, raknar. He only wishes to talk.”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “What does that word mean?”

Orthorr answered before I could. “It means small spirited one. It is a term of endearment for those who are not demure or quiet.” He glanced at me, his smile a little sad. “I used to call my bondmate the same thing.”

My heart ached for him. His bondmate had died a few years ago from illness. She was a good woman, kind and patient, buttook sass from no one. She would have liked Simon. They were both spirited souls.

Simon must have understood the tension in the air, because he did not argue or demand more explanation. He crossed his arms, leaning his back against my chest in a possessive way that always made me smile.

“Okay. So what do you want?”

“I want to thank you,” Orthorr said sincerely. “You saved my life and the life of one of my clan. You distracted Feiskedr, and you gave the clan a chance to get the upper hand. And I was told you faced his challenge head-on before Einar intervened. You have brought great honor to my clan. I’d like to repay that somehow.” His gaze drifted to me for a moment, and I saw a flash of what looked like regret cross his face before he spoke again. “Had you not come to me with your plans to bond with Feigrind, I would have offered to have you brought back to your home, but…”

Simon shook his head before I could even begin to worry about it. “I already said I’m not going back. And I don’t need you to repay me. They would’ve done godsawful things to me had I not acted. I didn’t do it just for you. So you’re welcome or whatever, but I don't need anything.” He glanced over at me. “Can we go now?”

I bit back a laugh and shook my head. “Orthorr is not that easily deterred, kolrav. Sit with me. We will speak with him together.”