Page 4 of Night’s Bride (Ragoru Origins #3)

Chapter

Four

CHAPTER 4

V rel shyly glanced toward their mate, his mouth tugging in a small smile. She was so pretty, tiny, and soft. More than that, she was strong. She hadn’t complained once during their long trek back to the northlands and had instead frequently worn a smile on her face even when the days were gray with falling snow. He observed her covertly as she explored her new home. Her expression was one of interest and open admiration, and he felt the same emotions boiling within him, but for other reasons.

His admiration was reserved entirely for the female standing before him. He admired her ridiculously tiny, pert little nose and the round fullness of her cheeks framed by stray locks of sleek brown head fur of the deepest hue. Even her mouth looked soft and delicate with its perfectly defined shape and dusky pinkish-brown hue that invited exploration in the way the softest petals of a flower begged to be touched.

And she was theirs. It defied belief that such a female could ever belong to him and Vikt. Truthfully, he would not believe it if he did not see her standing within his den with his own eyes. She was truly their mate to care for in all ways. All ways, even her most secret desires. What sort of desires did such a delicate human possess? Would she even be able to accommodate them? It did not seem that Evelyn had any such trouble with her triad, but Emily appeared far more fragile. She would have a tiny cunt, that much he was certain, and his mouth went dry at the thought of it stretching and clenching around his cocks as he rutted her throughout the Withering Nights.

A shiver ran over him and he turned away abruptly, swallowing a pant as he fought to control himself. How would they even survive the Withering Nights? It was close at hand and neither he nor Vikt were alphas. How would they even be able to tempt a female into copulation? Even lying night after night in the cold snow to douse their passions had not relieved him of the hot need that plagued him night after night. Now there would be no relief from their need by sleeping in the snow, and when their rut descended upon in the heat of the Withering Nights, it would be nearly impossible to ignore. Panic fluttered within him, and he exchanged an anxious look with his twin. It was not comforting in the least that he was not the only one concerned.

What would they do? He doubted that he could even convince his cocks to extrude, much less engorge enough to make fully mating possible.

“This… is not what I expected,” Emily observed aloud, interrupting the panicked lope of his thoughts and drawing his gaze back to her as she walked past him through the main room, running her hand along the mantle of stone hearth.

For a moment he was lost. His mind was so preoccupied on his dismal prospects for performance, and he stared at her blankly until she chuckled and gestured around her.

“This is not quite how I envisioned a Ragoru ‘den’ would look,” she explained with another low laugh, the sound of which rushed up his spine pleasantly.

“It is not a traditional den,” Vikt replied around a nervous cough, his ears flicking in betrayal of his nerves. No doubt from being interrupted from the same obscene thoughts that Vrel had also been suffering from. “These dwellings were already here and long abandoned by the time they were found and made into a home for us. Like all Ragoru, we modify it as necessary to make it more comfortable for us to live in, but it is mostly left intact and utilized for convenience. And in the hope that it will make the transition to the clan lands more comfortable for human mates arriving here.”

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she nodded. “That is sweet. I would have gotten along just fine in something simpler, but I know there are many who would appreciate familiar comforts. Not that I will say no to all of this,” she admitted with another burst of soft laughter. “This is far more than most get to enjoy even in the capital.”

“It meets your approval then?” Vrel inquired cautiously. He just needed to be certain.

“Oh yes,” she agreed with a sigh, and her smile gradually bloomed and spread across her face. “It is beautiful. While it is more than I am accustomed to, it will certainly be no hardship to live here.”

Some of the tension gathered in the center of Vrel’s chest eased and he smiled back at her, his concerns about mating dissipating even as the heat within his belly stirred when she tugged her cloak from the gentle curves of her frame, creating an enchanting tapestry as firelight and shadows played over her every contour. It was only then that he noticed that the heat he felt was not only rising within him but was also filling the room around him from the fire dancing in the hearth. It seemed that someone from the clan had kept watch for signs of their impending arrival and had prepared their den for them to welcome their mate. Possibly Sabol. The male’s willingness to help even the most stubborn, scarred, and reluctant of Ragoru had become almost legendary among their closeknit clan.

And of course Sabol would have recalled that humans needed more warmth than Ragoru required. Vrel eyed Emily uncertainly, recalling once more that Evelyn was larger and possessed a thicker frame. It was possible that it was not yet quite warm enough for their female.

“You are certain you are warm enough?” he fretted as he stepped forward to take the cloak before Vikt had the opportunity to. “If you would like to continue wearing this while we build the fire higher, it will only take a moment.”

“No, no, this is perfect,” she assured him. “Besides, any warmer in here and I imagine it will be miserable for the both of you with all that fur.”

Vrel grunted and turned away with her cloak, unable to deny it. It was not yet beyond a temperature that he found comfortable, but it would not take much to make him overheat and have him panting without a scrap of dignity. He focused on the cloak instead, clutching it to him as he headed to the small storage space near the doorway that Evelyn had informed him was to hold such things. He could feel Vikt’s eyes following him enviously, but he ignored it. He made the first move so the opportunity to care for Emily was his at this time. His twin would find another opportunity to demonstrate his affection for their mate.

“Are you hungry?” Vikt’s voice rumbled from behind him, and Vrel fought the urge to smile. Of course the male would go directly to looking for an opportunity to feed their mate. Vikt’s first urge was always to feed everyone he cared for. “I have some root vegetables and there is some meat in the snow box—no, that is not the right word—ice box,” he corrected with a note of triumph.

“Perhaps in a moment,” she murmured, and Vrel glanced over at her curiously as he closed the storage space back up again. A pink color flooded her cheeks as she glanced back and forth between them. “Actually, since we are finally home, I was kind of curious how this mating thing works.”

“Works?” Vikt croaked, suddenly hoarse. His ears flattened to the sides nervously and he shot an uncertain look back at Vrel.

Vrel flattened his ears back at him in a clueless expression. Why was he looking at him? It was not as if he knew how any of this was to work without an alpha.

Her soft sigh filled the room, but the look she gave them was wry rather than disappointed. “I’m guessing that look means that you two do not know either.”

Vrel swallowed visibly. “It is not that… Not exactly. It is just that the alpha is supposed to…” His voice trailed off in embarrassment.

“I see,” she murmured, her gaze shifting between the two of them thoughtfully. “And neither of you is an alpha, I take it.”

Vikt grimaced, his ears flicking unhappily. “We are an unusual circumstance. While it is common to have more than one rog in a litter among our people, twins sharing the same sack are rare. Such rogs bond so closely that it is difficult for us to leave each other to find forming triads that would accept us.”

“And most alphas would not want a triad with two males bonded more closely to each other than they would ever be with him,” Vrel finished in a whisper. “We are not shunned by the clan precisely, but no one knows what to do with us.”

Her lips pursed in a fascinating manner as she regarded them. “I see. Okay, that explains a few things. I suppose I will need to take matters in hand to get everything moving along to make this official. Who wants to go first?” she asked, her fingers going to the buttons of her top covering.

Vrel’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open slightly with shock. He stumbled back as panic rose sharply with a bitter acridness within his belly just as Vikt backpedaled from their mate.

“Food first,” the male barked. “It is not good to… proceed… without being properly nourished. I think I have some extra tasty bits stashed in the snow just out back. I will get them now.”

“I will help,” Vrel volunteered as he hurried after his twin, shame making his ears flatten to the top of his head.

He could not believe he was running away from his mate and an opportunity to enjoy his first rut, but here he was, running, and their female’s eyes followed them with startled amusement.