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D aisy froze all over, and blinked into the sudden, utter darkness.

The lamp. The lamp had gone out.

Before her, Lew froze too, his grip slightly slackening on her shoulders. And in the hushed hanging stillness, Daisy’s frantic hands… found something, in her trouser pocket.

A pencil. The new sharpened pencil Rosa had given her, back in the cart.

Daisy’s breath choked, her heartbeat surging — and in a desperate lurch of movement, she stabbed the pencil up, deep against the delicate skin of Lew’s throat.

“Let me go, you fool,” she hissed. “ And don’t move. Or I’ll give you some marks that will never, ever fade!”

Lew quivered, clutched wild and unseeing for his neck — but it meant he’d released his hold on Daisy , and she ducked out from under his arm, and whirled around to face him. “ Don’t you dare try that again,” she said, between her heaving breaths. “ I am not yours, and I never, ever will be!”

Lew’s face twisted, and he swung his arm out toward her, as if to grab her again. But Daisy reeled back out of his way, and Lew’s arm only found empty air, his body staggering sideways, almost careening into the wall behind him.

Daisy took another careful step backwards, while Lew’s eyes frantically darted from side to side, searching for her in the dark. But not settling, not seeing her, even though she was standing right here in front of him. And even when she waved the pencil again, his eyes didn’t change, didn’t focus — and as Daisy stared back toward him, a sudden astonished awareness flashed through her thoughts.

Lew couldn’t see her, but… she could see him .

She could see him. In the dark .

Daisy’s heart skipped, and she glanced down at her hands, her feet, the floor, the ceiling. Gods above, she could… see . Not just Lew , but… everything . Not bright, and not in colour, but… still there. Still clear. Despite there being no lamplight in this room, no fire, not a single pinprick of light.

But — how? When ? She certainly hadn’t been able to see a damned thing back when she’d first met Filak in that pitch-black cave, or when he’d locked her in the dungeon, either. And when the Skyli had fallen in, and Filak had trapped them in that room, that had been dark too, right? And then when he’d trapped her under the sickroom…

But under the sickroom — the memory flashed stark and vivid — Daisy had thought she’d caught a glimpse of Filak’s eyes, glittering in the dark. Hadn’t she? And then after that, the mushroom cave, which had felt so bright, so easy to see. Or that day with the schoolchildren, they hadn’t taken lamps down into those tunnels, had they? And just multiple moments around the mountain, when Daisy hadn’t always remembered her lamp, when there hadn’t always been lamps in the corridors, either.

And then — that fight she’d had today with Filak , down in that room deep underground. She hadn’t taken a lamp down there, or through any of those corridors… right? She’d been in full darkness, that entire time.

But — how? How was such a thing possible? And even as the disbelief shivered and swayed, Daisy glanced over her shoulder, back toward the table, where Lew’s lamp had been. Where she somehow knew exactly who she would see there…

Filak. Magic .

He was standing casually beside the table, his arms folded over his chest, as though he’d always been there. And his eyes on Daisy were glimmering in the dark, whispering of hunger and pleasure and pride.

He’d come. He’d followed her.

For a choked, breathless instant, Daisy could only blink back at him, drinking up the sight of him, of everything he was silently saying in the dark. He hadn’t abandoned her, or rejected her, even though she’d hurt him, even though she’d left. She was his mate, and maybe she always had been, since that first night in the cave. Sólin mín .

And even now, even as Filak was here, helping her — he was still letting her take the lead. Letting her decide how to handle this, what to do next. Trusting her, and her judgement.

You are my mate. I uphold you, before all else. Stand with you. Trust you.

It swayed and shuddered in Daisy’s chest, and with a shaky little smile toward him, she raised her hand to the sun over her heart. Saying , just as strong, You have my heart. I love you.

Filak’s throat convulsed, the slow smile twitching across his lips, and he raised his own hand to his heart, too. To his sun. Sólin mín .

The warmth unfurled low in Daisy’s belly, shone with the truth of her vow and her son, her mate and her home. Her dream. Hers .

And with that safety, that peace, there was enough strength to draw in a breath, and square her shoulders. She’d come here, she’d faced Lew , and now she needed to finish it. She needed to defend her mate, her son, and her home.

But when she glanced back toward Lew , his body was already edging away from her, his arm groping out toward the door. As if he still thought he could run away from this, the utter infuriating bastard.

“I said , don’t move, Lew ,” Daisy ordered, her voice loud and decisive in the silence. “ You do not want to run into what’s out there. Or what’s waiting over by your lamp, either.”

Lew jolted to stillness again, his unseeing eyes frantically darting back and forth, his breaths panting rapid and shallow. And that might have been a slowly growing awareness in his eyes, a reluctant realization that he wasn’t escaping now. That Daisy hadn’t come here alone, and now, she would decide his fate.

“So here’s what we’re going to do, Lew ,” she continued flatly. “ Since you’ve shown yourself highly untrustworthy — again — I’m changing the terms of that offer I made you. You can still have the jewels, but only half of them — and only after you help us fix the mess you’ve made. After you prove to us you’ve done it.”

Lew grimaced, but he didn’t try to argue, so Daisy took a breath, thought it through. “ You’ll write letters to both Sybil and Lord Nash , tonight,” she said. “ You’ll tell them that you’ve learned new information that renders the project unworkable. You’ll tell them about the herbs, and the inevitable pregnancies. You’ll also tell them that your security has been compromised by the orcs, and for your own safety, you’ll be going into hiding for the foreseeable future.”

Lew was far worse at concealing his expressions in the dark, and his eyes flickered with a grudging recognition, or maybe even relief. Suggesting that this wasn’t a terrible plan, and maybe it was even the route he might have chosen himself — though likely with more blame and insults toward Daisy thrown in.

“You’ll also write to all those women you hired,” Daisy added. “ You’ll tell them about the herbs, and the cancellation of the project. I’ll then deliver the letters myself, under the guise of still being your partner, and therefore personally involved in the project. And I’ll offer them other options, including termination of any unwanted pregnancies.”

That was another unmistakable flare of relief in Lew’s eyes — he really hadn’t wanted those sons — and Daisy shot a reflexive, grateful glance over toward Filak , still silently watching from the corner. “ And while we wait for their responses, and any possible countermeasures from Lord Nash ,” she continued, “you’ll stay under our guard. You’ll make any appearances necessary, to make sure you haven’t been impersonated or kidnapped or killed. And —”

But Lew’s scoff cut her off, his eyes goggling toward her in the darkness. “ But — you are kidnapping me,” he said, his voice shrill. “ Aren’t you? If you’re planning to put me under guard, by orcs?!”

“Yes, exactly,” Daisy replied, without sympathy. “ And if you’re well behaved, maybe they won’t chain you, or lock you in a dark dungeon. Gods , Lew , I made you a very generous offer, and” — her voice sharpened — “you still tried to kidnap me! Did you really think you’d still get to wander around free, so you can try to ruin everything, and kill us all? Again ?!”

Kill us all, again — as if she was part of them, as if she herself had been under attack, too. But she was, she would have been, because Orc Mountain was part of her home now, too. And maybe she’d always wanted it to be, even from the start.

“Well, will you still draw for me, at least?” Lew’s voice asked, plaintive now. “ We can still publish together, right?”

Good gods, this selfish ridiculous man, and Daisy’s exasperated groan came out sounding more like a roar. “ Nei , Lew !” she snapped. “ No , we can’t! I’m publishing my own book, without you!”

And it was that, finally, that sagged Lew’s shoulders, and shot the petulant defeat through his eyes. “ I can’t believe you, Daisy ,” he muttered. “ After everything I’ve given you.”

It took all Daisy’s restraint not to stab him with her pencil after all, and she stalked away from him, toward Filak by the table. And it was sheer, sweeping relief to see his slow approving grin, to feel his strong arms yanking her close, his familiar hands running up and down her back. She was his. His .

“Daisy?” Lew’s grating voice demanded, even as he began shuffling sideways in the darkness toward the door, again . And with another loud, irritated groan, Daisy reluctantly broke away from Filak , and strode around Lew to the apartment door. First yanking it open, and then rapidly flapping her hand in the darkness outside it.

It wasn’t an elaborate signal, but it was good enough, because multiple people instantly rushed around the corner — Rosa and John - Ka , Soren and William , Gareth and Hallr . All of them bursting forward into the room at once, while back by the table, Filak suddenly lit the lamp again, illuminating the entire scene for Lew’s eyes.

Lew yelped and staggered backwards, gaping open-mouthed toward the group at the door — but then his eyes darted sideways, and caught, held, on Filak . On where Filak was still coolly standing beside the kitchen table, drumming his long deadly claws against his bicep, and giving Lew a vicious, murderous smile.

“Oh, do you recognize him?” Daisy said toward Lew , as sweetly as she could. “ He’s my mate Filak , of Clan Nor -ka-esh. The father of my son, and an artist, too. He’s also a spectacular geologist, aren’t you, myrkrie mitt ?”

Filak’s eyes glinted on hers with dizzying warmth, while Lew’s mouth dropped open, and yet more petulant disbelief shot through his eyes. “ Another geologist?” he muttered. “ Really , Daisy ?”

Daisy kept sweetly smiling back toward him, and then waved toward the group by the door. “ And several of my friends are excellent geologists, too,” she added. “ They’ll be helping to keep an eye on you, for these next few weeks.”

Despite the confidence in her voice, she couldn’t help a beseeching glance toward them — would they mind her unilateral change of plans? But Rosa was already nodding and grinning back, with a dangerous glint in her blue eyes.

“Yes, indeed, we expected it might come to this,” she said, as she whipped out a sheaf of paper and several more sharpened pencils. “ Let’s get started writing then, Mr . Wallace . If you cooperate, we might not even chain you to your chair.”

Lew’s voice came out in an enraged squeak, but Rosa’s grin only broadened as she waved the other orcs forward. And suddenly they all looked impossibly large and dangerous, crowding in a tight circle around Lew’s much shorter and slimmer body. William and Gareth were both wearing disapproving frowns, while Soren’s glower was scathing, and John - Ka’s eyes glittered with cold danger. While Hallr plucked out a shining dagger from his belt, and began lightly tossing it from hand to hand.

And when Daisy glanced back toward Filak , there was something new, flickering through his eyes. His own still-seething anger, yes, enough that Daisy was certain he would still gladly murder Lew where he stood — but also, something like surprise, or even relief. Maybe because he didn’t actually need to do that murdering after all, now that his Ka -esh kin were here. Supporting him, taking his side, defending his mate and his home.

“What are you waiting for, human?” cut in Hallr’s cold voice, his eyes contemptuous on Lew’s face. “ For a geologist to begin digging in your trousers, mayhap?”

Lew blanched and glared up at Hallr , but even he wasn’t fool enough to try to argue, and finally he sighed, and went and sank down at the table. Where Rosa plunked down the paper and pencils before him, while the rest of the orcs all closed in around him.

Daisy’s breath heavily exhaled, because this meant — it meant they’d done it. Right ? Oh , gods, they’d done it. She’d done it.

She’d faced Lew . She’d seen the truth, and she’d found a solution to this mess. She’d helped the mountain, she’d saved all her new friends, she’d spared Kalfr from a miserable charade with a woman he didn’t want. She’d done it.

She could see it in Filak’s eyes too, in the approving softness in his grin toward her — and then he strode over toward her. Slipping his strong, safe arm around her waist, drawing her in beside him, and then… pulling her away. Not toward the apartment door, no, but toward… the bedroom?

“What are you…” Daisy began, with an uneasy glance back toward where Lew was studying them, his lip curling. But Filak’s grin only drew higher, and he brazenly palmed his clawed hand at Daisy’s arse as he ushered her through the door, and into the room she’d once shared with Lew . The room where Lew had loudly and blatantly fucked Sybil , breaking his agreement with Daisy , while she’d sat at that table and listened.

And suddenly Daisy knew what this was, what it meant, and when Filak slammed the door shut, and then eased Daisy back onto the bed, there wasn’t a single thought of resisting. Lew had done what he’d wanted in their bed, so why couldn’t she do the same?

She sank down onto her back with desperate eagerness, kicking off her boots, shoving down her trousers. While Filak guided her legs wide, stepped in between, and thrust down his own trousers, too. Revealing his marked beautiful cock, hard and hungry and ready, lining itself up with smooth, familiar ease…

And then, with a firm, decisive snap of his hips, he buried himself deep inside her. The sudden sensation so shocking, so thrilling, that Daisy’s breath shot out in a yelp, her body quaking all over upon his stark stabbing strength.

“ Fokk , Filak ,” she gasped, earning an insolent, dangerous grin in return — and then a slow, agonizing draw out, and another fierce slam inside. While Daisy writhed and moaned, her frantic hands yanking him tighter, needing more, more — and yes, he was already moving faster, sinking into his favourite furious rhythm, the slick slapping sounds ringing through the air, surely even beyond that closed door.

But Lew had done it too, and then he’d tried to kill her, and Daisy was finally finished with him, forever. And instead, she had this stunning, shameless orc, with his beautiful body, his demanding possessive pleasure, his breathtaking art. And even all the sounds felt like art too, the slick messy squelching, the sucking and slapping, slippery and obscene. Their bodies coming together, meeting each other with frenzied abandon, driving each other higher and higher —

“ Fokk , Filak !” Daisy gasped, clutching his firm arse, yanking him harder. “ Oh gods, yes, give me your good orc seed, fuck me full of it, please!”

And yes, please, that was it, her fierce feral mate obeying, and honouring her. Pleasing her. Offering up all he had for her, just like he had since the first day they’d met. While Daisy arched and begged for it, welcomed it with all her strength, as her own release washed over her, flooding her with pleasure, and with peace.

And in the quiet afterwards, the peace kept unfolding, radiating out between them, soft and bright and new. Like something certain, something finally settled, warm and content in her mate’s beautiful eyes.

“ Tú kemur mee mér ,” Filak murmured, so soft, with a slight catch in his voice. “ Ach , sólin mín ?”

You will come with me , it meant. The same words he’d spoken in this same apartment, all those weeks before. Yes , my sun?

And Daisy nodded, intent and fervent, her smile quivering soft and true. “ Ach , myrkrie mitt ,” she whispered. “ ég kem .”