Page 20 of The Barbarian’s Claim (Not-So-Savage Barbarians #4)

Twenty

MATTHEW

I regretted my choices the next morning.

Einar never told me the cum on our skin would cause us to stick together.

Not only that, but dried seed was hard to remove, and it took another visit to the river and quite a bit of scrubbing to get it off.

Einar looked amused the entire time, like he enjoyed me learning my lesson, but I couldn’t regret it.

I had the best sleep of my life lying on top of him.

His warmth and that ever-present feeling of safety surrounded me all night.

I fought against the need to rise for the day because I enjoyed it so much.

Trembling from the cold of the river, I huddled close to the fire after we arrived back at our tent.

Einar told me to wait there and warm up while he hunted our breakfast, and while I still wished to follow him around like a puppy, I felt safe enough to stay put.

I added another log to the flames, careful not to smother it, and was considering trying my hand at chopping more when a familiar voice spoke, the sneer evident before I even looked up.

“The rumors are true, then,” Orn said. “You bonded with the clan recluse.”

Looking up at him warily, I studied my first protector. He had always been annoyed with me, especially when I wouldn’t speak with him, but he had never looked at me with such disdain before. It was a look similar to that of the townsfolk that I lived with before. Like he was disgusted with me.

When I didn’t reply, his lip lifted in a scowl. “Still a lifeless waste of space, I see. It is a wonder that Orthorr allowed you to join our clan. You add no value. At least the other male tributes contribute in some way. What do you bring to the clan aside from another mouth to feed?”

My stomach sank at his words. I hadn’t realized I needed to work. Einar had never said anything. But maybe I should have known without being told. I had always been told I was slow. I should have thought of it myself.

Orn continued on, enjoying the way his words hurt me. “He should be thanking me. Had I not saved your life, he would still be alone. Then again, since you refuse to even speak, I doubt it is much different. You are worse than a decorative pot. At least a pot looks nice. You look like a waif with?—”

His words cut off suddenly. My gaze had been locked on my feet while he berated me, and I didn’t see what happened, but when I looked up, Orn sank to the ground with a groan, cupping himself, and Simon stood behind him, fury written all over his face.

“Your mouth must be jealous of your ass with the amount of shit spewing from your lips,” he sneered, marching around Orn to stand in front of me.

“Are you really so pathetic that you would seek out Matthew just to insult him? It’s no wonder you were removed from being his protector.

I doubt there is a decent bone in your body. ”

“Fuck you, whore,” Orn gritted between clenched teeth as he staggered to his feet. From the way he held himself, it was obvious that Simon had kicked him in his intimate area. I winced internally at the thought.

“Like I would waste my time crawling into bed with a piece of shit like you,” Simon tossed back. “I doubt anyone would sink that low.”

Orn bared his teeth, his fury building. I feared for Simon, since he was so much smaller than Orn, but the second Orn took a step toward him, Simon pulled out two small daggers, his stance ready and willing for a fight.

“I am a warrior of my clan,” Orn growled, eyeing Simon’s blades with disgust. “You cannot hope to beat me.”

“Try me, asshole,” Simon hissed.

I could only watch in horror as Orn pulled out his sword and lunged at Simon.

I scrambled away, considering running into the forest to look for Einar.

I knew the path he usually took to hunt, but I didn’t even have the dagger he’d given me at the moment.

I’d left it in our tent when we went to the river to wash.

Fear for Simon had me running toward the village center instead. I ran directly into Finn in my haste, and his bondmate had to catch us both to keep us on our feet.

“Matthew?” Finn queried anxiously. “What’s wrong?”

My words tripped and stuttered, but I needed to use them to get help for Simon. “P-p-please! H-help him!”

Finn’s bondmate’s eyes widened in surprise and he took off, leaving me and Finn to hurry to follow him.

He was faster than us, and disappeared out of sight for a moment.

I was afraid of what I’d see when we got back, and ashamed that I ran away instead of helping Simon, who had been kind to me.

If he was hurt, I would never forgive myself for abandoning him.

Orn had been targeting me, not him. His injury would be my fault.

Expecting the worst, my footsteps faltered when I came around the line of tents and finally took in the scene.

I was stunned not only to find Simon unhurt, but Orn on his knees with Simon’s blade against his throat.

His sword was on the ground a few feet away.

Simon didn’t even look winded. He glanced up at my arrival, a smirk pulling at his lips.

“Thanks for getting back up, but I don’t need it. This asshole made a mistake challenging me.”

Someone growled behind me in the barbarian language, the words deep and dangerous.

I spun, stumbling to get away, and once again crashed into Finn.

This time, he caught me himself, keeping me tight against him and pulling us both to the side out of the way.

My fingers clung to his arm, my eyes locked on the newcomer, who looked ready to murder Orn.

Simon was unfazed by the newcomer, rolling his eyes. He switched to the barbarian language, his words clipped and stubborn. I didn’t have a hope of understanding them. I shot a questioning look at Finn, who wrinkled his nose.

“I won’t translate all of it. Simon uses words I’m not comfortable repeating. Basically, he doesn’t want Feigrind to interfere when he can handle things himself. Feigrind doesn’t agree because he’s Simon’s bondmate, and it’s his job to handle threats against him.”

While they went back and forth arguing with each other, Rath hauled Orn to his feet, throwing him away from us and barking at him.

I assumed he told him to leave, since he pointed toward the village center.

My eyes locked on Orn. Something about the way his body tensed made me think he wouldn’t listen.

I wasn’t sure what overtook me, but I stumbled forward, pushing Simon out of the way as Orn dipped to grab the dagger from his ankle and threw it at him.

It hit me instead. Pain shot through me, and I glanced down, horrified to see the blade sticking out of my side.

Blood bloomed around it, and my breath caught in my throat.

“Matthew!”

Einar’s bellow behind me made me want to turn to face him, but when I tried, my knees went out from under me and darkness swept over my vision.

I should have gone hunting instead.

EINAR

I left Matthew to warm himself by the fire because he was shaking after bathing in the river.

I knew it was too soon to have him in there.

He had fared well the night prior because I had held him throughout and teased him to keep him distracted.

I didn’t wish to do so with an audience this time and had kept my distance.

I thought he would be fine while I hunted for our breakfast. It didn’t take that long.

But when I arrived, the area in front of my tent was crowded, and I watched in horror as Orn threw a dagger, the blade stabbing into Matthew’s side.

Rage ripped through me, and my vision flooded with red, focused only on Orn and the need to tear him to pieces for hurting my bondmate.

I dropped my kill, lunging at him. He saw me coming, but still was not prepared for it.

He twisted, trying to scramble away from me, but I wouldn’t allow it.

I beat him until my knuckles cracked, and still it was not enough.

I wanted to carve him with my blade, feed his body to the creatures of the forest. He did not deserve a warrior’s burial.

He deserved pain and misery for touching Matthew.

It took four of my brothers to pull me off of Orn.

They started with only two, but I threw them aside, refusing to be pulled from my kill.

Orn was unconscious when they dragged me away.

I wanted to enjoy the way his blood soaked the dirt beneath him, but I couldn’t. Not until he took his last breath.

“Brother, focus,” Rath growled in my ear. “Matthew needs you.”

Matthew. My blood lust disappeared as my focus snapped to my bondmate.

Simon held his hands against Matthew’s side to staunch the blood seeping from him, screaming for the healers while Finn stood nearby, tears streaming down his face.

And beneath them lay Matthew, unmoving, his face pale.

I wasn’t sure he was even breathing until I kneeled beside him and put my palm on his chest.

The shouts, the noise, it all fell away.

All I could hear was the pounding in my ears.

Matthew was mine to protect. I should have never left him alone.

Every time I did, he got hurt. A better bondmate would have recognized that he needed constant care.

I’d made a mistake claiming him. If I had been less selfish, he would have been safe.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured to him. “I should have let you go.”