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He caught my cry in his mouth as I bucked against him, chasing my pleasure as it spasmed through my core.

‘Twas not the same as coming with something inside me, but I could admit that this was even better than last night. More intense. Because of Vartok .

After a long moment, I realized he was holding the back of my head, pressing my face against his chest as my hips jerked—the rhythm slowing as my climax faded—and murmuring words I couldn’t understand.

Suddenly self-conscious, I slowly lifted my head, and his hold moved to my back, where he stroked my spine in a comforting way. How could his touch be arousing one moment, and cozy the next? I peered up at him in confusion.

And then he smiled.

Not in victory, not mockingly…but proud . He was proud of me?

“Ye are perfect, pet,” he murmured, his gaze landing on my lips. “ Ye did so well.”

Had he planned all this? Had he known it would happen, once he kissed me? Flushing, I dropped my gaze to his chest, and his low rumble might have been a chuckle.

“Dinnae be embarrassed on my account, lass.” He dropped a kiss on my temple. “I’m fooking proud of ye.”

“I—” I had to clear my throat. “I am a fast learner.”

As soon as I said the words, I knew they were wrong, but I didn’t know why.

All I knew was that Vartok stilled suddenly, then shifted backward, his hands falling to my hips and his tone too brittle.

“Aye, ye are. The best pupil I’ve had.”

I winced at the reminder that I wasn’t his first student in the arts of pleasure, and that’s all I was to him. After so long of being angry that he didn’t treat me as he treated the other women, I was now angry he saw me as just one of many.

Mayhap I was icy, as he’d accused.

“I have to go,” I mumbled, trying to slide forward, my orgasm a fading memory, although there was still a tenderness between my thighs.

“Aye, lass,” he sighed, helping to lift me down. But once I was steady on my feet, he didn’t release me. Instead, I could feel him staring at the top of my head when he rumbled, “I’ll see ye tomorrow night, then? There’s so much more I can teach ye.”

Was I ready for it?

“I…I will consider it. Thank you for tonight’s lesson. ”

This time, when I fled, he let me go.

Vartok

“The raids are growing bolder! The news from the coast is concerning, Vartok.”

Auld Klorbkal waved his cane from the other side of the fire, his voice the volume of a male going deaf.

“Aye,” I grunted, knowing ‘twas easier to agree, and knowing enough of my clan was already asleep that I needed to keep the old bastard from yelling. “But what would ye have us do?”

Gruptor stood with his arms crossed, his usual scowl pulling his lips downward. “The Battleborn are fierce warriors. We cannae stand against them, and why should we? We are allied.”

“Nay,” Auld Klorbkal corrected hotly. “Clan Breakshield is their ally.”

“And we are allied with Breakshield,” I said with a sigh, lowering my elbows to my knees and clasping my hands as I stared into the communal fire at the middle of the Council Hall. “We willnae stand against their allies until they ask us to.”

“We cannae stand against Battleborn!” Gruptor snarled. “There is a reason they’re kenned as the Sea Wolves! They never destroy, and they dinnae kill needlessly.”

Maybal called out from where she sprawled on one of the benches, “Och, since yer Mate started breeding, ye’ve lost yer sense of adventure, Gruptor. Bloodfire warriors are any male’s equal in the Highlands!”

As the squabbling grew around me, I wondered if I really should be congratulating myself on the formation of this council. Aye, they shared the burden of leadership, but having to mediate these meetings could be exhausting.

Especially when there was some place I’d rather be.

With Myra .

However, Myra had made her preferences clear.

It had been two evenings since she’d come around my cock, right here in the Council Hall.

I had to fight to keep from twisting my head yet again and staring at the halfwall where she’d sat as she ground against me.

I hadn’t been able to feel her cunny squeezing, but I’d scented her release, felt her shuddering against me, tasted her arousal in the air.

And I’d told myself the next time would be even better.

But before I could make plans for our next rendezvous, she’d reminded me that she saw me as just her tutor. She had no interest in being my Mate, and my Kteer howled in mourning.

I told myself to be grateful for the chance to pleasure her, but she’d fled me. And she hadn’t returned.

In the last days, I’d found excuses to check on her, and I found her mask of politeness in place as she went about her work for the clan. No indication of what we were sharing. No indication she wanted more .

As I did.

Och, be grateful, ye dobber, that she wants any time with ye at all .

Aye, I would be. But…’twas difficult not to think of what might have been.

I sighed, the flames before me beginning to die down.

“What say ye, chief?” called Gruptor.

My head snapped up. “I am no’ the chief, no’ yet.”

“If Kragorn doesnae?—”

“My brother is no’ dead .” I pushed myself to my feet and met each of their eyes in turn, willing my words to be fact. “He is no’ dead. We would have heard.”

Klorbkal stirred. “Then where is he?” he asked quietly.

If I knew that, I would go fetch him. But I didn’t say that. Instead, I scrubbed my hand down my face.

“Torvolk will find him.” The full moon was only a few days away, and our Ranger could cross back to the humans’ world then.

“Assuming he can pull himself away from between his new Mate’s thighs before then,” called Maybal jovially.

I joined in with the chuckles, because aye, the whole clan knew of how Torvolk and Isadora had been spending their time since they finally gave into the Mating Heat at the Midsummer’s Feast.

The fire was dying down, and as Gruptor bent to add more wood, I held up my palm to stop him.

“Enough. I’ve heard everything ye had to say.

The Battleborn are fierce, aye, and we’ve heard the cries for help from the coast. But until they hurt our people or our allies, I cannae send our warriors to die.

” My voice dropped. “No’ for that. No’ until there’s nae other choice. ”

There was some grumbling from the council, but others nodded thoughtfully.

Fook , this wasn’t easy, was it?

As they slowly filed out, offering words of encouragement or disagreement, I smiled and clasped hands and pretended I was at ease.

When in reality, I was being eaten up inside.

How did Kragorn make decisions like this—life or death choices!

—regularly? How did he know what was right and what was wrong?

And how, for the love of shite, was I supposed to figure it out?

“Fook, Kragorn,” I whispered, scrubbing my hand down my face again as the last of them left, “ye’d better get yer arse back home soon.”

“Talking to yourself?”

The quiet question, with a hint of humor, came from the darkness and had me whirling about. I did not hide the way my Kteer leapt at the sound of her voice, or the genuine joy in my smile.

“Myra,” I breathed happily as she stepped from the shadow of one of the supports. “How long have ye been there, lass?” I moved toward her, unable to stop the instinct.

“Not long.” She wasn’t meeting my eyes. But she was here . “I was…passing by. ”

So late after dark? In my chest, my heart began to hope. Was it possible she’d sought me out on purpose?

I reached her and—unable to stop myself—ran my hands down her arms, my Kteer exalting in the feel of her.

“Did ye—dare I hope, lass, that ye…”

She tipped her head back to meet my eyes, a question in her gaze.

I swallowed. “Have ye come for more lessons, Myra?”

“You said you would choose the time and place,” she whispered. There was no emotion in her voice, none in her expression. She was hiding her true feelings from me.

“When you did not come for me…”

“Ye thought I was done teaching ye?” A surprised laugh burst from me as I squeezed her arms through her cloak. “Gods below, love, I’ll never run out of ways to bring ye pleasure.” Was it my imagination, or did she shudder? “I was waiting for ye to give me a sign ye wanted more.”

“Nay.” Her chin rose. “That is not how this bargain works, Vartok. You are in command, remember? You will tell me what to do, and I will tell you if I’m comfortable with it.”

I was not imagining the sweet scent of her arousal, that was for certes. I studied her, leaning forward, remembering the taste of her lips.

“Aye, pet. Ye like it when ye can give up control to me. When I make the decisions.”

It wasn’t a question, but her gaze dropped to my chin.

“Aye,” she whispered. Was that shame in her tone ?

I would show her there was naught to be ashamed of.

“I want to kiss ye again, my pretty little human.” Her nostrils flared in irritation, and I almost smiled, grateful that she was showing some true emotion again. “Would ye allow it?”

Her wee tongue darted over her lower lip. “You are the one in command,” she whispered.

My Kteer liked that agreement too much, and I growled with need as I lowered my mouth to claim her.

And she ceased being able to hide her emotions, her responses, from me. She was anything but icy as she melted into my hold, her hands clutching at my kilt, bringing us even closer together.

Her arousal spiked, and the scent wrapped around my cock, stroking me, teasing me.

I remembered the taste of her cunny, when I’d licked her desire from her fingers. Tonight, I would taste it directly, and I knew it would be the most remarkable flavor.

She was panting with need when I finally straightened, and I was pleased with myself for having her show me what she liked that first night. It had allowed me to coax her pleasure from her in the most perfect ways.

And tonight, I would put that learning to good use.

“Come with me,” I ordered in a low voice, wrapping her small hand in mine and turning for the path toward the loch.

“’Tis dark,” she protested. “How will we see? ”

Orc sight was far better than hers, so I just smiled in the darkness as I pulled her along.

“Ye’ll have to trust me. Do ye, lass?”

She hesitated, then sighed. “Aye, Vartok. I do.”

I didn’t allow my Kteer’s howl of victory escape, but ‘twas a close thing. Instead, I gathered her to me and lifted, snuggling her in my arms where she belonged.

Tonight, I would prove it.