Beth tried to keep a straight face. Uthar was grunting and breathing heavily, but he didn’t flinch away from Kinna.
“How long will this take?” She asked Gorya.
“Kinna is moving as quickly as she can. I’d say an hour for the back tattoo. Another hour for the ones on his arms.”
“Oh God,” Beth whispered.
Time passed slowly. At least to her. She wasn’t hungry yet, but she ached all over. Sitting on the grass with no support for her back was not an easy feat. But she was doing her best not to slouch, because no one was slouching. Now she thought Sonya had been smart to skip tonight.
Kinna finally moved to his right arm, and then, after what felt like forever, to his left arm. She barely allowed him two breaks, and that only because she needed more fire mixed with earth. The ash that covered her palms never came in contact with Uthar’s skin, which made Beth believe that it was probably symbolic. The substance that was actually etched into his skin was going to remain a mystery to her. She could ask Kinna after, but she was pretty sure the mage would simply say, “magic”.
The ritual ended at midnight. Kinna washed her hands in the bowl, then stepped before Uthar, said something to him in orc language, and bowed. She stepped aside, and he rose.
“I give you your captain. Uthar the Hunter,” she said.
The orcs jumped to their feet and cheered. Lonar the Beast stepped forward, bowed his head slightly, then shook Uthar’s hand and slapped him on the back. Uthar didn’t flinch, like Beth would’ve expected. The torture was over. His wounds had already healed.
One by one, the orcs bowed and congratulated Uthar. Beth had to wait another half hour to finally have him to herself. When the horde started to disperse and Kinna disappeared inside her house, Uthar wrapped Beth in his arms and cradled her gently.
“How are you feeling, my mate?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I saw, nor why you had to be in so much pain. But all right, traditions...”
He smiled. “It was nothing. You need not worry about me. Are you hungry?”
“Not really. Though I do feel sorry about all that food.”
“We can join the others if you want.”
“Oh? That’s where they’re going?” She looked around and saw that they were alone. She heard Kinna’s front door open and close, then her silhouette walking down the street. Of course no orc would let such good food go to waste. But Beth wasn’t hungry. She’d been assaulted by so many emotions tonight, that the last thing she wanted to hear about was food. “No, I want to go home. Will you come home with me?”
He kissed her tenderly. “Always.”
Chapter Fourteen
She wanted to kiss him everywhere it had hurt. He let her.
They were naked in their bed, and Beth was on top of him, pinning him to the mattress with her body. She knew he was under her only because he wanted to be, not because her weight meant anything to him. She straddled him, bent over, and traced her lips over the tattoo that ran from his left shoulder down his arm. She felt the scars as if they were old and battered, not just recently made, an hour before. Her heavy breasts moved over his chest and abs, her hard nipples grazing him gently. His other hand was on her hip, and he was trying to guide her, to let her know that he wanted to slip his cock inside her.
But Beth wanted to tease him. And herself. They had time. The night was theirs.
She rolled her hips, causing the length of his cock to rub against her wet folds. It was the perfect position to stimulate her clit, so she rolled her hips again, angling them just right. She moaned and moved to his other arm, where she started kissing him again, from shoulder to wrist. He had to let go of her and allow her to explore him as she pleased.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
“No.”
“How bad did it hurt when Kinna made them?”
“Bad.”
“I don’t get it. I don’t get why she had to make it so painful, when I know she could’ve made it the opposite.”
“It’s how things are supposed to be. It’s how it should happen. The horde needs a strong captain who is not afraid of a little pain.”
“A little?” she huffed. Had it been her tonight, she would’ve fainted about a dozen times.
He smiled. “It wasn’t that bad. It only lasted two hours.”