by Tehya Titan
Soujin nodded. “We’ve met.”
Well, that was news to her. “I want to let him know I’m okay, but…” She gestured vaguely with her left hand. “You’re not going to stab him or anything if I talk to him, are you?”
Smiling, he wrapped her up in his arms, kissing her right there in front of everyone. His tongue swept over her lips, then plunged into her mouth, his low growl loud enough for anyone to hear. It was a mark of ownership, a brand, but Rox didn’t mind. Actually, she loved it because it also let those watching know he belonged to her as much as she did to him.
“I won’t hurt him,” he answered when the kiss ended. “Talk to your friend, setsa, but it would be best if you don’t get too close.”
As far as compromises went, it was a pretty good one. “I have a better idea.” Taking both of his hands, she backed away, pulling him with her. “Why don’t you come with me?”
A few months ago, it would have chapped her ass to make such concessions. Needing permission to even speak to someone else with a dick had seemed misogynistic and far too controlling. Even now, she still didn’t completely understand it, but she did accept it. She wasn’t on Earth anymore, and however humanlike the Vor appeared, they weren’t humans. She was in their world now, and she had to play by their rules.
Besides, having a gorgeous warrior who wanted her all to himself wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Daj!” She didn’t know exactly how close was too close, so she stopped several feet away just to be on the safe side. “You stayed.”
Daj looked to Soujin, waiting for the warrior’s nod before turning his attention back to her. Rox gritted her teeth and didn’t comment. Okay, so maybe it was going to take a little more getting used to than she’d thought.
“I wanted to make sure you were well,” Daj said, his tone carefully neutral. “Congratulations, Rox. It seems Forhvar suits you.”
Giving Soujin’s hand a tight squeeze, she smiled. “Yeah, I guess it does.”
She wondered if Daj still thought the Forhvar clan to be wild and uncivilized. Surely, spending a few days there had changed his mind. Maybe the island didn’t have all the luxuries her friend was used to, but the people there weren’t savages who ran around in the forest in nothing but loincloths.
Just because they distrusted outsiders and preferred not to travel didn’t make them less. It just made them different.
“So, I guess you’ll be leaving soon.”
Daj nodded. “Early tomorrow, but I wanted to see you one last time before we set sail.”
“Wait. What?” Sure, she knew he had no reason to stay on the island, but his goodbye sounded extremely final. “So, that’s it? I’m never going to see you again?”
“I’m not a tradesman,” he reminded her with a crooked grin. “I’m only on this voyage because of you. My home is in Kings Castle.”
“Well, yeah, but…” Crap, she was not going to fucking cry. Was it too early in her pregnancy to blame it on hormones?
“You aren’t a prisoner here,” Soujin interjected. Sliding a knuckle under her chin, he tilted her head back and bent to press a kiss to her brow. “Once the baby is born, we can travel to visit your friends, setsa. I’m sure they miss you.”
His tone suggested he meant they could visit her female friends, but it was still more than she had expected. The fact that he’d been the one to suggest it only made her love him more.
“Yes.” She wiped roughly at her eyes and sniffled. “I’d like that a lot.”
“I’ll let everyone know when I return.” Daj lowered his head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are many unmated females here who find me quite irresistible.”
Rox rolled her eyes but didn’t argue as he strutted toward a group of females. Instead, she turned back to her mate, and pushed up on her toes, offering her lips for a kiss. Soujin didn’t disappoint.
“Thank you. I know that probably wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I got to say goodbye.”
He mirrored her smile and tugged playfully at a strand of hair that had slipped loose of her braids. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but let’s not make it a habit.”
Rox laughed. “Deal.” Taking a step back, she folded her arms across her chest and popped one hip out to the side. “When we go to Kings Castle, we’re going to bring some of the warriors with us, right?”
Her mate frowned. “A couple of guards, yes. Why do you ask?”
“No.” Obviously, they couldn’t bring all the males and leave the island unprotected, but one or two guards wasn’t going to cut it. “What if one of them have a human mate?”
Soujin’s frown deepened. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Yes, clearly, since you never came for me. I had to sail halfway around the fucking planet to find you.”
In a move too fast to counter, he had her in his arms with his mouth slanted over hers in a searing kiss she felt right to her toes. “Forgive me, my love. You’re absolutely right, and there is no excuse. We’ll make plans for all of the warriors to visit Kings Castle after the cold season has ended.”
“Damn, that was a really good apology.” She especially liked the part where he’d said she was right. “We should probably run this amazing plan by your chieftain, don’t you think?” She glanced around at the tents and carts grouped together in a loose circle and frowned. “So, when do I get to meet him? I mean, I should probably meet him, right?”
“Probably.” Humor shone bright in his eyes. “What will you say when you meet him?”
“I don’t know. Am I even allowed to talk to him?”
“Oh, yes. You are free to say whatever is on your mind.” His arms came around her waist, and he chuckled as he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “He particularly likes it when you scream his name.”
Eyes wide, Rox jerked back with an audible gasp. “You? You’re the chieftain?”
Thinking back on it, he’d never specifically said, but all the signs were there. The way the clan seemed to defer to him. His amusement when he’d talked about the chieftain’s lack of servants. Even now, when he’d been making plans to travel, how he’d insisted guards would escort them across the sea.
She probably should have figured it out sooner, but in her defense, she’d been a little out of her mind since they’d met. Still, he could have said something.
Scowling, she smacked him in the chest and gave him a light shove. “What the hell, Soujin? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It honestly didn’t seem important.” Damn, he had a great smile. “Does it matter?”
She thought about it for a minute, then nodded firmly. “Of course, it matters. That means I’m a chieftainess. Right? Is that a thing?” She waved him away before he could answer. “Basically, that makes me a princess. Holy fucking shit.” Throwing her head back, she laughed right from her belly. “I’m totally a Viking princess!”
Soujin laughed with her, even as he shook his head. “I have no idea what that means, but if it makes you happy, you can have any title you choose.”
“Any title?”
“Anything you want,” he promised. “So, what shall it be? What should I call you?”
She considered him for a long time while she thought about it. Being a Viking princess would be awesome, but Chieftainess Roxanne Mahar sounded equally impressive. Really, though, there was only one title that truly mattered.
“Mate,” she answered. “You can call me mate.”
EPILOGUE
“Elbow a little higher. Yeah, just like that.” Rox walked up and down behind the row of warriors, both male and female. “Don’t forget to breathe. Ready. Fire!”
A volley of arrows flew into the air, sailing toward the tree line. Most of them missed their targets, but even those were much closer than they had been on the previous attempts.
“Good job, everyone! You’re definitely getting better.”
It had taken weeks for her to figure out where she fit into the clan. She’d tried fishing with some of the other femal
es, but she’d been terrible at it. The same went for sewing, cooking, and harvesting grains from the fields. To be fair, she hadn’t been bad at that last one. She’d just hated it with a fiery passion.
Soujin still wouldn’t allow her to hunt, but honestly, she was surprised he let her out of his sight at all. Of course, she couldn’t go anywhere on the island without guards, and even then, her mate still invented reasons to come check up on her. It probably should have annoyed her, but she actually found it kind of sweet. Besides, he wasn’t the only one. Every mated female on the island was constantly being interrupted by her warrior during the day.
It was a wonder any of them got any work done. No one seemed to be complaining, though, herself included.
Rox hadn’t had many friends back on Earth. Hell, she’d had more friends in Kings Castle than she had in her old life, but on the island, everything was different. The clan wasn’t just her friends, they were her family. They’d welcomed her with open arms, with love and acceptance, and she would do anything to protect them.
So, when she’d realized they had only spears and swords to hunt and defend themselves with, she’d set about to remedy that. She wasn’t a master archer by any means, but after a lot of trial and error, she—and half a dozen other females—had perfected the bows and arrows they were currently using for target practice.
Of course, teaching the clan how to use them was another story. Rox had taken archery in high school because she’d thought it would be easier than running track. She’d been wrong, but the knowledge she’d gain was finally paying off. In fact, she was a much better teacher than she had ever been a marksman.
“Okay, one more time.”
“I think that’s enough for today.”
Rox smiled as a warm, fur blanket was draped over her shoulders, followed by a pair of strong arms around her chest. “Hello, love. I was wondering when you’d find me.”
Soujin rested his chin on top of her head and heaved out a sigh. “You work too hard, setsa.” His hands traveled lower to settle over the slight protrusion of her belly. “It’s not good for the baby.”
“The baby is just fine, and so is her mother.”
“Her?”
Rox shrugged. “I don’t know. I just feel like it’s going to be a girl.”
Soujin purred, his chest vibrating against her back. “Still, I think you’ve done enough for today. Come rest.”
“In a minute.”
“Rox.” His tone held a note of censure. “Please, do this for me.”
One of the young females jogged across the sand toward them, her bow slung over one shoulder. “I can take over training. Chieftain Mahar is right. You should rest, my lady.”
Narina was young, but she was smart as hell. She also had a natural talent with a bow, and so far, she was the only one who had been able to consistently hit her target. Letting her take over for a little while would not only appease Soujin, but it would also help build the female’s confidence.
Looking at it that way, the choice was an easy one to make.
“Okay,” Rox agreed. “Make sure you have them gather all the arrows when they’re finished for the day.”
Narina lowered her head. “Yes, of course. Thank you for trusting me with this.”
“There’s no one I’d trust more.”
The female thanked her again, her eyes bright from the praise, then hurried off to begin her task.
“And you worried they wouldn’t like you,” Soujin teased as he lifted her into his arms and began carrying her through the forest toward their hut. “You were born for this.”
Yeah, she was kind of starting to think so as well. “You know, I’m perfectly capable of walking. I don’t even waddle yet.”
She made no move to push him away, though. Instead, she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her cold nose to his throat, soaking in his warmth.
“But this way is much faster.”
“Oh, I see what this is. You just want to take me home and have your wicked way with me.”
Her mate growled as he stepped up his pace. “There are many, many wicked things I want to do with you, setsa. I promise you’ll love every one of them.”
His sinful words, spoken like a promise, sent a jolt of liquid heat straight to her pussy. “I think I remember a promise to tie to me to the bed and taste every inch of me until I begged you to stop.”
“True.”
Reaching their home, he threw the door open and carried her straight to the bedroom to deposit her in the center of the bed.
“Well?” Tossing the blanket off her shoulders, she leaned back on her elbows and arched a brow at him. “I’m waiting. Or do you not keep your promises?”
“You know better than that, mate.” He knelt at the foot of the bed before crawling toward her with a predatory gaze. “I always keep my promises, and this is one vow I’m eager to fulfill.”
Rox’s laughter was filled with joy as she reached for him. “Have I told you I love you today?”
“Yes, but I never tire of hearing it.” He slanted his mouth against hers, urging her back onto the bed as he loomed over her. “My beautiful, fierce mate,” he breathed. “I still have no words to express how much I love you.”
Most days, she still couldn’t believe this was her life now. This was her happy-ever-after, and she refused to waste even a second of it.
“In that case—” Widening her legs, she welcomed into the cradle of her hips with a sigh. “—show me instead.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tehya Titan is two author friends who got together and decided to write smutty books with all the feels and none of the angst. We like our heroes uber possessive, our heroines sweet and sassy, sex that scorches the pages, and love stories of the insta variety.
If that’s your jam as well, you’ve come to the right place! Looking for quick and dirty romances with over-the-top alphas and guaranteed HEAs? We’ve got you covered. All of our books are single-serving and can be read in any order, so go ahead. Take a chance. We think you’ll be glad you did.