The Toll (76 page)

“
Will it be ready soon?”
Walking my fingers up his thick chest, up his even thicker neck and
around his chin, right across those lips I enjoy kissing, he nipped
my fingertips playfully.

“
Dunno.”

At his vague answer, his hands
stroking my back idly, I lifted my head enough to stare into his
face. “You don’t know?”

Troll quirked a brow at my expression,
so I quirked one right back. “And you were going to make me wait
how long?”

My bonded shrugged, but I could make
out the faint outline of a smile, trying to tug up the corners of
his ornery lips.

“
Tease,” I muttered,
slapping his chest playfully as I let my head fall, placing it
right over his heart as it beat strongly, thumping steadily under
my ear.

The quiet we descended into—a
comfortable silence—long overdue, was more than welcome.

It’s funny, thinking back,
when you’re faced with a situation, discovering you might lose
someone in your life, someone who came in unannounced, upending
everything, turned your world upside down, shooting you right out
of your comfort zone, and you right along with it, but the thought
of losing them, never having that person again, and you’re upended
once more, merely at the thought—it’s crushing. The more you think
on it, the more you come to realize how much that, whatever it may
be
—maybe not a who, but a what, or a
place—
has come to mean to you, grown on
you, how deeply you’re tied now, so thoroughly, how you’ve come so
far, through it all. Swiftly following on that, was the thought of
how hard the idea of losing them would be. That’s what it was like
for me, having had to watch Troll slowly waste away, bit by bit,
losing little pieces of who he is, what he’s on about, one bit at a
time, as the mate madness slowly consumed him. I cringed inside,
just thinking about it. He’d been so close, and I’d almost been too
late. Fingering the thick scar where he’d ripped into me, I cringed
again.

Sure, I could’ve learned to
live without him, maybe, and would’ve gone on to do just that, if I
could—nothing would ever be as it had once originally been, I knew
that, but I didn’t want my old life back, before any of this,
anyways. I wasn’t that person anymore—I wanted
him
back, chose to be with
him.
I chose him—
chose to love him, as he’d chosen, at some point, despite
what he’d thought I’d done, to love me.

Sensing my discomfort, Troll brushed
my hands away, fingering the thick, scarred skin. A discontented
noise rumbled his chest, and I wrapped my arms around his barreled
chest tight, squeezing my eyes shut tight. As my tumultuous
emotions eased, so did his.

“
It was worth it,” I
whispered, nuzzling his wide chest.

“
When I said before ye were
ruined...” He stopped and started. “I dinna mean it like that.
They’re beautiful, if ye willna flay me arse fer sayin’ so, an’
they make ye stronger, whether ye realize it or not. That’s what
the runes do,” he whispered hoarsely, “it was me bearer’s
concession to the curse. She was able ta offer us the protection of
the runes, her power flowing through ‘em. There’s a price ta them,
but I never thought... I dinna know...”

“
It’s okay,” my hands
stilled, “you don’t have to explain anymore.”

“
No Ornthren has ever
bonded completely before. I dinna know. None of us did. Part of the
curse, I s’pose. Twisted, but I think it’s part of not forsakin’
the bond.” Disgust and self-loathing filling him, he spat, “Fated
bitches never figured on it goin’ the other way ‘round, an’ ye not
havin’ a choice.”

His admission shocked me, stilling me
completely.

“
I’d take them all,” he
rasped softly, tracing the swirling, raised markings running along
my neck and shoulders, trailing over my body. “I’d take every last
one of ‘em an’ wear them for ye, take all the pain along wit’ ‘em,
if I could.”

The knot in my chest loosened, and I
finally remembered to breath. “I know you would.” I knew it deep
down in my soul. He’d gone crazy for me, the stubborn male, to try
and let me go, giving me what he’d thought I’d wanted.

From what I’d gleamed from Quaz and
Ketik, he’d given up after the first few weeks, once the signs of
him losing himself started to show, but he’d tried. He’d thought he
was protecting me. I was glad his siblings hadn’t listened, and
while I’d never tell them so, I was glad they’d found
me.

He’d thought to save me,
the ornery Ornthren.
Stupid and stubborn,
he truly was.

Isn’t that what love is
sometimes?
Stupid and stubborn?
Staying with the one person that drives you
absolutely mad, stupid crazy, makes you feel stupid in love, and
you stubbornly choose to stay by their side, day by day, night
after night, a part of every moment, good or bad. Well, maybe not
for most, and maybe not all, but my stupid, stubborn love, and all
its eccentricities, was just fine with me.

“
What’s got ye lookin’ like
that, Nugget?” Troll questioned curiously, blinking down at me,
dumbfounded, as my lips tipped up slightly.

I could have told him what I was
thinking, told him everything, and as I opened my mouth, eyes
bright with emotions, about to do just that, something stopped
me.

Humming a jaunty little tune that had
him quirking a brow at me, I tapped his chest. “It’s amazing, isn’t
it?” Knuckles rapping across his unyielding flesh, I announced, “It
beats. I mean, I really thought I’d hear a walnut clunking around
in there, if it hadn’t molded yet.” Grinning mischievously, full of
cheek, my hand splayed across his chest, massaging between the
thick slab of muscle. “But, lo and behold, here it is.”

“
I’m bein’ serious, ye foul
wench,” he grumbled, swatting me on the ass. “Now shut up an’ let
me love ye.”

Pretending to have to think it over, I
tapped my finger on my chin, free hand propping my head up as my
ear rested on it. “Mmm. Give me a moment, I need to think about
it.”

“
Wasna askin’, female,” he
growled softly, taking me with him when he crushed me to his chest
hard, rolling us over, fisting a handful of my hair at my nape as
he took my lips roughly.

Waiting until I was a squirming mess
beneath him, writhing with want, he pulled back just enough to have
me calling out in protest before he grinned. “Och, see, now that’s
how I like ye.”

Gripping his arm, I leaned
in and bit, waiting until he howled out in protest before I let go.
“And
that
is
exactly how I like to see you.”

“
Howlin’ yer bleedin’ name
in protest?” he barked, studying his arm to see if I’d actually
broken the skin, lips thin, eyes narrowed, incredulous.

“
Yes.” I nodded, expression
completely serious, and even managed to keep a straight face as I
did.

Troll broke first, snorting quietly,
then smiling slowly, releasing his arm to dive back down, invading
my personal space as I willingly invited him to. Arms wrapping
around his neck tight as our bodies aligned, our lips
brushed.

“
Blood thirsty wench,” he
growled affectionately.

“
Grumpy old troll,” I
murmured right back, tone just as affectionate, nipping his
chin.

Entering me slowly, careful since I
was still quite tender down there, he rocked his hips slowly,
brushing my lips with soft, passionate kisses. “A dozen, then?” he
murmured low.

Pausing, my lips pressed to his, I
pulled back enough to eye him warily. “Children or
orgasms?”

A naughty grin split his face. “Does
it matter?”

Scowling up into his face, I tugged at
the top fold of his ear. “I’d been kidding. It was a joke. What
would you do with a dozen babes?”

“
Is that a no, then? Ye be
wantin’ more?”

“
Har-har. Very funny. Don’t
push your luck, Troll.”

“
Orgasms it is, then.” His
smile was nothing short of wicked as he winked.

“
High goal you’re setting
for yourself, troll-lover.”

“
Mmm.” He buried his face
in my neck, rumbling softly, “A male can hope, eh?”

Epilogue

“
You’re staring at
me.”

Brushing a thick hand over Calder’s
head, ignoring his son’s grunting protests, he leaned in, brushing
his lips with mine. “Canna help it. Watchin’ ye eat that peach is
doin’ dangerous things ta me nethers.”

Sighing heavily as I took another huge
bite, juice dribbling down my chin, I chewed slowly, giving him a
dirty look.

“
That good, eh?” he
murmured huskily, tongue peeking out to chase it, nibbling little
kisses along my neck. Making loud chomping noises into my skin as
he teased my flesh, as if he was about to munch on me, purely for
Calder’s benefit as he cheered his Papa on, I giggled, shoving him
playfully away.

“
Knock it off,
you.”

“
Canna help it,” he fake
growled. “Ye’re sweet and juicy, like that peach.”

Calder, sitting between us, slamming a
stack of wooden blocks noisily against a thick pan, turned upside
down for his noise making enjoyment, crawled a few paces away,
taking his things with him.

“
It’s a sign,” Troll
rumbled gleefully, gladly taking his spot.

“
A sign of what?” I mumbled
around a mouthful of succulent peach.

“
For me ta be showin’
ye.”

Finishing off my last bite, I handed
the pit off to Troll, grimacing as he popped it into his mouth,
quickly glancing away as he ate it in two jaw cracking, crunching
bites.

“
I don’t see how you can do
that.” Cradling my own jaw, as if in sympathy, I shook my
head.

Shrugging, he dusted off his hands and
stood up. “Dinna see how ye can prefer the flesh ta the
center.”

“
It’s soft and sweet, and
it tastes good.” Peering at his outstretched hand questioningly, I
took it, letting him hoist me up.

Large hand roaming my back, he tugged
me into his chest, nuzzling the top of my wild hair. “Think ye’ll
be likin’ this.”

“
Ready, then?” Quaz called,
popping his head into our living quarters.

Troll nodded and went to scoop Calder
up, dodging his pudgy little hands when his pan arm swung. “Och,
enough, ye wee beast. Got a surprise fer yer Mum.”

“
Mum?” Calder, still not
quite all that talkative yet, swung his gaze between us, his little
brows dipping. “Prize?”

“
Yes,” his papa’s deep
voice rumbled quietly as he nodded, hoisting him up on his
shoulder, where Calder’s little hands dropped the pan with a
resounding clash, in favor of holding onto Troll’s head. “Do ye
remember Mum’s surprise?”

“
Yep. Yep.” My little boy’s
head nodded enthusiastically, thumping his chest with a closed
fist. “Beast help.”

Walking back to pick up his pan, I set
it in the small chest at the end of his bed, hurrying to catch
up.

“
Might want ta grab tha’,”
Quaz called, motioning towards Bay.

Snatching the item up, I smiled my
thanks, hurrying out to trail after.

Troll had built Calder a small
sleeping pallet, a miniature of ours, full of soft furs and thick
sheets, as well as a small blanket I’d fashioned out of one of my
worn skirts. His ‘Bay’, he calls it, and Calder refuses to sleep
without it.

“
Oi, Nugget, hurry yer bum!
Aint got all day!”

“
I’m coming, you impatient
old coot,” I muttered, nudging Quaz when he boomed out a
laugh.

“
An’ quit flirtin’ wit’ me
kin. Dinna want ta haveta pummel his ar-” Glancing at Calder and
remembering my last tirade on cursing in front of little ones,
still bearing the burn marks on his thick grey bum, he corrected,
“Hide.”

“
Maybe we’re plottin’ yer
imminent demise,” Quaz called after him.

“
Pfft. Nugget? Never.”
Waiting until we caught up with the pair, he leaned forward,
telling his brother in a loud whisper, “She’s hooked, ye see. Canna
get enough of me bloody co- Oomph!”

“
It will be exactly that,”
I huffed over his words as he rubbed at his belly, feigning
offence, “if you keep that up.”

“
What’s that, then?” Quaz
asked my retreating back as I strode ahead of them, ignoring Troll
entreating me to come back.

“
A bloody, ahem,” my eyes
raked over Troll’s tamptet meaningfully,
“you-know-what.”

“
Hah! Hear that, brother?
Gonna bleed yer meat if ye keep sassin’.”

Grunting, gaze following me when I
stopped at the mouth of the catacombs, my bonded smoothed a hand
over my back, the other clamping Calder’s legs to his chest,
working his way up to my nape as his fingers massaged the tension
out of them. “Come now, love,” he murmured, “tell me ye dinna, an’
I’ll let it drop.”

Choosing silence over gracing that one
with an answer—seeing as to how it was more rhetorical than
anything—he nuzzled my temple, slipping his hand down to grab a
handful of my ass.