SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING
Chapter 24: Freedom
~
A swollen eye made threading the needle I held more difficult than it should have been. Katrina watched with Ásdís on her lap, her other daughter Tordis peering over my shoulder while I muttered in frustration. Tordis clicked her tongue when I finally managed to get the thread through the eye so I could finish making my own tunic.
“Why don’t you go play with your friends, Tordis,” Katrin suggested with a chuckle. “Leave Raeghan to work without your scolding.”
My lips twitched in amusement but I tried to pretend I was focussed on my work. Tordis sniffed. “I want to watch, and she promised she’d come with Hagan to give me a fighting lesson.”
“I swear I’ll keep that promise. You don’t gave to hover over me,” I teased.
Ever since I’d beaten Ebbe, and Ebbe Hagan, the pack had opened up a little more. They seemed more curious of me now, whether that was because I’d proven I was as strong as Orin or because Ebbe had suddenly started mingling with them more freely and happily, I wasn’t sure.
With a humph and muttered words, Tordis slid off the bench and went to chase after her friends playing in the water, disrupting it for the wolves trying to fish. My gaze caught Ebbe's, my cheeks warming at the intensity I found in his eyes. I knew he was mad about my black eye, and I was glad he hadn’t seen it happen. He’d done so well in the last week, holding his place above Hagan in rank, he didn’t need a moment of lost control at the sight of me hurt to push his progress back.
Fishing next to Aljana and the others, he nodded and spoke to them but his eyes never left mine. I had to shake my head to refocus, sewing up the last bit of fabric.
“A little closer together,” Katrin guided. “And don’t pull as tight, it’ll hold together.”
Doing as she said, I finished just as an exhausted and red-faced Fenna collapsed next to Katrin.
“That looks good,” she panted, gratefully accepting the water Katrin offered her.
“Thanks.” I grinned down at my new top, fingering the rough edges before smiling up at her again. “Do I want to know why you’re all out of breath and sweaty?”
Giving me a wicked grin, she pushed strands of damp hair away from her face. “Working with Jakkon. He told me to remind you that you’ll be leaving with the hunters tomorrow.”
Gods, had it really already been a week since Ebbe and I had talked and came to an understanding? As if summoned by my thinking of him, movement brought my gaze to the male himself making his way slowly over. I recognised the intent in his walk and heat pooled low in my belly. Realising Fenna was still waiting on some acknowledgement from me, I cleared my throat.
“I'll be ready. I wish you were coming though.”
“Och, you'll be fine. Someone has to stay here with Signy and I can’t take a chance to run around in the wild for a bit away from Orin. He’d do nothing but pout here.”
Katrin laughed but I still couldn’t get over how Fenna talked about Orin, like he was a cuddly pup and not a terrifying male that made even trees shudder when he walked. Though I was beginning to see his softer side, he’d been keeping a close eye on me lately after I'd shown up at his den sobbing.
Looking around, I frowned when I could no longer see Ebbe. I was so sure he’d been headed this way. Shaking my head, I stole a sip of Fenna's water then got to work on mending a year in one of Tordis' trousers for Katrin. Lost in concentration, my mind wandered to home. The pack would be preparing for the solstice too. Would they be doing a BBQ this year, or a ceilidh, in the hall or outside depending on the mood of the Scottish weather that could switch at the drop of a hat.
My back tingled as someone stepped up behind me without warning.
I tried to ignore the sudden calloused brush of fingers across my shoulder and up the side of my neck, but heat followed his touch and I couldn’t escape when he leaned down to kiss a spot beneath my ear. “Come with me.”
“I’m busy, Ebbe,” I murmured, hoping Katrin and Fenna were as deep in conversation as they were making out. “I should have finished this yesterday for Katrin. I owe her for her help.”
He smirked against my skin, far too smug a male at the knowledge of exactly why I was behind in my chores. For some reason, he’d taken my permission for whatever was between us to be explored to mean he could interrupt whatever I was doing so we could have a romp in the woods whenever the mood hit him.
Batting away his hand, I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You can keep me company if you like.”
“I haven’t seen you all day, please?” A gentle growl against my throat vibrated straight through me to settle as heat throbbing at the apex of my thighs. I shifted in my seat, even as Ebbe greedily inhaled the change in my scent.
The trousers I could finish later tonight in my den. . .
Spinning on the bench, I grabbed his hand and he yanked me up with a huge grin. We couldn’t slip away unnoticed of course, and before we could disappear through the trees, I heard Katrin laugh as Fenna called out, “Have fun, be safe!”
I laughed too, letting Ebbe lead me deeper into the forest until we were well away from the pack. We’d learned our lesson after being caught at the pools the day before. I giggled.
What the fuck had gotten into us?
Neither of us seemed able to get enough. I always wanted to be touching him, whether it was simply his arm against mine as we ate, or to have him nearby enough I could catch his scent in the air. A small part felt such alarm at my need for that, but I pushed it away. This was, for now, just two wolves having fun. But every time I told myself that over the last few days, it tasted a little more like a bitter lie on my tongue. Ebbe offered me a reprieve from the crushing realities that waited for me back home, and I’d take as much of that freedom from him as I could, as long as he offered it.
Sooner or later though, reality would come crashing back.
Swinging me around, Ebbe gave me no more time to think. He pushed me up against the nearest tree, and the rough bark stung my skin but the pain only added to my need to have him. His body was pressed up against mine, pushing me more roughly, but when I lifted my chin to accept a heady kiss, I was met with narrowed blues. “Your eye, who did it?”
So this hadn’t been about sex, it was an ambush. Touching where it hurt the worst, I cringed a little at the throbbing I got in return, but I could see and blink so I hadn’t been that bothered about it. No bone was broken, skin wasn’t split open, by tomorrow, it would be a lovely mottled yellow and green, and the day after that it might be gone completely. So there was no need for his protectiveness.
“Who did it?” he repeated, making me roll my eyes.
“None of your business. It was done while training, sometimes injuries happen when you’re sparring with fully grown wolves who’ve been taught not to hold back. You know that. This is exactly why I didn’t want you watching.”
He hummed, still unhappy as he studied the bruising, catching my chin between his fingers to tilt my face towards the light so he could get a better look.
Leaning in, I nipped at his jaw, splaying my hands over his bare chest. I’d learned to put up with his hate for clothes and secretly liked that he was never hidden from my eyes. He groaned as my nails dug in, distracting him from his anger. The tension left him as I explored the lines and groves down his abdomen, the way he was filling out with more muscle now he was eating better and going back to learning from Signy.
“Is that really the only reason you dragged me out here, Ebbe? To have a moan about my injuries?” I breathed, sliding one hand lower until my fingers brushed against his length.
He sucked in a sharp breath, and I suddenly felt almost shy as I wrapped my fingers around him, stroking slowly as I kissed and nipped my way down until I was kneeling before him.
Shimmering blue eyes looked down at me, wild and untamed in a way that sent a shiver up my spine.
“Maybe not the only reason,” he murmured huskily, his fingers sinking into my hair while his other hand braced himself against the tree behind me.
I enjoyed having this control over him. With just a touch of my lips against his hip, he forgot all about my bruised eye. Taking him into my mouth was a power all of its own. Ebbe's head fell back on a gasp, fingers curling tighter in my hair to guide me, showing me exactly how he liked it.
Bark and twigs dug into my knees but I barely noticed. My fingers continued to explore, hands skimming over his hips to his rear, nails leaving marks where others would definitely see them. I found my own pleasure in this, tasting salt and musk on my tongue that drove my wolf wild, a soft moan slipping out when Ebbe rocked forward to thrust more of himself in my mouth.
When I was sure he could take no more, he suddenly tugged on my hair, yanking my head back to the point it stung, but it was by no means unpleasant.
“Don’t,” he choked out.
His eyes were unfocussed, still cloudy with desire and confusion. This was all new to him, and I secretly loved that I was the one that got to teach him about pleasure. Licking my lips, I gazed up at him then smiled slyly. He’d almost lost control, and all because of me.
Helping me to my feet, I barely stood upright before he was gripping my thighs and hoisting me up, pinning me between his body and the tree. I wrapped my legs around his waist, gripping his shoulders as I yelped. This felt unsteady and though I definitely had more experience than Ebbe, I felt a flicker of anxiety in this new position.
“I won’t drop you,” he promised, his nose brushing against mine. “Do you trust me?”
My mouth opened to answer but words turned to a needy moan as he pressed the hard heat of his erection firmly against my core. Who cared if I trusted him? All I cared about was having what I wanted, and right then that was any way Ebbe wanted me.
Gripping one hip firmly in his hand, his other moved between our bodies. Shifting me higher up the tree, a gasp from me let him know he had this right. He lowered me at the same time as he thrust up, filling me so deeply, I became nothing but electrified nervendings all screaming for more. Rolling my hips in time with his, I kissed him as I wanted to. His tongue met mine with an eagerness to claim so thoroughly that it pushed away the doubt that always lingered in me.
My fingers sifted through his hair, tangling amongst the braids and knots, making sure he kept close. Every time I made a move to take back control, he stilled and growled, the vibration singing through my body until I melted again, at his mercy. His lips left mine, nipping harshly at a sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder before moving down again. The sharp sting of teeth on pebbled flesh had me arching into him, offering more of myself.
He laved at my breasts, bringing out every moan and gasp, hitch of breath and flutter of my heart until I quivered. Then suddenly I was being swung away from the tree and laid down in amongst the roots, hands pinned above my head. When I didn’t fight, Ebbe growled his approval.
Another heated kiss, he bit my lip at the same time his fingers pressed against the throbbing bundle of nerves between my thighs. I cried out, lifting my hips instinctively, ready to fly off the cliff Ebbe was dragging me up...up...up
Fuck.
I wasn’t sure if I’d said that out loud before I screamed. Clenching around him, my body writhed in the dirt. Ecstasy. That’s what he brought me too. No thoughts, just heat and pleasure that pulsed in my veins, burned my skin, tugging my body every way.
It didn’t take long for Ebbe to follow. He pulsed inside me, growling low by my throat as he stilled and mumbled something I didn’t understand. His breath fanned over already sensitive skin, making me shudder after every one. Now my hands were released, they fell to his back, stroking over raised scars to settle just above his rear.
Placing a quick peck to my jaw, he rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression. He always looked so amazed after we had sex. I half expected him to boyishly ask if I enjoyed myself, if he was doing things right, but Ebbe didn’t need to ask to know.
“There,” I panted softly. “Now we’ve done what Fenna ordered.”
“What? Had fun and been safe?” He grinned. “Fun I can promise, I don’t know about being safe.”
I was sure she'd meant contraception, but the chances of a female getting pregnant when not in season was slim to none so I wasn’t worried. Not that I felt like explaining that to Ebbe. That would include a lesson on female biology which would definitely ruin the moment.
I chuckled to myself, staring up at the bits of blue sky I could see through the canopy of green. Feeling very much sated yet again, I relaxed and let out a slow breath, my eyes falling shut. When was the last time I’d felt like this, happy and at ease, no tension from worry about pack or hierarchy?
The brush of fingers trailing up my side and back down was soothing, as was the contented rumble coming from Ebbe.
“Fenna says we leave tomorrow night,” I said.
Ebbe hummed, never stopping the pattern he traced over my skin. “Jakkon told me this morning. I think he wanted to check I hadn’t changed my mind about going, not that he’d let me. Do you feel ready?”
“I think so.” I laughed but the sound was humourless. “I have to be. I just wish I could call my parents and tell them. Leaving this pack for the wilds feels like going even further from home, even if it’s not. This morning. . .”
But how could I explain what I’d felt this morning; the same foreboding I’d felt the day I’d left home. More nerves, that’s what Fenna would say. Shaking my head, I smiled at the concerned look Ebbe was giving me and assured him, “I feel the bond with the pack still, like a flutter beneath my skin when I think of them. It's how they let me know everything is okay.”
“You feel the pack?” Confusion marred his features and I reached out to smooth brush his frown away.
“Of course I do. We’re all connected through our Alpha, he binds us together. Every new member not born to the pack must add their blood in a ceremony conducted by the Alpha to form the bond.” But surely he knew that, he must have done it when he joined Jakkon’s pack, and even though each pack did it a little differently, they all had the same roots. Blood, an Alpha, sometimes vows or an act, a gift of tribute for the pack you were joining.
There was no recognition in his eyes though. I frowned, searching his gaze. “Don’t you feel your pack?”
Closing his eyes, his hand splayed out over my abdomen, and I watched him intently. After a few seconds he opened his eyes again and shrugged, his eyes suddenly averted.
“Not through me, only through Gisli. I don’t remember much of the night Jakkon officially accepted us.” Another shrug that didn’t fool me. “I don’t think I did what I was meant to. Gisli was happy to join, I. . .”
“Just went through the motions?” I supplied, unravelling some more of the enigma that was Ebbe.
He chuckled and fell to his back. “I guess so.”
Chewing my lip, I sat up a little to peer down at him. Blue eyes captured mine and whatever he saw in me made his lips twitch. “Ask. I know you’ve been dying to.”
“What exactly is the bond you have with Gisli? Can you hear her thoughts?”
He shook his head. “No, I...she and I...” He huffed. “I can’t explain it to you.”
Hurt blossomed at his sharp reply.
“Why?”
He sighed and brushed his fingers over my arm in apology for being harsh. I understood he still struggled to open up without feeling the need to defend what made him so different.
“I don’t think Gisli and I think the way you do,” he began, his nose scrunching like he couldn’t figure out how to describe it. “It isn’t sentences or words that make up how she and I think. We didn’t grow up with words for a long time, and then we didn’t need to use them because we spent so much time in fur like I told you. It’s. . .images. Feelings. Tastes, scents, sounds, memories, instinct.”
While I struggled to comprehend that, it did make sense. After all, not all my thoughts were structured sentences. Sometimes they were exactly as he described, especially in fur. Baser thoughts. Everyone struggled to understand someone speaking to you while you were in fur, especially if you’d been in that form for a while. It also explained why he sometimes stumbled over his words, or took long pauses. He was thinking. Struggling.
After letting me digest that, he continued. “So in answer to your question, I suppose you could say yes. If Gisli's emotions are heightened enough, I can see what’s in her head. Most of the time it’s a general feeling I get, or a dull ache on the same spot if she’s injured herself.”
I hummed, falling into silence again for a while, before asking, “If Gisli took a mate, would you be able to feel them once they mated and bonded?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. I guess one day we’ll find out.” His head tilted as he looked up at me, a slow smile curling his lips. “You’re asking a lot of questions.”
I shrugged a shoulder, feeling heat rise to my cheek. Admitting I was curious was all well and good but admitting I was asking because I was curious if I’d be able to feel Gisli through Ebbe if we mated, would please him too much. And the mere fact I was considering more than just messing around with him terrified the shit out of me.
“She’s mad at me.”
Frowning, I glanced back down at him. “Why? What did you do?”
Ebbe snorted, one eyebrow quirking up. He grabbed my wrist and yanked, toppling my balance so I fell across him. I wriggled, fighting to get free even as I laughed, until a sharp sting suddenly blossomed across my rear. Gasping, it took a second to compute that he’d spanked me. Even more surprising was how my body reacted, my thighs rubbing together, lips parted as my breathing hitched.
“That was for assuming I’d done something wrong.” He smirked, but his gaze was calculating, as if checking I wasn’t really hurt, but a deep inhale of my scent told him all he needed to know and blue eyes nearly twinkled in delight.
Trying to arrange my thoughts, I settled more comfortably against him. The warm roughness of his hand smoothed over the spot that stung before sliding up to grip my waist.
“Why is she angry then?” I asked, hating that the tremble of my voice gave away the desire I was feeling for him again.
“Nothing we can’t sort out. Even though she’s accepted and loved amongst the pack, it’s always been just she and I. But things change.”
I heard what he hadn’t said out loud, she was upset with her brother because of me. I hoped she didn’t feel I’d stolen him away from her, or that she’d lose him to me. I adored Gisli, it was impossible not to. And it was impossible for me not to wonder what she’d do if I did take Ebbe as a mate, would she come back to Scotland with us or stay here? That’s if Ebbe wanted to join my pack. And therein lay the problems I’d been beating back with a stick.
“You’re overthinking,” Ebbe murmured, tucking hair behind my ear so he could see my face. I couldn’t look up at him though, keeping my gaze trained on his chest to watch the steady rise and fall.
“We should get back. I still have clothes to finish and last minute thing to get ready for leaving tomorrow.” Pulling away from him, I began to pull my clothes back on while he watched me.
Leaves crunched as he stood, and I felt a flicker of power that drew my attention back to him. Standing with his arms folded, he stood like I was his to command. My chin lifted at the challenge. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“You’re closing off,” he accused.
“I’m not.
“Then what is it?”
I sighed, forcing a smile onto my face. “Something to worry about later. Come on, you’re going to help me finish my chores.”
He lips flattened into a grin line but he nodded and followed me back to the pack.
Later that night, as we lay together in a mess of tangled limps and blankets, both panting and damp with sweat, I thought he was going to bring up what had scared me off earlier. He inhaled to speak, his fingers stilling from stroking my side, but then he let out the breath with a tumbling growl and tugged me closer to him. He was allowing me more time. But how much more would he be willing to give?