The Toll (72 page)

Another wave of jealousy,
white hot, pierced my bonded. “Yer idea, then?” Gnashing his teeth,
he looked like he wanted to put his fist through something,
or
someone.

“
No,” I was careful in my
reply, responding slowly, “but I was baiting you, and I asked him
to go along with it.” Shrugging helplessly, I let out a long
breath. “That must have been his idea of, erm, helping.”

“
Helpin’.” Jaw flexing, he
gritted the words out, rolling his neck on his shoulders as his
eyes narrowed, flashing black.

Humming a little in my throat,
mimicking the soft lullaby he’s used so many times before, without
much of the same effect, a small smile tilted his lips, just at the
corners, but it was enough for now.

“
Pfft. Worked,” he
muttered. There was no rush of emotions flooding towards me this
time, just mild, though irritated, acceptance. “Still say he’s a
bastard, though, even if it did the bleedin’ trick.”

Ignoring his surly mood, I nodded.
“You’re welcome.”

Head whipping to the side to glare
down at me, I smiled softly in the face of his ire. “I didn’t enjoy
it. Does that help?”

Bristling visibly, he grumbled,
“Maybe,” head tilted away to stare into the water.

“
He does love you, though,
you know.”

Troll chuckled, despite his warring
emotions, nudging my shoulder “Still want to rip his arms
off.”

“
Mmm,” I murmured, resting
my head on his arm, “me too.”

It felt good, his warmth, the solid
strength in those muscles, even tensed, imbuing a sense of comfort
and safety. Snuggling closer, I melted against him as he barked out
a laugh, closing my eyes.

Reaching over, his fingers cupped
mine, lacing them together. No hesitation, no grumbling acceptance,
we just were. It felt right.

We sat there like that, for I don’t
know how long, in companionable silence. The rush of the rapidly
tumbling water and the low howl of a coyote, along with its mate’s
answering call echoing in the distance, just added to the
ambiance.

“
I’m worried about her.
Been thinkin’ a lot,” glancing over at me, he smiled ruefully, “ye
do that to me, ye know? Make this ol’ Ornthren think.” Tapping his
temple, he sighed, “See where me mum might ‘o’ been comin’ from, I
guess, though I dinna think the way she gone ‘bout it was right, ye
see?” The words, uttered low, were rife with emotion. “No’
particularly happy wit’ any of the other shit that went on,
directly or indirectly, ‘cause ‘o’ her arse’s meddlin’, either.”
His eyes flashed at the reminder. “Not referrin’ tat that, though,
ye get what I be sayin’, hm?”

“
Mmm. I do.” And I did.
While I could see Niniane wanting Troll to find happiness, and can
clearly understand that, wanting the same for Calder, I couldn’t
agree with her almost sacrificing Vidi’s powers, her strength, an
Other’s only major defense in this crazy, mixed up magical world I
found myself smack dab in the middle of, to bring us there. And
then there was everything else, the ‘shit that went on’, like he’d
said.

“
Love the boy. Want his
arse happy. Canna say I’d throw another under the bridge ta get
there, but canna say the urge someday willna be strong. Ye
ken?”

Nudging him as he smiled,
lips tipping up as his voice turned slightly playful, I
grinned.
He loves him.

“
Dinna wish fer things ta
go like they did wit’ her, in the end of it, havin’ thought on it,
ye know?”

I wasn’t expecting that, glancing over
at him, gauging his reaction as his throat worked, bobbing thickly
against his rough, grey skin. Nostrils flaring as a sense of loss,
anger, and relief, all rolled into one, seared his gut, leeching
through our link, his fingers tightened perceptably, thumb stroking
over mine slowly in a soft caress.

And Ketik says Ornthren are
incapable of softness? Of feeling?
Hah.
Watching my big, gruff bonded struggle with his emotions, I begged
to differ.

“
Sounds strange,” he
continued, “I know, considerin’... but I do.” Unable to meet my
gaze, he kept straight ahead, watching the fireflies lighting up
along the tall reeds and weeds popping up along the bank, flitting
about. “The wench bore me, ye know? Dinna haveta... it just... ah.
Tis fucked.”

“
She’s your mother, no
matter what. Doesn’t sound strange to me at all.”

Silence settled between us, but his
fingers, softly stroking mine, didn’t let up. The action seemed to
comfort him.

“
Think she be
alright?”

Mulling that over for a moment, I
nodded. “I’m sure, where ever she is, she’ll be just fine.” And I
really hoped I wasn’t full of complete and utter bull.

We hadn’t seen hide nor
hair of any of the Elementals, and one could only guess what had
happened.
Were they disbanded? Replaced?
Where are they now? What became of them?
I
felt it in my gut, though, we weren’t to know.

“
Have me thanks, me little
nugget,” Troll rumbled after a moment, slowly getting to his feet,
offering me a hand up.

“
For what?” Taking his
proffered hand, I accepted his assistance.

Hoisting me up, my chest brushed
against his warm, heated flesh, a zing rushing through us on
contact.

Leaning in, his large hand brushed my
lower back, holding me to him gently. Long fingers splaying across
my back, his fingers spread, spanning the length as my hands dusted
up his arms, admiring how nicely he was filling out as he slowly
worked his way back to his old self.

“
Tryin’ ta make me feel
better.” Head dipping towards mine, I lifted my chin, lips reaching
towards his searchingly.

“
Is it working?” I
whispered, licking my lips as his breath whispered across my face.
Pausing, a mere hair’s breadth away, I was dying of impatience.
I’ve been waiting for this—a private moment—just us two, for what
felt like forever. Our cuddly little roommate, Sir Calder of the
infant Ornthren, was a very light sleeper, as well as a bed hog. It
felt like eternity since we’d had a little stolen moment like
this.

“
Maybe.” Troll still held
back, brows furrowing as his face puckered, but his fingers, warm
and inviting, roamed all over my back freely, exploring and
kneading, mapping along every curve and dip, as if to commit it to
memory.

“
What’s holding you back?”
The little huff I let out made my meaning crystal clear.
Do it, you fool! Kiss me! Make it all
better.
Before someone comes along and
interrupts.

Clearing his throat hard, he muttered
gruffly, all of the sudden uncertain, nervous anxiety hounding him,
“Dunno.”

Me either,
I wanted to grouse, but I wasn’t keen on putting
him off. I want him to kiss me, after all, not dump me in the
river.

Gripping his shoulders, I massaged the
taut flesh, forcing it to give under my touch. With every glide of
my hands, he relaxed fractionally, until his eyes were closed in
bliss.

Plastered to him, my nipples hardened
to tight little buds, digging into his torso, the happy purr that
rumbled up from my throat sending his eyes popping open
wide.

“
Like that, lover?” There I
was purring again, voice a low, husky murmur, wicked grin tipping
my lips.

A low, rumbling growl vibrated up his
chest when my fingers tightened, the noise tingling against my
breasts as it reverberated through me, pressed intimately as we
were. Heart thrumming in excitement, breath coming out in hushed,
soft little pants, I watched as his eyes slowly dilated, everything
in me shivering in anticipation as he inhaled deeply, ramping up my
own instantaneous reaction.

Instantly growing wet, the
nub between my legs already throbbing, aching to be touched, I was
full of want, and only he could fix it.
Mine.

Tired of waiting, I gripped the back
of his head, scrambling on tip toe, hastily closing the distance.
Lips mashing, my tongue slipped past when his mouth slowly parted,
ready to let out a hungry growl at my audacity. Pressing my
advance, I ground my sex into his thick thigh, releasing him long
enough to grip fistfuls of my long skirt, exposing myself to the
cool night air, making my intentions perfectly clear.

Pressing closer, Troll hissed as I
rocked against his thigh, backing me into the wall, squashing me
against the rough, red cave wall until there was barely any room
left to breathe.

Nails raking down his back and over
his ass, I blurted, “I’ve missed you,” a little happy hum
fluttering in my throat. Diving back in, nipping his lip, I was
rewarded with a harsh groan and two large hands gripping my ass,
squeezing tight.

“
Dinna play fair,
woman.”

Working my hands up and around to his
chest, I stayed silent, for the moment, my short little nails
scraping across his nipples, dancing across his pecs.

Heartbeat quickening,
thumping, fast and heavy against my palm, I had him hooked.
You’re mine now, Ornthren. All mine.

“
Not playing fair, did you
say?” Wrapping my arms around his neck, waiting for him to pick me
up, I buried my face along his runes, worrying the flesh at his
nape with my teeth. “How is that?”

Grunting as his cock jerked, straining
against the small bit of cloth, pressing, hot and hard, into my
stomach.

“
Just spilled me guts an’
ye’re still holdin’ out.”

Coherent enough to carry on a
full-fledged conversation with me, unlike myself, the stubborn male
was still running at full capacity. Squelching that bit of
disappointment fast, it was a bit disheartening.

He’s supposed to be dazed
and crazy with want, ready to get this all... going. What was
stopping him? Where’s the wild, reckless passion of
before?

Granted, I didn’t want him
so crazed he forgot himself all together—no repeats of his
troll/bond madness—but really, my fragile ego would have
appreciated a little bit of abandon. Just a smidgeon.
Where’s my voracious Troll?

“
Holding out?” I
sputtered
. I’m practically handing myself
over to him on a silver platter! And, to squash the already
faltering mood, he wants to talk? Really?

Take me already, you big
oaf! What more prompting does he need?

Surprising me further, he pulled back
and stood tall, staring down at me with an unreadable expression on
his harsh, unforgiving face, his wide hands sliding to my
hips.

Disappointed, my arms fell away,
lingering on his waist, and my legs released him, heels flattening
to the floor.

Letting out a long breath, brushing
off what my ridiculously overactive conscience deemed me being
selfish, I peered up at my bonded, trying to pull my filthy,
sexually explicit mind out of the gutter.

Though the heated flames of
sexual desire roared in his deep orange eyes, burning brighter than
any flame I’d ever seen lit, there was an unease that took me by
surprise.
Is he... No...

Could he be? Could my
sturdy, foul-mouthed troll be nervous?

Knowing better than to poke
the troll and find out, I let the whole thing go.
Take a hint, Nugget, you’re mate-husband isn’t as
ready to rekindle your physical relationship as you are.

Glancing down at myself as
I ducked my head, I stepped back and lowered my skirt, humiliation
bringing a slight, pink flush to my cheeks
Does my body not please him anymore?
Biting my lips, uncertainty flooded me.
Have I changed so much he no longer finds me
desirable?

I heard him before I saw him as he
dropped to his knees, scowling heavily, tipping my chin to meet
his.

“
What’s tha’
now?”

“
What’s what?” Forcing a
smile I didn’t really feel, blinking up at him innocently enough to
convince him I had absolutely no clue, I feigned wiping a bit of
imaginary dirt off the top of my blouse.

“
Oi! Yer little man just
gnawed the handle off a wooden spoon!” Quaz called, poking his head
through the entrance to Under.

“
What? He bit it off?” I
was trying to wrap my head around raising a troll baby ever since
Calder ate a boot, a leather water skin, and started breaking
pieces off the rock wall to teeth on, but was quickly finding my
little panic attacks were all for naught. His father and uncles, or
so I’m told, had all eaten, gnawed on, or clawed, at his age, much
more and much worse. Still baffling, I found it oddly
comforting.
This is normal.
Now I just have to keep saying that, over and
over, until it sinks in.

My bonded’s eyes narrowed, left eye
twitching at Quaz’s interruption.

Quaz, unaffected, whistled low at the
look on my face, eyes drifting back and forth between us
interestedly. “Whatcha doin’ in here?”

“
Nothing,” I said quickly,
blushing redder than a beet.