Kruk
I watch the dawn peak over the treetops as my mate sleeps in my arms. His soft snores are like music, the way his hands twitch in his sleep look as if he's swatting an annoying fly. His face crinkles every so often, his eyebrows move as he dreams, the breeze blowing his scent over me.
I didn't think he could smell any more appetizing, but with my scent mixed with his, it almost made me want to wake him up for round... what was it? Six? Seven?
I'd lost count as the night wore on but by the gods, I was ready to go again.
My little mate stirs in his sleep, his lips parting as he breathes out deeply. My arms tighten around him, blocking the wind as best as I can. He'd fallen asleep before putting his pants back on and while I was slightly hot, he shivered every so often as he slept.
Because of the Hunt, I wore no clothes and had nothing to cover him with.
The sun chose that moment to peak over the trees and shine down on us, making my mate groan and cover his eyes. My chest rumbles as I try and contain a laugh but he swats at me, it bursts free.
"Sshh," he groans. "Too early."
"I am sorry my mate," I apologize between chuckles.
"No you're not," he sighs as his eyes finally open and he stares up at me. He frowns slightly, "your lips are swollen."
I reach up and touch them, "I didn't notice. Must be from all the kissing."
He smirks, "your cock is swollen too."
"That I had noticed," I tease. "I am always hard around you."
He laughs as a large breeze blows against us and he shivers, "where's my pants?" He looks to the sun and asks more urgently, "what time is it?"
"It is still early," I tell him as I look for his pants. Finally spotting them in a heap a few feet away, "they are over there."
He sits up quickly, legs shaking as he tries to stand, "what the fuck did you do to me last night? I've never been this damn sore."
"I fucked my mate," I say simply.
"I'm not.." he starts saying automatically, but then trails off. There's a pause before says, "I can't.. I don't.. I don't know how to be someone's mate. I don't know how to.. be a couple. I've never done it before. Hell, I've never even done this before. The morning after." He manages to stand and goes to his pants, pulling them on quickly, "how.. how do we.. be? What happens now?"
I stand and look tenderly down at him, "now, we get me some pants and then we go talk to Mable about us getting married."
"Married?" He squeaks out. "Slow down there bud. I don't know if I'm ready for that. I was thinking maybe a second date."
I nod, "we can do that. But.."
"But what?"
I frown slightly, "if we are not mated soon, some could think that you are still available. They could try to take you from me, since you're not marked. And if something happens to me before then, Ozog wouldn't be able to care for you, since you're not technically part of our clan."
"Why would something happen to you?" He asks hesitantly. "Are you.. are you leaving?"
"No!" I answer immediately and with more force than I intended. "I would never leave you. But life happens. Things happen that we have no control over. You are my mate. I know it in my heart and soul, but to other orcs, you are not. You don't bear my mark so you are not mine."
"Your mark? Like the bite that Calla has on her shoulder?" He asks.
I nod, "yes. It is how we claim our mates."
"Why? It looks painful and it's.. permanent. What if we break up? Or you.. die? What happens then?"
"Mates are for life," I answer. "I would never leave you, but I.. wouldn't stop you from leaving me if that would make you happy. For me, there is no other. That is orc way. But you are not orc, so maybe there will be another for you. I do not know. But if there is, I would do my best not to kill them."
He breaths shakily, "and if you die? If we get mated and stay together for dozens of years and you die, what happens to me?"
"Ozog would care for you, if he was still alive," I tell him. "And if he wasn't, then there are places where widowed mates can go and be cared for. You would not be alone, you would be safe and provided for. The mark ensures that."
"And without it I'm shit out of luck?"
"Yes. They would be under no obligation to take care of you."
His jaw clenches before he asks, "can I think about it? It's a lot to take in, all at once. And we didn't really talk about anything last night. Can I.. have a few days?"
"Of course, little mate," I tell him. "You can have all the time you want."
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The walk back to the village was a quiet one.
After retrieving my pants, we head back to the tavern. I don't try to talk to him, not knowing if it would help or not. I don't want him to feel pressured into taking my mark, but at the same time, it needs to happen soon.
There was a feeling in the air, and I didn't like it.
Thankfully when we get back to the village, there aren't very many people on the roads and we make it back to the tavern without incident.
Three horses are tied up outside, each one smelling of an unknown male. We walk inside and Mable is sitting at the table, a portly man sitting opposite her in a blue uniform, two others on either side of her in matching uniforms.
"Mable?" Finn asks slowly. "What's going on?"
Mable looks nervously from Finn to me, "the constable and his deputies are here to arrest Kruk.. for murder."
"I have murdered no one," I tell them dismissively.
"We have a witness who says otherwise," the portly man says. "She claims that you killed her three brothers in cold blood the night of our harvest festival."
"Kruk," Finn whispers as he realizes who the man is talking about.
"That was not murder," I tell them again. "They were attacking my mate and I was defending him."
"Him?" The constable scoffs. "That ain't no boy. I can see the tits plain as day from here."
"My mate is a-,"
"Full blooded woman!" Finn interrupts me. "He's just.. confused. All of this is rather unexpected, especially since it happened nearly three weeks ago."
The constable glares between the two of us, "the woman was afraid to come forward, seeing as how there's an orc involved. Their reputation isn't a good one, ma'am." He steps towards Finn, "is he holding you against your will? Forcing you to go by a male persona?"
"I would never force my mate to do anything!" I yell.
"Kruk!" Finn says, his expression one that I have not seen before. "Stop. Constable, I apologize for him. He's very protective. And to answer your questions, no he isn't holding me hostage or making me go by another name and gender. We went to an orc festival last night and my dress got ruined. One of the men there was kind enough to loan me a set of clothes so that I would be decent enough to get home. That's why I'm dressed like this. If you'd give me a minute I would love nothing more than to change out of these and into my regular clothes."
The man nods at Finn's lies, "very well. Go get changed, and then fetch us some drinks."
"I can do that," Mable offers.
"No," the constable orders. "She will."
Finn nods, "as you wish, constable."
We watch him scurry up the stairs and when he's gone, the man turns to me, "now that she's gone, tell me the truth. Did you kill those men or are you covering for her?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"They lured my mate down an alley and by the time I got there, they had him in the ground. So I killed them for hurting my mate," I tell him.
"They had her on the ground," he repeats slowly.
"Him."
"That is a woman," he says in a low voice. "Not a man. And if you keep saying that she is a man, then I have no choice but to arrest her for indecency. So, tell me again, what happened."
I swallow and clench my jaw before saying, "they lured my mate down an alley. They hit hi-," behind him, I see Mable shake her head ever so slightly, pleading in her eyes. I knew what she wanted me to say. She wanted me to say that my little mate wasn't a man.
But he is and do not like lying. But.. I also want to protect him.
I look to the stairs again, hoping he stays in his room and doesn't hear me betray him like this. "They hit her," I grit out. The word tasting rotten on my tongue. "They were going to kill her so I killed them. For my mate. And under orc law you cannot arrest me for protecting my mate."
"But is she really?" He asks casually. "Rumor has it that you've been sulking outside that very door for weeks. Rumor also says that last night was the first time you two have even spent any time together. So in all those weeks, where did you find time to mark her? Or did you do it last night? And that's even assuming she really is your mate, as you claim."
"I am," comes his answer. We all look to Finn who is carrying a tray of cups, now in a revealing dress, "I am his mate. He killed them to protect me. You can't touch him." He brings the cups to the table and sets them down, Mable grabbing his arm to stop him from moving to me.
My heart jumps at his words but then sinks again as I realize he is probably only calling me his mate to protect me. But I am orc, and I don't need protection.
"We have not completed the mating," I admit. "We were going to talk to Mable, who is... her, parental figure. I was going to ask for her blessing and then we would continue to court and then when it was time we would exchange marks."
The constable grins, "sounds like you just admitted to murder there boy."
"I did not," I growl. "Have you not been listening?"
"Oh I've been listening all right," he chuckles. "Listening to you talk yourself into a corner. Ain't that right boys?"
"Yes sir," they both say.
"The way I see it, you killed those men to protect her. But, she wasn't your mate at the time and under your laws, she still isn't. No mark, no mate. So by your own logic you two aren't together. Meaning, you're going to jail for murder."
"No!" Finn yells. "Leave him alone!" He pulls away from Mable and runs to me, standing in front of me, "you can't have him! I should be punished, not him, he was just defending me!"
The constable shakes his head, "sorry girl. He killed them, he takes the blame." He pulls out a small gun, "now you come with us quietly and without any fuss, and we won't shoot your would be mate." He levels the gun at Finn, "and when we leave, one of my men will stay here to make sure you behave until we get to our destination. Behave and she lives, cause a fuss and she dies, deal?"
I look at the gun pointed at my mate, at the self assured sick grin of the constable and I knew he would shoot Finn without a second thought.
I put a hand on Finn's shoulder and he turns to me, "Kruk?"
"I love you, little mate," I tell him before pulling him behind me. "You have a deal."