Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
“Want to knot you,” he rasps, and runs a hand down my flank. “May I?”
I bite my lip, because I don’t know what’s sexier—that he wants to knot me, or that he’s asking permission. “Aye, but you’re going to have to do most of the work—”
The words have barely left my lips before he’s out from under me, and then he’s lifting my hips into the air. I’m on my belly, my arse to the sky, and he runs a finger through the wet seam of my cunt, making sure that I’m slick enough to take him.
I moan, pressing my face against the bedding as he fingers me, my body making sloppy, wet noises. He grunts with approval and then toys with my clit. “You can take me, little bantam.”
“I can.” It’s a breathless sigh of pure delight. “Give me your knot.”
He pushes into me slowly, thoroughly, until my toes are curling. He’s just as large as I remember, and he rocks into me with small, sharp thrusts, all the while telling me how good I’m taking him and how much he wants to bury himself inside me. How I’m his perfect, precious mate. When I’m stuffed full of his cock, I let out a whimper. I know there’s more to come, and I’m full of anticipation. There’s nothing to fear in a mate with a constant knot.
It’s a blessing from the gods for sure.
And when he pushes deeper, cramming that thick band of his knot into my body and locking us together, I’m pretty sure I see the heavens themselves.
Epilogue
Gwenna
Months Later
Dere Ma,
Today’s the day. I wish you were here. Tell me you’re coming to visit soon. Heck, you can come live with me, provided me and Raptor find a place to stay with an extra room. I love you and miss you. I hope you’re proud of me.
Love, Gwenna (for the last time)
The graduation ceremony goes by in a daze. I should be paying attention to each word spoken, each bit of praise that Head Guild Master Rooster lavishes upon the small group of students who stand in two neat rows at the front of the Great Hall. I should remember each word so I can write it to my mother, since she wasn’t able to make it for the ceremony.
But I’m just so giddy that I don’t pay attention to a single word of it. Instead, I keep stroking my new vivid blue sash that is as yet unadorned with pins. The fabric is soft and the blank sash is so full of potential, just like the battered but lightweight morning star attached to my belt. I stroke my sash and I smile at my husband in the audience, and I feel like a real artificer.
Raptor opted not to take part in the ceremony, even though his rank has been officially reinstated. He’s gone through one once before, he said, and this ceremony should be about us. I stand with Lark and Arrod and Kipp at my side, while my gorgeous Taurian husband watches from the audience. He sits with Hawk and Sparrow, and while everyone in the audience looks happy for us, no one has that expression of robust pride quite like Raptor does.
There’s a smattering of applause as Rooster finishes his speech, and then the crowd scatters. All the graduates stand there, a little dazed. This isn’t the end of the ceremony, of course. After this, we’ll go to the guild book that we signed when we initially began training. We’ll cross out our old name and write the new one beside it, and then our official bird name will be added to the roster of working artificers. Last night, we met with the guild’s official name chronicler to go over our name choices, so we wouldn’t take one that’s already in use. Each name has its own wax seal for sending official missives. Mine is already at home, waiting to be used for the first letter I send back to Ma.
At my side, Lark sniffs and swipes a hand over her face.
“Are you crying?” Arrod asks, disgusted. “This is a good day.”
Lark elbows him. “Piss off, I’m not crying. You’re crying.”
“I’m not crying.” He sounds affronted at the suggestion. “I’m mucking ecstatic. No more drills! Now we just get to do the fun stuff.”
I loop an arm around Lark’s shoulders and hug her. “Ignore him. You’re allowed to cry.” I know just how much this means to her. To all of us. But for Lark, the last six months have been extra emotional. She was given the opportunity to join as our fifth to take Hemmen’s spot. Normally the guild would disqualify an entire Five if one member was considered unfit, but Hemmen’s murder was seen as unfair to the rest of us (and rightly so). Lark’s leg was still healing up, and she and Mereden had recently adopted their two children. She spent every weekend at home with them, just as Master Jay did with his widow, which meant that she had to work doubly hard every week to keep up.