Even though Thorgrim had given him the darker female--and she was pretty enough, certainly--Gaved was too furious to feel lustful. He gave her a withering glare, noting the way she whimpered and cowered. Pitiful. Not at all worthy of his attentions (or so he told himself, glossing over the fact that he was certainly too upset to perform with any female).
Casting one last venomous look at Gunnar and his wench, Gaved shoved roughly at the cringing female. "Get you up, outlander b***h," Gaved growled, baring his teeth at her. "And move it. We're going home."
***
If Gunnar tried really, really hard, he could almost believe that Thorgrim was something other than infuriated with him.
Almost.
It took all of his willpower to meet Thorgrim's eyes, to keep his hold on the female instead of flinging her away. At last Thorgrim turned and stormed off, followed shortly by the foul Gaved. Gunnar sagged with relief, withdrawing his claws from the yellow female's hide. He would be allowed to keep her. Of course as a proud reaver all that he wanted was his, etc etc, but Thorgrim was his father and a captain. If Thorgrim ordered him to release her, Gunnar could hardly have disobeyed.
"Come on, then," he grumbled, casting a somewhat suspicious look at the yellow lioness. Now that the crisis was past, he wasn't sure that he wanted this female at all. Of course, tossing her out now would look idiotic. No choice but to herd her back to the Stormborn. As Gunnar marched off with the female in tow, he decided that he could surely get rid of her in time.
***
Sabah didn't want to be this lion's wife any more than she wanted to be the darker lion's thrall, whatever that was. Back home mates were chosen with care and ceremony. Nothing like this! She couldn't imagine what kind of proper and gentle male would take a wife like this.
But the brutish lions had terrified the spark out of her. She wouldn't resist. Looking mournfully after Miela, Sabah began to trudge after the blond stranger that was apparently her husband.
She didn't know what rights wives had amongst these awful lions, but hopefully they were rather more than the rights of thralls. Somehow she would help Miela escape.
