Brutes & Bargains #1: Thon by J.J. Strand

Author:J.J. Strand [Strand, J.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J.J. Strand
Published: 2023-12-07T16:00:00+00:00

9

Krista

Krista resists the urge to roll over and stare at her companion. Thon is just across the tent from her, lying flat on his back with his hands laced on his stomach and using his rolled-up coat—now semi-clean—as a pillow. He might be sleeping, but he also might not be, so it’s safer to keep it simple and just point her back at him.

Thon isn’t like the blacksmith. If he had been, he wouldn’t care that they botched their negotiation. He certainly wouldn’t try to adjust the terms to correct the misunderstanding. The blacksmith would take all he could, saying that the bargain has already been struck and it is what it is. Or, more likely, there wouldn’t have been a bargain in the first place because Krista is a woman and women don’t make bargains for themselves. She chews the inside of her cheek for several minutes over this, then she presses her lips together as she gathers the nerve to break the silence.

“Thon.”

“Yes?” He answers immediately.

“If I wanted to dissolve the agreement, would you honor that?”

She hears an abrupt creak of leather—was that a flinch? Krista can’t tell. “… Yes.”

“You would let me leave?”

“Yes.” That one word contains so much tension that it feels physically palpable. "Do you want to leave?"

Krista wets her lips and rolls over onto her other side, tucking both hands beneath her cheek. “I’m an idiot,” she sighs.

“So am I.”

“But, Thon. I am a complete idiot. I could have trapped myself without even knowing what I had done. I agreed to a completely open agreement without bothering to consider all of the—”

“Krista.” Thon rolls over to face her, his shape barely visible like a mountain range in the dark. Krista thinks he might have a full, unobstructed view of her face, but she can barely see him at all. “I will submit to any requirements you have, whether you know them now or find them out later.”

Krista’s lips part in surprise. “Any requirements?”

“That is what I said.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to promise someone. What if I want separate accommodations?”

“Then you will have them,” Thon answers tightly. He clearly doesn’t like the idea, but he still agrees.

“And what if I wanted you to leave immediately after we do the breeding thing?”

“Then I would do so.”

“What if I wanted nothing to do with you whatsoever outside of the breeding thing?”

“Then I … would respect your wishes.”

Krista tilts her head, though it doesn’t help her see Thon any better, or understand him. “And what if I decide I don’t like you at all?” she presses, trying to figure them both out. “Can I request someone different?”

Thon pushes a long breath through his nose. “Yes. It would bring dishonor to my house, so I would try to become more acceptable to you before I agreed. But yes.”

That answer stops Krista in her tracks. “More acceptable?”

“Yes.”

“No.” Krista’s mouth turns down at the corners. “I would never ask you to ‘become more acceptable.’ That’s disgusting.” Krista knows too well how that feels, trying—and failing—to be palatable when she just isn’t the right flavor.

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