Chapter 185: Warmth Before the Storm
Kellar made his way through the crowd surrounding the Eagle King’s skull. Reaching Helga’s side, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
"Let’s go home," said Kellar in a low voice. "We don’t have much time. In the morning, I need to lead the harvesting expedition into the mountains."
Helga nodded in silence, resting her hand over his arm as they walked through the cobblestone streets. The bustle of the plaza faded behind them, replaced by the quiet of the residential district. As they crossed the threshold of their home, the scent of herbal stew and roasted meat greeted them alongside the warmth of the hearth.
In the spacious main hall, gathered around the polished wooden table, were Mila, Meli, aunt Maya, and Lia. Only Elia and Liora were missing, as they had remained at the Mountain Fortress overseeing the training of the new recruits.
"Kellar! Helga!" Meli gasped, springing to her feet with her eyes lit with relief upon seeing them enter safe and sound.
Mila approached with quick steps and wrapped Kellar in a tight hug, while aunt Maya served two steaming bowls of stew at the table. Lia, sitting to the side reviewing supply scrolls, offered them a calm smile.
"We knew the battle was over from the cheers in the plaza, but we wanted to wait for you two before eating," said aunt Maya, patting Kellar on the shoulder. "Sit down, you need to regain your strength."
Everyone settled around the table. As Kellar and Helga ate with ravenous appetites, the women listened to the details of the engagement in the canyons.
"The hunters are saying the Eagle King was gargantuan, almost the size of a hill," remarked Mila, concern creeping into her eyes. "Is it true its feathers were like steel?"
"Harder than ordinary steel," chimed in Helga, glancing at Kellar with a mix of pride and subtle reproach. "Our ballistas could barely slow them down. If not for Ignis’s evolution and Kellar’s direct intervention on the front line, the toll would have been worse."
"We heard about the casualties..." said Lia in a low voice, lacing her hands over the table. "Thirty warriors... In the village, we are already organizing support for their families."
"You did an impeccable job with the funeral," replied Kellar, setting his bowl down. "Tomorrow at dawn we head out with fifty gatherers. Those beasts yield unique resources: bone, mana meat, eggs, and iron feathers. We can’t let any of it rot on the cliffs."
"Be careful, Kellar," whispered Meli, squeezing his hand across the table. "Even with such a victory, the mountains are never truly safe."
"I will," reassured Kellar, looking into the eyes of each woman around him.
Kellar stood up, stretching his arms as he let out a long sigh.
"Well, I’m feeling tired, so it’s time for bed," said Kellar.
In less than a minute, his women shed their clothing with practice. Only Helga looked bewildered, freezing halfway as her cheeks flushed upon seeing how effortlessly the others undressed.
"I’m still not used to sharing a bed with so many..." muttered Helga, hesitating.
Before she could finish her sentence, Maya and Mila had already wrapped their arms around her, hugging her waist and placing kisses on her cheeks and shoulders.
"Relax, these are the family customs," told her Maya with a warm smile.
"If we had to wait for a turn, don’t you think each of us would only get a chance once a week?" added Mila brushing her lips against Helga’s. "This way, we can all enjoy ourselves together every single day."
Helga felt the sharpness of her stance crumble under the warmth of Maya and Mila’s touch. The soft caress of both women made her breath catch in her throat.
"Do you really see it that way?" asked Helga, looking up at Kellar with shyness and contained desire. "It still feels crazy to me... but I won’t deny that I’m dying to be with you."
"There are no chains of command in here, Helga," said Lia in a sweet voice, stepping up behind her to unlace her leather vest. "In this room, it’s just us taking care of Kellar and enjoying each other."
"Besides, you earned your place today," whispered Meli, unbuckling her trousers and letting them drop to the floor. "You fought by his side, watched his back. You belong to this home now."
Kellar stepped toward the bed, taking in Helga standing bare under the dim candlelight.
"Welcome to the family, Helga," said Kellar, cupping the back of her neck to draw her into a deep kiss.
Helga gasped against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck while Mila and Maya slid up to her sides, showering her neck, collarbones, and chest with passionate kisses.
Between shallow breaths, Helga managed a faint smile as she felt the surge of warm bodies gathering around her.
"There are definitely a lot more of us now than when I was with Elia and Liora," whispered Helga, looking up at Kellar with eyes hazy with desire.
"And yet, every single one of you has a special place here," replied Kellar in a raspy tone, his hands gripping her hips.
Mila leaned in toward Helga, capturing her lips in a deep kiss while Maya and Lia stroked down her inner thighs, guiding her to part her legs.
Kellar lined himself up between her thighs and, with a slow thrust, buried himself all the way inside her.
"Ah... Kellar!" gasped out Helga in a sharp cry, arching her back as her nails dug deep into the shaman’s shoulders.
The overwhelming sensation made her whole body tremble. Maya leaned down to capture her mouth in another fiery kiss to muffle her breathless cries, while Meli traced her tongue over her chest. Kellar’s grip never wavered, setting a steady rhythm that echoed through the wooden frame of the bed.
Helga’s moans blended with the soft sighs and whispered encouragements of the other women. As Kellar drove into her with relentless passion, the women kissed and caressed one another surrounding their newest member in an unbroken tide of affection.