Page 14 of The Orc Outcast's Mate

“The butchery is also in a tree?” Miranda’s gait grew bouncy with excitement.

His lips tugged into a light grin. “Yes.”

He led Miranda around to the back entrance, where he knew a window was carved. Inside, the butchery was dark and cold. He could scent none of the clansmen within. He thanked the Fades for that.

“I will be quick, Miranda.”

“What? You can’t leave me out here.”

“There are no predators around. You will be fine.”

“But I want to see inside!”

Govek sighed. “No, Miranda.”

“Oh, but please, Govek. I swear I’ll be super quiet. I just want to check it out for a minute.”

He gritted his teeth.

She snaked a hand up his thigh again. “I’ll make it up to you.”

He shuddered hard. “Fine, but no lingering. I only need to grab the tinctures.”

“Yay!”

She went up on her toes and his gut pitched with delight. Leaning in he allowed her to place her warm lips to his.

Blast, she was so soft and divine. He wanted more.

No lingering.

Breaking off the kiss, Govek pushed open the door and guided Miranda into the space he knew so well.

The room smelled clean and fresh. No hints of blood or death, as usual. The magic used to preserve the meat also suspended any unwanted aromas.

Govek went to the candle left on the wall and struck it up with his magic. The dim light illuminated the large space of which only a quarter was used. There used to be a dozen or more hunters of large game in Rove Wood Clan, but now Govek was the only one, so most of the countertops and hooks for butchering were left abandoned.

But he would be hunter for them no longer. A smug satisfaction pooled in his throat.

On the shelves on the left, he could see a few hares and turkey, which had been caught with traps, wrapped and ready for butchering. Five massive barrels of fish lined the wall beside them, sealed with magical wax to prevent spoiling for a whole season.

To the right were hooks and enchanted blankets where the larger chunks of meat could be hung and wrapped. The cloth prevented spoiling for several days and Govek decided he should wrap the elk in one.

“Wow,” Miranda said, moving into the room. He watched her longer than he should have. “I’ve never been in a butchery before. All our animals on Earth were grown on farms and slaughtered in bulk. What’s in there?”

“Fish.” Govek said, moving to the counter and slinging the elk down heavily so he could tie its legs.

“That’s a lot of fish. Orcs must really like fish.”

“Fish are plentiful in the springs. So much so that fishing regularly is necessary, or they would be overrun.” He tied the front and back legs of the elk tight and hoisted it up to one of the hooks dangling from the ceiling.

Miranda continued moving around the room as he wrapped up the elk in one of the largest preservation cloths. Her fingers lingered over the countertops, which were carved from the tree itself. “This is amazing. It’s like they worked with the grains of the wood.”

“They did,” he said. “The magic requires a collaboration with nature. Trying to bend Faeda to our own will always ends in failure.”

Miranda stroked the ring of the tree she’d been focusing on. The orc who had created this place many hundreds of years prior had followed the lines and carved it into a decorative edge around the top of the cabinetry. Govek knew how difficult that act was, as he had done it with his own home.

His chest swelled with the anticipation of showing it to her.

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