Page 6 of The Orc Outcast's Mate

His eyes skittered away. She thought she heard him gulp. “It... can mean many things. And I swear to you that through all, I will be at your side, Miranda. Until you no longer wish to be near me.”

Miranda exhaled sharply, gut knotting, “I think you’ll regret that. I feel like I’ve brought you almost nothing but problems and with how my luck has been, it’s probable that we’ll both end up at the bottom of a cliff somewhere.”

“Far better to fall from a cliff with you than to face peril alone,” Govek said, his voice suddenly echoing.

Miranda tensed. “Where are we?”

“Crossroads,” Govek said softly. “I will try to scent the way. Stay quiet. We cannot afford to be found here.”

“What would happen...?” She shivered. “What would happen if the goblins found us?”

“Entering each other’s realms without consent is against Fade law and they would be in their right to seek retribution.”

“Retribution?” she questioned. He didn’t answer, and the look on his face assured her she didn’t want to know. “I thought orcs were friends with goblins?”

“They are usually,” he said glumly. “But we have had no contact for decades.”

Miranda sputtered, trying to stay quiet even as panic rose in her voice. “If it was that big a deal, why did they make their lock so easy to break?”

Govek paused in his stride, his bright eyes blinking. She held her breath as he took in her words.

And then he laughed. A raw chuckle that started from deep in his stomach and bubbled into his chest. It rolled over Miranda like a hot blanket fresh from the dryer.

“You are quite right, woman.” He shook his head. “Fuck, I was so tense I didn’t...” he paused and adjusted Miranda into a more comfortable position. “They left it under the type of lock an orc or sylph could easily release.”

She could hear the confusion in his tone. “Maybe they want you in here?” Miranda asked, relaxing further now that Govek was.

“Perhaps.” He did not seem completely convinced.

Miranda settled into him again, touching her fingers back to the wall. Letting it soothe her almost as much as Govek’s thundering heart did.

“Though I suppose that does mean...” He adjusted her to sit in the crook of one arm, and before she could question him, brightness flooded her eyes. Blinding her.

She gasped, rapidly adjusting to sudden light. Govek had somehow lit a torch. He’d taken it from a metal holder on the wall nearest them. A half dozen or so sat, unlit, along the same surface.

Miranda’s mouth gaped as she took in the area for the first time and registered that it was far more intricate than her fingers had let on. The walls were carved stone, chiseled with detailed geometric patterns. The ceilings were high and broken up by massive, rounded archways. The floor was so smooth it glimmered even under the thin layer of dust. Everything was in varied hues of gray or brown, accentuating the gorgeous architecture.

But for as beautiful as it was, it was also clearly abandoned. Cobwebs arched from every corner and dust covered the surfaces. The stale air and stillness was almost oppressive.

They were indeed at a crossroads. Govek continued from the hall into a hexagon-shaped room with arched doorways on each wall. They all pitched into blackness after only a few feet, and not a single one appeared welcoming.

Govek slowly set her down. She resisted the urge to cling and demand he pick her up again. “I’ll need to scent each passage to determine which has the closest escape.”

She nodded, letting him walk a few paces away from her before skittering to follow. She didn’t want to be outside the torchlight. She was about to ask Govek if he could light her one too when she stepped closer to one of the doorways.

A shivering warmth soothed her. Her skin tingled with goosebumps, her hair stood on end, and her knotted stomach eased.

Miranda gasped, drawing Govek’s instant attention, but she barely heard him when he demanded to know what was wrong.

She took another tentative step. It was like dipping into a hot tub, warm, relaxing, and comforting. She inhaled and even the air felt different, more fulfilling, like it was saturated with oxygen and laced with caffeine.

Govek gripped her arm hard and pulled her into him. “Miranda, what is it? Tell me.”

“Nothing’s... uh, nothing’s wrong. It just feelsgoodover there.” She gestured to the opening. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like... tingly and warm.”

“Wait here,” Govek demanded before moving past the threshold. She barely managed not to run after the light as he strode down a few paces. She watched his back tense as he came to an instant halt.

“It’s . . . the Great Rove Tree.”

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