Page 94 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

Roenia snorted. “Don’t bother yourself too much with it, Miranda. I’ve lived here for nearly fourteen years, and I still don’t know half the orc’s names.”

Viravia’s brows rose. “Are you serious?”

“What’s the point? They all sound the same. Just call everyone dear like everybody else does.” Roenia shifted her babe to the other arm.

Miranda smiled, amused that she was being given that advice again.

Savili continued. “And then in the evening, you can tell us how to make this fried fish you were talking about, or we can show you one of our own recipes.”

“And give you food poisoning,” Roenia muttered, earning a glare from Savili. “Don’t look at me like that. None of us are good cooks.”

“I’m not that bad,” Savili countered.

“I can manage to boil things at least.” Viravia looked equally affronted. “Throw in the fish and some vegetables and that’s stew, right?”

The earnest tone of Viravia’s question caught Miranda off guard, and she laughed. The tension inside her eased tremendously.

“I’ll teach you to make fried fish.”

“Thank Fades,” Govek muttered under his breath and Miranda burst into laughter again. The other women laughed too.

“That’s cruel, Govek,” Viravia said to Govek. “You’ve never had my cooking.”

“I’ve smelled it,” Govek muttered and the woman gasped.

“Oh, that’s it.” Viravia grinned even as she was affronted, “I’m going to cook tomorrow too and the males who win this fishing competition get Miranda’s fried fish and the one who loses eats my slop—er, I mean, my stew.”

Miranda’s smile made her cheeks hurt.

“We’re going to end up with enough fish to last the winter,” Govek said.

“You want to make that the new challenge?” Roenia teased, adjusting her baby again.

“Fuck, no.”

Miranda swallowed. “Could I hold him, Roenia?”

The woman’s response was instant. “Of course! Thank you. My arms are dying. This little one is such a cuddler.”

Miranda lifted the warm, content baby into her arms, cradling his head in the crook of her elbow. His green face was smooth, his long dark lashes cast shadows on his cheeks. He cooed contentedly as Miranda got him settled in.

“He’s so beautiful,” Miranda said, looking into the pure face of the sleeping babe. Innocent, unblemished, and perfect. His life was just starting. His journey had only begun. “Thank you. So much.”

The women’s faces reflected a world of warmth and acceptance that Miranda had never thought she would receive so quickly. That she hadn’t imagined she would ever have in her life. It filled her up, split her face in a smile, and flooded her eyes with fresh tears.

Viravia took Miranda’s hand again, her own eyes misty. “Thank you, Miranda. And welcome to Rove Wood Clan.”

Chapter

Twenty-Five

GOVEK

Govek stirred, waking with a deep breath that tasted crisp on the back of his tongue. The scent of meat roasting flooded his nose.

And he opened his eyes to find Miranda hovering over him.

He blinked, eyes and head still blurry. “Were you watching me sleep?”

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