Page 124 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

“Well... no,” Miranda conceded and then she lowered herself to the log next to Viravia.

“You may have this invisible drive to do what the Fades have commanded of you,” Viravia said. “But he doesn’t. Instead, he’s imprinted to you.”

“Yeah, he told me all about that,” Miranda said. “The drive to protect me and be near me and all that.”

“It’s much more than that. The imprint connects you to him, makes him feel as if he and you are one. Some of the shallower ones can be broken, but deep ones, ones that hook into the soul, they can’t be. If you pass, he will mourn you to the end of his days. He will never recover from it.” Viravia looked away. “It’s a horrible fate. I’ve seen orcs who have lost mates who are shells of themselves. And Govek has lived his whole life in rejection. I’m sure he’s terrified to lose you.”

Miranda’s gut twisted and her throat closed up, but she still managed. “So, what? I roll over and let him bundle me up in our house for the rest of our lives? I let him take all the control out of guilt over what he might become if I die?”

“No.” Viravia’s voice was firm. “I do not mean that. I’m only telling you this, so you feel more open to communicating with him and working together to alleviate his fears.”

“How am I supposed to do that when he flies off the handle and runs away?” Miranda threw up her hands.

“You calm down and then come back together,” Viravia stated, expression flat. “It sounds like he was very worked up. Do you think he could have been burying his true feelings for a while?”

“He had every opportunity to... to...” Miranda stopped and thought back to all the pained expressions, worried tones, and begging. To his words every time she recovered from one of her spells after touching the seer.

“Come back to me. Don’t leave me.”

He had been scared. Every time she’d fallen apart, he’d pulled her back to him. Helped her out of it. Dragged her back to sanity.

And he’d been scared the whole time.

“But... but he should have said something. I can’t read his mind.”

“You don’t have to,” Viravia said. “All you have to do is tell him he can come to you with any concerns. And when something like this happens again, because we both know it will, you let him vent and then go confront him. Rationally. Make him sit down. Give him something to gnaw on to stop his raging so you can get your side of things out. Tell him you won’t listen to him until he uses a normal volume and reward him with your full attention when he does. Then you compromise.”

She looked Miranda right in the eyes. “And if he won’t compromise with you, after trying everything, that’s when you leave.”

Miranda’s mind reeled from all this advice. “Wow, Viravia. Thank you for all this. Really.” She took the woman’s hand. “I’m glad to call you a friend.”

“Me too,” she said with a smile, squeezing Miranda’s hand back. Then her eyes fell. She stroked her stomach. “Being with a temperamental orc is difficult, requires more patience than I ever imagined.”

“From how Govek talks, I imagined Tavggol didn’t have an angry bone in his body,” Miranda said with a small smile.

Viravia looked up, face pale, eyes stricken. “You know that... thing that I promised to tell you once all the insanity was over?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Viravia drew in a deep breath, held her stomach tight and met Miranda’s eyes. “Tavggol is not the father.”

“Wha—I. What? Then who?”

Viravia puffed out a breath, her eyes flat, her posture straight. “Karthoc.”

Before Miranda even had time to process that single word, a sharp cry sounded from the path.

A wild cat loped toward them, teeth bared as it drooled. Eyes clouded, fur patchy and oozing. The stench was overwhelming.

They both leaped to their feet. Viravia gripped Miranda’s arm. The cat continued to growl as it moved nearer. It stalked closer, muscles tight, as if ready to pounce.

Miranda’s heart scrambled up into her throat. Her mind reeled. She froze in place. Govek had told her not to run.

“Oh!”

Something wet splattered Miranda’s feet and ankles and she glanced down to find Viravia’s water had broken.

“Oh no,” Viravia squeaked. Miranda’s mind grew frantic. Her breath caught. They couldn’t run. Couldn’t hide.

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