Page 35 of The Orc's Bride

It was his turn to frown. Yes, she had run from him. Yes, she had come on this journey with insidious plans in her mind. But hadn’t she realized her mistakes?

Urgan didn’t really want to let Una go. He was still drawn to her. Even so, he couldn’t trust her now.

“Come. I did swear on my axe that I would take you to the capital. But the courtship ends now. I don’t want to marry a woman who lied to me.”

Her chin trembled and her eyes reddened, becoming shiny with tears. Something flickered in Urgan’s chest. Something that felt very much like hope.

Was Una about to cry because he rejected her? Did she actually want to become his wife?

She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, took a deep breath, and faced him with a cool smile.

“Of course. I understand. I not make any trouble. Not expect courtship from you.”

Not even one tear slid down her cheek.

Urgan grunted, pushing his disappointment far into the depths of his mind. It was better this way.

They walked to the camp together, keeping a brisk pace that wasn’t too fast for Una. When they arrived, Urgan told his warriors about the ragghit attack.

“For whatever reason, they are following us. Maybe there is no other prey. Maybe they are stupid and want to die. I don’t care. If a ragghit strikes again, we’ll kill it. But we also need to report they are here. Send a troop to hunt them. It’s an unnecessary risk to face them when we are so few.

“We’ll ride late into the night and make a brief stop before dawn. At dawn, we’ll set out again. We’ll be home tomorrow.”

He put Una in Brrthak’s saddle and mounted him himself. She relaxed against him to ride more easily, but this time, she didn’t melt against his torso. Urgan gnashed his teeth, banishing any protective or lewd thoughts. Locking desire behind closed doors of his mind.

He had a job to do, and Una was no longer his future bride. She was just a girl who travelled with him. And he would act appropriately no matter what his body might want.

They set out, and the forest around them was singing and rustling with animal activity. Maybe the ragghit he had killed was the one that had been following them. Maybe they were safe now. Urgan let himself relax just a notch, keeping an ear out for any changes.

They rode on and on through most of the day, making just one brief stop by a stream to let the horses drink. When it got dark, they lit the torches. And still rode on. Una swayed in front of Urgan, but she wasn’t sleeping. Not once did her head drop against his chest.

He knew she must be tired. And she used to fall asleep so easily in his arms. Not anymore.

When they finally made camp, everyone was stiff, hungry, and dog tired. Urgan took the first watch so his orcs could rest, and Grikh joined him.

“Here,” Urgan told Una, giving her his cape. She took it from him with a cool nod of gratitude, and something in his chest throbbed. He turned away from her, hiding his displeasure from her disinterested eyes.

They sat together, Urgan and Grikh side by side in the flickering light of torches stuck into the ground. Grikh was gnawing on strips of dried meat. Urgan was staring into the rustling darkness of the wood, keeping utterly focused on his watch.

Refusing any thoughts of Una to enter his mind. Because if they entered, they would not leave.

“Courtship isn’t going well, eh?” asked Grikh.

Urgan looked around, focusing on the others. Kluga and Zadran were snoring. They had fallen asleep as soon as their heads had hit the ground. Una was curled up in his cape, her face turned away. He expected she too was asleep.

Good. He could speak freely.

“It isn’t going anywhere. She came with us so she could assassinate the Imperator.”

Grikh guffawed, and after a beat, Urgan joined him.

Because when he said it like that, itwashilarious. The tiny, slim, soft-faced Una trying to kill the enormous, dark-green mountain of flesh that was the Imperator – what a ridiculous vision!

“I don’t see where the problem is,” Grikh said, grinning. His fangs gleamed in the light of the nearest torch. “You seem to have a common goal.”

Urgan’s mirth evaporated. He shook his head.

“She came to her senses. But her plans were much grander. She had been daydreaming about starting a war and killing all orcs.” His jaw set in a grimace. Urgan took out his axe and a whetstone and started working on the blade methodically.

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