Page 9 of The Orc's Bride

“And why do you want to get married, Urgan?”

He stroked the skin on the back of my thigh with his finger. My flesh broke out in goosebumps and I clenched my jaw. I wouldn’t allow myself to enjoy his touch. Even though a dark, treacherous part of me thought itwasenjoyable.

“I get lonely in my bed at night,” he said, chuckling.

Aha. That’s why he decided he would marry a complete stranger from a remote village he had just invaded. Yes. Of course.

“Bullshit,” I muttered in my language, not knowing the right word in orc.

He laughed, a slow, deep rumble of amusement, and I realized with horror he must understand human speech. He was more dangerous than I had thought.

“Clever female,” he said, in orc. So he probably didn’t speak human. “I have my reasons.”

“Why not share them with me?” I asked. “Husbands shouldn’t keep secrets from their wives.”

He gripped my thighs harder, the pads of his fingers denting my soft flesh.

“That is true. But you aren’t my wife yet. You don’t have the right to know my secrets.”

For a moment, I had a wild urge to marry him just for that: so he would tell me things. Whisper his secrets in my ear. I wanted to become the person he confided in, the person he trusted the most. Being this close… would make me feel special to him.

Which was not something I should want!

“Fine,” I said, trying to sound calm. “It’s probably something shameful. You won’t tell me because then I would know you’re… I don’t know. Not good enough for orc ladies.”

The world spun around when Urgan turned me in midair and put me, feet first, on the ground. His hands lingered to steady me. As soon as I was certain I wouldn’t fall on my backside, I looked at him, hiding my fear.

Did I manage to insult him? Was he about to become violent?

“We’re here,” he rumbled, deep in his throat, the same knowing smirk still on his mouth. He was completely unruffled.

Oh. So implied insults didn’t affect him. I should probably try harder, then.

Before I could realize how idiotic that last thought had been, I saw whatheremeant. We were at the edge of the battlefield where Tokoma and the Imperator’s army had clashed. Orc horses, which looked like the offspring of ordinary horses mating with dragons, were grazing.

And by grazing, I meant tearing flesh off other horses’ corpses with their unhorselike fangs and licking blood that was still around, forming dark, viscous puddles on the hard ground.

I had never seen those horses up close. Orcs didn’t bring their beasts of burden close to human settlements… I wondered why.

“Do they eat humans?” I asked Urgan.

“Let’s find out,” he said, and only a gleam in his eye betrayed he might be joking. He started making strange growling noises towards one of the dragon horses.

I wasn’t running away only because my legs were paralyzed with fear.

Seeing Urgan, the devilish horse trotted over, almost prancing with joy. It would look absolutely adorable – a cheerful dragon horse happy to see its master – if not for its muzzle dripping with blood. It stopped in front of Urgan, pricking its ears, and neighed.

The horse was so huge I had to crane my neck to look at it. No wonder orcs rode those beasts – they were the only ones who could match them in size.

“This female will ride you,” Urgan said to the horse. “You will protect and serve her. Do you understand?”

The horse threw its head in a reaction that I was sure meant:DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I AM A FREE HORSE! AND I’LL JUST EAT HER NOW TO PROVE A POINT!

Urgan didn’t look concerned. My body frozen, I watched as if from afar as the horse lowered its head, turning it so that one blood-red, wet eye could focus on my face. My whole body broke out in sweat and I was shivering.

It seemed very important that I don’t blink.

The horse snorted softly… and sniffed me. Its nostrils were right in my face now, opening to draw in air. They were the size of small saucers. It sniffed a few times, snorted again…

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