Page 23 of The Orc's Wife

I couldn’t help but think she was imagining how it would feel to shred my skin with her claws. Or wrap her strong fingers around my throat. Or rips my insides out, let them pool on the floor in a steaming pile of innards and blood…

I was imagining it, too.

Mina sobbed, shivering in the corner. Her sleeve was torn, blood seeping through. I looked back at Urzulah. There was blood on her claws.

So this was why she was here. Because Mina had had the keys, and she was just a human servant, easily threatened and overpowered. A giant oversight on Urgan’s part. Massive, really. I would have words with my mate if I survived Urzulah’s visit.

“What is it that he sees in you, trembling mouse?” Urzulah said, stepping slowly closer.

Yes, I was trembling. I was afraid, because she was stronger than I, and there was nothing I could do to protect myself. I was at her mercy, we both knew it, and she had the audacity to gloat.

I threw back the heavy furs and stepped out of the bed. I was wearing a simple linen shirt I had dug out from Urgan’s clothes chest. It hung loosely around my body, ending around my knees. There could be no question who the shirt belonged to, and Urzulah’s smile froze on her face.

Yes, Una, brilliant, I thought, reigning in my terror. Make her even angrier.

But at least, if I somehow got to the door, at least no skirts would tangle between my feet.

For now, I could do what Urgan had wanted. I could obey. I focused, remembering all the hasty lessons on etiquette Urgan and Grikh had taught me.

“Welcome, Lady Urzulah,” I said, forcing the words out despite my sudden fear of making an error in speech and earning Urzulah’s ridicule. It was idiotic. With Urgan, I had never feared I would make a fool of myself, I just spoke as well as I could. It probably sounded far worse to his ears than my own, but I didn’t care.

And yet Urzulah made me feel awfully self-conscious. I was suddenly aware of how poorly I still spoke the orc language. But at this point, making vocabulary mistakes would not kill me, probably, while staying silent could. “What brings you to my room?”

Her grin faded somewhat. She had liked me better when I was paralyzed with fear.

“Your room?” she sneered. “This isn’t yours. Nothing here belongs to you, dirty human. This is my father’s palace. He owns this room andeverythinginside it!”

I straightened my spine, breathing as deep as my tense body would allow.

“Forgive me, I spoke wrong. I meant to say: what brings you to the rooms the generous Imperator gave to my mate, Urgan?”

She barked a short laugh and clapped her paws with an amused look. I had a feeling she thought I was like a trained animal, making tricks for her enjoyment.

“I’m here to make you a deal, clever human,” she said, her voice now a purr.

Clever human, huh? Like a clever goat or a cat. I straightened even more, uselessly trying to look at her face without craning my neck. Living among orcs was going to give me constant neck pain, I mused, and almost snorted with laughter.

Not good. My fear was making me hysterical.

“This is very generous of you,” I said, trying not to giggle.

“Oh, it is,” Urzulah said, stepping closer inside the room. “I could have you killed in an instant, but look at me, giving you an irresistible offer.”

Mina twitched, and I pursed my lips. Those had been fighting words. I had a right to challenge her to a duel.

I chose not to execute that right because I didn’t wish to die a gruesome death.

Urzulah’s grin widened, and she stepped right in front of me, too close for comfort. She smelled of flowers. I forced myself to breathe normally without wrinkling my nose, but the sickly smell of lily-of-the-valley was so strong it took all I had not to gag.

I hated lily-of-the-valley. Urzulah must have bathed in the flowers for the smell to be so strong around her.

“Leave now, timid mouse,” she said, looking down at me. “Leave and I’ll spare your life.”

My eyebrows rose.

“This is your generous deal?” I asked, schooling my voice to be merely inquiring.

“The part of it that’s most important to your measly life. The other part is this: after you leave, I will claim Urgan for my own. If he is my mate, he will be safe. You must know he has enemies, little mouse. If he is my mate, those enemies will leave him in peace.”

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