Page 61 of Bound to the Orc Warlord

“Oooooo,” they chorus. Then they stop and exchanged glances.

The first one glances down and paws at the ground. “Uh, I don’t know what that is.”

“That’s okay.” I ruffle her mane. “It means I can do magic!”

All of their enthusiasm returns. “Show us! Show us the magic!”

“I can fly, like Drake.” I point to the dragon, who does a proud head bob and bounds into the air with a strong snap of wings. He glides up and banks to soar right over our heads.

Another round of awed noises, followed by clamoring cries of, “Take me!” and “I want to fly!”

I look over at Midnight and Noon. “Can we?” I don’t know how we’ll manage it, but we’ll figure something out.

While the adults clump together to discuss the idea, I roll around on the ground with the foals.

I haven’t played like this since the day of the photo shoot at my old orphanage. The kids loved the toys I brought, and Mr. Caprio stood behind the photographer, smiling at me in that flirty way. Of course, I now know all he’d been interested in was getting really great photos of laughing orphans to use to sell his scam.

I glance over to find Dravarr watching me, his eyes so intense his look could almost be mistaken for a frown. But it’s not. It’s true interest and concern, and I’d take a million of his sincere scowls over a single one of Nick Caprio’s fake smiles any day.

“We will allow it,” Noon says, to excited cries of “Yay!” from the little ones. Then she continues. “Ifyou can make it safe.”

“I’ll make you a harness,” Dravarr says, digging through the saddlebags.

I walk over to grab my broomstick from where it’s attached to Midnight’s other side. “I thought you said unicorns are grumpy.”

“I also said unicorns like to stab things with their horns.” She watches the babies with a soft look in her eye. “Foals are different. Their personalities don’t change until they grow their horns at puberty.”

“Ouch, hormones and the grumpies? That’s gotta be some rough teenage years. How do you get through it?”

“We’re technically adults at that point, so lots of sex.”

A surprised laugh bursts from me.

“And you know what they say about unicorns.” Amusement fills her voice. “Hung like a—”

“She doesn’t need to hear it,” Dravarr grumps.

“Oh, I think I do,” I say.

“Hung like a unicorn,” Midnight finishes with a laugh.

“Here’s your harness.” He shoves a contraption made of cloth and straps into my arms and spins me toward the foals. “Go fly with the younglings.”

“I’d almost think you were jealous,” I tease as he marches me over.

“Not at all.” He leans over, his breath hot on my ear. “I’ll give you all the cock you could ever want.”

The foals surround me, demanding my attention, but all I can do for long moments is stare transfixed at Dravarr’s wicked, wicked smile.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Dravarr

“Whee!” A streak of motion blurs through the air, only a few feet above the ground. I’m not even certain who’s yelling louder, Ashley or the unicorn youngling strapped to her front.

Drake wheels around them, playing a game of dodge that shows off his flying skills. He’s laughing too, his youth finally given an outlet.

In fact, the atmosphere of the whole herd has lightened. We’d initially been met with cold glances laced with suspicion. Unicorns and orcs have a treaty of old, and many individual members of the herd choose to partner with a selected orc, as Midnight and I have done. Yet none of that’s enough to make up for us coming onto their land with an enemy like the sluagh in tow.

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