Page 91 of Bound to the Orc Warlord

“You’ve got time,” I say, turning my head to press a kiss to his palm. “We’ve got time.”

“We have an eternity,” he says. “Because I will love you forever.”

The rest of the village didn’t get the memo about eternity, because a horrible pounding sounds at the front door at the first crack of dawn.

“No!” I whine. I’m usually a morning person, but that’s if I get enough sleep. And last night, we did pretty much everythingbutsleep.

My body aches in all the right places as I bury my head under a pillow, and I give a soft sigh of contentment as I wiggle my butt back into the firm heat of Dravarr’s body.

His chuckle vibrates through my back, more felt than heard, and he slides from behind me. After pressing a kiss to my shoulder, he pulls the furs up to my neck and goes to get the door.

The deep rumble of male voices echoes from the other room, and a few minutes later an amazing smell jolts me to wakefulness. I shove the pillow off my head and roll onto my back, cracking an eye open. “Is that coffee?”

“It is.” Dravarr stands with his hair loose all around his shoulders and a pair of leather pants clinging low to his hips, looking absolutely divine. I smile when I see the moon tattoo on his chest that marks him as mine—it’s right over his heart.

Then my eyes are distracted by the tall paper cup he holds, its side blazoned with the logo of my favorite coffee place.

“Gimme.” I roll upright, reaching with both hands. The first taste of mocaccino hits my tongue in a wash of coffee and chocolate that’s the perfect blend of sweet and strong. I moan and take another gulp. Even the temperature is perfect—hot enough to be flavorful without scalding my tongue.

Dravarr pulls clean clothes from a wardrobe and brings them to me, then gets dressed.

By the time I’ve finished my coffee, his hair’s in its usual warrior braid, and he looks ready to conquer the day. “The king is here.”

A ripple of shock goes through me. I’m going to meet the king? I tug a clean shirt over my head and pull my hair from the neck. “The king of the orcs?”

“Yes. We need to hurry. We’re taking him to meet the dragon.”

I pick up the clothes Dravarr laid out. They’re new and they fit perfectly, but they’re still just a normal linen shirt and leather pants. “Are these fancy enough to meet the king?”

“Of course.” He frowns. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“You dress up to meet royalty on Earth.” I pull on my trousers, jumping a couple of times to get them up over my hips. “And there’s a lot of bowing and things. Do I need to learn how to curtsy?”

A bark of laughter escapes him. “That sounds like the elves. Don’t worry about such things. The Wild Fae care little for formalities. We’re far more interested in someone’s battle prowess.”

Rovann and Olivia wait outside with Midnight and Hurtle. “Mother’s walking with King Aldronn to the cleaning stone,” Rovann says. “We’ll ride and catch up.”

“Isn’t this exciting?” Olivia says in between conjuring us breakfast burritos. “I’ve never met a king before!”

“Me either!” I grin, catching her cheerful mood.

“Humph,” Hurtle says. “It’s not as if you’re meeting aunicornking.”

“You mean a queen,” Midnight counters, amusement filling her voice.

We eat while riding, Dravarr’s body a familiar strength and comfort behind mine. The larger heart trees fall behind us as we leave the village, the trail cutting through the now familiar pine and blue birch forest. Birds flitter overhead in flashes of yellow wings, calling out high, sweet songs. Splashes of early morning sunlight pierce the canopy in slanted bars of gold, highlighting the curly tops of fiddleheads rising over fronded ferns.

Alarria’s so beautiful. Even more importantly, it’s home. As the trees thin ahead, I try to channel some of the strength I’velearned from Dravarr and sit up a little straighter in the saddle. This meeting isn’t about impressing a king.

It’s about protecting this world and everyone I love.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Dravarr

Several orcs wait at the edge of the trees, all armed with swords, Moon Blade Clan’s best warriors mixed in with the king’s guard. Unicorns stand among them.

We pass into the clearing, which is about three times wider than before, extending out to the left of the stone. But it feels no larger because all of that extra space is filled with a green dragon.

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