Page 55 of Bound to the Orc Warlord

“Kind of hard to fight like that, huh?” Her lips twitch, her sunniness returning.

“I need to be able to protect you fully.”

“And when you say hours…?” She lifts an eyebrow.

“So I’ve been told,” I say. “My knot has never appeared until now.”

“But you’ve…” She waves a hand back and forth between our bodies.

“I’ve bedded a woman before, yes.” I pick up her hand and press a kiss to the palm. “But they were never you. My knot never formed for anyone else.” It’s further evidence she’s perfect for me.

Just like I need to become perfect for her.

I’ll continue my wooing, prove myself worthy of her and her love.

And when the moment is perfect, I’ll tell her everything and make her mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Ashley

I’m still kissing Dravarr when the sharp noise of rocks cracking together echoes through the cave.

“What the—?” I jerk upright, my heart pounding adrenaline through my veins.

“It’s Midnight,” Dravarr says.

Another loud crack.

He yells, “We’re coming,”

“Hold your horses!” A laugh explodes from me, and I clap a hand over my mouth. Caregiver Bea used to yell it after us kids whenever we raced ahead of her to get outside to the orphanage’s playground. It’s old fashioned and cheesy, and I can’t believe I just said it to aunicorn, of all people. My shoulders shake.

“What is it?” Dravarr stares at me, a frown of confusion crinkling his brow. “What’s so funny?”

Which only makes me laugh harder. High giggles escape between gasped breaths as I curl forward, holding my aching stomach.

I love to laugh, but it’s been a while since anything’s hit me this hard. The absurdity of the saying only makes it funnier.

“Horses—” I gasp once I can kind of talk again. “And unicorns—”

“We don’t have horses here.” He rubs at his chin, his beard making a scraping sound. “We have unicorns, pooka, and kelpies. Some say a few of the mortal steeds existed in Avalon, stolen from your world, but the Moon Goddess never brought any here.”

“It’s okay.” I knuckle tears from my eyes. “It wasn’t that funny. I’m not even sure why I laughed.”

He cradles my face in his hands, his big thumbs gently wiping tears from my cheeks. “Never apologize for being full of joy.”

Dravarr’s dark eyes are so serious my heart pinches. Here’s a man who needs to laugh more. I want to give him that.

He leans forward—

“What are you doing in there? You need to come out,” Midnight yells from right outside. “Don’t make me rip down this covering and send the dragon in.”

I catch Dravarr’s eye. “Would she do that?”

“She would.” His lips twitch. “The pooka part of her nature is given to mischief and mayhem.”

He drags a thumb over my bottom lip, then tears away from me with a groan, rolling to his feet, his long, loose hair swinging like a curtain. He’d gotten up in the middle of the night and spread our wet things across the rock walls, trying to dry them as much as possible. The air in the cave feels a little muggy now.

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