Page 32 of Bound to the Orc Renegade

My bride laughs, delighted, and the close nymphs hear her joy and start calling out to her as well. Taylor leans over, her whole body straining, and I brace to keep her safe even while letting her stretch ever farther, for her happiness resonates through me, and I want nothing more than to hear her laugh again.

And she does the moment those water-foam fingers slide across hers. “Hello!” she calls out, high and excited. “Hello, I’m Taylor!”

Storm continues to swim as quickly as he can, and I feel the vibration through his body when his front hooves strike ground again. He surges forward to get all four feet planted and dashes up, out of the river.

Taylor twists around, leaning out to try to see past me. “Oh, they’re so lovely!”

“No, they’re not.” Storm snorts and shakes his head, his mane flying about. “Theytickle.”

He says it with such affront even I laugh, the deeper sound joining with my bride’s lighter joy. For a moment, we are one in what we feel, and it gives me hope.

I will win her good regard and make her happy for all her days.

Storm drops into a trot as he enters a stand of blue birch, the shade of the forest wrapping around us.

The feline fae appears at our side, emerging from the shadows in an easy lope, her smoke-gray and silver fur as dry as ever.

“Mist!” Taylor cries out. “But how?”

Mist grins, her smile bright in her dark face. “A cat never tells its secrets.”

“Taylor leans back and whispers, “Do you know?”

“The cat sith walk the shadow roads no one else can see.” I shrug. “It’s all I know.”

“It’s not for you to know,” Mist says, making it clear exactly how keen her hearing is.

“If you use different ways to get around,” Taylor says, her tone thoughtful, “then can you get to other realms of Faerie? Can you get to Earth?”

My hand tightens on her. Does she wish to go back? Does she want to leave?

“No,” Mist says. “The cat sith used to roam the realms, free to come and go as we pleased. But when all the doors of Faerie slammed closed, the longer parts of our roads were severed as well.”

“Only the Moon Goddess has the power to move between worlds,” I growl, not liking the thought that while the goddess brought me my moon bound bride, that means she could also take her away.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Taylor

Riding with Krivoth for hours, my body surrounded and supported by his, becomes hypnotic. He doesn’t use his magic, but I can still feel the potential of it baked into his bones—it’s such an integral part of who he is.

If I strain, I can even feel it from Storm, who constantly heals himself as he runs, so he can keep going for longer than any regular horse could. But even though the unicorn actively uses his magic, it’s Krivoth’s magic that calls to mine.

Is it due to the binding the goddess placed on us? Or is it a connection we always had, and all she did was to bring us together?

Does it even matter at this point? It’s real.

It’s strange and different, and it’s not how humans get married.

But this connection is real.

And yet, Mom always talked of how in love she and Dad were in their early years together, how special it had all felt. Is this actually different? Or am I fooling myself because I like Krivoth more than anyone I’ve ever met?

Storm slows as the way ahead lightens, the trees falling away as we reach a clearing with enough grass to offer the unicorn a chance to graze.

Evening light falls on a thicket of blackberry bushes, and a cloud of familiar sprites lift from the where they’d clung to the heavy, ripe fruit.

Shock zips through me. “How did they get here before we did?”

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