Page 7 of Tempted By the Orc

But Rue had slipped past my defenses. She had a way of getting under my skin without even trying, and the thought of returning to the cabin and finding her gone...it gnawed at my insides.

I turned back toward her, standing there by the fire, wrapped in blankets but still looking so small and fragile. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I felt the weight of something unspoken between us.

“Be careful,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “And hurry home.”

I nodded, my throat tight, and then stepped out into the storm.

The wind hit me like a wall of ice the moment I stepped outside. The snow was blinding, whipping through the air in relentless gusts, and the cold cut through my clothes like knives. I gritted my teeth and pressed on, pulling my hood tighter around my face. I couldn’t let the storm’s rage stop me. I had to find Cupid.

But even as I trudged through the snow, my thoughts kept drifting back to Rue.

Her concern for me had been unexpected. People didn’t worry about me. They feared me, avoided me, kept their distance. It was easier that way, for both them and me. I didn’t need attachments. I didn’t need complications. But Rue was different. She had already become a complication, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

I shook my head, trying to focus. The reindeer was what mattered. Cupid was out here somewhere, and if I didn’t find him, the Dark King would know. And if Azrael discovered that I’d lost one of his prized reindeer, the consequences would be severe.

I forced my way through the snow, my eyes scanning the white landscape for any sign of movement. Cupid had to be out here somewhere. But the storm had wiped away any tracks, any trail he might have left behind, and with the wind howling in my ears, it was impossible to hear anything.

As I moved deeper into the forest, my mind kept returning to Rue. The way she’d looked at me, the way her voice had softened when she said she didn’t want me to go alone. No one had ever looked at me like that before. And it wasn’t just her concern for me—it was the way she cared about the animal too. The way she spoke about it as if it mattered to her, as if it was personal.

She wasn’t what I had expected. When I first found her in the snow, I thought she’d be like everyone else—cold, distant, suspicious of me because of what I was. But she hadn’t been. She’d been stubborn, yes, but there was a warmth to her that I hadn’t anticipated. A kindness that was hard to ignore.

And I couldn’t ignore the way I felt when I was around her.

The truth was, I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted to stay, to sit by the fire and ask her questions and listen to her talk, even for hours. To try to figure out what it was that made her so different. But I couldn’t let myself get distracted. Not now. Not when I had a job to do.

The snow whipped against my face, stinging my skin, but I pressed on, scanning the horizon for any sign of Cupid. My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the cold, but from the fear that had settled deep in my bones.

I was afraid of what I would find when I returned to the cabin. Afraid that she wouldn’t be there. Afraid that I had let someone into my life in a way I hadn’t meant to, and now I couldn’t take it back.

But even more than that, I was afraid of the way I felt about her.

And I didn’t know what to do about it.

Chapter Five

RUE

The door closed with a solid thud as Noel stepped out into the storm. The sound echoed in the small cabin, leaving me feeling strangely hollow. I wrapped both arms around myself, trying to keep the cold out, but it wasn’t the weather outside that was making me shiver—it was the conflict churning inside me.

I had promised him I’d stay, but the part of me that had been running for days, desperate to get away from Azrael and hissoldiers, was screaming for me to leave. I had to keep moving. If I stayed here too long, they would find me. And if the Dark King found me...

I’d be bound to him forever.

The thought twisted like a knife in my gut. I knew that running alone may not be enough to save me. Azrael’s reach extended far beyond the borders of his kingdom. It was only a matter of time before his guards tracked me down. If they caught me, I would be forced to marry him, to become his queen in his rise to ultimate power. But nonetheless I was determined to get as far away as I could in hopes of escape. If I could just reach the mountain range that lay to the east, I might be able to hide in the caves. However, I hadn’t planned beyond that, my concern being only to escape the immediate threat. What I would do after that, I admittedly had no idea.

My gaze flicked to where my coat and scarf were hanging by the door, and I took a step in that direction. But my thoughts turned to the Orc. Noel had left to search for Cupid and the storm was still raging outside. I had no idea he was the one Azrael had appointed to be in charge of Father’s reindeer, all of whom were possessed of special Christmas magic.

Noel was kind, almost too kind. My heart twisted at the thought. I was causing him trouble. He had enough to worry about with Cupid, and now he was out there in the freezing snow, looking for him, all while caring for me—a stranger who had brought nothing but problems to his doorstep.

I stared at the fire, trying to focus. Little did the Orc know, I knew Cupid well. He was impetuous, stubborn, and had a mind of his own, always acting on a whim to suit his fancy. But I also knew his heart. He loved deeply, even if he hid it behind his mischievous antics.

He’s running because he doesn’t want to be a part of my wedding.

The realization struck me with a sudden clarity. Cupid was revolting. He didn’t want to be forced into aiding Azrael’s twisted plans, especially when he knew how much I hated it. He didn’t want to carry me off to be married to the Dark King, for whom I felt no love. He didn’t want any part of Azrael’s evil quest to claim the power of Christmas and erase all hope and joy.

I bit my lip, torn between staying here as I had promised or going out to help Noel. If I could just get close enough to Cupid, I knew I could coax him back. He trusted me, and if I shifted into my reindeer form, I could sweet-talk him into being good. He just needed reassurance. I’d find a way out. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure I believed that, I knew I had to convince Cupid to go along with Azrael’s orders. For his own good.

But then, Noel’s voice echoed in my mind, his stern warning that the storm was too dangerous for me. He was right—my ankle was still weak, and I was barely recovered from the fever. Going out there now would only make things worse. The last thing Noel needed was to be distracted by worrying about me while he was trying to find Cupid.

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