Page 26 of His Orc Lady

“Were you really searching for me?” Owen presses a scratchy kiss to a spot under my ear that has me shivering in his arms. “I’ve been trying to talk to you all day, but you were nowhere to be found.”

I try to pull my thoughts together, but his lips must be magic. Still, I have to make sure my friend remains happy and mated to his new human, so I gasp, “Are you sending your soldiers home?”

Owen pauses, then lifts his head to look down at me. He’s less composed than before, his hair disheveled from my fingers, his eyes a little wild. “Yes. In a day or two. Just waiting for Lady Willow to get settled in.”

I cock my head to the side. “And if any of them want to stay?”

He frowns at me as if he can’t believe I’m talking about his soldiers when we could bekissing. I understand, because kissing him has become my favorite thing to do, but now that I’ve started this conversation, I need to finish it. For Carrow’s sake.

Owen heaves a sigh and puts an inch of space between us, as if he, too, is having difficulty thinking while plastered to me. “Well, I’ll certainly take their wishes into consideration, but they know their duty.”

His words are a splash of cold water to my face. “They do? And what is their duty?”

He must sense a change in me because he draws farther back, squinting in the poor light. “To obey their orders. That’s the basic rule all soldiers accept when they sign up.” He shrugs, as if that’s just the way of the world. “Your Army must be run similarly. Otherwise there’d be chaos.”

He’s right, of course he is—but my cousin would never…

“What’s this about?” Owen asks.

“I think you should let your men stay,” I blurt out. “Those who want that. Regardless of their orders. Not just for the winter either, but forever if they choose to.”

He sucks in a quick breath. “I-I can’t do that. The duke expects me to bring back all of his men. If they stayed here, they’d be deserting from the Army, and I wouldn’t let that happen under my watch.”

Deserting. Oh gods, what have I been thinking?

He came to visit me to talk, not kiss me senseless and tell me he’s staying at the Hill forever. And yet I’ve allowed myself to forget about it.

“You’re going to have to leave, too, aren’t you?”

I heave in a breath to calm myself, but his scent now permeates my room, it sticks to my clothes, my skin—I’ve madesucha mistake.

How will I ever forget him?

“Eventually.” He shoves his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I’ve told you this before but I thought…”

I lift my chin, staring at him in defiance. “You thought what? That I’d go with you? I have duties, too, Owen. I have people who are counting on me.”

“No, of course not.” He frowns at me. “I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

I give him a bitter smile. “Then this is it. This is where it ends, where itmustend, Owen.”

He stares at me for a long moment. “I don’t regret this. Kissing you.”

His gaze slips down to my mouth, and I want to touch him so badly, I have to squeeze my fists tight to keep myself from reaching for him.

“But I understand,” he adds. “Goodnight, Mara.”

With one last glance, he nods, then opens the door and strides away, his footsteps swallowed by the earthen walls of the Hill.

I let out a shuddering breath, then shove away from the wall. I dust myself off and straighten my dressing gown, which has somehow come undone at the waist. Peering through the door, I make sure no one was nearby to witness the captain’s sudden departure—at least, that’s what I tell myself.

I’m too proud to admit that I’m secretly hoping for his return.

But he’s nowhere to be seen—I guess a man can only get rejected so many times.

Finally, I retreat inside and shut the door, plunging the room into darkness once more. And I stand there for long moments, simply breathing, trying to get myself under control.

But it’s no use. Owen’s scent still clings to my clothes, and his touch lingers on my skin. My lips tingle from his kisses, and I know I’ll never find another man who is so completely, painfully right for me.

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