Page 60 of His Orc Lady

He nuzzles my cheek. “Not at all. I want to smell like strawberries, too.”

I laugh softly. “All right. No washing for either of us, then.”

“I don’t know.” He yawns and covers his mouth with his hand. “After a day or two, you’ll be begging me to take a bath.”

Owen curls around me, tucking himself against my back, and draws my covers over us both. He groans as his cock rests against my ass. “I thought it might take me a while before I’m ready again, but there’s just something about you that has me…”

A knock sounds at the door, startling us both. I groan, too—a different kind of sound entirely from his lustful one.

“Who is it?” I call.

“It’s Uram. There’s been an incident, and the king has called for the captain.”

Chapter

Fifteen

We dress hastily. Owen draws up his pants and steps into his boots, then throws on his shirt but doesn’t bother with his jacket. I wiggle into my nightgown, the closest piece of clothing I can find, then put on my slippers and snag a dressing gown from a hook at the door. Then Owen throws open the door, and we follow Uram through the darkened corridors, our steps quick.

“What’s going on?” Owen demands, glaring at Uram. “Is it Lady Willow?”

“Aye.” Uram cuts a gaze over to me. “She was caught wandering the corridors all on her own.”

Owen’s frown deepens. “What? How could she have beencaught? Aren’t we free to walk around the Hill?”

“Not in that particular corridor,” Uram replies.

I know immediately what must have happened. Whether by accident or on purpose, Willow must have stumbled onto the corridor leading to the Heart of the Hill. Always heavily guarded, it’s the one place we haven’t shown the newcomers yet, and for good reason. It’s the most closely guarded secret of our clan, and if Willow went there to expose it…

But no, she has chosen Ozork—she married him, for gods’ sake. I don’t believe she would willingly endanger him, not after everything that happened between them.

“Mara?” Owen takes my hand and squeezes my fingers. “Are you hearing this? What’s going on?”

“Just wait until we get to Gorvor,” I urge him. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this.”

Uram leads us to the king’s parlor, separate from the rooms where Dawn and Arvel must be sleeping. Uram raises his fist to knock, but Owen flings the door open without warning and storms inside.

“My lady! I came as soon as I heard.” He stops beside her, his gaze sweeping the room. “I didn’t have the time to rouse the other soldiers.”

Willow straightens her spine, her hands clenched in her lap. “That’s all right. We won’t need them.”

He frowns but stands behind her, guarding her even though her mate is right there, too. I’ve never seen Owen on duty, not really, because Willow hasn’t needed his protection before, and I understand now why he’s a captain, not a regular foot soldier. He exudes authority, even in the face of several orc warriors who may or may not be his allies.

My cousin shifts in his chair. “Willow, is there anything you want to say before we begin?”

Her gaze darts to Ozork and back. She hesitates a moment, then asks, “Could I get the notes from my room, please? I would like to show them to you.”

“Would you allow Neekar to fetch them?” Gorvor asks.

This prompts a protest from Ozork—and all I can think of is that this could have been avoided if only I’d spoken up to my friends about what Owen told me. If Willow truly had a nefarious purpose for her midnight stroll, I might have let Ozork, one of the best orcs in the clan, get shackled to aspy.ButI was too preoccupied with my own issues, too trusting of Willow’s intentions, perhaps. She’d seemed so happy at dinner tonight, I was certain that her sleuthing days were behind her.

I glance up at Owen, who is frowning fiercely, no longer sleepy but completely alert. If this escalates into a true argument or, gods forbid, a scuffle, whose side will he fight on? My stomach sours at the thought of him having to choose. It would be an impossible situation, one I’ve wanted to avoid from the start.

But I couldn’t have waited any longer with my confession—I had to tell him how I feel and what he means to me. If that complicated matters, so be it. At least we’re no longer hiding the truth from each other. Every decision from now on will be made with open eyes on both our parts.

We know the lay of the land now, as Owen would say, so we’re at least heading into battle well-prepared.

Neekar returns minutes later, panting slightly as if he’d run the entire way to Willow’s room and back. He hands the king a pile of papers, all scribbled over in a woman’s neat hand.

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