Page 9 of His Orc Lady

It’s going to be painful to watch him leave when the time comes, but it would be a whole lot harder if I got attached to him in the meantime.

“This place is amazing,” he murmurs suddenly.

I jerk to attention, realizing I’ve been lost in my thoughts, while he’s been studying every turn, every signpost we pass.

I reel my emotions back in, fortifying myself against his presence and voice. “Aye, it’s magnificent, isn’t it? It was mostly already carved when we found it.”

He jerks his head toward me. “Youfoundit? You mean to say it wasn’t your clan that carved these halls into rock?”

“No, we don’t know who used to live here, but I suspect it was another clan of orcs, given how perfectly this place fits us.” I motion at the tall ceiling, doming several feet over my head. “Ozork was the one to discover it when he went scouting for the king. He said he got lost in here but wasn’t scared at all because it immediately felt like home.”

I still remember the day we arrived here after our long journey from the old kingdom. We’d been so beaten, so tired and hopeless, but this place had provided shelter, warmth, and later, a well of riches and comfort so deep, our children’s children will be provided for if we’re careful with it.

“Where did you live before?” The captain watches me closely, his expression open and curious. “I don’t know much about orcs besides the fact that you’re formidable warriors.”

“In a mountain fortress in the other orc kingdom. We were a part of the Boar Clan before we left.” I offer him a wry smile. “AndI’mnot a warrior, I can tell you that much. It’s all the ones with swords you have to look out for.”

He grins back, his posture relaxing at the easy conversation. “All right. What do you do then, Lady Mara?”

“Just Mara is fine,” I say quickly. “We don’t stand on ceremony here.”

He sketches a polite bow. “Then, you must call me Owen.”

I try to hold back my flush, but his name fits him so well, somehow, I want to repeat it over and over, roll it in my mouth and let it spill from my tongue.

Then I give myself a firm shake and glance at him from the corner of my eye, a precaution since I believe it’s the sight of him that’s driving me mad. Or perhaps it’s his warm scent, a lure developed just for me.

“Well,” I say slowly, gathering my thoughts, “I’m the steward of the Hill. It just so happens it’s my task to escort weary travelers and offer them food and shelter.”

His smile is brilliant as he replies, “How lucky that I stumbled upon you, then.”

I raise my eyebrow at him. “You didn’t. You ran after me and chased me down.”

I don’t know what possessed me to say this, but I regret it the moment he stops, his face turning a deeper shade of pink, his mouth dropping open. He stares at me, then snaps his mouth shut. A muscle jumps in his cheek, and finally, he inclines his head at me.

“So I did,” he murmurs. “And I don’t regret it one bit.”

Heat shoots into my cheeks, and I dig my fingers into the cloth of my dress, clenching them hard to keep from reaching for the captain—forOwen. He’s won this round, and I have nothing more to say to him that doesn’t involve confessions I’m not ready to make, so I twist on my heels and march on, and don’t react when he catches up with me again, easily keeping pace.

Gods, if this is how our very first conversation is going, I’ll have to be very careful in the future. If I let slip too much, if he finds out that he’s my fated match, things could get complicated, fast. I’m still not certain the Fates are evil enough to land me with someone who could never stay with me, nor I with him, so perhaps there is a way out of this still.

But there won’t be if we?—

Stop thinking about it.

I round a corner and sigh in relief when the lights of the great hall come into view. They spill into the hallway, the torches still burning despite the late hour. Once all the orcs have finished their dinner, most of the torches will be extinguished to allow the hall to cool down overnight, though we always leave a couple of lanterns burning so our resident humans don’t get lost in the dark.

“Oh.” Owen stops at the entry to the massive chamber, gazing up and around. “It’s sobig. It was so crowded when I was last here, I didn’t get the sense…”

I stand beside him and try to see my home through his eyes. “I suppose I’m used to it. But the entire Hill is large. It could house a clan twice the size of ours, and we’d still have empty rooms.”

His lips pull up in a smile. “Does that mean I’m getting a room of my own? I must admit it would be a nice luxury after weeks on the road, sharing lodgings with my men.”

“Aye, we can spare one for each of you, I think.” I purse my lips, thinking things through. “Unless you brought a full battalion, that is.”

I lead him toward the kitchens to find some dinner. I wonder where the other human soldiers are—they must have been given food, but perhaps they were all too tired to do more than shovel dinner into their mouths and retire to their rooms.

“No, just a small escort.” Owen follows me. “It’s easier to travel fast with fewer men, and besides, the duke’s roads are well kept. We didn’t have any trouble traveling here.”

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