Page 43 of The Orc's Promised Bride

“My brave little valai,” he purred, stroking her hair.

He cradled her against his chest and she relaxed into his warmth, feeling utterly boneless. His cock was still locked inside her, and a sense of rightness settled over her.

“Mmm.” She snuggled closer. “I’m not sure I can move.”

“You don’t have to. Not until my knot releases.” He nuzzled the top of her head, then pressed a kiss there. “I love how you feel wrapped around my cock.”

“Mmm,” she said, and wiggled slightly, unable to resist the urge to squeeze her inner walls. They both groaned as his cock jerked inside her.

“Don’t move,” he ordered. “I’m barely holding on here.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve never been better.” He smiled down at her, his eyes warm. “Although I’m fighting the urge to keep you right here, impaled on my cock, until I can take you again.”

“Oh,” she breathed, heat flushing through her. “I have no objection to that plan.”

He groaned and laughed, and then he kissed her until everything else disappeared.

CHAPTER 21

Lothar made his way to the top of the stronghold overlooking the port where the king had taken up residence. Unlike the convent, it had been built for defense and even the inside was composed of cold stone walls. Ulric’s private quarters on the top floor were no different, as spartan and forbidding as the rest of the building.

The guards recognized him and stepped aside without challenge. Inside, servants had laid out a hearty breakfast spread on a portable wooden table, but his appetite had vanished.

Ulric gestured for him to sit, then pinned a stern amber gaze on him.

“It appears you found something precious after you left the Trials.”

“I didn’t expect to. She’s not from this world.” The words tumbled out before he could stop them. “She was sent here, although she doesn’t know why.”

Ulric buttered a piece of bread, his expression thoughtful.

“How interesting.”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

The king shrugged.

“I wondered. There is something… different about her. Your brother told me that he had prayed to the Old Gods for help. It appears they may be taking an interest in our affairs.”

“But I didn’t pray for her.” His hands clenched beneath the table. “What if she wasn’t meant for me? What if she belongs with someone else?”

“The gods work in mysterious ways.” Ulric set down his bread and looked at him, his gaze uncomfortably penetrating. “Sometimes their greatest gifts are unexpected. Do you feel a mate bond?”

“Yes.” His chest tightened at the admission. “Yes. From the moment our eyes met. But after everything that’s happened, after what she’s been through-”

“You think yourself unworthy?” Ulric’s voice held an odd note.

He stared down at his untouched plate.

“I withdrew from the trials. I was almost too late to protect her when she first arrived. She deserves someone better.”

“Then perhaps you should trust in that, rather than questioning it. A mate bond is not given lightly.” Ulric’s fingers drummed on the table, an unusually restive movement for the king. “It’s rare. Precious. To reject such a gift out of fear…”

The king’s voice trailed off, his eyes distant.

“Have you felt it?” he asked quietly. “With Jessamin?”

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