Page 32 of The Orc's Promised Bride

“You look lovely,” he murmured, reaching out to cup her face, his fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw, and she didn’t hesitate to lean into his touch.

“So do you,” she whispered. He raised an eyebrow.

“Lovely?”

“Handsome.” Her cheeks flushed at the admission, but it was true. “Powerful.”

“And that’s… a good thing?” he asked, and the teasing glint in his eyes was back.

“Very good,” she murmured, unable to stop her smile.

A low rumble echoed from his chest and he took a step closer.

“Careful, little valai. You’re tempting the Beast.”

The warning made her heart skip a beat, and not from fear. She could see the heat in his eyes, and the desire, but the knowledge that he’d never take advantage of her trust made her feel safe rather than scared.

“And what will the Beast do about it?”

He bent his head, his lips nearly touching her ear.

“Whatever his mate asks of him,” he whispered.

His gaze met hers, dark and intense, and the space between them hummed with awareness.

“Are you planning on introducing us?”

The deep, amused voice interrupted the moment and she blushed as she realized she’d forgotten about the other two inhabitants of the room. But as she turned to greet them Lothar rested his hand lightly on her back, and the warmth of his hand was both a reassurance and a promise.

CHAPTER 17

“King Ulric.” Lothar bowed his head respectfully. “May I present my mate, Lady Jana?”

His Beast rumbled with satisfaction at claiming her publicly, even if it was just pretense.

Except it isn’t a pretense.

He pushed the thought aside as Ulric gave him a sharp look. He could see the questions in the king’s eyes, but Ulric merely inclined his head in acknowledgment.

“Welcome to Port Cael, Lady Jana,” Ulric said politely, before turning to him. “Come see me tomorrow. We have matters to discuss.”

He nodded, grateful that the king wasn’t demanding immediate answers, and returned his attention to his mate. The elegant blue gown enhanced her natural beauty, flowing around her slender curves in a way that made him long to explore those same curves. Yet he also found himself missing the sight of her in one of his shirts, the clothing marking her as his.

As he led her to the table, his Beast purred contentedly, accepting her as theirs completely, regardless of how they’d found each other. He wished he had the same conviction.

Jessamin proved to be a gracious hostess, quietly ensuring everyone’s comfort. She had a gentle warmth that made the meal feel intimate rather than formal, and he noticed how Ulric watched her, his gaze lingering on her when she wasn’t looking. There was definitely interest there, though carefully masked, and he wondered if the other male knew just how much his gaze revealed.

They kept the conversation on safe, neutral topics such as the town below. His mate was clearly interested, her eyes alight with curiosity as she asked about the town’s founding. He noticed that Jessamin had already acquired a great deal of knowledge about her new home, but she also deferred to Ulric, drawing him into the conversation at several points.

The king even unbent enough to tell an amusing, and undoubtedly apocryphal, tale about one of his ancestors and his encounter with a mysterious monster living in the fjord.

“We have a similar tale about a monster living in one of our lakes,” Jana said, smiling at the king. “Although no one has actually proven her existence.”

“Perhaps they simply did not have enough faith to trust in something they could not see.”

Ulric’s eyes flashed to Jessamin again before changing the subject to the development of the first trading routes.

They lingered at the table after the servants cleared away the remains of the meal, sipping a last glass of wine. Ulric still appeared relaxed - or at least as relaxed as he was likely to be -and he decided it was as good a time as any to fulfill his promise to Imara.

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