Page 39 of The Orc's Promised Bride

She tugged him closer, relief flooding through her as he followed her back to the bed. A big hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing away her tears.

“Tell me what you need.”

“Hold me.” She put her arms around his neck, savoring his warmth and strength. “Just hold me.”

He lifted her onto his lap, as gentle as ever despite his size. She buried her face against his neck, breathing in his familiar scent as the last of her tears finally stopped.

“I’ve never…” She swallowed hard. “No one has ever made me feel so safe, so… cherished. It’s terrifying and wonderful all at once.”

He tightened his grip a fraction.

“You are cherished,” he said quietly. “More than you know.”

She nodded against his neck, her arms still tight around his shoulders, needing the anchor of his presence. The intensity of her feelings scared her, but not nearly as much as the thought of him leaving her alone.

Finally she took a deep breath and sat back enough to see his face as she wiped her damp cheeks with trembling fingers. Her heart still raced from the intensity of what they’d shared, but she needed him to understand.

“It’s not you. Not in a bad way.” The words tumbled out between shaky breaths. “I just… I never knew I could feel like that.”

Her whole body flushed at the admission but she could see only concern in his eyes.

“Never?”

She shook her head.

“After everything…” She swallowed hard, surprised by her need to explain. “I thought that part of me was broken. That I’d never be able to…”

Her voice trailed off as his arms tightened protectively around her.

“You didn’t enjoy it?”

“No! I mean, yes! Yes, I did.” Heat rose to her cheeks at the memory. “Very much.”

She shifted closer, and his arms enfolded her, creating a sanctuary of strength and warmth. The steady thump of his heartbeat against her ear grounded her, helping calm the whirlwind of emotions. She pressed closer, savoring how perfectly she fit against him, how his mere presence made her feel whole in a way she’d never experienced before.

That wholeness gave her the courage to speak as the memories she’d kept locked away for so long pressed against her chest, demanding release.

“My mother…” She traced a pattern on his chest, not looking up at him. “When I was little, my mother was a free spirit, always moving, following whatever passion struck her. We never stayed in one place long enough for me to make friends. Sometimes I was lonely but we were together.”

His hand stroked down her back, encouraging her to continue.

“Then she found the Temple of Divine Light. At first it seemed perfect. We had a home, a community. Structure.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I actually loved it. But then…”

Her fingers clenched against his chest as the darker memories surfaced. “The rules kept getting stricter. Everything became a sin, a transgression. They’d lock us in dark rooms for hours if we showed any rebellion. Even smiling at the wrong time could get you punished.”

The words spilled out faster now, like a dam breaking.

“They controlled everything - what we ate, what we wore, who we talked to. If you questioned anything, they’d say you were possessed by evil spirits and needed to be cleansed.”

She shuddered, remembering the “cleansing” sessions. “They’d tie us down and say it was for our own good, to drive out the wickedness. That’s why I panic sometimes when I feel trapped. Why I need to know I can get away, even from you.”

The darkest memories rose like a tide and her throat constricted, but she managed to force the words out.

“My mother went along with everything they said, even when the elders taught that women were property. That our only purpose was to serve and submit.” The words tasted like ashes in her mouth. “When I turned sixteen, they… they forced me to marry one of them. An elder three times my age. He was… not kind.”

Her mother’s blank face flashed through her memory. Not a flicker of protest, not a single word spoken in her defense. Just emptiness, as if her daughter’s fate meant nothing.

“No one stopped it. Not my mother, not any of the women I’d thought of as friends. They just watched, said it was God’s will.” Her voice cracked. “They all stood there singing hymns while I…”

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