Page 60 of Bound to the Orc Warrior

“What happened to you?” I tug a hand free to ghost my finger over one of his eyes, which is swelling shut. His lip’s also split over one of his tusks.

“I happened,” a deep voice growls. Another orc leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his wide, muscular chest. He’s got a touch of gray in his hair, but looks big and fit. His left cheek sports a purpling bruise, and the neck of his shirt’s torn, showing another angry abrasion. He hooks a thumb toward Wranth. “This one gets sloppy when he’s angry.”

“It’s a good thing for you, old man,” Wranth says back, his tone more playful than I’ve ever heard.

I’m glad to hear it. There’s a loneliness at Wranth’s core, an uncertainty. I like knowing he’s had someone who’s been his friend.

“Whatever am I going to do with you two?” Selena stands, hands on hips, and shakes her head. Then she gives a soft chuckle and touches Wranth’s shoulder. A tingle of magic shivers through the air. Right before my very eyes, his cut lip seals and the swelling around his eye goes down.

Next, she walks up to the other orc and places her palm over his heart. The bruises fade from his cheek and collarbone, and he leans over to kiss her.

“That’s my friend Sturrm,” Wranth says.

His words make me remember his other good friend. I think I saw her right before I passed out, but I want to make sure. “Zephyr? Did she make it okay?”

“She did.”

I smile in relief.

He scoops me off the bed in a bridal carry and heads for the door, scattering the other women out of his way.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To the baths.”

“I want my new conditioner.” I stretch an arm back toward the nightstand, and Grace picks up the pot and presses it into my hand. “Thanks!”

Ashley hurries over to pile the new clothes on my stomach, shooting me a knowing grin.

Then Wranth’s moving again, his long legs carrying us through a cozy open living room and kitchen and outside.

Guess I’m about to see what a communal bath looks like!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Wranth

Instead of a heart tree cottage, the baths are in a long rectangular building built over natural hot springs. The main pool is relatively empty this time of day, with only a couple of villagers soaking in its hot water. But a couple is still far too many. The thought of anyone seeing my bride naked, when we’re not yet fully mated, when I haven’t yet knotted her… A growl rumbles through my chest. No. I cannot.

I return their greetings with quick nods as I stride past them, heading for the door at the end of the room. It opens on a smaller room with a stone-lined private pool. A short, wide window at the top of the wall lets in plenty of sunlight, and buckets of clean water wait in front of a wooden bench piled with cleaning cloths.

I set Naomi down on the bench, my fingers trembling slightly as I undress her.

Brawling through the worst of my anger with Sturrm let me see what truly caused it. Fear. Fear of losing her.

When she collapsed in front of me on the village green, I couldn’t stand the way it made me feel. The thought of losing the one person who might finally be mine…

“Hey.” Her soft hand cups my cheek, tugging my gaze up to meet her beautiful brown eyes, which brim with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I am now that you’re all right,” I say. “Although I’m sorry I let you get hurt.”

Her brow creases. “You mean me passing out?”

“Yes.” I nod. “I should never have let you take the risk.”

“Hey, I love that you worry about me, that you care, but you’re also not the boss of me.” She taps me on the shoulder. “I’m a big girl. I get to make decisions about what I want to do, and they’remydecisions, my responsibility. So stop beating yourself up about it.”

“My earlier injuries came from Sturrm.” I frown in confusion. “I did not strike myself. Is this something humans do as a form of self-punishment?”

---