Page 9 of Bewitching the Orc Chief

“Kidnapped?” He tested the word like it was foreign on his tongue. “But you are neither a kid, nor did I nap you.”

If the situation played out on the screen and not in my actual fucking reality, I might have laughed at the genuine bewilderment in his voice. As it was, I could only gape at him.

“Are youseriousright now?” I gestured wildly at the room. “You took me from my home without my consent. That’s the literal definition of kidnapping!”

“But you are my mate,” he said, as if that explained everything. His frown deepened. “Your place will always be at my side.”

I blinked, then blinked again. Mates? As infatedmates? I’d heard of mate bonds before—who hadn’t? But I’d always assumed they were myths. Romantic stories to give lonely hearts hope.

Part of me wanted to deny it. To scream that he was delusional. But I couldn’t ignore the way my magic had responded to him from the moment we met. The instant connection, the overwhelming need...

Fuck.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. “Osen. Even if that’s true—and I’m not saying it is—you can’t just...takepeople.”

“I thought the shaman could help.” Frustration roughened his tone. The bed dipped surprisingly little as he sank to sit at my side. “But the useless old goat isn’t even in town—called away to some emergency in the southern caves.”

Thank every god, goddess, and dark demon for small favors. The last thing I needed was some shaman poking around my aura.

“I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “Just a really heavy sleeper.”

Osen’s eyes narrowed. “No one sleeps that deeply, naturally.”

“Clearly I do.” I met his gaze steadily, years of practice keeping my expression neutral. Half-truths came as naturally as breathing these days.

The door banged open, making me jump. A younger orc burst in, collapsing dramatically into a nearby chair.

“Brother, you won’t believe what that ass Galan did to my latest commission. He’s taking over the entire shared space with those gaudy weapon racks and—” He broke off mid-rant, dark eyes going wide as they landed on me.

I squeaked—actuallysqueaked—and yanked the furs higher. The stranger’s mouth formed a perfect “o” of surprise.

A growl vibrated through Osen’s chest, and the shiver down my spine had nothing to do with fear. His shoulders went rigid as he shifted to block the intruder’s view. “Out. Now.”

“But—”

“Torain.” The name carried unmistakable warning.

I peeked around Osen’s broad back. The younger orc—Torain—scrambled from the chair and looked between us with a mix of confusion and curiosity. His face split into a shit-eating grin.

“So, this is the mysterious woman you met last night.” He waggled his eyebrows. “No wonder you missed the morning council?—”

“Out.”

The command crackled with authority. Torain threw up his hands in surrender, backing toward the door. “Fine, fine. But we need to discuss Galan attempting to transmute himself into the world’s biggest dick!”

The door clicked shut behind him. Osen’s shoulders stayed tense until his brother’s footsteps faded.

I drew in a shaky breath, trying to process... everything. The mate bond. Being whisked away to a hidden orc village. Meeting the chief’s family while wearing nothing but his tunic.

Osen’s shoulders remained taut, fists clenched at his sides as he glared at the closed door. Protectiveness radiated off him in waves.

Part of me wanted to roll my eyes at the display. I wasn’t some damsel who needed rescuing. Not from bedroom-bargers or stumbling drunks. And certainly not from perfectly unnatural side effects of magic.

But a smaller, troubling part of me, that same part who nearly fell over herself to invite the orc back to her place… kind of liked it. Which was even more ridiculous in the light of day and without any honey ale sloshing around my insides.

And yet...

Gus stretched his legs long, then curled into a tight croissant shape. My familiar had excellent instincts about people—better than mine, if I was honest. That he’d seemed utterly unbothered by Osen from the very first sniff spoke volumes.

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