Page 5 of Guarded By the Orc

From the flare of his nostrils, I knew he was scenting the fact that I was aroused.

Dangerously aroused. So aroused that I should really think about whether there’s some kind of biological warfarehappening.

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice so high pitched I had to clear my throat. “Just fine. You stay… there.” I held my hands out, my eyes wide as I backed toward the doorway. His shoulders tensed and I knew he was going to rise. “No, no. Really. Don’t bother to getup.”

The lastwasan actual squeak as the male stood—naked as the day he was born, anddear Goddess Motherwas heup. Asupas anyone could possibly be.Moreup than anyoneshouldpossibly be.

I slapped my hands across my face, my fingers spread wide so I could still see—becauseby all that was witchy,this male had every right to be proud of his body. My eyes were still snagged on his cock—which was straining toward me as if it had a mind of its own—and no matter what I told myself, they weren’t moving.

The small throb that it gave made me lick my dry lips, wishing I could take the shiny beading head of it between them. His groan was what pulled me out of my trance.

My eyes snapped to his, and I saw that the blue of his eyes was almost overtaken by black. I hadn’t ever seen that expression on anyone before, but I could interpret what it was.

Primal lust.

Something that I was very familiar with at that exact moment. I took another step back and his head canted to the side, his gaze narrowing.

“Are you going to run, little witch?” he whispered, in a voice full of dark promise as I watched his body tense with anticipation. “Because in case you were wondering, orcslovechasing their prey.” He grinned, his fangs gleaming in the light and I backed up another step, before swallowing hard and lifting my chin.

“I don’trun,” I tried to scoff, but my voice was way too breathy for that. “I don’t evenlikecardio.” My comebacks obviouslyneeded some work, but I turned and scuttled away like the coward I was.

CHAPTER 3

Rudgar

Istared after my mate, my gaze riveting on her full, round ass. I passed a hand over my mouth, my fangs dripping with the need to bite her there—to mark her the way I wanted to. Exhaling an impatient breath, I grabbed a pair of sweats out of the closet—that wasfartoo big for just me. My clothes fit into a tiny corner of it and if I’d ever needed a symbol of my lonely existence, this closet represented it.

I was also mostly empty on the inside. The important pieces of my life—like my family, my friends and my company—filled only a tiny portion of what felt like a giant, gaping hole. I’d always known what I needed to fill that space.

And she was sauntering out of my bedroom as if she hadn’t turned my world upside down. When my older brother Dristan had explained what finding his mate had been like, I’d alwaysassumed I’d experience the same thing. A slow awakening. Subtle but certain. Instead, I was beginning to realize that every mating was different.

I didn’t know if it had anything to do with the fact that she had been on a different plane, but from the moment I’d seen her, our mating bond had slammed into me like a freight train. I lifted a trembling palm, squeezing my hand into a fist to stop it.

I needed to get control over the urges that were overtaking me. She might look at me like I was the sweetest snack she’d ever seen, but the stiffness of her shoulders was telling me the exact opposite. She wasn’t ready for what was going to happen between us.

And I understood that—I truly did—but my instincts and libido were screaming at me to throw her over my shoulder and mark her as mine. It didn’t help that my female was surrounded by unmated males. The three of them had tried to protect her from me when she’d come through the portal, and it was everything I could do to not fight them where they stood.

And I’m the reasonable one.

Scrubbing my palms over my face, I followed my female out into the living area. She was tiptoeing to peek inside the cupboards above the stove. I hid a smile as I surveyed her from head to toe.

My mate was tall for one of her kind, but compared to me, she was tiny. Her curves were a delicious bundle under her flowing clothes. I watched as her dress rode up her calves and even that small peek of skin made me salivate.

Yep. I’m done for.

Her scent was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Roses and crisp air. I tipped my head back to take a deep breath, filling myself with her. My rumble of pleasure must have startled her, because she spun around, unsteady on her feet.

She wasn’t the most graceful, but I wouldalwaysbe there tocatch her, so it didn’t matter. I watched as a crackle of magick appeared at her fingertips, the crisp air scent getting stronger.

My Gul-ar. My little witch.

“I see you decided not to put on a shirt,” she huffed, but her hungry gaze skimmed over my exposed chest like a caress.

I grinned at her, spreading my arms wide in welcome. “I can be naked for you at any time, but you seemed a bit… preoccupied with my lower half,” I explained.

“Well it was waving hello,” she muttered, rolling her eyes and turning back to her cupboard exploration. “Thanks so much for letting me stay, by the way. But I’m feeling a lot better and I need to head home.”

My easy grin fell, and the first warning alarm went off inside my head. “Home?” I asked, narrowing my gaze on her. “And where’s that exactly?”

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