Page 62 of Guarded By the Orc

“I think we ruined the chaise and my pants,” he wheezed, and I couldn’t stop the giggle that left me. “You’re going to kill me one day,” he added and I laughed, moving to wipe my face and chest with the blanket.

“I was thinking the exact same thing about you,” I told him.

“Imagine when we’re free to have all the sex we want,” he murmured, as I snuggled up next to him on the chaise, curled around his front so I could nuzzle my face against his throat.

This is my favorite spot in the world.

My eyes drooped closed as a soft, possessive purr left Rudgar’s chest.

“Found you,” was the slow hiss of sound that I heard, turning to face the voice behind me. Horror filled me to the brim as I saw the pale face I’d been dreading. His blond hair floated around his face and his hateful, cunning blue eyes gleamed as he smirked at me. “I bet you thought you got away, didn’t you, Zara?”

I backed away from him, but I had no idea where I was. I couldn’t see what was around me—or who, for that matter. I knew there were others there, but I was trapped staring at him, my body heavy as if I was moving through sap.

“Don’t hurt them,” I whispered, and the sick joy in his gaze brightened.

“Oh, you don’t know the meaning of hurt,” he hissed, movingcloser, and I was unable to move, staring up at him with terror. “But you will.”

The sound of wind was loud in my ears, and I knew I was screaming, but I couldn’t hear anything. Even as his lips moved, I couldn’t hear him anymore.

“Zara!” the voice was loud in my ear and I yanked my suddenly-moving body away from it. I fell from wherever I was, and my eyes popped open. My breathing was erratic as I turned around, searching for Veron, but all I saw was the chaise that Rudgar and I had no doubt fallen asleep on.

“It wasn’t real,” I gasped, even as Rudgar scrambled to reach down to pull me back up to the chaise.

“Gul-ar, are you okay?” he asked, his soft, blue eyes—so unlike the hard ice of Veron’s—filled with concern. “Let me help you.”

I shook my head even as I allowed him to pull me up. “Veron,” I tried to choke out, still searching the area surrounding us. “He was here.”

Rudgar didn’t hesitate to spin around, searching in the darkness of the night for any sign of Veron near us. “I don’t smell anything near us. Can he hide his scent?”

I nodded, even as I scrubbed my palms across my eyes. The gentle fog of sleep was slowly receding, and with it, realization came. “Wait. He’s not here,” I told him, swallowing hard. “But he’s coming.”

“What do you mean?” Rudgar asked, turning back to me, reluctant to stop his search, but trying to listen to every word I was saying. “Are you sure?”

“Certain,” I said, rubbing my palm across my chest where my heart was still thundering. “It was a premonition. My mom used to have them and she said when I was older I’d get them too. I guess I’m older now.” Shaking my head, I tried to smother the emotions crawling up my throat and making me want to throw up. “But if that’s true, then he’s coming, Rud, and there’s no wayI can stop him.”

“Let him come,” Rudgar growled, tipping my chin up with his thumb so I was looking him in the eye. “I’ll protect you.”

My smile was shaky as I looked up at this big male who was willing to put himself on the line for me. It gave me the strength that I sorely needed. And as I remembered the feel of the wand wood in my hand, the focus it had allowed for my power, determination flooded inside me, pushing out the swirling self-doubt. “I love you,” I told him, leaning up to press a brief kiss to his lips. “But you can’t protect me from this one. I have to face him. I’m not going to let him hurt anyone ever again.”

I was pouring my heart out to him, beseeching him with my gaze, and I knew that to a male like him—who was born to protect, who carried it in every inch of his being— I was asking a lot, maybe too much. But I still needed to ask. The burning fury inside of me needed to be released and I knew exactly who it was going to be aimed at.

CHAPTER 31

Rudgar

She’s going to face the asshole.

I saw it as clear as day in my mate’s face, anddamn it, how could I say no after everything he’d done to hurt her?

“Not before you’re ready,” I told her instead, narrowing my gaze at her, and she gave me a small smile, reaching up to cup my cheek, running her thumb over the side of my mouth.

“Thank you,” she said in a whisper I could barely hear. “I know that’s going to be hard for you to do. But trust me,” she added, her lip curling as her eyes became distant, and I knew she was picturing the asshole who’d taken her.Veron. “I’ll be ready.”

“It’s moments like this that I want to put you in a padded room until the battle’s over,” I murmured with a sigh, and her expression switched to a grin.

“We can go find a padded room, but I’ll be using it for things other than hiding,” she told me with a bold grin.

“You’re trying to distract me,” I huffed, gathering our things and tucking her neatly into my shirt, buttoning it all the way upto her chin before wrapping her in my arms. “I don’t know what I’d do if you were ever hurt, Gul-ar,” I admitted.

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