Page 15 of Guarded By the Orc

“Well the joke’s on you,” she gasped, licking her lips as she stared at mine. “Because I don’teverplay fair.”

“No holds barred?” I queried, scraping my fangs across my lower lip and watching her swallow hard as she stared at it.

“No holds barred,” she agreed, but I had a feeling she had no idea what she was agreeing to.

“Good,” I reached around her, yanking her against me until we were pressed together. I groaned low in my throat as she gasped, her hands going to my chest.

If she pushed me away, I would go. I had no intention of making my mate uncomfortable. But instead, her little fingers clung to me, roving over my chest and exploring me.

“Y-you said you’d give me the details,” she told me, her voice quavering low with lust, and I cursed the fact that she still had the wherewithal to think while I was holding her. Meanwhile, I’d lost track of my thoughts. I could barely remember where I was standing, much less what I was doing minutes before.

“Of course,” I said, in a quiet, sincere voice. I lifted the papersin front of her, offering them, but she hesitated, not wanting to stop touching me. A wolfish smile crossed my face and I was leaning down again when she snatched the papers from me and spun away, staring down at them. I froze, blinking down at my female in shock.

What the fuck had just happened?

I lounged back on the sofa next to my mate while she flipped through the papers I’d given her, studying them while murmuring the words under her breath. My female wasn’t a quiet one and Ilovedit.

Along with my barren walk-in closet, the one thing that bothered me the most about my home was how quiet it was. When I was growing up, the house always echoed with laughter and joy. My parents had loved each other and us with their entire hearts.

When they’d died, Dristan had done his best to keep our family going, but it hadn’t been the same. Having a female in an orcish household was what brought joy. It brought light and an energy ofhome.

I glanced over at my tiny mate, a smile crossing my lips as she mumbled and turned the sheet of paper in her hand over to look at the back. Ever since I’d moved in, I’d been filling the rooms with things, trying to recreate this feeling, but all she’d needed to do was step inside and now it felt complete.

It’s finally a home.

“Oh! Tasia,” she said, pointing at one of the witches on the first page. “I grew up with her.”

My eyebrow quirked as I looked down at the picture she was pointing to. It was a blurry picture—with a fuzzy background. It was obvious that it had been taken without the subject’spermission, so I couldn’t see who it was.

“I know that name,” I told her, with a nod, the female’s face popping up in my head. Tasia was the one who’d warned Becca that her coven would have to return Rok to the enchanted tome. She’d also been the one that had offered to try to find a way to bring him back.

But that treacherous coven had taken him in the first place.

“I don’t trust them,” I told her with a shrug. “Youcan’t trust them. I don’t want you approaching them. What if they decide to sell you back to the grand warlock because he’s willing to pay them?”

“Or what if theydon’t?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “I grew up with them. They’re not going to sell me down the river for some money.”

“I disagree,” I told her, relaxing back on the sofa and watching as she tilted a little in my direction. Just like the sofa in Rok and Becca’s apartment. She would sink against me soon enough and I couldn’twaitto feel her against me.

“I’ve looked at their financial records and they’ve been heading on a downward spiral for the last couple of years. They’d been making a good profit before that, but they’re out of money now and they’re treading into dangerous waters. Debt in a coven means that desperation is nearby,” I sighed, shaking my head. “They could see you as a payout. And I can’t let that happen. There’s no way that that warlock is getting anywhere near you again.”

Her shudder of disgust told me she wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, but she still turned to face me, tucking her leg under her, her dress pulling up over her legs and baring her delicate calf to me. I wanted to sink my fangs into it, but I stopped myself—barely.

“If they’re desperate for money, I can help them. My mom was the one who did most of their big spells and expensive potions. Ican do that now. I’ve been learning and—” she cut herself off as I waved a hand in front of her.

“You’restill learning. What if they take advantage of that? I can’t risk it,” I explained, stroking my finger down the side of her cheek, feeling her soft skin under my rough finger. “There’s no way. Nothing is worth that. If they take you—” I cut myself off, unable to continue my sentence.

CHAPTER 8

Zara

My mate is stubborn.

I ignored the voice inside that was teasing me for calling Rudgar my mate while I also accepted the fact thatIwas the most stubborn female on Earth. The thing was, I wasn’t illogical. I understood that I was a walking disaster who ran before she thought things through.

I also knew that Rudgar was the exact opposite. He appeared to be the kind of male who put a lot of thought and planning into everything he did. With that in mind, I knew that I could rely on him to help me figure out a way to execute my plan.

I just needed to dangle the bait. I smothered the evil grin that wanted to make its way across my lips, pouting instead. His pupils dilated as his eyes locked onto my outthrust lower lip.

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