Page 68 of Orc's Pretend Mate

Vapas looks over his shoulder. He’s nervous. What I’ve asked him to do goes against every instinct in his warriors body, but it’s the best way to make sure no one gets hurt. I nod, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He grunts then lowers himself to his knees, placing both his hands behind his head. I step in front of him, partly so he won’t see how nervous I am. I know this will work, but that doesn’t mean things don’t go wrong.

The voices come closer. When I estimate that they’re just around the next corner, I call out.

“Hey,” I say. “I’m Phoebe, I have an Urr’ki with me. Don’t hurt us.”

The voices stop instantly. I hear them approach but they’re much quieter now than they were. The gleaming blade of a lochaber appears around the corner before its wielder does.

The Zmaj is huge, like all of them are. His horns are thick and dangerous looking as is the glare on his face as he steps around the corner. His wings are partially open, making it look like he fully fills the cavern passage. Another dangerous sign is that his tail is curled up and over his head, ready to strike.

“Who?” he asks.

“Phoebe,” I say, holding my hands up. Heart thundering, I take another step forward, if only to keep more space between the tip of that curved blade and Vapas. “Human? I was sent by Rosalind to the Urr’ki. I’ve escaped. This is Vapas, he helped me.”

“Step to one side,” he orders, motioning with one hand.

“No, I won’t. You cannot hurt him. See, he is surrendering. He means no harm. He has a message that Rosalind needs to hear. Now. There is no time to waste.”

“The Al’fa will decide what needs to be heard,” the Zmaj spits.

His partner appears around the corner. His lochaber is also drawn but he seems much more relaxed than his partner. He walks up, raising his lochaber as he does, and places a hand on the other one’s shoulder.

“Calm,” he says. “Let her speak.”

I give him a grateful smile. Behind me, Vapas grunts, a barely suppressed growl. The first Zmaj shifts the point of his blade towards Vapas, taking a step forward, but his partner stops him by tightening his grip on his shoulder.

“He threatened us,” he says.

“No. He did not, now let the human speak,” the more rational one says.

The other Zmaj grumbles and is clearly very unhappy at being pushed aside, but he doesn’t say more. The rational Zmaj steps up to me but his gaze remains fixed on Vapas.

“Tell me,” he says.

“Rosalind sent me with some others, I need to get to her,” I say.

“Okay, but he needs to be chained and bound,” he says.

Vapas growls and I hear him rising to his feet. I turn just in time to stop him with a look. He frowns but goes back onto his knees with a nasty glare at the Zmaj.

“He is with me,” I say.

“I do not care,” the Zmaj says. “This truce with the Urr’ki is tentative enough and we just had an incident.”

“An incident?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says, but he’s clearly not going to go into detail about it with me.

“I understand, but he’s a good man. Please.”

The Zmaj shifts his gaze to mine, frowning. I stare into his eyes and don’t see any hint of animosity, but I do see resolve.

“I am sorry little human, but no,” he says, his tail slapping the ground.

He reaches towards me and out of nowhere Vapas barrels past me and into him.

“Don’t touch her,” Vapas growls as he drives his shoulder into the Zmaj’s gut.

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