Page 16 of Bound to the Orc King

“We’ll camp here,” Aldronn says.

“I can continue.” Starfall doesn’t slow her pace, carrying us into the center of the meadow.

“You haven’t eaten well for days.” Aldronn’s tone rings with command. “And I need to hunt.”

“There isn’t any water.”

Yet as soon as the unicorn says it, her quick gallop brings us to the other side of the meadow, the tall grass parting to show a creek running along the border. She comes to an abrupt halt, and I sway too far forward. Only Aldronn’s hand on my stomach keeps me upright.

“You were saying?” he says with dry amusement.

“Fine.” The unicorn stomps the ground. “We’ll camp here.”

Aldronn slips from her back, then reaches up for me.

I groan as he pulls me from the saddle, my butt and thighs sore. I walk a lot when I travel, but the muscles used are different than riding.

“Are you all right?” His dark eyes bore into me, his hands gripping my shoulders. He stands easily, exuding power and strength, looking as if riding for hours means nothing to him. My gaze flicks down to where the leather clings to his muscular thighs.

No way in hell I’m admitting I’m sore to this god-like guy. I lift my chin. “I’m fine.”

He gives me one last look, so piercing I fight the urge to squirm—it feels like he can see right through me. Then he nods and releases my shoulders.

Starfall finishes drinking and starts eating, ripping up huge mouthfuls of grass and grinding them quickly between her jaws before going back for more. Aldronn was right—she clearly needs to eat.

A small smile curls my lips as he removes the saddlebags and saddle from her back and strokes soothing hands over where the tack rested. He might be bossy and grumpy, but he also really cares about others.

“Come.” He hoists the saddle onto one shoulder with effortless strength, even though both fully packed saddlebags still dangle from it. “We’ll make camp over here.”

He turns ninety degrees from the direction we were headed and strides toward one of the long sides of the meadow.

The grass swishes against my legs as I follow, and birds begin to sing, no longer disturbed by Starfall’s passage. Combined with the soft babble of the brook, it’s like one of those relaxing nature soundscapes you can get from an app. But it’s real.

He stops near the tree line, the light already lower among the pines.

“Why are we so far from the creek?” I ask.

“Two reasons.” He pulls a tent from one of the saddlebags and sets it up with the kind of smooth proficiency I wouldn’t expect from a king. Doesn’t he have servants who do everything for him?

“First, the ground near the creek might be wetter than it seems, and even though the tent is bespelled to be waterproof, there’s no point in packing it away wet tomorrow.” He opens another saddlebag, pulls out glossy, dark-brown furs, and spreads them across the tent floor. “Second, creeks attract animals, which in turn attract predators. There’s no sense inviting trouble if we don’t have to.”

“Gotcha.” Good to know. I might backpack around the world, but I rarely camp out in nature. I’m more of a “thank god there’s a shower and a bed” kind of girl.

Ugh. Shower. Why did I have to think about that? Now my skin itches all over. I can’t help it and give a full-body squirm.

“What is it?” Those sharp eyes of his sure don’t miss a thing. When I explain, he hands me a bright-white square of fabric. “This is a cleaning cloth. It’s imbued with magic. Use it, and when you wet it, it will become clean and ready to use again.”

“Over and over?” I take it from him, my eyes going wide.

“Over and over,” he repeats. “You can use it on your hair and clothes, too.”

“Yes!” I trot back toward the creek, my new favorite thing in hand. A moan of delight slips from my lips as I drag the cloth over my face, magic tingling across my skin.

Aldronn makes a strangled sound behind me, then stalks past without even glancing at me. “I will return with dinner.”

What’s gotten into him?

I stare for a few seconds until he disappears into the trees, then shrug and pull my T-shirt over my head.

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