Page 25 of Bound to the Orc King

“I repressed the memory.” She tosses her mane. “It was too painful.”

“Water hurts you?” I ask, worried for her.

“Not water.” She stomps and brandishes her horn. “Them.”

“Come play,” high voices call out as translucent shapes rise from the water. Flowing locks of water hair pour down humanoid torsos, covering them like clothes. Ethereal faces watch us with expectant eyes, and clear arms reach water foam fingers toward us. “Come play with us!”

“People made of water!” I gasp.

“Water nymphs,” Aldronn says.

“Pests,” Starfall grumps.

“They hurt you?” I ask.

“Worse.” She stomps again. “Theytickleme.”

She says it with such dripping vitriol that I laugh. The unicorn turns her head to spear me with an irritated blue eye, and I can’t help it—I laugh even harder.

Aldronn says, “Sooner done, sooner over.”

“Easy for you to say.” She tosses her head. “You’re not the one they tickle.”

“They can tickle me,” I offer. “I don’t mind it.”

“You can swim across that?” Aldronn asks.

I eye the rushing river. He’s got a point. This won’t be an easy swim in a calm pond, like the one by the waterfall back home. But I’m no quitter. If I can help Starfall with something she clearly finds distasteful, I’ll do it. “I can try.”

“No.” Aldronn’s voice rings with command.

God, I hate being told what to do. I glare over my shoulder. “You’re not the boss of me.”

“I am your king.”

“Not an orc.” I hook a thumb toward my face. “You’re not my king.”

His mouth thins into a straight line, his dark eyes snapping. “Whether you respect my authority as a royal or not, I’m still your mate and your husband, and it’s my duty to keep you safe.”

“But—”

“So I suggest a compromise,” he says, cutting off my protest.

I lift an eyebrow. “Do you even know the meaning of the word?”

He ignores my comment and says, “You can distract the water nymphs all you want, but you must do it from unicorn-back.”

I eye the fast-flowing water again. I’m stubborn, not stupid. “Okay.”

He gives a surprised grunt.

With a hand on his shoulder, I clamber up until I crouch sideways on the saddle. Then I grip his thigh and lower onto my stomach until I’m spread across his lap, my legs hanging off one side, my upper body the other.

It’s not until his hand reaches across my lower back to anchor my hip that I realize this position makes my butt stick up toward him. I grin. Mr. Bossy Pants is going to get a real eyeful. I’ve got a good butt.

I bend my knees to lift my feet high and stretch out my arms. “Ready!”

Starfall gives me one last assessing look, then starts forward.

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