Page 24 of Bound to the Orc King

“Those are all very good subjects.” My arm tightens around her. “They sound perfect for a queen.”

“You really think so?” My moon bound’s voice goes soft with hope.

Has no one believed in her before? How can that be possible? She’s so vibrant and intelligent.

“I really do,” I say. “They’re all subjects about understanding and relating to people.”

“I was at one of those universities that doesn’t make you choose a major right away. I got to take whatever classes I wanted my first two years.” She throws a hand wide. “I loved it! I’ve never admitted that to anyone, but I really did.”

May’s quiet for a bit, so I make my voice soft. “What happened?”

“The university makes you declare your major at the end of your second year so that all the classes you take from then onare only in that one subject.” She shrugs, and the next words come out of her in a rush. “I couldn’t choose. I couldn’t find a way to squish myself down into one of the boxes they wanted me to fit into. My father accused me of dropping out because I couldn’t handle the workload, even though all of my grades had been good up until then. It made me so mad that I let him and everyone else think he was right.”

“He wasn’t. I might not have known you for long, but I know this: You’ve got a fighting spirit. You wouldn’t give up on something just because it’s difficult.” I chuckle. “If anything, that would only make you fight harder.”

May sucks in a breath, and her body goes still in my arms.

“No one’s ever really believed in me before. Not like this.”

“I’m sorry for that,” I say.

“What?” She jerks so violently she almost falls off Starfall. Only my hold keeps May in place. She twists to look at me. “You’re sorry for what?”

I frown. “That no one believed in you before me.”

“Fucking hell.” She clutches the sides of her head. “I didn’t say that out loud.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Starfall says.

“So it’s just me.” I grin at May. “I get to read your mind, too.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

May

When Aldronn says he believes in me, it melts my heart.

Even my best friends were quick to assume I’d dropped out of college because I couldn’t hack it. To be fair to them, thatiswhat I told them. I’d stormed onto Main Street after talking to Dad. Hannah bought three pints of our favorite flavors from the ice cream shop, and we sat on the velvet couches in Naomi’s bookstore and ate and talked. They let me rant against my father for as long as I needed, and then they told me of course I could do whatever I wanted with my life.

But they hadn’t really understood how hard it was to not knowwhatI wanted to do, because they’d both picked their career paths back in high school. Sure, Naomi had taken a bit of a detour, running the family shop while completing her English degree online, but the English major was still her goal. Hannah had no such impediments and was barreling throughher political science degree like an Olympic athlete going for gold.

By the time I finished complaining about Dad, I’d been too emotionally drained to try to explain what really happened, so I shoveled down my Rocky Road and let them hug and comfort me.

It hadn’t been fair to them.

It hadn’t been fair tome.

I’m glad I finally told someone the full story. I’m also amazed at how readily Aldronn believes me.

Then my stupid erratic magic had to go and ruin the moment, opening me up to him more than I meant to. Is he going to hear all my thoughts now? Argh! Who could ever want that?

Him, it seems, if his smirk is anything to go by.

A squirrel chitters overhead as we break through a couple of pines and out onto the bank of a river. Water rushes past, foaming where it hits rounded rocks that rise above the surface like miniature islands.

“Not this again,” Starfall says with disgust, coming to an abrupt halt.

“What did you expect?” Aldronn teases. “We crossed it on our way north, so of course we must cross it on the way back.”

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