Page 12 of Orc's Mate

“I feel like they’re permanently bowed wide,” I said with a low laugh. My thighs spasmed, and my bad leg ached, though that wasn’t anything new.

“I’ll massage your legs later if you want.” His voice came out deep and husky, and there was no missing the appreciative gaze he slid down my body. It made my skin flame and that secret place between my legs throb. No one had touched me there other than myself.

What would it be like to feel Odik’s hand there? Would he know what to do or would he just rut when I told him it was alright for him to do so?

No, he’d just offered to massage my legs. If he didn’t want to touch me in general, he wouldn’t have made the suggestion.

“That would be nice of you,” I said, striving to sound neutral and not needy. I wasn’t a tiny, pet chall in desperate need of petting.

He gave me a curt nod. “Let me set up our camp, and then I’ll do this for you.”

I peered around at the surrounding forest, sucking in the cool air drifting out from the shadowy recesses. He’d told me the Malis Clan lived here, though I didn’t see any sign of people. The forest was huge, however, and they could live in a different section.

How could a clan live where the shaydes hunted?

My skin peppered over with gooseflesh at the thought of never having a safe place to hide. The fortress walls penned us inside as much as they gave us protection, but at least there, I could sleep at night without worrying about an attack.

An attack from the shaydes, that is.

Birgid was just as vicious. Would I ever find vengeance for what she’d done? Perhaps one day, I’d make it happen.

“I’ll build a fire,” Odik said. “That’ll keep the ashenclaws and shaydes away, though both usually hunt only at night.”

“We’re fortunate that we can fly above them.”

“Indeed.” As Odik strode over to the woods and collected downed branches, I hobbled after him, my legs twitching and my spine on fire with pain. How could orcs ride voxes without being as sore as me? Practice, most likely.

I collected sticks for kindling, bringing an armload over to where he carved out a small pit with the thick blade on the end of his staff. He’d carried that in a sheath on his back, and like with riding voxes, I bet that also took practice. Otherwise, he’d slice off someone’s head if he turned too quickly. Or poke his own shoulder while sheathing it.

He crouched by the pit and carefully stacked the twigs I’d collected, adding thicker ones, then heavy branches. With a tindering stick, he soon had a merry blaze going. The day would warm up and it might be hot near the fire but knowing it would keep creatures away made me savor the heat.

“Sit.” He removed a bundle wrapped in waxed cloth from a pouch and unwrapped it while I carefully lowered myself to the ground next to him.

It was heaven to stretch out my legs and wiggle my toes I’d stuffed into my shoes.

He broke a lump of seeds, nuts, and dried berries and handed me one of the pieces. “It’s not much, but it’ll satisfy your belly.”

“Thank you.” I took a big bite, savoring the mildly sweet flavors competing with the salty seeds.

He tugged a water flask from the pouch and offered it to me as well. It also held a hint of saltiness, but it went down as easily as the meal. Hunger gave me an incredible appetite.

“Will I meet other human women?” I asked as we continued eating. I shifted my legs, struggling to find a position where they wouldn’t ache. No real chance of that.

“Eventually.”

“What does that mean?”

“As I said, the Zephyr Clan lives far out to sea. You’ll be the first human woman to live there.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing it.” I struggled to keep the wistful tone out of my voice. I couldn’t pin all my secret hopes for a home and family on Odik. He may never do more than tolerate my presence. The idea of anyone loving me outside of Zur was a strange concept.

Odik would plant orclings within my body once I told him I was ready. I could only hope he treated me kindly.

Funny how I could almost picture him looking at me with more than kindness.

Was I foolish to hope for his love?

Chapter8

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