Page 32 of Orc's Mate

My breath caught. “You expect me to sleep with you.”

“You’re my mate.”

“Very well.”

His frown deepened. “I told you I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. Not until you’re ready.”

Already, my body hummed at the idea of lying beside him. Of touching him.

How long could I hold myself back?

Chapter17

Odik

Someone knocked on the door, and Eleri followed me back to the entryway.

“You’re here. Finally,” Trilden said, bustling inside.

“Yes, finally,” Drabass said, entering behind Trilden.

Trilden, I was happy to see. Drabass could wait outside. However, I was caedos of all those living on the island and that included him.

Trilden gave Eleri a steady look before nodding my way. “I see you found success.”

Drabass grunted, his lips curling up slightly in a sneer.

“This is Eleri, my mate,” I said, my chest expanding with pride. The hunt had been a success—for me. Perhaps the clan fates would choose Trilden for the next hunt? Drabass could remain single for all I cared. Or move to the city. Why did only the most needed males move away?

“Welcome.” Trilden bowed to Eleri. “We have so few females here on the island. And a mate for the caedos! We should arrange for a clan gathering to introduce you, don’t you think, Drabass?” He elbowed Drabass. Like me and Trilden, they’d been friends since they were little. Drabass, however, had never treated me as a friend. It didn’t help that I defeated his father for the role of caedos. Drabass must’ve seen the chance to inherit rule from his father.

Frankly, ruling was a duty, not a gift, though I doubted Drabass would ever see it that way. To him, the position represented power, and he wasn’t wrong in that. But how the power was used was the difference. Drabass might wield it like a sword to force others to behave the way he wanted, while I would persuade and lead with an example I wished others to follow.

“A celebration sounds like an excellent idea.” I braced Trilden’s shoulder. “You saidfinally? Is everything going smoothly here?” As my second, Trilden often stepped in to cover for me when I couldn’t be on the island to handle issues.

His smile faded, and he sighed. “Three more have left.”

My heart went stone cold. “Who this time?”

“Breard, Zainest, and Zainest’s son, Timend.”

“They moved to the city?” That left only twenty-seven of us on the island. At this rate, I’d be caedos of only me, Eleri, and Trilden before the year ended.

“They took jobs there.”

Then they weren’t coming back soon unless I could find a way to entice them, and there was no hope for that. The island lifestyle only worked if there was enough food to sustain us. To grow food, we needed water.

Sometimes, I felt like giving up, but each time my will wavered, I shored up my spine and led my people as my ancestors had done before me. “Perhaps they’ll reconsider.”

Trilden shrugged. “I’d love it if they did.”

But we both knew they wouldn’t.

Drabass nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on Eleri, not me. His expression remained neutral, but I still didn’t like him staring at her.

“Other than that, I’ve been helping the rest prepare for the incoming storm,” Trilden said.

What storm?

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