Page 15 of Orc's Mate

“I don’t believe you can.” I couldn’t tell how I knew this already, but something was growing between us, something precious I wanted to treasure.

Could I be falling in love already?

That would be a mistake on my part. Odik was a good person. He’d never knowingly harm me. But like everyone else other than Zur, I doubted he’d find a way to love me. Look what Birgid had done! She’d murdered the only person who cared for me solely to drive me from the village.

I was too damaged for anyone to care for.

Odik finished with my right leg and went around to the other side to work on my left. Each stroke of his fingers sent tingles across my skin. I liked it when he touched me.

Too much.

As he worked on the tightness in my thighs, heat spiraled inside me. I wasn’t sure how to interpret the feeling, but I sensed it was lust. His fingers felt good; it was natural for me to think of him placing them in more intimate areas.

Wetness pooled between my legs, and I shifted on the ground, suddenly wanting more.

He lifted his head as if he was scenting the air before his golden gaze pinned me in place. After easing my legs off his lap, he put an arm’s length between us. “We need to sleep now.”

“Alright.” I felt limpid yet excited at the same time, though I didn’t know why I was excited.

“Lay by the fire,” he said curtly. “I’ll patrol the area and will wake you at dusk.”

I didn’t know why he was irritated with me, but I wasn’t going to ask. With a nod, I curled up near the fire.

Sleep did not come quickly.

Chapter10

Eleri

Odik woke me as the sun was starting to set.

“We ride,” was all he said as he helped me rise to my feet.

When my legs nearly gave way, he swept me up in his arms and carried me with quick strides over to Zarran. One leap, and we were both mounted on the vox’s spine. A nudge of his heels, and the beast took flight, soaring over the forest toward our destination.

We flew through the night.

“Tell me more about the island you call home,” I asked. “You said the surface is well above the water?”

“Steep cliffs surround the upper surface with no easy access for dresalods.”

“You mentioned them before. What are they?”

“A sea creature as fierce as the shaydes,” he said grimly.

He guided Zarran to the right to avoid a large flock of birds. Some spied the vox and squawked, diving toward the forest with the rest flapping furiously behind. They disappeared into the vegetation.

“Dresalods live deep below the sea. They’re as big as orcs and have spikes on each of their six limbs, plus large claws on the front of their hard exoskeleton. They use those to climb and battle.”

“They sound fearsome,” I said with a shiver, unable to imagine a beast such as this.

“The cliffs deter them, though they do occasionally attack. They savor our flesh.”

My shivers turned to full-on trembles.

Odik’s arms tightened around me. “I’ll protect you from them.”

But what would protect him from them?

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