Page 8 of Orc's Mate

“I’m sorry I’m slowing us down,” I said, my teeth chattering. “We’re going . . . somewhere, and I assume my pace is keeping us from getting there in a timely manner.”

“Never fear, little one.” He swept me up in his arms, and his strides ate up the cliks. Would he carry me all through the night? It seemed so, because he kept going, his steps even and his lungs unlabored.

His warmth enfolded me. Surely it was wrong of me to snuggle into his chest and let myself doze.

I’d worked hard for twelve hours making fine stitching.

I’d gotten up at dawn to make Zur’s breakfast—

Zur!my heart cried. I kept picturing him lying dead in his own blood. The sneer on Birgid’s face. Me being accused of murdering him when Birgid was the one who’d wielded the blade.

I fell asleep, and nightmares took over. Only someone’s soft murmurs soothed me.

I woke when Odik leaped up onto something and settled me in his lap, his arms remaining protectively around me.

Looking down at what I now rode on, my eyes widened.

The enormous, green scaled beast we sat on leaped toward the sky, its long wings snapping out to catch the wind.

Chapter6

Odik

“I’m flying,” Eleri cried out. “I’m flying!” Her arms lifted, and she tipped her head back against my chest. “I can’t believe it. I haven’t run since I was three but now I. Am. Flying!”

“You’re not afraid,” I shouted over the wind buffeting around us.

“Should I be?” She peered over her shoulder at me, and I swore I read mischief in her eyes. “You jumped up onto this thing and—”

“Vox.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We’re riding on a vox.”

“And a lovely vox it is. Green scales. Who would’ve thought?”

“His name’s Zarran.” I wasn’t sure what to make of my mate. She’d initially come along with me willingly, something I’d heard wasn’t common. The other human females fought their mates at first. It took time and patience to show them they didn’t need to be afraid.

Then she shared a bit of her past and fear seemed to consume her. She slept in my arms in a trusting way, but her sharp cries told me she had nightmares.

What kind of life had she led?

Now my mate was acting like she was on an adventure.

“Can I pet your vox later?” she asked.

“You’re not afraid he’ll bite your head off?”

Laughter bubbled in her voice. “Will he?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why ask if I’m afraid of him hurting me? Obviously he won’t or we wouldn’t be riding him. You know him well enough to give him a name.”

“I, yes, I do. I bonded with him from the moment he slipped from the seed. I worked hard with him, teaching him foot commands. He’s a loyal, friendly vox.”

She leaned back against me. “See? I knew I had nothing to be fearful of.”

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