Page 11 of Her Orc Protector

The tension broke. Conversations resumed, though quieter now, more careful. I could feel eyes on us still, but the immediate shock had passed. I picked at my food, suddenly not hungry, though the stew was as good as always—rich and warming, thick with root vegetables and wild herbs. Ellie slept on in her sling, oblivious to the chaos I'd created around us.

Uldrek ate steadily, methodically. His eyes occasionally met mine across the table, unreadable and calm. I had to remind myself that I barely knew him—this man I'd claimed as mine in the middle of a crowded market. This stranger who now held my safety in his hands.

When the meal was finished and the bowls cleared away, I knew we couldn't avoid the conversation any longer. Ellie wasstarting to stir against my chest, making those small sounds that meant she'd be fully awake soon, hungry and demanding.

"I need some air," I said, standing abruptly. I glanced at Uldrek, hoping he'd understand. "Would you join me?"

He nodded once and rose, following me toward the back door. I felt the weight of stares as we left—Gruha's assessing gaze, Leilan's concern, Dora's naked curiosity. The heavy wooden door closed behind us with a solid thunk, shutting out the warmth and whispers of the house.

The backyard was little more than a small, overgrown garden patch enclosed by a low stone wall. A single lantern hung by the door, casting long shadows across herbs gone to seed and the gnarled branches of an apple tree that had seen better summers. The air was sharp with the coming frost, our breath rising in small clouds between us.

Uldrek broke the silence first, his voice casual, almost wry.

"So. Do I get a thank-you or a formal apology for being conscripted into fake monogamy?"

"You were just... there," I said lamely.

"I do that." His mouth quirked. "Lurk. Loom. Heroically glower."

Despite everything, I felt the ghost of a smile touch my lips. "Not many heroes these days."

"No," he agreed, his voice softening. "Just people trying to start over."

The simple truth of it stole my breath for a moment. I looked down at Ellie, still drowsing against my chest. Her dark lashes fanned against her cheeks, and one tiny fist curled near her mouth.

"The man who approached me..." I began, unsure how much to reveal. How much was safe. "He works for the Order of Renewal. They... believe in traditional values. The old ways."

"I know what the Order is," Uldrek said. "Religious zealots with political ambitions. They think orcs, elves, and anyone who isn't human should return to their own lands. That magic should be controlled by those who were 'born worthy.'" His mouth twisted around the last two words.

I nodded slowly. "My former husband is one of them. High-ranking now. The tracker was sent to bring us back."

"Your name isn't really Fairbairn."

It wasn't a question. I shook my head anyway.

"It's Duskryn. Isolde Duskryn." The name felt strange on my tongue after months of silence. "But I filed my entry papers as Issy Fairbairn, my maiden name. The Hearth Office allows it—veiled filing, they call it. For... safety."

"And the baby?"

"Ellie." I brushed a finger across her soft cheek. "Short for Elanor. She's... she's the reason I had to leave. Once I understood what he was capable of—" I stopped, swallowing hard. "I couldn't stay."

Uldrek's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes darkened. "What kind of man hunts his own wife and child across a kingdom?"

"The kind who believes in legacy above all else." I kept my voice steady, though the words tasted like ash. "The kind who sees his wife as a prized possession and his daughter as nothing but a bloodline to continue his work."

Ellie stirred against me, making a small sound of protest. I shifted her slightly, rubbing her back in slow circles until she settled again.

"I thought claiming you might be the only way to stop things from escalating," I continued. "Everwood law recognizes natural bonds—orc claiming rites, elven heart-oaths—as superseding old contracts. Even marriage vows."

Uldrek watched me for a long moment, his face unreadable in the dim light. "You know a lot about Everwood law for someone who just arrived."

"I do my research," I said. No point explaining how many nights I’d spent memorizing legal statutes, reading scrolls, and mapping escape routes while Gavriel slept beside me. "But I never meant to drag you into this. I can fix it. Tomorrow, I'll go to the council and explain that it was a mistake—"

"And tell them what?" he interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "That you panicked and pretended to be mated to the most visibly armed man in Everwood?"

I lifted my chin slightly. "Yes. If that's what it takes."

Uldrek's eyes held mine, steady and serious now. "People saw. And the man who grabbed you—he's not going to let this go. He'll dig. And I don't think you have much left to hide behind."

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