Page 28 of Claimed By the Orc Emperor

“Are you okay?” I ask. “Did I hurt you?”

He nods and sits up to look down at me. “I’m okay. I’ll be sore in the morning, but I’m fine. Hell, I might not be able to walk out of here. Holy fuck, Axum. I can’t believe I took all of you. My dildo is smaller than you and I could never fit the whole thing inside me. That pleasure oil is a life saver.”

I chuckle and kiss him again.

Grinning, I pull him into my arms, holding him to my chest. “I will clean you in the stream. Then we must go back before it gets dark.” Rainn nods against my chest.

I walk us into the stream, wishing there was more than water to wash him with. The stream is cold, but it feels good over our heated flesh.

Once we are clean of fluids, I help Rainn from the water, using the blanket as a towel.

After stuffing our refuse and the blanket in Rainn’s bag, I turn my back to him and get down on one knee. “Climb on,” I say. “I do not want you to trip as you did earlier, since it is getting dark, and you might be sore from how you rode me like I was a Rhinoppek.”

Rainn laughs lightly as he climbs onto my back. His small hands tighten around my neck and a soft kiss lands behind my ear, making me shiver. “Thank you for today, Axum. It’s the best day I’ve ever had. You’re amazing.”

“No, my sweet Rainn. That is you.”

I am cautious as I navigate us out of the woods, careful not to hit any trees or brush up against any trunks. When we get out of the woods, I pick up my pace, striding back towards the gully.

“Am I heavy?” Rainn asks.

A loud laugh bursts from my chest. “You are light as a feather, my sweet Rainn.”

“If I get heavy, let me know.” He kisses behind my ear once more.

After around thirty minutes, Rainn lays his head against my shoulder. “I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight,” he says softly.

“And I will hold you all night,” I say, giving his legs a squeeze and turning my head for a quick kiss.

He sighs and kisses me back with more emotion that I’m used to. “I’d love that.”

ChapterTen

Axum

“It is not a long ride,Your Grace. We will be back in just a few hours,” Olog says. “You have left guards to watch over Rainn. He will be safe.”

I know he is right, as I assigned my best guards to keep an eye on my mate. But I hate being away from him. It is like I cannot draw in enough breath if we are not together.

It has only been a few weeks, but Rainn has become an integral part of my life. Waking up with him and seeing his beautiful face, and going to sleep with him, his warm weight on my chest, are the highlights of my day. And when he decides to show up to surprise me while I am working? It makes my heart flutter.

While I did not want to leave Rainn behind while I visited another city in my kingdom, I did not think he would have enjoyed sitting through several hours of listening to subject grievances.

Every quarter, I travel to different parts of the kingdom, speaking with those who are unable to travel all the way to Daz Vrokrad when they would like an audience. My sire refused to do that, saying if one of his subjects had an important enough issue, they would find a way to bring it before him.

Rainn says I will not be able to please everyone, but as long as I am trying to rule justly, I should not fret. I really love when he gives me what he calls his ‘pep talks’ after a particularly long day. I cannot wait to get back home so he can give me another.

I do not mind traveling to see my subjects, but it still feels like it is not enough. I am not sure what else I can do, but I cannot shake the feeling that my rule is inadequate, much like my father’s. It is not a prospect I enjoy thinking about.

We arrived at Addugrug less than an hour later, the Rhipponek making quick work of pulling our carriage.

As I thought, granting an audience to my subjects in the small, almost isolated town was not a lively affair. There were many land and pay disputes I had to rule on. Not all parties left the meeting happy, but no one could accuse me of not being fair. I made no rash decisions and I consulted with both Larek and Olog before I came to a final edict. One of my father’s many failures was not listening to those around him and I value Olog and Larek’s opinions, as they have as much knowledge as I do about the laws of the kingdom. To disregard their counsel would be the greatest of follies.

By the time we see the last subject, I am exhausted, hungry, and ready to get home to Rainn. He has been on my mind the entire time I have been in Addugrug and now that we are finished, I wish I had brought him with me. No doubt he would not have enjoyed sitting and listening to my subjects complain about elements of my kingdom he did not understand, but his very presence would have calmed me.

I resolve to bring him with me next quarter. I want him by my side. It does not matter that I have not claimed him yet—he is mine and I will keep him for as long as we are breathing. I will not leave him behind again.

Not only do I want him to learn how to conduct himself in a meeting of this caliber—in the event that he will have to attend in my stead on occasion—I would like to show Rainn more of my kingdom. I think he would enjoy that.

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