Page 39 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
“And if she doesn't? I have a mate even if she will never be my mate. I don't want to have a picnic lunch with anyone else.”
Gracie set her phone on the table. “Leave that to me.”
“Alright.”
I left not long after that, guiding my sorhox back to town and leaving him to meander to the outer plain to graze.
Holly cried out in terror from inside the bakery.
I grabbed the sword I kept in a cabinet outside the bakery and stormed inside to save her.
Chapter 12
Holly
With Sel snarling and threatening the men with a sword, the men took off, bolting through the back door of the bakery. Bellowing, Sel followed them. I rushed to the window and watched him give chase, brandishing his sword. It felt good to see him defending me.
And bad because I couldn't defend myself. I'd fallen apart. All the strength I thought I'd built over the past years had collapsed with one mean nudge.
On shaky legs, I walked over to the cooking island and stood there, trembling. I couldn't think of any other place to go. My mind was stunned by what happened, and my teeth kept chattering. The buzzing in my ears hadn’t stopped. My legs wobbled beneath me, but I couldn’t make myself sit.
Sel stepped back inside without his sword, his strength filling the room. Tension filled his face. He looked around, his gaze catching on me.
“Holly,” he said gently. He didn’t rush. Just took slow, quiet steps toward me like someone approaching a baby bird who’dfallen from its nest. I hadn’t noticed my tears until now, but they burned behind my eyes, stubborn and hot.
Sel stopped in front of me and leaned down a little, trying to catch my eyes. He held out his arms. “May I?”
I nodded once, barely, and he pulled me against him.
The warmth. The stillness of him. I hadn't realized how much I needed something like this. My body felt like paper disintegrating in the rain.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his chest. “I know they were awful, but I hate this…I hate needing help. I hate how small I felt. I wish… I wish I could’ve fixed this on my own.”
He rubbed up and down my back. “This wasn’t your fault. They shouldn’t have touched you. They shouldn’t have made you feel threatened. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
His soft voice made everything inside me ache.
I stood there in his embrace for a long time, telling myself I shouldn't need this. Yet I did. Finally, I pulled back enough to look at the front of his shirt. I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I should get back to work.”
Sel didn’t stop me, just nodded. He studied my face and scanned my frame. I hoped he wouldn't look too closely because I didn't want him to see…Well, I also hated how close I'd been to falling apart.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone.
“I’m calling Dungar,” he said. “He's the local law enforcement. Town sheriff. It's mostly an honorary title, but he's been granted permission to make sure everyone abides by the rules. Our treaty states we can enforce our laws on our own territory, and this place is ours. Yours now, too. No one's going to come near you again.”
I watched while he spoke.
“Two intoxicated men came into the kitchen,” he said in a no-nonsense tone when his brother had picked up. “Past wherecustomers are allowed. They threatened Holly. I chased them off. Warned them. They’re gone for now.”
He was right. They might return.
Or would they? Few were willing to take on someone brandishing a sword, especially someone who appeared to know how to use it.
He hung up and looked back at me. “Dungar will handle it. They’ll be escorted out of town and banned from returning.” His gaze met mine. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
I shook my head and tried to give him a smile, but it felt wrong. It didn’t fit my face right, and I hated that I wasn't sure my smile ever would.
“I'll get back to work. It’ll be a good distraction.” Returning to the counter felt like walking through fog. The dough in front of me looked unfamiliar. One shape. Then another. But my hands didn’t work any better than my face.
