Page 116 of Orc's Possession
Ossa presses me back to the furs. “You, rest.” She turns to Atox who’s standing there looking confused. Distant, even.
“I’m sorry,” I say and start crying unexpectedly. Pregnancy hormones maybe, but this feels like more. “I didn’t mean all those things I said in Pen’Kesh. I didn’t want to leave you, but I had no choice.”
Atox literally picks Ossa up, pivots, and sets her down several feet away from the bed so no one stands between us. “Explain.”
“I told Camila I was pregnant even though I never planned to tell anyone before I had a chance to speak with you. Our father overheard our conversation. He held a knife against my belly and told me if I didn’t say and do as he instructed, he’d kill our baby, Atox. I couldn’t risk that. Please forgive me.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong, female. Do not lower yourself by begging for forgiveness.” He runs a hand down my cheek, even though his expression remains hard.
“You’re mad. That’s fine. I can work with mad,” I sputter like a fool. Then the tears return. I’m a mess, with so many emotions flooding me all at once. “I thought you were dead!” I trylaunching myself off the bed and into his arms but lose my balance.
Strong arms catch me and keep me from face-planting on the floor. My orc wraps his arms around me, enveloping me like a blanket.
When a whimper escapes me, his lips cover mine. The kiss is slow, passionate, and heals that which broke inside me the day I thought I witnessed his death. “I didn’t know you were alive,” I say, barely above a whisper.
A tusk brushes the outer shell of my ear. “Sojek helped me return here where Ossa healed my injuries. Every morning, I woke up and thought of nothing more than storming into the human colony and taking you back. But I thought you left me there to die because you no longer wanted me. That you’d finally chosen your people over me. A proper grak would have taken you back, no matter what, but I’d promised not to hurt you… and stealing you from your people, your family… that would have hurt you.”
“They forced me to go with them. I never wanted to leave you, even when I thought you were dead.”
“You mated a fool, Paloma.”
I take his face in my hands. “Don’t you dare say or even think that. You did what you thought was best for me. I love you all the more because of it.”
“Without you, I was dead, in here,” his fist pounds his chest. “Nothing could mend my heart. Only you. I love you, my little warrior, and I’ll never let anything separate us again.”
“Promise?” More tears run down my cheek.
Those striking green eyes of his answer me before he speaks. “I promise, female. You are mine!” he says with a roar that shakes Mount Racha before settling in my soul.
My tears disappear. I have my Atox once again, and this isn’t a dream. It’sreal.
I’ve found my Prince Charming. He isn’t a prince. Or charming.Doesn’t smile much, but he accepts me, admires me, believes in me,wantsme for me, and will fight for me—and our child—until the end of time. And if that isn’t love, I don’t care, because there’s nothing better in the universe than my orc… And he’s mine!
ATOX IM GRAK
“Everyone out,”I order. “I have a female to take care of.”
“I’m taking care of her just fine,” Ossa says, the snip in her voice making it clear she believes I’m calling her talents as a healer into question.
I lift my sister up and carry her out. She harrumphs and walks down the tunnels, but I know she understands. The others in the room, my niece and another female who often helps Ossa with healing, follow her.
“Atox?” Paloma calls from inside. “What’s wrong?”
I enter our chamber, shutting the door behind me. “I haven’t had you to myself for over a month. Ossa says your spirit and body are injured by your time away from me. I mean to correct that.” I pull the furs off her to discover she is already naked. Despite my hard cock, I won’t take her until she’s fully healed.
“Why are you frowning?” she asks.
“You’ve lost weight.”
“The benefit of not eating. Don’t you like me slimmer?”
“You are my graka, my queen, and I would worship you at any weight. But I do not like that you were starved.”
“They didn’t starve me. Not exactly. I didn’t trust the food. They wanted to get rid of our baby and I thought they might drug my food to do it. My sisters snuck me fruit and some meat when they could.”
I run my hands over her breasts and hips, learning the changesin her body. She’s still beautiful, and I realize my attraction extends beyond her lush curves and the softness of her skin. It’s the sparkle in her eyes and the fire in her spirit which awakened my soul all those months ago.
She moans as my hand curves over her mound. I’m tempted to slide a finger inside her.
