Page 50 of Orc's Claim
“With your people, perhaps. But not with mine. Until your grak gives me permission to enter your colony, I still have to live in New Earth. And we don’t know what this treaty will say, or when they’ll sign it, if ever. As long as I’m living in New Earth, my people can still auction me off to a man in my colony.”
He kisses the back of my neck. “I will talk with my grak tonight.”
Even if I’m pregnant, no one will know for a few months, I remind myself. We have time. Plenty of time for Ryko and his grak to work out the details.
What if his grak says no? Or there’s some delay and my people find out? Then what? Would the orc king demand my people hand me over? Would they go to war if Council refuses?
No. I’m not worth anything to anyone. Except Ryko.
Ryko’s head rests against mine as his hands caress my arms in a soothing rhythm. “Breathe, Lily. All will be well.”
His strong arm hooks around my chest, allowing me to restmy head on his forearm, and reminding me I’m no longer alone. I start to calm.
One problem at a time,I repeat the old saying.It’s working, until I think of all the risks Ryko has been taking and how his grak could kill him in an instant for disobeying him.
At the thought of losing him, my knees wobble. Ryko catches me and keeps my upper torso from falling forward and cracking my head on the boulder.
“Vekk, I was too hard on you,” he swears, the pain in his voice hurting me more than any weapon could.
“You were perfect,” I say because I won’t have him blaming himself for any part of this situation. “I’m panicking because we didn’t think everything through. How do I leave my people without causing a war?”Without getting you killed, my sweet orc?
His lips press against the back of my neck and waits for me to calm, which I start to do immediately. He just has that effect on me.
“You simply leave your people, my mate. The next time they bring you to Pen’Kesh, will be your last day with them. You will meet me on one of your breaks, and I will take you away with me. My grak will decide what is to be done after that. He will avoid a war.”
Right. He needs women.
“No matter what happens, my mate, you are mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to mate. Mine to protect.”
My mate. I’m his. I’m really his now.
“What if?—”
“Shh, Lily. It is done. We are mated. There is nothing to be done now but enjoy one another while we wait for the knot to release.” He plants another kiss, this one along my spine. The male knows not only how to distract me, but how to calm me. I’m like putty in his hands.
“How long does the knot take to release?” I ask as I close my eyes and enjoy how his tongue licks a line up to the ticklish spotbehind my ear. I giggle and squeeze my shoulder tight to push him away, but he’s relentless, nibbling on my ear.
“I do not know. I’ve never knotted a female,” he finally answers. “We will enjoy one another until then.”
He nuzzles the back of my neck again. I must admit, staying locked to him has its benefits, especially as his hands play with my breasts.
I rise off the boulder as far as I can, rubbing my back against the hard planes of his chest. “Just hold me,” I say.
“Always.” He kisses my neck, as his hands play with my nipples, arousing me all over again.
“Why do I sense you’re not done with me?” I ask playfully, arching into his hands.
“Apev a tuni vorith?” a male voice booms from outside the cave.
Ryko’s hand immediately covers my mouth, to keep me from gasping.
“Suuda. Bekk cani,” a second male says.
I don’t know which species, only that they’re not human.
“Tagiriv fi besa adenden,” a third says. “Rith rith, tok?”
Three males. And it sounds like they’re at the entrance. They’re going to come inside!
