Page 57 of Claimed By Stone
“I think we’ve done enough work for the day. I want to show you something.”
“Okay,” she said before a small smile tugged at the edge of her mouth, and she looked up at me.
I made a quick note of my discoveries before guiding her out of the war room.
Chapter 24
Seraphina
Iwatched as Thavros put the books away. I had been distracted ever since I heard him say “mate” last night. I wanted that to be true, but I was still so uncertain of what would happen. Yet, as I watched him work, I knew that I wanted that more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
When I’d heard him mutter the word Wolfrick, the face of a kind but intimidating man popped into my head. I remembered riding in a wagon with him. I remembered laughing while he gave me candy, but everything still just came to me in little images and feelings. At least these feelings weren’t agonizing.
But none of that mattered now as Thavros wound me deeper into the mountain.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked with a slight giggle in my voice. “I thought you were taking me outside somewhere.”
He turned to me with a glint in his eye that I had yet to see before, but one that I would love to see every day. I liked this side of him. “I never said I was taking yououtof the mountain.”
His large hand wrapped around mine as he guided me further into the mountain.
“Here we are,” he said as he turned to me.
“Odd, taking me all this way to show me a passageway,” I said as I looked around at the long corridor with nothing but dirt floors, stone walls, and sporadic torches along the way.
A low laugh rumbled from the magnificent orc in front of me. “No, little flame, it is in here.” He motioned to the room just around the corner.
I looked up with questioning eyes, and he gave a little nod, encouraging me forward.
As I turned the corner, the sight before me nearly took my breath away. There before me was a large cavern. The air was warm and humid as steam wafted off the large expanse of natural springs before us. There were orcs in the water bathing and others just relaxing, all completely naked. I could feel the heat creeping up my cheeks. One would think that since I have spent a large portion of my life around orcs, I would be used to their casual attitudes towards bodies, but I was not allowed around them much, and never like this.
“What is this place?” I asked, eyes wide. I’d never seen anything like it in my life.
Then a sound caught my attention. Sighs and grunting, and it sounded like… I turned, and on the far end of the water were two orcs gettingveryclose and personal.
“This is the baths,” he said as he started to shed his outer tunic. “Come,” he said as he led me to a slightly more private part of the room where a large boulder cut off the view of the rest.
Instinctively, I clung to my dress, and his brow furrowed as he cocked his head to the side in confusion. If I weren’t so uncertain, it would have been the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
“Do you not wish to get in?”
“Well…” I did want to get in. All that warm water would feel amazing. “I do, but I’m feeling a little shy.”
“Hmmmm,” he hummed as he let his trousers drop to the ground before walking over and cupping my face. “If you do not wish to enjoy the water, we can leave.”
“No. I don’t want that… I just …”
That was all he needed. He slipped his shift over his head, revealing his hulking naked form, and just the sight of him had me throbbing with need.
“Come,” he said as he helped me out of my gown until I was standing there in my shift. I looked around and confirmed that we were by ourselves over here, and all the other orcs seemed completely unbothered by their casual nakedness.
I could do this. I could be brave enough to be with him in this way. I untied the top of my shift and let it fall over my hips until it pooled at my feet.
A low rumble sounded from Thavros before he came over and swept me off my feet. A squeal escaped my lips as he carried me into the water.
The warm water enveloped me as he sat down on the stone ledge and situated me on his lap. I sighed and leaned back into him. “This is nice.”
“I agree,” he said as he rested his head on the stone wall behind him and cradled me close. “I have not felt this relaxed in a long time.”
