Page 60 of Claimed By Stone
“Oh,” she said as her cheeks instantly reddened. “I don’t know the steps.”
“Come, I’ll teach you.”
I took her hand in mine and led her out onto the dance floor. When the music picked back up, I held up her hand and gave her a little bow. She smiled, bit her lip, and peered up at me through her lashes.
I took her hand and showed her the steps as we weaved through the circle. The massive fire cast a warm glow over all of us as we danced to the drum's beat, weaving in and out of each other.
At first, she was timid, stumbling on the steps, her brow furrowed in serious focus. But as we made our way around the fire a couple of times, she started to feel the steps. With each journey, her confidence grew. Then she looked up at me and beamed as we both took turns weaving and stomping through the other dancing orcs.
I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a dance that much since I was a young orc.
When the beat changed, I pulled her hand out of the circle. She looked up at me with an almost disappointed look in her eyes. “Are we done?”
“No, little flame,” I said as I gently caressed her cheek. “We are just getting started. But I think I require a honey cake first,” I said as I pulled her towards the table.
“I think there should be more feasts,” she said.
“I agree.”
And I did. Although I didn’t need to tell her the next feast we had would be a mating ceremony, because that would require me to finally tell her she was my mate. I was almost positive she felt it, but I still found myself nervous to tell her.
The walk back to my quarters was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Seraphina held her shoes in one hand, her other hand still linked with mine. When we reached the threshold, I expected her to curl up in bed, full and content.
Instead, she stood at the edge of the hearth, turning to me with something softer, more uncertain, burning behind her eyes.
“That was so much fun,” she said as she flopped down in the chair next to the table.
“It was. The best feast in a long time,” he said as he removed his outer tunic. “Much better than the last feast.” Which had ended with her being thrown in the dungeon.
“When is the next one?”
I cleared my throat, because when Ihopedthe next one would be and when the next feast daywaswere two different things.
“At the return of the light,” I simply answered.
“A spring fertility feast?” she said, wagging her eyebrows.
“Then you are familiar with orc customs,” I said as I pulled her out of her seat and swung her around. She squealed with glee, and my heart was fit to burst.
I set her down to start to prepare some soothing tea. I have been giving it to her every night to try to stave away the nightmares, though I wasn’t sure how helpful it had been.
“You said something the other night... the night of the war council meeting,” she began, voice barely above a whisper. “About me. Do you remember?”
My hands stilled, and my heart kicked. “You heard that?”
She nodded, stepping closer, firelight catching the gleam in her gaze. “Did you mean it?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t question.
She stepped into my space and reached up and cupped my cheeks.
I froze. Just for a second, before I pulled back slightly, I gazed into her eyes.
I looked into her eyes, saw no fear—only hope and a fierce kind of longing. I nodded once, heart thudding. “Yes. I meant it. You are my mate.”
She didn’t run. Didn’t ask what that meant.
