“Sammi, are you ill?”
I swipe the back of my hand over my mouth and shrug his hand off. Ever so slowly I turn and face my “husband.” Fury and a sense of betrayal roil in my belly as I glare at him.
It’s not that I hate the idea of being his wife. In truth, I would have been over the moon—if he’d only asked. I hate to admit it, but I feel cheated out of knowingly pledging myself to the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Orgath is that guy, but I wasn’t given the opportunity. He married me in secrecy without my knowledge, without even recognition of the event. Didn’t Erra joke about a wedding feast when we played at it last time we were here, and yet he marries me and doesn’t even offer that one despite that being the custom? I want to rage at him helplessly. Just behind him, Erra is watching on with concern.
“I’m fine,” I mutter. “I think I need to leave.”
“Of course. Let us grab just a few things and—”
“No,” I interrupt, “not with you.” Orgath bristles but I ignore him and look over to Erra. “Erra, may I stay with you for a short time if it would not be too much of an inconvenience? I don’t know what’s going on and I need time alone.”
Her lips pinch together as she frowns at Orgath, but she gives me a supportive smile and nod. “Yes, of course. I have a feeling that there is much you have been kept in the dark about,” she says, glaring daggers at my husband. My mind tumbles that knowledge around—I like the sound of it, but I’m hurting and confused and don’t want to think of him that way at this moment.
“Now wait one minute,” Orgath growls. “There is something wrong with her—she is ill. I am not allowing anyone to take her out of my protection, especially when she is unwell.”
Erra straightens to her full height and throws her shoulders back stubbornly. “Don’t try to lord over me, Orgath! We grew up together, and our fathers were brothers who held each other well in esteem, so much so that he was terribly wounded in his effort to save your father from Lorf’s jealousy. You will not see to the welfare of this clan, nor did you adequately see to the needs of your mate. You need to face your responsibilities on both counts.
“I will see to her welfare and my family will protect her for as long as she desires to stay with us. As for her illness, I will have the healer meet me at my home and I will send word to you of the results.” For a moment, her face softens. “Get what you need and go home, Orgath. You will do no good lingering when she is feeling this angry and hurt. You have kept her ignorant of our customs.”
Orgath looks at me with pleading eyes, stretching out his hand, but I turn my face away. I try not to think of the audience watching us, judging him in all likelihood. My heart clenches painfully as a wall descends between us, and he assumes a mask of apathy. He gives me a short nod and turns away.
Erra’s arms come around me as we watch him leave. The orcs part before him, allowing him to pass. Not one makes a sound. Not one looks my way. Slowly, the crowd disperses, leaving us alone in front of the tavern.
I hold it together until he’s at last completely out of sight before I collapse against Erra’s chest, my body reeling with shock.
“Come then,” she murmurs. “I have already sent a serving boy to fetch the healer. Let’s get you home where you can rest. This has all been a horrible blow for you.”
Mercifully, her home is nearby. It is simple but comfortable, maybe more so than our cottage for it was obviously built by someone with the skill to seamlessly join the stones together. Our cottage, in comparison, is small and drafty, but I cannot help but miss it at this moment. An elderly male sits among a pile of cushions and furs near the fire, and he looks up with a smile as we enter.
“Erra, I did not expect you home so early,” he rasps.
She goes forward and kisses him lightly on his forehead. “I left early. Sammi, this is my father, Bistee. This is Orgath’s wife, Sammi. It seems that Orgath kept her in the dark about our mating customs and it was a bit of a surprise for her, so I brought her home for a bit of a stay. She isn’t feeling well so I am going to get her some cushions and furs to make her comfortable while we wait for the healer.”
Erra gives me an encouraging smile and leaves me to the scrutiny of the grizzled white-haired orc. I attempt a smile and his brow draws downward. Dropping the attempt to be friendly, I return his stare. Clearly, he and I were not going to be on the friendliest of terms. He grunts and reopens a heavy tome that is on his lap. I peer curiously at it.
After all these weeks, my ability to read orcish has improved greatly. To my fascination, I notice that the engraved script on the hard leather cover reads The Lore and Sacred History of the Orcneas. My fingers positively itch to get ahold of it. I can well imagine what fascinating bits of information it holds. He notices my attention and his eyebrows slowly rise.
“You can read this, can you?”
I laugh. “Probably not terribly well. This amulet gives me the ability to know the language but it’s useless for reading. Orgath has been teaching me all these weeks how to read. From what I can see, it must be a fascinating book.”
He looks startled but then a pleased look creases the corners of his mouth. I do believe he is smiling. “Would you like to read some of it? My eyes aren’t what they once were, and I confess it does sometimes strain them more than a little to read the script. It takes me twice as long to read a page anymore,” he huffs with dry amusement.
I resist the impulse to rip the tome eagerly out of his hands. “I would love to! Thank you.”
He grins at me indulgently, gesturing for me to join him at his side as he flips to a passage. I lean forward and begin to read it aloud as he taps a finger on his thigh, nodding to himself as I go over passages that he finds relevant.
I’m briefly distracted when Erra sets some cushions and furs beside me. I look up but she winks and nods her head to indicate that I should continue on. Her father scowls at her for the interruption and I immediately resume my pace. We sit that way for what has to be a good hour before we end the passage, and he slowly closes the book with an air of satisfaction.
He beams down at me. “Human or orc, you are a fine wife for our Orgath,” he says slowly. He inclines his head, “If you will excuse me, I need to get up and stretch these old joints. Old wounds are acting up,” he chuckles and hauls himself to his feet with a painful groan.
As I watch him hobble away, Erra returns to my side with kind-faced female of a vaguely golden hue that seems peculiar compared to what I’ve seen so far. She kneels down in front of me and gently takes my head between her hands, shifting it from side to side, peering into my eyes.
“I am Vorla. Not feeling well, I hear,” she says. Her voice is soft with a very slight lisp.
“Just nauseated at bad moments,” I clarify.
She chuckles. “So I hear. The boy who fetched me spent a good many minutes complaining about he will be left to clean up that mess.”
Guilt settles in at once. No one wants to deal with cleaning up another person’s vomit.
She looks at my thoughtfully. “How long have you been living with Orgath?”
I shrug. “I haven’t exactly been keeping a calendar. A few weeks, I guess.”
She purses her lips with amusement. “Lots of sex?”
“Gods, yes. Weeks of uninterrupted, glorious sex.”
Vorla begins to chuckle. “I am glad to hear that you and Orgath enjoy such a healthy appetite for each other.”
“He mentioned something about a bloodbond a few times. I assume he means we share a sort of closeness.”
She pauses and stares at me. “Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose you can call it that. A bloodbond is very rare and most treasured among orcs. As you see, we fall in love and marry, but a bloodbond is unique. It is an irresistible calling between souls to join together. And once sex is instigated it becomes undeniable. It demands union.”
A strange sort of comprehension dawns on me.
“As for your i
llness, I believe I can tell you the reason for that as well.”
“Oh, my gods, is this bond killing me?”
She laughs loudly. “Oh no, never that. You will never be healthier than you are when you have a bloodbond. It links your souls together. Tell me, when did you last have your monthly courses?”
“Monthly courses? Oh, my period. Well, that’s easy to answer. I think the last time I had it was a few days before I went to join that rat-fink of an ex-boyfriend in the mountains…” I trail off, my eyes widening.
That was weeks ago. My period should have shown her scarlet face long ago by now. “Oh, my gods.”
“You are carrying Orgath’s heir, it seems,” the healer confirms with a smug look. “Likely a month along I would say, with eleven more to go!”
Eleven…
“Wait one damn minute—are you telling me that orcs carry for a year?”
“Oh no, we actually carry for about fourteen months, but I am estimating a little less for you given that you are a human. How long is the human gestation?”
“Nine months,” I squeak.
“That sounds about right then,” she says with a sage nod.
I hear nothing more, because at that moment, I pass the fuck out.
Chapter 13
Orgath
I glare sourly into my mead. The other orcs are wisely giving me a wide berth, cognizant of my foul temper. Finally, the male I have been waiting for enters the tavern. I raise my hand, and he inclines his head in my direction as he catches sight of me. Bodi slides into the chair at the opposite side of the table and gives a sympathetic look.
“Orgath, you look tired. Haven’t you gone home at all?”
I snort derisively. He doesn’t have a mate. He has no idea how impossible it is to just leave your mate. “She may not wish to see me, but I cannot leave her without my protection.”
“She has Erra’s family to provide protection—”
I don’t even try to temper the growl that rises from my chest. “I am no kind of male if I just leave her care to another.”
He puts both hands up, yielding.
“How is she?” I ask. This is, after all, why I asked him to meet me here.
“I spoke with Erra this morning. Sammi is well… in fact she has sent me to impart some news to you,” he says, hesitation in his voice as he shifts with excitement.
“Well?” I snap, impatient.
“Sammi is carrying your young,” Bodi bursts out, grinning from ear to ear. The trickle of conversation around us instantly dies.
Everything stills within me. My mate, my wife… is carrying my child. She carries my son or daughter and she is not here.
Frustration boils, but then I am distracted by hands striking my shoulders as voices of my clan happily congratulate me. One male, a fair bit into his mead, begins to heartily sing a traditional song of our clan and others spiritedly join in. For a moment, I am stunned at the reception of the news by the clan. Every one of them is beaming with happiness. Another orc shouts out my family name in praise to the clan ancestors, and this is taken up all through the tavern.
I look over at Bodi, who leans forward and grins. “They celebrate the return of our chieftain’s line. Our true chieftain.”
As voices continue to shout, something settles within an empty void that my family’s death left within me. I will have to face Lorf, if not for myself and my clan, then for the sake of my child. I push away from the table.
Bodi’s eyebrows climb as he stumbles onto his feet after me. “Where are you going, Orgath?”
“To get my wife,” I growl. “Then I will plan what I need to do to see about Lorf.”
“About fucking time!” he shouts after me.
As I walk to Erra’s home, I wonder how much difficulty my cousin is going to present me with when I arrive. I am confident that I will be able to soothe Sammi’s temper, but I would prefer avoiding an outraged orc female if I can. I am not feeling very confident when she opens the door with a fierce scowl, but to my relief, she waves me in.
She crosses her arms over her chest and gives me a long look as I enter and close the door behind me. “I take it that Bodi delivered my message. That was faster than I expected.”
“I have been waiting at the tavern for my wife to be willing to receive me. I won’t leave the village without her.”
Her face softens a bit. “I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any less of you.”
“No, you shouldn’t. Now that I know she carries my young, I am determined that she hear me and return home with me today.”
She laughs and shakes her head at me. “Come on now. You know it is not going to be that easy.”
I feel my temper rising. “And why not? I am to protect my wife and child, and none should dare to deny me that. I am orc—I don’t abandon what is mine.”
“And I am not suggesting that you do. What I am saying is that it will probably take more than your presence and demands for Sammi to return with you.”
“We will see about that. Sammi is reasonable. Produce her and I will speak to her.”
Erra chuckles and turns on her heel. “Very well, cousin.”
An eternity feels as if it has passed when Erra brings Sammi into the room. I can easily hear her telling Sammi to call if she needs anything before throwing a smug grin at me as she departs. I step toward my wife and immediately her chin rises in defiance. I curse that look, because I know it is going to be harder than I boasted to Erra.
I frown down at her and say the stupidest thing that comes to mind. “Come home.”
I mentally wince as her face darkens.
“That is what you came to say to me? To order me to come home?” she says slowly.
I nod because it is, at essence, what I have come here for—even if not carried out quite as elegantly as I wish.
“Uh-huh, I see. Well, in that case, no thanks,” she says and turns to leave. In a bid of desperation, I grasp her arms and turn her toward me, lifting her off her feet until we are eye level with each other.
“You are my wife,” I growl. “You carry my child. Whether you like it or not, you both belong in my care and no other.”
“You are fucking delusional,” she finally snarls in a show of temper. “I’m not going just because you say I am. Unless you can come here and show some humility for what you’ve done and apologize properly, my ass isn’t going anywhere. I am not your wife unless I agree that I am. You never asked! You just snuck around and bonded me to you—mated with me—without my consent.”
“I shouldn’t have to ask!” I bellow angrily. “You fulfilled the ritual. I did everything proper according to custom. I demonstrated my love and care for you. You accepted me, now it is done. You are my wife, and nothing is changing that. You will come home with now where you belong.”
“Fuck you! How about that?”
I step forward, growling deeply, but Sammi doesn’t budge. She thrusts her chest forward and sets her jaw mulishly.
“You are a stubborn, vexing female. Fine, maybe leaving you with Erra for a few days will improve your mood… it is certain to improve your cooking at least,” I say, unable to resist digging in with that particular barb.
Her jaw drops. “No. You. Didn’t.”
I smirk and step out as if I haven’t a care in the world. The slam of the door is the only thing that calls me on my bluff.
“You beast!” I hear her shout through the door. Surprisingly, that stings more than I care to admit.
***
Sammi
I stare in disbelief at the door. All he had to do was come in and apologize. Admit that he was wrong in how he carried out his plans—but no, of course he can’t do that! My heart lurches with pain thinking on the sweetness of what had assuredly been our mating ritual.
If only he’d asked, it would’ve made the whole thing a beautiful cherished memory that we could tell our children. Instead, I’m the fool who was tricked into mating, ignorant of everything I accepted.
&n
bsp; It’s humiliating, and he can’t even see that.
“That went well,” Erra says, humor lacing her words. I turn to look at her and manage a weak smile. She takes in my expression, sighs and shakes her head. “Are you really that bad at cooking?”
“Yeah, pretty hopeless,” I admit. “Though I finally learned how to make bread without burning it.”
“Well, that is a start,” she laughs. “We might as well be productive while you visit then. Come help me prepare the evening meal. If nothing else, by the time you are ready to leave here, you will know how to feed yourself and your little one.”
“What, you aren’t going to encourage me to learn how to cook to feed Orgath?”
She snorts. “Gods, no. If he continues being stupid, he can just continue cooking for himself. My own mate has had to make more than one of his own meals when he let himself be ruled by the wrong head,” she says confidentially with a wicked grin.
I relax and follow her to where she has a small wood stove set up in a partitioned-off corner of her home that serves as a mini-kitchen. I take a moment to admire it. It has crude burners on top and a large door that opens for an oven. Something like this could make life much easier at the cottage.
“I wish Orgath had one of these things,” I say in awe.
Erra snorts. “Why am I not surprised that he doesn’t? Males. If it can be charred over a fire or baked in a clay dish in the coals, it suits them just fine. Never mind that not one of them turns away a meat pie or a pastry. Speaking of which, I think that is exactly what you will learn to make tonight. Males willingly surrender much for a good meat pie.”
I follow and watch her pull some butchered meat from the cellar. This she cooks quickly and set aside to pull down flour, salt, butter, and sugar for the pastry. In no time the dough is ready and she makes quick work rolling it out. I watch her set the rolled-out dough into the bottom of a rounded pan and promptly fill the crust with the meat, spices, bits of dried vegetables, and some sort of sliced tuber that I believe is a local variety of potato. This she tops with the other half of the rolled-out dough and puts in the oven. Looks easy enough.
The Orc Wife Page 11