I nod thoughtfully. “It’s settled then. We’ll move into the keep and I will do my level best not to burn it down.”
Orgath chuckles and kisses my hair. “Fear not, love. The keep is fully staffed from the villages. You won’t have to worry about burning anything until we return to our cottage.”
I grin impishly. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
My mate chuckles and nips at me as I cuddle down into his embrace, drifting off into a happy sleep.
Chapter 18
Orgath
I wake with the alarming sensation of immobility. My eyes pop open and I growl as I struggle against the bonds lashing my arms down against my body. Lengths of rope bind my arms and legs.
Initially, I’m afraid that someone has set upon us during the night and my anger builds with the need to get to my mate. But as the bonds are not well tied, it will take little effort for me to break through them. I begin to flex my muscle when I hear a feminine chuckle and look over near the door where Sammi leans with a big smile on her face.
By some effort I manage to restrain my laughter at her laudable—yet poorly done—attempt to subdue me. I make a mental note to show her how to correctly tie a large male to properly restrain him. You never know when that will be necessary, after I extract a promise from her to never attempt to tie me again.
Instead, I growl fiercely at her. I am eager to play and see where this game of hers takes us. “Female, release me. Immediately.”
Sammi takes her time walking over to me but rather than release me, she crouches over my legs and smirks. “Good morning, sweetie. Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there is a problem. Why have I woken to find myself tied down?”
“Ah, that. Well, since you were so eager to tie me up last night, I thought I should return the favor. After all, you were in fact very naughty for what you did.”
I look at her with interest. I can get into this game. “Oh, have I now?” I purr.
She arches her back and plays with her nipples as she licks her full lips and eyes my stiffening cock. With a small shiver, she slides forward and climbs up my legs like a delfass in heat. I can’t tear my eyes off her when her face descends, and I can feel the warm puff of her breath on my flesh. When her small pink tongue darts out to lap at the head of my member, I growl low in my chest as lust shoots through me. It takes every bit of my self-control not to snap my feeble bonds right then and there.
Her tongue plays along my length, long licks alternating with teasing flicks. I can feel sweat dripping down my muscles as I restrain myself against the fervor her coy little tongue inspires. Then her soft mouth closes around me to draw a third of my length into her mouth and I can’t help snarling, my claws digging into the muscle of my leg. I can feel that familiar tightness in my pelvis and for a moment I worry that I won’t be able to resist spending my release down into her throat.
Not that I object to that I idea, but I am eager to bury myself within her cunt.
I lift my hips as much as I can as she drags her tongue along the length of my cock one final time before sliding up, her legs straddling me at either side. I pant when I feel her heat settle over me as she lowers herself and I pierce her folds, burying deep within her. I clench my fists as she rocks herself on me, her hands gripping the ropes as she rides me. I arch up beneath her, attempting to hurry her pace, but she grins down at me and continues with the slow and provocative roll of her hips.
The need to shove myself into her hard and fast quickly corrodes my resolve to allow her to have her fun. My balls tingle with need and the muscles of my back tense similarly. Yet when her channel clenches around me, rippling along my length as she reaches her first peak, I am unable to hold back any longer.
With a growl, I flex the muscles of my arms and legs, breaking loose of the rope. Her eyes widen for just a moment with surprise before I flip her beneath me. She squeaks and then begins to moan as I ravish her body. I grunt with each thrust, burrowing as deep as I can with every hard thrust. She lifts her hips and sinks her teeth into my chest, making my cock jump within her. I pound into her eagerly, her nails scratching at my back and sides, her whimpers turning into screams.
When her body clenches around me hard, I feel the rip of lightning through my back and balls as cum shoots out of me, leaving me shuddering over her, still thrusting weakly as the last of it jettisons out of my body.
I roll to my side, dragging her up against me, and we lie there for a long while panting.
After a time, she looks up at me and grins. “Just how long were you able to break free?”
“Within minutes after waking.”
She scowls. “I could have sworn I tied you up good enough. Gods know I used enough rope.”
I press a kiss at the top of her head. “Rope isn’t going to do you much good if you don’t know how to tie a knot correctly.”
“Well, damn.”
I chuckle. “Do not concern yourself. When we get settled, I will teach you how to properly restrain an enemy.” I lift her chin and give her my most serious glower as I say, “So long as you promise to never use it on me.”
“Of course not, dear,” she says sweetly.
“Swear to it.”
She huffs. “I promise.”
It only takes two days to relocate our personal possessions from the cottage to my ancestral home, and only because we always find a reason to interrupt our work with lustier pursuits. We aren’t in any hurry, but it does take a visit from Erra to motivate us to finish packing our things into the small wagon I’d brought from the village.
“I thought maybe you had died of some grievous wound out here,” Erra says, her lips quirking despite the scowl she is leveling us with. “Imagine my surprise to find you two on each other like a pair of vorkis in rut.”
I snort at her and place the last trunk of my wealth into the wagon. The berol ox, one of a few bovines native to our realm—and really the only ones we have available since no one has raided Ov’Ge for cattle in ages—with his four horns and long shaggy fur, is already hitched to the wagon, happily chewing on a clump of grass he pulled up. Ethiel flicks his tail impatiently from where he is crouched, saddled and ready to go.
Sammi sets her hands on her hips looking aghast at the load. “I can’t believe we had all of this in the cottage. Where in the world was it all at?”
I wink at her and bare my tusks in a playful grin. “Most of these trunks are the wealth of our family, and orcs are ingenious at hiding things we don’t want anyone else to find.”
She shakes her head in disbelief, her eyes wide. “I guess so.”
***
Sammi
It’s a little odd going from a humble cottage to something that looks like a miniature castle with a small staff of villagers, but everyone’s been so welcoming, and that’s helped me warm up to the situation. My biggest fear was arriving and being hated on sight by everyone and treated like an outsider every time I set foot out of our room.
Not that our room isn’t almost as big as the cottage, but still, that tension was something I wanted to avoid. It’s only a small staff which, makes the whole thing for less intimidating.
The housekeeper and cook are the only females employed, with younger males—their sons it seems—at hand to do supervised cleaning a couple times a week. The other males stationed there make up a small guard. I came into this dreading a staff the size of what powered a medieval castle but was delighted to find that most of our needs we’ll be able to take care of on our own.
Our bedroom is large with its own hearth. A small fire crackles within it, casting the room in a soft glow and making the space comfortably warm. The shutters are open on the window, letting in the light which falls over the bed, but I note a number of oil lamps set about to provide light on darker days and when the sun goes down.
The housekeeper grins as I look on in shameless slack-jawed wonder at the room. She’s not particularly tall for an orc—I believe she said she’s half-dwarven—and her h
air is more coppery than dark while her skin tone is a light shade of gold.
“I hope everything is to your liking. If there is anything amiss, just let someone know. I had the boys change out the mattress yesterday, and there is clean bedding for you as well. I can arrange to have a bath brought in after the evening meal if you like.”
Orgath nods with a low grunt, busy storing what looks like no fewer than twenty different blades in a large wooden display case. His giant war-ax hangs just to the left of it, the sharp edge catching the light of the sun. When it looks like he isn’t going to say anything, I jump in.
“That sounds great, thank you,” I say, giving Orgath a meaningful look which he pointedly ignores. No teaching an old dog a new trick in this case, it seems.
The housekeeper, not in the least put off by my silent mate, winks at me and pulls the door shut behind her as she leaves. I flop on the bed, playing with the collar around my neck as I watch him diligently work. All of our personal trunks were unloaded and put away, and those that held Orgath’s inheritance and personal wealth were moved to the treasury.
For the first time since waking up to Orgath’s company and in a foreign realm, I’m at a loss of what to do with my time.
I lean back and notice deep grooves in the headboard above my head. With a finger I poke at them and notice that they are, in fact, carved holes just big enough to slide a rope or chain through. That certainly provides for some interesting opportunities. Speaking of…
“Hey, Orgath?”
“Hm?”
“Why haven’t you ever done the whole bondage bit with me before?”
His hand immediately stops moving, and he looks over at me with his eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?” he growls.
I really hope I don’t end up insulting him.
“That thing with the rope. Not that I’m objecting—it’s hot as hell. It’s just that, when humans think of orcs, we usually think of a bit more kink. Sex dungeons, stockades… that sort of thing.”
Orgath sits back on his haunches and starts to chuckle.
“Here I thought I am being considerate, and my mate is complaining because I have not broken out all the orcish toys and games.”
“You have sex toys?” I say, my curiosity now fully engaged.
He snorts and laughs harder as he pushes up to his feet. Within minutes, he has me caged on the bed, running his cheek against mine, his tusk brushing my jaw.
“Many orcs enjoy more aggressive sex play,” he admits. “Often it is used only between mated pairs to minimize some of the risks, although in times past it was used with some select war captives.” He looks at me contemplatively. “You are very small. Honestly, I worry about hurting you if I took you into the Twilight Room.”
“You have a whole room in this place for sex play? Hot damn!” I say, already wet at the idea. I am assuming that is what he means by a twilight room. I am going to completely ignore the bullshit about my size.
He huffs out a breath and gives me an amused look.
I waggle my eyebrows at him flirtatiously when what can only be a massive orc fist bangs at our door.
“Enter.” Orgath growls, his irritation at being interrupted showing.
“Chieftain, there are elves in the great room demanding to meet with you,” the guard says deferentially, but his scowl communicates just how little he enjoys being ordered around by elves.
“Those elves sure are quick,” I observe, a moue of distaste pulling at my mouth.
Orgath sighs and runs his hand over his face. “I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. I am sure that they have had a close eye on everything that has been going on with our clan. Very well. I will be done briefly.”
“Yes, chieftain,” he inclines his head and walks away, the floors echoing from the thudding impact of his heavy booted feet.
I clap my hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“No, mate,” he shoots me down. “You will stay here in our rooms while I deal with the elves.”
“The hell I will!” I glare at my mate, not feeling quite as warm and fuzzy at this moment with my bossy spouse.
“Sammi—”
“Not a chance in hell. I’m coming whether you like it or not. I don’t care if I have to climb out the window and come through the front door.”
He shoots me an amused look. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Damn skippy,” I snap.
“All right, come on then. But you are to stay clear of them. I don’t trust elves, nor do any of my clan.”
“You got it, sweet cheeks,” I say beaming up at him.
I have to jog to keep up with his ground-eating pace, but there’s no way he is leaving me behind.
A small envoy of elves is waiting at one end of the great room near the entrance with a faintly bored expression on their faces. More than one has his nose wrinkled in distaste that just makes me instantly dislike them on a personal level. The great room is really an oversized common room with a giant hearth, but it differs quite a bit from those in most homes by the pair of large stone chairs on a dais flush against the wall. The stairs we take from our room empty out just to the side of them.
Orgath firmly grips my hand in his and pulls me up beside him as we go and take our places. Once seated, he leans forward on his throne, one arm draped across his knee, and narrows his eyes at our visitors.
“You lot don’t waste any time,” he observes testily.
The taller among the elves moves forward. He wears a bejeweled crown; I am guessing this must be the elf king, deigning to bring himself from his lauded court. I barely resist rolling my eyes at all the overdressed finery on him. At one time, I might have been dazzled, but living among the orcs I’ve become accustomed to their simpler lives. At his side is a younger elf I recall from the cottage—uh, Irhindral, I believe. He seems to be sulking as the king grins with a wide, sly smile and extends his hands outward in a gesture of some kind of overdone royal greeting.
“Chieftain Orgath, it is a pleasure to see you on your ancestral seat. News came of Lorf’s defeat and I hastened to greet and congratulate you. As you know, our court has long had a peaceful relationship with your clan. Your people secure the mountain portal and keep guard, and that is worth its weight in gold. And I wished to see with my own eyes your human mate. Ah, she is a lovely creature indeed,” he murmurs, ignoring Orgath’s obvious bristling at his perusal.
His strange teal eyes move over to me with an almost slimy regard that makes me want to shudder. I restrain myself and manage a polite smile, not unaware of the way the orc guard, catching the mood of their chieftain, shifts in agitation around us.
“Sammi is a treasured mate,” Orgath agrees at length, his eyes narrowing with caution. “She and our unborn child are a blessing to me.” If I’m not mistaken, the king’s eyes brighten with interest and it makes my skin crawl. “I appreciate the show of support, King Ovorhandol. You mention the duties of our clan, which we unerringly carried out even under the rule of Lorf, but it makes me wonder if there is anything else that brings you among our clan? A visit from the Elf King of Sehriel is certainly an unheard-of thing—even in a case of shift of power. I do not recall seeing you or any of your court when Lorf put his stranglehold upon our clan.”
Oh snap! I want to crow with delight.
The subtle tightening of the king’s jaw is minute and momentary, but I catch sight of it before it disappears beneath his coolly controlled mask.
“There is something I hoped to address,” he finally says. Orgath raises an eyebrow but waits patiently for him to continue. Ovorhandol grits his teeth but smoothly continues, “The fae kings and elven courts have come together and have decided to open all the portals to the human realm. The portal outside of your village will open up for the first time in generations to allow easy trade and travel.”
“That is fortuitous news,” Orgath says slowly, his eyes shifting to me for a moment. I can tell that, like me, he’s waiting for the other sh
oe to drop.
The elf king’s grin widens. “Indeed. However, the Sehriel court is concerned that there may be too much sudden interest by other species in your portals. We do not wish to cause alarm and panic among the humans. We have come to ask you that restrict travel through your territory.”
I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut a second longer. They don’t wish to cause alarm and panic? My left foot. This whole thing stinks.
“That would include elves too, yes?” I can’t resist asking, my lips twisting into a polite smile.
His eyes narrow in irritation at me. “Well, no, my lady. Elves are not like others you might encounter in these realms. There is no reason to restrict our movements.”
My eyebrows wing up. “So, you are saying that you want unfettered access to the humans and human realm without competition?”
Ovorhandol’s smile briefly morphs into a snarl before vanishing once more behind a serene look. “Don’t concern yourself with such things. This conversation is best handled between experienced males and beings and not… common mates,” he finishes with faux-kindness.
“Excuse me, your most high and haughtiness, this does concern me. I’m human and you’re speaking of my world and my people as if we’re a commodity for elves, and you’re trying to get my mate to block others from mingling with us. I do have a voice in this, and I do find this whole thing to be disgustingly fucked up,” I state firmly.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Orgath sit back on his throne, his arms crossing over his massive chest and a smug grin on his face. Of course, he is delighted that I am turning my sharp tongue on someone else. I almost want to laugh if I not for the fact I’m busy putting these stuck-up dicks in their place.
“Human, learn your place,” he snarled, pacing forward not more than an inch or two, but enough to make every orc in the room suddenly bristle with weapons pointed in his direction. Orgath too is no longer seated but rather is standing with his feet parted in an aggressive stance, a long knife pulled from his belt.
The Orc Wife Page 15