Page 26 of The Orc King's Bride

"Something happened when I came to see you yesterday morning." Was that really just one suns cycle ago? It feels like a much longer timespan.

"I'll say something happened," she interjects. "You insulted me by saying I looked like a street beggar and couldn't get away from me fast enough."

"There is a reason for that, the getting away part. Our meeting...was unsettling. I needed time to think."

"Unsettling, how?"

I look directly into her eyes, willing her to understand, to believe. My voice comes out barely above a whisper, heavy with the weight of destiny. "My cockspikes emerged for you, Sloane. You are my perfect genetic match and fated mate. The one female destined to bear my offspring."

Chapter 24

Sloane

I stare at Dexari,waiting for the punchline. When it doesn't come, I burst into nervous laughter, the sound echoing unnaturally in the quiet clearing.

"Okay, good one, Dex. You really had me going there for a second." I shake my head, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Youareplaying games with me.”

Dexari's face remains serious, his dark eyes so intense I squirm under his gaze. "This is no game, Sloane."

"Right," I drawl, rolling my eyes. "Because it makes total sense that I'm your fated mate. What’s next, are you going to tell me we're intergalactic soulmates?"

Dexari's muscles are tense, his jaw slightly clenched. He’s taking this seriously, which makes me wonder if there’s more to this than I’m ready to admit.

"I understand your disbelief," he says, his voice low and earnest. "I struggled with doubt at first, too. That is why I left the guest suite so abruptly. Yet I assure you, this is very real."

I narrow my eyes at him, ignoring the flutter of nerves in my stomach. "Okay, let's say for a second I believe you. How does this wholefated matesthing even work? Did some magical orc fairy wave her wand and decide we're perfect for each other?"

Dexari sighs, clearly frustrated by my flippant attitude. "It is not magic, Sloane. It is biology. Our ancestors' genetic modifications—"

"Yeah, yeah, I got that part," I interrupt, waving my hand dismissively. "Butfated matessounds like something out of a cheesy romance novel, something make-believe."

As Dexari launches into a more detailed explanation, I find my skepticism wavering. He describes complex genetic markers, hormonal responses, and evolutionary adaptations. It's clear he's not making this up on the spot.

I watch his face as he speaks, noting the earnestness in his eyes, the tension in his jaw. My fingers twitch, and I realize with a start that I want to reach out and touch him. I clench my fists, fighting the urge.

As if he somehow knows this, Dexari's eyes lock onto mine, a storm of emotions swirling in their depths. "Perhaps words are not enough for you to comprehend what I am saying." His voice is low and throaty, which does things to my insides. "Let me show you."

Before I can react, he takes my hand and presses my palm firmly against the hard length of his cock. I gasp, feeling the unmistakable protrusion of spikes even through the thick leather that covers them. Although they feel firm, they are also pliable.

The contact sets my body on fire, and need pulses between my legs as I imagine how those spikes would feel inside me. The feeling is intense and leaves me hot and bothered, my mind reeling.

"This...is..." I stammer, unable to form coherent thoughts. The physical evidence of Dexari's claim is literally at my fingertips, impossible to deny. Yet my mind still rebels against the implications.

I'm caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Shock at Dexari's bold move, confusion at my body's intense reaction, a deep-seated fear of what this all means. Feeling those spikes forms a tangible connection between my body and mind.

As the reality of what he’s saying fights to sink in, thoughts of the last five years flash through my mind. Years of being alone, fighting for survival, of having no one to trust or rely on but myself. The very idea of having a fated mate promises the end of my lonely struggle…and the beginning of a life that’s actually worth living. A life with Dexari.

I pull my hand away from his groin. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

Dexari nods solemnly. "I am, Sloane. You are my perfect genetic match. The emergence of my cockspikes is undeniable proof of that. As you felt with your own hand, my cock is impossibly hard for you, my spikes engorged with seed. The urge to consummate our bond, to claim you as mine forever, is nearly irresistible, even in my wounded state."

“Look, I’m hot for you, too, okay?” I wave my hand over his muscled physique. “I mean, what woman wouldn’t want to take that body for a test drive? But sexual attraction alone isn’tenough to make a lifelong commitment or start popping out babies. We barely know each other, Dex.”

“My cockspikes know what you do not. You are mine, Sloane.”

“Stop saying things like that. The idea of your cockspikes deciding we belong together feels like my choices are being stripped away, like some cosmic force has decided my future without my consent.”

Dexari's expression softens. "I understand this is hard for you to accept."

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