Page 60 of Bound to the Orc Hunter

“It’s a surprise.”

This time she offers no protest that she hates surprises, and I take that as good sign.

When I went hunting with Rune and some of the others earlier, I asked him about private spots. The canine fae gave us our own den, large and dry and comfortable enough when softened with furs. Yet it shares a tunnel with other dens, and there’s no door. The close-knit community offers little in the way of privacy.

Our footsteps crunch over dried needles. I don’t bother to quiet mine, simply walking casually beside my bride. The forest around the dens is safe, the non-magical animals of Alarria recognizing the cu sith as predators even if understanding nothing of the fae’s true nature. Golden larks flit through the pine trees, calling out to each other in evening song. The relaxation of the past few days spent playing with the pups infuses both of us, and I enjoy our new ease with one another.

Soon the repeated splash of lapping water sounds from ahead. The trees open on a lake, the deep-blue surface rippled by a soft breeze that caries the scent of fresh water. A sandy beach reaches from the end of the woods down to the lake’s edge, dotted here and there by boulders. The trees of the other side blur into dark green, their shapes softened by distance and the fading light. Orange streaks the open sky, the color reflected on the western edge of the lake.

“It’s beautiful!” Grace says, her voice quiet with awe. A soft smile brightens her expressive face, her eyes shining.

“It is.”

When she catches me watching her instead of the view, she ducks her head, looking embarrassed and noticing what waits on the beach. She walks over to where my spread tent makes a blanket topped with covered food. A small fire ready to be lit sits nearby.

“You did all of this?”

“I did.” I pull out the fire stone and start the fire, feeding it small twigs until it burns steadily.

“Why?”

I clasp her hands and pull her down to sit beside me on the blanket, looking out over the water. “I did it for you. Everything’s been so hectic since you first got to Alarria. Even now that we’re in a relatively safe place, the pups barely leave you alone.”

“I don’t mind. They’ve been so bored.”

“You’re amazing with them.” I tuck an escaping lock of her hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering on its softness. Then I pull off both our pairs of boots, happy to see the way her toes curl into sand still warm from the day’s sun.

Reaching over, I add several larger pieces of dry wood to the fire. “You said you want children.” We only discussed it briefly that one time, but seeing her with the pups brings it to mind.

“Yes, but…” Her fingers twist in the hem of her shirt.

What makes her hesitate? She clearly enjoys younglings—she comes too alive when playing with the pups not to. “But what?”

“I’ve never thought I’d have any,” she says in a rush. “That anyone would want to… with me.”

I pluck her nervous hands from her lap and clasp them in mine. “It would be my greatest honor to father your children.”

Her shocked eyes meet mine.

“Come.” I stand and pull her up with me, toward the water.

She glances back over her shoulder. “What about the food?”

“The leather bags are imbued with preservation spells. It can wait.” This cannot. I will show my moon bound bride exactly how much I want her. I peel my shirt over my head and enjoy the way Grace’s eyes rove over my bare skin, full of hunger.

“Your turn.” I curl my finger under the hem of her shirt and tug upward, the soft fabric sliding easily from her raised arms. That contraption made of scraps hides her breasts from me, and I bare my tusks at it. Yet I now know its tricks. It will not defeat me. My fingers slide around her and ghost up her back in the most teasing of touches, then release the clasp.

Grace shrugs the straps from her shoulders, and the pale-pink fabric falls from her glorious breasts.

“Goddess, you’re beautiful.” I groan and plump the heavy weight of one with my palm. My thumb brushes over her raspberry nipple, making her gasp. How I love that sound.

Her hands work at the closure of my pants, and my cock jumps against the tight leather, eager to greet her. Then they’re open, and I pull away before she can touch me. At her hurt look, I cup her face and hurry to explain. “I don’t want to get orc seed on you yet. It brings great pleasure but also much haste.”

I remove my leather pants, then crouch to open her human ones. My hands glide down the amazing length of her legs as I peel them from her. Then I hook a tusk in the leg of her underthings and pull, the smell of her heady and rich with arousal.

A growl rumbles through my chest as I stand. “One last thing.” I pull the final scrap of pink fabric from her hair, loving how the golden waves spill around her shoulders, catching the last light of day. Grasping her hand, I tug her into the water with me.

It’s sun warmed at the surface, but cooler around my calves as we move out far enough for it to reach her breasts. The soft silt is silky underneath my bare feet, the occasional rock rounded and smooth.

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