Page 36 of Romancing the Orc

Then I catch sight of a bloody groove in Brokk’s biceps. “You’re hurt!”

“It’s nothing.” He gives a dismissive huff.

“You wereshot!” My voice hits an uncomfortably high note. “That’s about as far from ‘nothing’ as you can get.”

“It’s only a scratch, and it’s already healing.” He flexes his shoulder. “See. It’s not even bleeding any longer.”

I take a closer look, shocked that he’s right. “But how?”

“Magic.” He grins and kisses me before I can ask anything else.

I moan and squirm against him. We’re alive! My body knows exactly how it wants to celebrate.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Brokk

My mate’s sweet lips open under mine, and I need no further invitation.

I groan into her mouth, plunging my tongue into its sweet heat. The scum who thought to take her from me lie defeated at my feet. The need to claim my prize, to take her hard and fast, makes my cock ache. I—

“Orc, if you have a moment,” the panther interrupts, amusement coloring his voice. “I’d like to get off this one sometime this century. He smells.”

I growl and set Lara down.

Vines snake across the ground, wrapping up both the men until they resemble green mummies, with only their faces free.

“You really are good with those vines, orc.” The other fae’s eyes glitter with mischief as they flick toward my mate. “Forallthe various things you do with them.”

“Oh. My. God. Did youwatchus?” A wealth of emotions flickers across her face. Shock and embarrassment followed by… is that intrigue? Well, well. It seems my mate might have a little bit of an exhibitionist in her.

“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “He couldn’t have been close. The plants would have told me.” Though part of it’s my fault—I told them to warn me of humans, not other fae—it’s an oversight I won’t make again.

“I didn’t watch… for long.” The panther’s bushy tail tip flicks as he turns that too-wide grin on us. “And I did just save your life, enabling you to cavort with your little human again.”

“I’m not ‘his little human.’” My mate unzips the catsuit and shakes out the dried vegetation stuffing it. “I’m Lara.”

“I’m Grey,” the feline fae says.

“Brokk.” I gesture toward the center of the island. “Let’s get moving. I don’t know how long the Faerie Fruit will detain the rest of the humans.”

“All right.” Grey saunters in that direction, disappearing into the trees.

I stare after him, losing sight of him quickly, even with my keen senses. As much as I wanted fae warriors to fight with, I wasn’t hoping for one of the feline fae. Though I can’t deny they’re skilled warriors, they’re also tricksters.

Turning back to Lara, my magic flicks outward, unwinding the palm-frond bikini. I catch the journal before it can fall and hold it while Lara gets dressed.

She takes it from me and slides it into the front of her catsuit, then tugs me down to whisper in my ear, “I don’t actually mind being your little human, you know.” Then she gives me a saucy grin and takes off into the jungle, following the cat.

My cock leaps at the promise in her words, and I growl and hurry after her.

“Tell me. Why are we traveling in this direction?” The cat sith paces us, off to one side as I blaze our trail forward, using my magic to move plants out of our way.

“There’s a building at the center of the island that the humans are interested in,” Lara says. “It’s why they kidnapped me. They can’t read the writing carved into the walls.”

“The building at the top of the waterfall? I’ve been there,” Grey says. “I have no idea what they want it for. It’s empty. It’s been abandoned for hundreds of years.”

“I wonder what it is.” Lara’s voice rings with excitement. “The guy who kidnapped me says there’s a magical artifact of some kind, but if he can’t read any of the writing, I don’t know why he thinks that.”

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