Page 11 of Claimed By the Orc Lord

I felt another streak of irritation that he wasn’t instantly asking me about the connection between us, but his eyes kept drawing helplessly along my body, so maybe he was simply hiding it.

“It’s not a collar—it lets you understand my language.” His eyes widened.

“Like magic? Okay… that’s cool.” His fingers brushed the material on his throat as he waited for me to continue.

“You are in Belzod, little human.”

“I’mnotlittle—”

I cut him off as his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed.

“I am Nash, Orc Lord and brother to Emperor Axum Yagnatz. And you…” I stepped forward, crowding him until his shoulders slammed against a tree, cutting off his escape. “You have crossed the barrier between our worlds because you are my mate.” Then, in hopes that it would alleviate some of the tension obviously running through his body, I added on at the end. “Bro.”

Perhaps if I spoke in his endearments, he would understand me better.

The word made his mouth quirk, and the amused sound that spilled from his throat was almost breathy. He tilted his head to look up at me and pressed his lips together for a few seconds before giving up and laughing again.

“Orc?” He looked across my face, my chest, then brought one hand out and swiped his fingers across my arm. Just the touch sent a tingle of satisfaction through my body. I could imagine the feel of his hands all over me, but his words drew me out of my thoughts. “Yeah, that isn’t coming off, huh?”

“What isn’t?”

He prodded my skin one more time. “Green.”

Ah, that made sense. I raised my fingers in return, swiping one slowly along the sharp curve of his cheekbone. “No more than this red painting your cheeks would.”

The color in question deepened. He took a shaking breath and pushed away from the tree, dodging under my arm and spinning to face me again.

“Okay, say I believe I crossed some magical barrier… Sure, I guess it could happen… I’ve read enough books that I’m a believer or whatever. But you’ve got the rest of it wrong, Nash—”

“What’s your name?” I interrupted him again, and he barely missed a beat responding.

“Kai Cross. But listen, I didn’t come here to be your… shit, your anything really.” His eyes roamed across my body one more time and he shook his head like he was trying to rid himself of an unwanted thought. “My friend went missing, and I was just trying to find him. Little guy, about this tall.” He dropped his hand to his chin. “Dark hair, dark eyes. Probably squealing in delight that he’s here.”

Kai’s mouth lifted in an affectionate smile, and a low growl ripped from my chest before I could stop it. He actually jumped at the sound, looking behind his shoulder before he turned back to me with a scandalized expression.

“Friend? Is this a lover?” Another human—obviously with a mate on this side of the barrier as well. I would make him understand he belonged to me, I would…

Kai broke into laughter, shaking his head quickly. “No. God, no. I wouldneverlook at Rainn that way. First of all, he’s like my brother. And second, I’mstraight.” He looked at me pointedly with the last word.

Straight.

Applied in human context, it meant…

“I don’t like guys?” he supplied. He looked me up and down one more time, his eyes lingering once again on my cock—just his gaze made it twitch in my breeches. “Definitely not into guys.”

“Into… guys?” I repeated slowly, and he frowned.

“Yeah. Like… men. You said you were someone’s brother, so…” His eyes drifted across my broad frame one more time and he shrugged helplessly. “Not to like… offend you or anything. And I’m flattered. Seriously, my friend Rainn would be all over you, so if you help me find him…”

“Kai,” I rumbled his name, loving the way it felt on my tongue. It brought him up short, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open slightly. I could see it—the way he felt the connection, even if he was trying to ignore it. “I do not want your friendRainn, and I am not offended…because you’re wrong.” I stalked toward him again, and this time he didn’t retreat. I watched him take a deep breath and square his shoulders, his brows drawing together unhappily as I moved closer. “You are my mate. Your body knows it just as well as mine.” I brought my hand out again, slow enough that he could watch the motion, but he stayed in place as I carefully brushed my fingers through loose strands of his blond hair, running blunt nails along his scalp.

His pulse jumped in his throat, and the grin that pulled across my features probably spoke depths that I dared not utter aloud and risk truly scaring him off.

“You can’t just say I’m into you and make it true.Onetime with a stupid toy doesn’t count.” He muttered the last part beneath his breath, then let out another sigh of pleasure as my fingers stroked through his hair again.

“Toy?”

His eyes snapped open as I leaned in, like he realized what he was allowing himself to do. Kai slapped against my shoulders, trying to shove me back. I could feel the strength behind the motion, but my fingers just tightened in his hair. It tore a little sound from his chest, a low rumble that caught in his throat and transformed into a snort of annoyance.

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