Page 42 of The Orc's Stolen Shepherdess

“Then why did you?” He approached her, using the crook like a walking stick. He clearly did not intend to give it back. Susara held her ground. I tensed, readying to break from Brovdir’s grip the moment he threatened her.

“Caivid,stop,” Brovdir hissed into my ear.

Susara’s face went red as she remembered the true reason she’d left her crook, and she began to stammer. “Well,that’s. . . there wasn’t really. I mean. . . it doesn’t matterwhy?”

You could almost taste the confusion as murmurs rolled through the group.

“It doesn’tmatter? We’ve been hunting for you half the night!” Jophel raged. “Since your poor father discovered your roomransacked.”

“Ransacked?” She looked from him back to her father, who grabbed her hand as he trembled on the boulder. His movements looked painfully stiff. “My room wasn’t ransacked.”

“It was,” her father said thinly as Susara blinked in shock. “When I saw it. . . you have no idea how I feared for you, Susara. You’re really well? Truly?”

“Yes, Father, I’mjust fine.” She patted his hand again. “This is all a misunderstanding.”

“You don’t need to lie for this male, Susara. You are safe now!” Waston held open her arms as if she expected Susara to run into them for comfort.

“I was safebefore.That’s the whole reason I went to Caivid. To make a deal with him for protection.” She looked back to her father as she explained. “You thoughtI wasn’t safe in the woods alone. Well, I’m not going to be alone anymore. Caivid has agreed to be my protector.”

“Youwhat?” Chief Brovdir growled next to my ear and,Fades blast me, I guess I should have gotten his permission before vowing such a thing.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jophel raged, getting far too close to her again. “The flock ismine!”

“It isn’t yours, Jophel.” She puffed up her chest. “And it never will be. I can’t believe you thought I would just let you have it without a fight.”

“And your fight is to get that horriblemonsterto protect you? How can you trust it? It’s nothuman.”

I almost chuckled at how familiar his words were, but the humor died in my throat as both Susara and Headman Gerald gasped with horror. Even some of the humans in the crowd were gaping at the greasy man like he’d just told them he laughed at crying babies.

“How dare you, Jophel!” Headman Gerald said. “You know better than to speak such horrible things about our allies at Rove Wood Clan.”

“These warrior brutes arenotour allies!”Jophel snapped.

“He’s right,” Waston said over the rumbling of the crowd. “All they want is to sire sons off our women, and apparently, they are willing to useforceto do it!”

“I told you I went to Caivid on my own!”

“Child, you’ve been through ahorror. You don’t know what happened to you!”

“Enough!” Headman Gereld bellowed so loud I could feel the ground shaking beneath my feet. It was a wonder that a human male could have such volume. “These warriors are the allies of the conjurer orcs, and therefore, wewillbe open to them. Or do youwantto ruin the peace between our communities? Do you want us to starve this winter? Becausethatis where your distrust and cruelty will lead.”

To my surprise, most of the humans in the crowd bowed their heads and conceded to their headman’s judgment.

“Susara.” Headman Gerald turned back to my woman, who was holding her head high. “So, this was all a misunderstanding? You sought out this orc for aid?”

“Yes,” Susara said. “He’s agreed to protect me in exchange for mutton and wool.”

Her father blinked in shock and looked from me to her. I gave him a nod of assurance and his eyes went even wider.

“For mutton and wool?” Jophel spat. “You can’t be serious. These warriors only want one thing and it’s notsheep.”

“That’s right,” Waston said with a firm nod. “The moment he has you alone, he’s going to defile you!”

Susara opened her mouth to deny the woman, only to have her cheeks go bright as she realized I’d basically done just that.

I went cold. Fuck, was I as horrible a beast as they said I was?

Before I could question my own morals further, Susara caught my gaze and smiled. I exhaled out my tension and breathed her rosemary scent deep into my lungs.

---