Page 43 of The Orc's Stolen Shepherdess

I may have defiled her, but she’d wanted every moment of it. She’d been even more eager than I was.

Waston let out a gasp and Jophel cursed loudly, and even Susara’s father looked pale.

Fuck. Had the glance we’d shared been so potent?

“You heinousmonster. You’ve ruined her, haven’t you?” Waston screamed. “You’ve defiled her! Don’t you deny it.”

Apparently, it had.

Susara looked smug until her father gripped her arm and pulled her to his side. “Susara, isthat true?”

She sputtered, unable to get out a solid word.

To my surprise, Jophel spoke out for her. “Don’t speak such heinous lies about the woman I plan to, er, a woman of our village! Of course, she’s never. . . never. . .”

I watched as the realization crossed the man’s face as he looked at Susara’s disheveled hair and clothes. At her bright cheeks and her swollen lips.

“You have!” he raged, storming toward her. “You stupid wench. What have youdone?”

Her father instantly yanked her back behind him and got to his feet, even as his face was contorted with pain. Jophel looked as if he was about to attack them both.

I instantly saw red. My claws shot out, fists balled. The world narrowed to a pinprick, and only the vile, disgusting man who’d insulted my woman remained.

“Stop!”

“Grab him!”

“Fuck, Caivid,calm down!”

My arms were yanked back by Brovdir’s strong grip, and I fought against him, blind to everything but protecting Susara.

Then the headman came out of nowhere, gripped the back of Jophel’s shirt, and yanked him back so hard his ass bounced against the ground as he hit it.

“Jophel,restrain yourself!” The headman’s roar silenced the entire crowd. Jophel remained on the ground, too stunned to speak.

But there was one person who wasn’t too stunned.

“Oh, you see!” Waston cried. “You all see what kind of horriblemonsterhe is! He was going to attack poor Jophel!”

“Jophel was about to attackme!”

Waston rounded on me next. “You’ve ruined her! You’ve taken advantage of her dire situation andusedher! No man or beast will ever want to touch her now!”

If anything, her words calmed me, and I stopped struggling against Brovdir’s hold. Did she think Iwantedmy woman to be touched by another male?

My woman. The words sat crisp and sweet in the center of my chest.

“Waston, calm downnow,” Headman Gerald demanded, still holding Jophel’s arms behind his back.

Jophel’s eyes gleamed in fury. Unable to break free of his headman, he lashed out with words. “I’m not surprised. Susarahas always been a loose girl. She’d have her head turned by aslugif it wore the right clothes.”

“Howdareyou?” her father raged. Susara had just gotten him sat back down and now he was fighting her to get back up.

“J-Jophel has every right to be upset!” Waston cried. “She was meant to be his wife, and this beast hasdefiledher.”

“What?”Susara’s sharp shriek of shock rang in my ears.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed,” Waston said quickly. “We all know you’ve been taken advantage of!” She looked at the crowd. “We’re all on your side!”

---