Page 41 of Simon

Another roar came from the cave, and my heart sank as I knew our home had been destroyed. I’d make another one more worthy of her, but now I must concentrate.

"Hold me, don't scream," I whispered, my lips brushing her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin.

She scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll do my best.”

If my mate was not at risk, I’d stay back and fight the ogre and show her my abilities to keep her safe. Even the orcs had troublebringing an ogre down, but they did not run as fast as I did. I prayed to the goddess that my mate did not think less of me for running from the ogre.

Snarls echoed across the cliffside when the ogre poked his head around where my cave once was. His heavy, hot breathing caused steam to tumble from his mouth as the rain did its best to extinguish the flames of his anger.

I gripped my mate tightly with one arm and used the other hand for balance. The rain made my grip weak, but my hooves were still steady amongst the sharp, jagged rocks.

The wind whipped around us as I leaped from one rock to another, each jump jarring my mate in my arms, eliciting a small whimper with every landing.

At least she was not screaming.

I smiled and shook my head. Making my leaps quicker until we landed on a nearby tree limb. She sighed in relief when I caught my breath. The thickness of the limbs on this side of the wood would be our way to escape.

The ogre’s roars grew louder once he jumped from the cliff. The land shook, and we felt it in the trees. I hunched over and covered my mate with my body to keep her scent hidden as the ogre’s frame came into view.

The rain muted his stench. It was usually vile and repulsive, but it gave me an idea that might save us.

With new determination, I hopped the last few tree branches to the soft ground. I stayed hidden in the thickest parts of the wood. He couldn’t run; he was slow, but he was trailing us.

“Where are we going, what are we going to do?” she whispered against my neck, and I grunted in reply, “W-water.” I didn’t have time to concentrate on speaking; I needed her in the water, and fast.

The stream that I frequented was overflowing. It was perfect to dip both of our bodies under. I jumped in, not giving my mate a warning. She gasped when she came back to the surface.

“Fudge brownies! What are—”

I swiftly pressed my palm against her quivering lips, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin beneath my touch. As I held my breath, straining to hear, thunderous footsteps came closer, causing the ground to tremble.

“Out,” I pulled her back up into my arms. The strength of the water and her dress were heavier, but with my muscular hind legs, I was able to push us out. As our soaked bodies dripped behind us, I went to one of the widest trees I could find.

The trunk itself was as wide as three orc cabins, and the plum-colored leaves shone with the trickling of rain. I grunted, slipping through the mud of the stream bank, my nose flaring in determination.

I quickly assessed the knots in the tree as I ran towards it.

Lucy’s arms tightened around my neck, and I used both hands to grab hold of the knots. “You are like a freaking monkey with hooves!”

With a derisive snort, I continued my ascent, muscles burning. As we brushed against the leaves, they created a sheen of golden sparkles within the branches.

Once we had climbed high enough, far out of his vision and his ability to smell us, I sat her down beside me.

The rain was still a steady trickle, and with our bodies drenched, I hoped that had washed away most of our scent.

The ogre stomped toward the stream, the mud squished beneath his toes and splashed on his legs. The creature leaned back his head, his round, bald scalp reflected by the fireflies, and took in a deep breath. I held my mate impossibly tight and placed my hand over her mouth.

The ogre released a scoff, his nose sniffing and huffing, as he went in a direction away from us. I let my shoulders relax and let my hand drop away from Lucy’s mouth.

Her eyes were wide with fear. Once she let go of me, she grabbed hold of a branch so tightly her knuckles became white.

“H-how did he find us?” She shivered against my body. “I thought ogres were pretty rare. Why does he keep popping up?”

He came after her because he had smelled her before when she was with her group. Once an ogre wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it.

I cupped my mate’s chin and turned her face toward me. “I protect you.”

“I need to get back with the others. They can all help,” she said with no hesitation.

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