Page 21 of Orin

A sudden, sharp jab in my back sent me soaring through the air from the force of it. With a thud, I landed face down on the ground with my hands out to help break the fall. I screamed, reaching out for anything to cling to, desperate to flee the crowd.

Pushing myself up, I could feel the rough ground scratching against my palms, urging me to crawl away to safety.

Before I could make any progress, a powerful kick landed squarely on my side, jolting me with pain. The impact was so powerful that it took my breath away. As I gasped for air, my breathing became choppy and irregular. My body was flooded with waves of pain, making me flinch with each pulse.

My panic intensified as I realized that the surrounding people were oblivious to me lying on the ground at their feet. Dozens of angry males surrounded me, unaware that they had knocked me down and were now stepping on me.

With one hand clutching my stomach, I struggled to pull myself in the opposite direction. My body shook, and I felt like I was going to vomit. There was no one coming to help me. No one knew I was here. All I could do was try to get out of the way.

Amid the commotion, with people jostling and swearing at one another I felt invisible. Pushing against the sturdy legs of a nearby table, I cried out for help. I rolled underneath while crouching, hoping it would provide protection.

Holding onto my belly, tears marked my cheeks. “It’s going to be okay.” I whispered to my baby, not convinced that was true.

The baby’s stillness filled me with fear.Please God, let my baby be okay.My stomach was hit by an intense pain, causing me to curl into a ball with my arms wrapped around myself.

11

Orin

MY ENCOUNTER WITH OLIVIAat the palace earlier filled me with regret. I had the perfect opportunity to tell her everything when I bumped into her. Instead, all I managed to do was irritate her. Further proof that I didn’t have the skills needed, to be with her.

There was no question in my mind that she was my K’sha once I felt the touch of her skin. The searing energy that arced between us, combined with the flare of my mating marks showed me it was true. Feeling her skin against my palm intensified my longing to make her mine.

Unfortunately, knowing she was my K’sha didn’t put me any further ahead. I still hadn’t told her how I felt. My job as her mate was to protect her from harm and that’s what I was attempting to do regardless of how she saw it.

Perhaps she was right and I should not have spoken to Clor. It would have been better if I had warned her myself about the problems in Struna. Regardless, Clor did the right thing in backing off. It wasn’t appropriate that another male was sniffing around her.

When I returned to the palace in a couple of days, I would make a point of checking in on my mate to make sure she was okay. Somehow, I would break through my fears and confess my feelings for her. Not taking action was leading to unbearable suffering.

I had never come across a female quite like her. The intensity of my longing for her caused me physical pain from being apart.The sight of my gorgeous K’sha never failed to elicit a physical response from me as well as an emotional one. Even before I realized she could be my fated mate, there was something about Olivia that drew me to her.

There had always been a special connection between us. One that I foolishly ignored.

Standing amidst the crowd, I felt a sudden rumble in my chest and a surge of emotions just thinking about her. I longed to hold her close, feeling the softness of her brown curls as they entwined around my fingers, while I tenderly kissed her rosy lips.

I had not tried to get close to her because I was unsure of whether she would welcome me into her life. Fearful that my inexperience with females would lead to her disappointment, leaving her unsatisfied. It was a major factor in my decision to disregard our bond, and I didn’t know how to repair it.

I MADE A CONSCIOUSeffort to stay focused on my work for the rest of the day. Once again, the troublesome males appeared in the middle of the day. Even before I saw the bullies, I'd been filled with a sense of dread that enveloped me. King Trex made the right decision by assigning me to protect the marketplace. I was glad I’d enlisted Drad who was more than willing to help when I told him about Commander Tinuk.

The males disrupted the pleasant mood of the crowd as they pushed through to harass citizens. It was the very same males that we had arrested days earlier. I noticed vendors and customers giving the males disapproving glances and avoiding any interaction.

For a moment, I was sidetracked by an itch in my biceps, but I made the choice to ignore it and resume my observation of the crowd.

Hearing a voice I recognized, I looked to see Latza approaching with a container in her hand. “Why are you here alone?” I accused with annoyance.

She gave me a mocking glare. “Why am I not allowed to visit my little brother at work?”

The corners of my mouth drooped. “It's not safe here right now without your mate with you. You must leave.”

As if to validate my statement, the conflict I'd been anticipating broke out, and it was turning violent. I turned my head toward the loud voices, startled, and then turned my focus back to my sister.

“You need to leave.”

She let out a sigh as she handed me the lunch box. “Fine. See you tonight.” She leaned towards me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek before rushing away.

I joined the other guards in their effort to halt the fight, redirecting my attention to the crowd.

It was a bit of a process, but we caught the troublemakers and other guards moved them to our facility for holding. The crowd dispersed and vendors started packing up to go home as things quieted down.

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