Page 57 of The Orc Chief's Baker
He began a quick clip through the tree line, which was now pitched into near blackness. Not even a glimmer of sunlight remained. Another reason to let him carry her. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked, and the icy wind raked over her chilly skin. The last of her anger and adrenaline wore off, and she began to shiver almost violently.
The orc carrying her tightened his grip, adjusting the cloak slightly so she was covered more thoroughly.
And then he finally spoke. “Why?”
His single grated word made her stomach flip. “Why... what?”
“Why are you out here?” He winced from the pain the words caused him and pity made her quick to answer.
“I—” Her throat constricted as new tears flooded her eyes. She couldn’t get the words out. It hurt too much.
She’d lost her mother’s bakery.She’d lost it.
“Trinia?” Brovdir’s voice was awash with concern and his hand curled around her waist, hot but gentle. She could feel the deadly prickle of his claws against her shoulder and leg before they flashed away, but his grip never loosened.
His warmth and strength distracted her from the pain and exhaustion flattened her. She went a little boneless in his arms and he didn’t flinch. He only adjusted her so she could rest her head against his shoulder if she’d wanted. And Fades did she want to. She wanted to close her eyes and collapse against him. She wanted to soak up his warmth and strength and let him chase away all her anxieties while she slept peacefully.
“Sorry.”
She blinked rapidly and adjusted so she could search his face. She could only see his expression by the light of his glowing eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Brovdir repeated.
“Sorry for what?”
He swallowed thickly and turned away, but said, “For... not seeing you.”
She couldn’t see his expression now that he wasn’t looking at her. “Why didn’t you come to see me?”
A slightly strangled noise came from his throat. His voice was incredibly raspy, and she supposed it would be cruel of her to force him to speak. She was too exhausted to quiz him, anyway.
She leaned her head down against his shoulder and he let out a little huff, only for it to dawn on her. He was taking her back to Oakwall Village.
And she didn’t have anywhere to go.
Chapter
Fourteen
BROVDIR
Fades be praised! She felt good in his arms.
His blood was zinging with the contact. Her sweet scent was all curled up and content in his head. His chest felt light and thrummed with a deep-seated security that he recognized despite never having experienced it before.
An imprint.
“Healed?” he asked this despite the logic that he’d witnessed her injuries disappearing with his own eyes. The cuts were gone, but the scent of blood remained, and she was coated with mud.
He would take her to his bath.
“Yes, I’m healed.” Her voice was a little lower and huskier than he’d remembered. He’d gone to sleep with the memory of her sweet voice playing in his mind, and now he finally got to hear it again. “I’ve taken those tinctures many times and they’ve never failed. Did you think it might?”
“No,” he said with an exhale of relief.
“It was pretty lucky you got to the sinkhole in time. Your hearing must be pretty good to have heard me all the way out here, even for an orc.”
He hadn’t heard her. It was the imprint that had told him she was in peril. The connection allowed him to hear her call, even over great distances.
