Page 37 of Claimed By the Wild Orc
I crossed my arms—mostly for something to do with them. “You could’ve said something.”
“I was enjoying the view.”
My heart did an inconvenient little flip. He sat up, the blanket falling to his waist, and held out a hand.
“Come here.”
I did.
Because gods help me, I always did.
He pulled me gently into his lap, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder, then lower, to the swell of my chest. His palm curvedaround my waist, his thumb grazing the pendant. “It looks good on you,” he murmured, mouth brushing my skin. “Looks right.”
I leaned against him, my forehead to his. “What now?”
“Now?” He pulled back enough to look at me. “We go to Ardarell.”
I blinked. “The village?”
He nodded. “To the south. Through the woods. There’s a market. You can get whatever you want.”
I tilted my head. “And how, exactly, do you plan to pay for that?”
He shrugged one muscled shoulder. “I have gold. From many battles.”
Of course he did.
“I’ll buy you a gift,” he added, almost shyly. “Anything you choose. And if you want…” He hesitated. “I could build you a house. A real one. With big rooms, a kitchen, solid doors, and a grand staircase.”
I blinked. The idea was… sweet. Thoughtful. A little overwhelming.
But then I looked around, taking in the stone walls, the fading embers in the firepit, and the scent of pine smoke and warm fur. And him. Always him.
It wasenough.
“I don’t want a house,” I said softly. “I want this.”
He frowned slightly, unsure. “This?”
“This cave. This quiet. This warmth.” I brushed his jaw with my thumb. “This life. It’s simple. It’s peaceful. And it’s ours. I like it very much.”
He was quiet for a moment, then nodded once, fiercely satisfied. “Then the cave it is.”
His hand slid up to cradle my jaw. He kissed me then, unhurried and sweet, with the promise of everything still to come. Not just passion. But home. A future. Something lasting.
And as the birds sang outside, and the trees whispered in the breeze, I realized something:
This wasn’t the ending.
Not really.
This was just the beginning.
EPILOGUE
ONE MONTH LATER
Ardarell hadn’t changed.
