Page 179 of The Orc's Captive Bride
She dropped to her knees, her hands shaking as she reached for him.
“Khorrek?”
His name came out broken. Terrified. He lay on his back. Eyes closed. Chest?—
Please be breathing. Please. Please. Please.
She pressed her ear to his chest. Listening desperately. Nothing.
No. That’s wrong. Try again.
She shifted. Pressed harder. There! Faint, so faint she almost missed it. A heartbeat, slow and irregular, but there.
“Oh thank god. Thank all the gods. Thank?—”
Her hands moved frantically, checking for injuries, for blood, for anything broken. Nothing obvious. No wounds. No burns.
What happened to you? What did they do?
But she knew. Somehow she knew.
He came after me. Followed me into the mist. Took my place.
“You idiot.” The word came out half sob, half laugh. “You beautiful, selfless, impossible idiot. What did you do? What did you?—”
His eyes fluttered, just a fraction, and she froze, barely breathing.
“Khorrek? Can you hear me?”
Another flutter, stronger this time. Then his eyes opened, dazed and unfocused. But alive.
“Thea?” Her name came out rough, confused, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“I’m here. I’m right here.”
“You’re alive. You’re really alive.”
“So are you.” She cupped his face, her hands trembling. “You came for me.”
“Couldn’t let you—” He stopped, swallowed hard. “Couldn’t lose you.”
“I thought I’d lost you.”
Her voice broke on the last syllable, tears spilling hot and fast down her cheeks. She leaned down and pressed her forehead to his.
“Don’t ever do that again.”
“Can’t promise that.” His hand came up and tangled in her hair. “You’re my mate. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Even sacrifice yourself?”
“Especially that.”
Stubborn. Impossible. Perfect.
She kissed him, hard and desperate and grateful, and he kissed her back just as fiercely, despite his obvious exhaustion.
We’re alive. Both of us. Against all odds. We survived.
