Page 33 of Obeying the Orc
“Please don’t make me answer that.” Yes, I felt love for Knot, but it was a heartbreaking emotion that tore me up inside, because I had pushed him away so insistently that I worried he wouldn’t give me another chance should I change my mind about marrying him.
He wasn’t in Faircross right now. He’d left town. I hadn’t seen him since the night he’d given me more than enough money to reinvent myself back in Jathaway.
“Well, the stagecoach won’t arrive for five days, Julianne. A lot can happen in five days. Perhaps the two of you will work things out. But even if you don’t, know that you’re a strong and smart woman. There is happiness waiting for you somewhere, I just know it.” She stroked the side of my face, then gave one of my curls a playful tug.
I broke into a smile, and for the moment, I chose to believe that Floura was right. I chose to believe happiness awaited me somewhere, but the journey there might not be as smooth and painless as I’d hoped.
CHAPTER19
KNOT
The cabin felt lonelierthan ever. Sleep eluded me, and I often found myself sitting on the front porch in the middle of the night, staring at the moon and stars. I thought about Natalee every second of the day.
The rising sun peeked through the curtains in my bedroom, casting an orange glow across the floorboards. Morning already. I had remained awake the entire night.
I felt like a male gone mad. The only reason I’d come back to my claim was because I couldn’t bear to be in Faircross if I couldn’t be near Natalee.
She had refused me. Over and over again.
I scrubbed a hand down my unshaven face and got out of bed. If I visited her one last time, would she change her mind? Maybe she missed me. I had been absent from The Sweet Siren for six days now, and those six days felt like an eternity.
I walked onto the front porch and stared down the mountain. If I rode hard, I could make it to Natalee before midday. In a few short hours, I might hold her in my arms again.
“Gods, give me guidance,” I prayed, staring at the sky.
The traveling judge was probably still in Faircross. The man had been due yesterday and typically remained for two or three days each time he passed through. I’d been counting down the days until his arrival, still hoping Natalee would come to her senses and agree to become my wife.
She was perfect for me. And damn if it made me conceited, but I thought I was perfect for her. She’d responded to me like a flower bud unfurling its petals each time I’d taken her upstairs at The Sweet Siren. She enjoyed my roughness and I’d treasured the gift of her submission.
My cock hardened as images of all the naughtiness we’d enjoyed together sped through my mind.
If I brought her to the cabin, I could do whatever I wanted to her without fear of anyone hearing. I could pound into her long and hard until she screamed my name. I could take a paddle to her, or even make love to her on the front porch where I was standing now. I could hold her and love her and strive to bring her happiness.
Natalee.My sweet Natalee.
Before I realized what I was doing, I’d already ventured back into the house to start dressing for the day. I hurried to get my boots on and rushed outside to saddle Telrud.
I made the ride to town in about three and a half hours. A new record. It was as if Telrud sensed my urgency to reach Faircross. As I guided my trusted horse over the bridge that led into town, I passed two covered wagons and a group of miners riding down from the foothills. Some of them gawked at the sky as Dhomyss soared toward the southern edge of the island.
I deposited Telrud at the stables in the capable hands of a young groom named Carf. Rushing out into the street, I headed straight for The Sweet Siren. As I hurried down the road, I passed the sheriff and his wife, both of whom tried to wish me good morning, but I ran past them without more than a quick nod of acknowledgment.
Natalee. I had to find her.
I had to see her.
I had to convince her not to take the next stagecoach to Orsleann. Fuck, I didn’t even know what landmass in the Northern Isles she called home. If she left Faircross, tracking her down would be next to impossible.
My spirits darkened and my heart felt weighed down at the prospect of losing contact with Natalee. At the very least, I wished to say goodbye one last time and ensure her well-being. Nerves twisted in my stomach as I neared the tavern.
What would I find inside?
What if Natalee had decided to give the money back to me?
I’d ordered her not to entertain any customers upstairs, but what if she’d stubbornly decided to become a full-fledged siren? I would still want her, of course, but I suspected it would make her even more resistant to accept my offer of marriage.
I swallowed past the sickness rising in my throat and burst through the door of The Sweet Siren. At this hour, only a few patrons were seated at the bar. In the far corner, a winged fae male with a scarred face sat at a table smoking a cigar and nursing a double shot of whiskey. A siren with long black hair I didn’t know by name greeted me as I walked further inside, scanning the main room for some sign of the human female I loved.
“I’m here to see Natalee,” I told the woman. When she gave me a confused look, I clarified. “I mean Julianne. I’m here to see Julianne. I’m a friend of hers.”
