Page 6 of Agor the Merciless (Orc Mates #10)

She woke up to the sound of something metallic hitting the stone at her feet, sending a dull echo through the gallery.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to find Agor the Merciless staring down at her.

She smiled, and he smiled back – the first full, wide smile he shared with her.

She pushed herself up and winced at the realization that she was aching all over.

She studied her wrists. There was no sign that she’d been tied up just a few hours before.

The rope dangled from the bolt in the wall, and the sight of it refreshed her memory.

It all came back in waves – Agor feeding her, washing her, fucking her.

She hoped it was all going to happen again, because the sound that had woken her up had been him dropping a bucket full of water.

A tray of food was waiting for her, as well.

“Good morning,” he said. “Have you slept well?”

“Mhm... Thank you.”

He sat down next to her, and she quickly nestled against his chest. Her gesture took him by surprise, but he recovered and wrapped an arm around her. With his other hand, he started feeding her fruit.

Zoe munched on everything she was offered greedily. The activities from the night before had left her hungrier than ever. She didn’t mind Agor slipping every morsel of delicious food between her lips. She rather liked it. Being cared for this way... Being pampered...

He washed her after, carefully and meticulously, but to Zoe’s disappointment, that was all he did.

“Come here,” she moaned, trying to pull him on top of her. It was impossible to move him, though. “Come on.”

He shook his head. “You need time to recover. I will claim you again tonight.”

She pouted. “What about right now?”

“Now, I’m going to take you to meet my horde.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened, and she blushed at the thought that they’d all surely heard her the night before. “I... Do you think I’m ready?”

He seemed confused. “Ready?”

“Mmm... yes. What if they don’t like me? What if I’m not what they expect?”

He stared at her for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. The sound reverberated through the cave, traveling down the dark tunnels. It was infectious, and Zoe couldn’t hold back a smile. She loved his laugh. She hoped she’d hear it every day.

“I like you,” he said after he regained his composure. “I am their captain, and they will like you, too. They will serve you and respect you. You are the horde captain’s bride. One day, you will carry my children.”

She bit the inside of her lip. Children.

All right, why not? She’d always thought she’d like to have children, but only if she found the right man.

Someone who would take care of her, love her and support her fully, so she could focus on raising their little ones and fixing cars in her spare time.

Someone who wasn’t selfish. She looked at Agor the Merciless now, and she knew.

He was the one. Not the man, the orc. He’d already showed her he could take care of everything and provide for her.

To the point where all she needed to do was to exist to be worshiped by him.

“I’m going to need new clothes,” she murmured. Her old ones were scattered on the floor, dirty, and kind of ripped, too.

He nodded and went to rummage through his things.

He pulled out a shirt that was his, and a belt to secure it with.

He helped her put it on, and it was so big that it almost reached her ankles.

She giggled as he struggled to make it work.

The belt was too big, too, and he ended up having to use rope to tie the shirt around her waist.

“Fancy. I like it.”

He frowned, and she kissed him on the cheek to appease him. She put her shoes on, and she was ready to meet the horde.

They emerged into the bright morning sun, and Zoe had to shield her eyes with her arm and blink a few times to get used to the natural light.

By the time she could finally see, a few dozen orcs had gathered around her and Agor in a circle.

The captain held her close, and she was grateful, because his orcs looked dangerous.

There were a few female orcs, too, and she identified one of them as the mage thanks to her clothing, but they didn’t look less scary than the male orcs.

“This is my bride,” Agor said simply. “My mate. Zoe. You will serve her as you serve me. You will make her feel welcome, because this is her home now.”

For a moment, Zoe’s heart beat in her throat.

She looked around her, terrified that the orcs wouldn’t accept her.

They were staring at her with curious eyes, especially the females.

She ended up averting her gaze more than a few times, and she cursed herself for being so weak.

She hadn’t been weak the night before, and she’d proved to Agor that she didn’t break easily.

But now, in the bright light of day, she didn’t feel as strong and brave.

But then the orcs started nodding one by one, and she let out a breath of relief.

They murmured amongst themselves in a combination of English and orc language, and Zoe started to relax.

They seemed to be curious, even fascinated with her, but not malevolent.

She knew it would take time for her to feel like she belonged here, but this was a good start.

Agor squeezed her arm gently to draw her attention.

She looked up at him, offering him a reluctant smile.

“My bride, what do you think about your new home?”

“Umm...” She looked at the forest beyond the clearing, at the big mouth of the cave, and listened to the river in the distance, and the song of the birds.

It was wild, and she’d never been in the wilderness before, but for everything in life there was a beginning.

“I love it! You’ll have to teach me your. .. umm... ways.”

“You don’t have to do anything.” He pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head.

“I know, but I want to. Not right now... But I’d like to help. Contribute.”

He frowned. “My bride will never have to lift a finger.”

“Okay, okay... But if I want to?”

“Then you shall do whatever you please. Whatever makes you happy.”

She grinned and craned her neck to look into his eyes. “You make me happy.”

His breath hitched at that, and Zoe felt proud of herself. To have such an effect on this huge, green-skinned beast was... something.

“My mate, I am devoted to you. To your happiness.”

“And to our future children?”

“Yes. Always.”

She lifted herself on her toes, but it wasn’t enough to reach him. Agor wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her like she weighed nothing. She pressed her lips to his, and when he responded eagerly, she thought...

This was their first kiss. And it was perfect.