Page 6 of Bewitching the Orc Chief (Silvermist Mates #1)

CHAPTER SIX

MIRANDA

“ A bomination!” Coth’s disgust cut through the quiet like a whip-crack. “See how she perverts the natural order!”

“Demon-touched witch!” Alris’s staff struck the ground. “She brings corruption to our sacred home!”

More voices joined the chorus, some shouting protests, others jeering in agreement. The noise swelled like a swarm of bees, buzzing in my ears as dizziness threatened to tip me sideways.

Osen’s hand closed around my upper arm, hauling me upright. His grip on my upper arm was firm enough to bruise, but I barely registered the pain. His gaze burned through me, so heavy that I wanted to drop to my knees.

I opened my mouth to explain, to defend myself, but Osen’s low growl cut me off. “Stay silent. Come with me.”

He practically dragged me from the gathering, his long strides forcing me to stumble along beside him. The crowd’s reactions were a confusing blur—some reaching for me with reverent expressions, others deliberately turning their backs. The contempt in their eyes burned, but not as much as the curses and condemnations that continued to rain down on us from Alris and his supporters. That was infinitely more dangerous.

Questions crowded my tongue, begging to be asked. But every time I tried to speak, Osen’s grip tightened, and he rumbled another warning to stay quiet. The path back to his home stretched endlessly, my nerves fraying with each step.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind us, the words burst free. “Osen, listen, please. I know it looks bad, but I swear I didn’t?—”

My back hit the wall with enough force to knock the air from my lungs. Osen caged me with his arms, trapping me between heat and stone. Dangerous. Deadly. And completely focused on me.

“Are you hurt?” he demanded, voice rough. His hands roamed over my body, checking for injuries. The corners of his mouth tugged down at the blood covering my side. “Do you need treatment?”

“I’m fine. The magic…” I shook my head, struggling to catch my breath. Explanations of manifested wounds and ritual completion jammed up on the back of my tongue, but they didn’t really matter. They weren’t what he was asking. “It healed me, too.”

For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then his expression shifted, something wild and wanting sliding over his face. “You healed my brother.”

Before I could respond, his mouth crashed against mine. The kiss was hard, almost bruising, his tusks grazing my lips as he devoured me. Instinctively, I arched against him, eager to feel all that hard muscle pressing me into the wall.

He broke away, panting. “You healed my brother,” he repeated, voice filled with wonder. His hands slid down to grip my hips, pulling me flush against him.

Osen’s hands slid under my shirt, calloused fingers skimming over my ribs. His touch left trails of fire across my skin. My thighs clenched involuntarily, trying to relieve the building pressure. I wanted to rock against him, grind against the bulge growing in his pants. Wanted him to keep touching me until I combusted.

But this was wrong. No matter how much I wanted it.

“Osen.” My voice came out breathy and weak. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Osen! Wait!”

He growled, low and dangerous, but pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. The hunger there made me weak in the knees.

“I’m supposed to be leaving, remember?” The words tasted sour on my tongue. “You wanted me to keep my magic hidden. The Sisters will have felt that burst. And Alris?—”

The mob’s shouts still echoed in my head. Alris would be whipping them into a frenzy right now, painting me as some demon-corrupted monster. Healing Torain changed nothing. If anything, it made things worse—I’d brought Osen down to my precarious level.

“I don’t care what magic you used. I don’t care who comes for you.” His growl vibrated through my bones. “You are mine .”

The possessive declaration made my head spin. Part of me—a larger part than I cared to admit—wanted to surrender to the heat in his eyes. To let myself believe, just for a moment, that I could belong here. That I could belong to him.

Osen’s mouth crashed against mine again, silencing any further objections. This kiss was slower, softer, more seductive than the previous one. Gentle teasing replaced desperation, his lips coaxing mine apart until he could sweep his tongue into my mouth. I melted into him, arms winding around his neck as I pressed myself closer.

Strong hands gripped my thighs and lifted me effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me into the bedroom. My back hit the furs covering his bed, his solid weight pinning me in place.

“You healed my brother,” he growled, fingers finding the hem of my borrowed tunic.

The reverence in his voice made my chest ache. I lifted my arms, allowing him to pull the garment over my head. Cool air kissed my skin, drawing my nipples to tight peaks. Osen’s heated gaze raked over my exposed torso, drinking in every curve and lingering on the spot where I’d torn the blade from my body.

“You healed my brother,” he breathed, lowering his head to trail kisses along my collarbone. The scrape of his tusks against sensitive skin made me shiver. “Your magic is a gift.”

I knew I should stop this. That giving in would only make it harder when I inevitably had to leave. But oh goddess, the way he looked at me—like I was precious and powerful all at once. Like I was worthy .

His lips found my breast, tongue swirling around my nipple. I arched into the touch with a gasp. “Osen, please...”

“You healed my brother.” His voice dropped lower as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my pants. I lifted my hips, helping him slide the fabric down my legs.

My panties followed, leaving me bare before him. I fought the urge to cover myself, to hide from the intensity of his stare. But the hunger in his eyes kept me still, pinned in place more effectively than any restraints.

Osen’s hands skimmed up my calves, parting my thighs. “You healed my brother,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the inside of my knee.

The tenderness in the gesture nearly undid me. I propped myself up on my elbows, watching as he settled between my legs. His broad shoulders pushed my thighs wider, leaving me exposed and aching.

“Let me show you how grateful I am, witch.” Another soft kiss, higher this time. “Let me worship you, mate.”

I watched with bated breath as he moved higher, scattering kisses across my inner thigh. His eyes never left mine, bright and intense. Daring me to challenge him. To deny him.

Then he buried his face between my thighs.

I cried out, falling back against the bed as pleasure rocketed through me. Osen’s tongue laved over my clit in broad strokes before dipping lower to tease my entrance. My hips rocked against his face, chasing the sensation.

One large hand splayed across my stomach, holding me in place as he devoured me. The other teased along my inner thigh before two thick fingers slid inside, curling in a way that made stars explode behind my eyelids.

“Fuck,” I panted, fisting my hands in his hair. “Oh fuck, Osen, don’t stop.”

He hummed against me, the vibrations sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body. His tongue circled my clit in maddening patterns while his fingers worked me higher and higher. I was trembling, babbling, losing my fucking mind and desperate for more.

“That’s it,” Osen growled against my pussy. “Come for me. Let me taste you.”

The command sent me spiraling over the edge. I came with a hoarse cry, back arching off the bed as I rode his face. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over me, drowning out everything else. All the fear and self-doubt fell away, leaving me adrift on a sea of bliss.

Osen worked me through it, easing me back down to earth. His movements slowed, gentling, until he finally lifted his head with a satisfied grin. Meeting my eyes, he brought his glistening fingers to his lips and licked them clean.

“You healed my brother.” His voice was rough with desire as he stood, shucking his own clothes. My mouth went dry at the sight of all that tattooed muscle on display. “My clever little witch. My brave, fierce mate.”

I shuddered at the praise, torn between basking in it and shying away. “Osen, I?—”

He silenced me with a searing kiss, swallowing my protests. I could taste myself on his lips, his tongue, his tusks. It should have been obscene. Instead, it made me hungry for more.

When he pulled back, I could see the hint of fang peeking out from behind his lips. “No more running,” he growled. “No more hiding who you are. You belong here. With me.”

The raw want in his voice made me ache. I nodded, beyond words. Osen made a satisfied sound before crushing his mouth to mine once again.

His cock brushed against my entrance, hot and hard and impossibly huge. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. A strangled sound tore from his throat as he eased inside me, stretching me open with agonizing slowness.

I keened as he finally, finally sank into me, burning in the most delicious way. Every inch of him throbbed inside me, filling me completely. It was overwhelming, almost too much, definitely too perfect.

Then he began to move.

Deep, powerful thrusts drove me into the mattress. I clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders as he claimed my body. Every stroke took me higher, stoking the fire inside me until it threatened to consume me.

“So beautiful.” Osen nuzzled my neck, scraping his tusks across my sensitive skin. “All mine.”

Possession dripped from every word, each syllable an oath. I belonged to him. Just as he belonged to me. The thought sent me spinning even higher, and I clenched around him, drawing a groan from deep in his chest.

Osen shifted his weight, angling himself to hit that perfect spot deep within me. Pleasure crashed over me in waves, stealing the last of my breath. He thrust into me again, mercilessly pounding into that spot, driving me to the very edge.

“Say it,” Osen demanded, one hand gripping my hip hard. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“You,” I gasped, teetering on the edge of another orgasm. “I’m yours, Osen. Only yours.”

A triumphant growl rumbled through his chest. His thrusts grew harder, faster, hips snapping against mine with increased urgency. One large hand snaked between us, thick fingers finding my clit and circling mercilessly.

“The past doesn’t matter,” Osen said, punctuating the words with hard snaps of his hips. “You’re good—your magic is good. Look what you did with it.”

I shook my head, overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze and the pleasure building inside me. “You don’t know?—”

“I know enough.” He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. “My mate. My witch. Mine .”

Then his teeth sank into the tender flesh where my neck met my shoulder.

The claiming bite sent me hurtling over the edge. I screamed his name as my climax crashed over me like a tidal wave, dragging me under with its strength. My inner walls clenched around him, milking his cock as pleasure wracked my body.

Osen roared, hips stuttering as he followed me into bliss. I felt the hot rush of his release, filling me as his teeth remained buried in my flesh. The dual sensations of being claimed and filled prolonged my climax until spots danced behind my eyelids. Magic hummed in my veins, stronger than I’d ever felt it.

This was more than sex. More than desire. This was connection on a cellular level. Soul to soul.

Mate to mate.

I should have been terrified. Should have pushed him away and run as fast and as far as I could. But as the bond settled between us, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of rightness .

For long moments, we lay tangled together as aftershocks rippled through us both. Osen’s tongue lapped gently at the mark he’d left, soothing the ache. The simple action sent little shivers of pleasure dancing along my nerves.

When he finally lifted his head, satisfaction radiated from every pore. “My fierce little witch,” he rumbled, voice thick with all the emotion dancing across his face. “Anyone who threatens the chief’s mate will answer to me first.”

Part of me preened at the declaration. I wanted to believe fate offered second chances and handed me someone who saw past the darkness to the woman beneath. But another part—the part that had spent so long looking over my shoulder, that knew exactly what the Sisters were capable of—twisted uneasily.

I had something real to lose now. Someone to lose. And the thought of the Sisters finding this place, of using Osen or his people to punish my betrayal...

But as his arms tightened around me, I realized something even more terrifying than the Sisters’ vengeance: I didn’t want to run anymore.