Page 19 of Bound in Flames (The Savage Hearts #1)

Chapter 19

Dex

“ S he’s human… small…”

“How can the Seer be sure this is the shaman from the prophecy?”

“I expected someone more… formidable.”

My fists clenched at their hushed comments, the weight of their skepticism pressing down on me. I had anticipated their doubts. Cleo was unlike any shaman we had encountered before. They only saw her delicate frame, the softness that stood in sharp contrast to our own hardened bodies. Orcs were used to strength in broad shoulders and battle-scarred skin. But Cleo had a different kind of toughness. And Gods help me, I was starving for her and her deceptive strength beneath her soft exterior. Her flame-red hair cascaded in wild curls, drawing my eyes with every sway of her hips, a hypnotic rhythm that unsettled me. She was a contradiction that gnawed at my resolve—fragile yet fierce, human yet something more .

I fought to keep my focus on my people, but my gaze betrayed me, flicking back to her time and again. The way her chest rose and fell with each breath, the delicate curve of her neck, the faint tremble in her fingers as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Each detail stirring something primal in me, the need to claim her was an ache that had been simmering beneath my skin since the moment she stepped into my world.

Her scent, a mixture of earth and something sweet, curled around me, making it impossible to stay unaffected. I could feel my pulse pounding against my throat. My hands itched to touch, to take. I had spent years mastering control, wielding it like a blade, but Cleo had unraveled me within a day.

The corridor stretched on, winding deeper into the heart of the stronghold, and with each step, the tension coiled tighter in my gut. The torches cast long shadows along the walls, and I felt her presence beside me like a constant hum beneath my skin. Her smaller body moved with an effortless grace that was foreign yet enthralling, the sound of her soft leather boots whispering in contrast to the heavy thud of mine.

“Your clan is hesitant about me.” she said softly, breaking the silence. Her voice pulling me from my thoughts.

I glanced at her, catching the flicker of firelight in her green eyes. They held an uncertainty she tried to mask, but I could see it. My people doubted her, but she felt it more deeply than she let on. A muscle ticked in my jaw as I fought the urge to reach for her, to reassure her.

“They don’t know what to make of you yet,” I said, my voice rougher than intended. My eyes traced her figure, the way the fabric clung to the curve of her waist, the delicate strength in the set of her shoulders. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away.

Cleo tilted her head, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “I see.”

I smirked, but there was a raw edge to it, my restraint stretched too thin. She was playing with fire, and she didn’t even know it. “They think you’re delicate,” I admitted, letting my gaze linger just a little too long. Her lips parted invitingly, and I had to force myself not to focus on how soft they looked. “But they’re wrong.”

“And you?”

I had seen her wield power beyond anything my warriors could comprehend, but it wasn’t just her magic that pulled me in. It was her. I stepped closer, the air thick between us. “I think you are far more dangerous than they realize.”

She swallowed, and I watched the delicate bob of her throat, my fingers twitching at my sides, craving to trace that line. The space between us was suffocating, filled with unspoken tension that clawed at my restraint. The way she looked at me, heavy with lust, made my blood roar through my veins.

“You’re staring.” Her voice held an amused edge, but there was something else in her eyes that mirrored the hunger that gnawed at me.

I grunted, tearing my gaze away, but not before letting my hand brush against the small of her back, a fleeting touch that sent a shiver through her. I could feel the tension crackling like a live wire. Her presence was consuming, an ache I couldn’t ignore, and it took everything in me to remind myself of my responsibilities to her as much as the clan. She was exhausted and desperately needed rest. But each glance, each subtle brush of her against me, chipped away at my restraint, fueling my instincts to take her to bed and claim her.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her fingers brushing against mine as we walked.

"To my chambers to retire for the night." I didn't miss the flare of heat in her eyes, and I had to fight against my desires to ravage her body here in the corridors, my clan be damned. "Stop it, I can feel your eyes on me. You need rest before you can play."

Her dark chuckle wrapped around me like a silken thread as we reached my door. The heat in her eyes was a challenge, one I ached to accept, but I had to hold firm. For now.