Page 2 of Enchanted with the Orc (The Kingverse Orcs #4)

Enka

I pretended to be calm as I walked into the hallway, my heart thudding in my chest. It’d been a week since the last time I’d encountered the female whose scent had drawn me like a moth to a flame.

There was something different about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Ever since the first time I’d met her, when I’d caught her scent, everything in my brain began rewiring itself.

I’d talked to Rok and Rudgar about it, trying to suss out whether she could be my mate, but I couldn’t be sure. It hadn’t hit me the way it had slapped them in the face. This was something else.

Still, as I lifted my head to the air, taking a solid sniff, her scent picked apart from all others, a fine perfume like I’d never smelled before. Turning sharply, I headed in her direction, drawn to her like nothing I’d ever been drawn to in my life.

It’s her. I know it.

Was this the slow awakening that Dristan—our chieftain—had told Rudgar about?

Pen’s pregnancy had progressed nicely, but she was close enough to giving birth to their youngling that he didn’t want to be disturbed, happy to spend their last moments as a single couple alone, so I hadn’t been able to ask him directly.

I couldn’t blame him. If I was mated, I’d stick so close to her she’d probably find me to be a nuisance. Making my way down a corridor, I turned into another and went face-to-face with a tiny… person.

Quirking an eyebrow, I stared at it for a long moment as it stared right back. I looked around, trying to see if this was some kind of prank, but the little bitty thing just stood there, rocked back on its heels as it stared up at me.

We have younglings here?

Since we’d arrived to this plane, there had been so much going on and so much learning to do that I hadn’t had much time for socializing. Whoever this youngling belonged to must not have had time to introduce it to us either. Confused, I lifted my hand in a wave and it narrowed its tiny eyes at me.

Well shit, I guess I’m in trouble?

“Rud-Rud?” it asked me in a high-pitched little squeaky voice that oddly hit me right in my chest. I lowered myself to my haunches, much closer to being on its level.

“I’m Enka,” I told it. “And who’re you?”

The narrowed eyes became wide and a grin crossed its face, a loud giggle leaving its lips. Brown, sparkling eyes drew a smile from me. I’d never heard anything sweeter in my life.

“Gabbi,” it said, and I realized the youngling was female.

“Hi, Gabbi,” I said, adoring the bright grin and sparkling brown eyes. In fact, she looked very much like Tasia. It was almost as if…

My thought trailed off as—with a battle-cry that would rival the toughest of orcs—she threw herself at my leg, digging her tiny, sharp teeth as deep as she could into my ankle where my pants had ridden up to expose my bare flesh.

It wasn’t very deep, since orcs had tough skin, but it was still enough to startle me. I fell backward, onto my ass, and that just made the feral little beastie giggle louder.

She latched her little arms around my leg, keeping her teeth clamped and she moved every time I did. I stared down at her, confused, but she was still giggling up a storm. Looking around again, wondering if the little beastie had an owner, I found the corridor still empty.

Peering down at the youngling, I gave my leg a testing shake, but she held on even tighter, growling now. My eyebrows popped up in surprise, but I found myself grinning down at her.

“Hungry?” I asked, and she giggled louder. “Famished, I see. Well we’re just going to have to find you something to eat, aren’t we?”

She nodded with enthusiasm, still latched to my ankle. I was careful as I made my way to my feet, trying hard not to dislodge her, but it looked like she wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon.

Snorting out a laugh, I took one of her feet into my hands, marveling at how tiny it was, but she probably thought I was trying to pull her off, so she squealed her annoyance, squeezing her little arms tighter around me.

I cupped both of her feet into the palm of my hand, lifting her until she was upside down.

The squeal immediately switched to one of glee, as I walked, holding her with her little braids falling down to tickle my feet inside my shoe. I’d just turned another corner when a female almost collided with me.

If I’d been paying attention, I would have realized someone was coming—and most definitely who it was, because it was Tasia, her long hair tied back from her beautiful face, with a red silk scarf wrapped around the top of her head.

Her scent filled my lungs, and a strong cascade of possessiveness filled me.

My mate.

Stumped, I blinked down at her, awed by the fact that I could recognize her now when it had been so difficult before. It was as if something had been blocking the instinct inside of me, and now it no longer was.

She skidded to a stop, avoiding me by only an inch and she gasped, staring up at me with wide eyes. I was trapped in her chocolate gaze—that was so like the youngling’s—for a long moment, before she dropped it to look at the giggling toddler still latched to my ankle as I held hers in the air.

“Gabbi,” she fretted, going to her knees to reach for the youngling’s face. My head tilted with curiosity as I watched her attempt to open the little one’s teeth. “I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe she did this. She probably thought you were Rudgar—”

“That’s why she called me Rud-Rud,” I said with a low chuckle, watching in fascination as Tasia tickled Gabbi until she was howling with laughter, releasing me. She scooped her from me, turning her so her little body was cradled against her.

The little one pressed her face to Tasia’s neck, and as I looked from the youngling to her, logic coalesced in my brain. With it, denial and crushing disappointment filled me at once .

But I needed to know for certain, so I asked, my voice a low croak of sound, “Your daughter?”

Her bright smile was answer enough, as she pressed her face to the little one’s. “Yes. She’s a handful, though. And I’m so sorry!” she chuckled, her nose scrunching at the end in an adorable expression that made my heart thump in my chest.

Of course she’s already mated. She can’t belong to you.

“No need to apologize,” I told her, dropping my gaze to my feet where the boots that I’d bought with my first paycheck were. “She’s very sweet. Gave me a nickname and everything.”

“She spoke to you?” she exclaimed, rubbing her hand on the little girl’s back. “Oh, that’s wonderful. The only male she talks to is Rudgar, and I was so worried that since she’s only around females she was too shy.”

My eyes whipped up to hers and hers widened as if I’d startled her. “She’s not around males?” I asked, knowing I had no right to question her, but too invested to pretend I was doing anything but hanging on her every word. “What about her father?”

“Oh,” she sighed, her smile becoming tighter, more practiced. “He’s not really in the picture.”

I knew I should stop the beaming grin from spreading across my face, but even as I internally screamed at myself, the ache in my cheeks told me it was firmly in place. “That’s too bad.”

Frowning, she nodded, rubbing her daughter’s back as the little one wriggled in her arms to be put on the floor. While she fussed, Tasia sighed, shaking her head.

“I’ll just take this one back to her room. She was supposed to be taking a nap, but then she just disappeared,” she huffed, turning Gabbi until she was giving her a stern look, but the youngling just smacked a kiss to her cheek.

Her stern expression gave way to another smile and she nuzzled her nose against her daughter’s.

My heart melted at the affection between them and I wished I could be a part of that.

Cautioning myself on getting invested too early without knowing everything I needed to, I waved at the pair as they left before turning and heading straight back to my office.

I need to find out more.