Page 13 of Loved By The Orc (Monster Orc Brides #4)
Varguk:
I’M AWAKE, CALMLY studying the house by the time the human male—Paul—pokes his head into the wagon. He looks surprised to see me holding stock still as if I awaited his approach.
Though I visited Negan at midnight, she was sleeping so soundly that I slipped through the rest of the house, checking to make sure it was secure before I left the same way I came, leaving her a single rose on her nightstand.
I’ve known Paul was awake from the moment he rose from his bed.
He pauses at the foot of the wagon, waiting to see if I’ll speak first, I suppose.
I wait.
“I’m heading out. Rosemary’s up. Why don’t you head inside?” He scowls, trying to look fierce. “I’d prefer if the guard was inside protecting the women.”
Which makes no sense. The females are safe whether I’m inside or out. No one is getting through me.
He clears his throat. “And just so you’re aware, Rosemary will want to go shopping and will expect you indoors for dinner.”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. He would want me—an orc—inside his home to share a meal?
“Don’t disappoint her.” He turns on his heel. “Door’ s unlocked.”
Unlocked? He didn’t lock them in? I scowl and the older man tosses a grin over his shoulder before leaving.
So much for having time to dunk in the creek for a quick clean up. Instead, I grab my satchel and quietly enter the house to find Rosemary wrapped in her robe, heading to the kitchen.
I freeze. She looks atrocious, her abnormally-dark hair with white roots wrapped in huge curlers, and a blueish-green paste smeared onto her face.
It is some sort of anti-mummification process I can’t comprehend. Without speaking, I turn and lock the front door, then warily turn back to meet her crazy.
“Look at you, up bright and early,” she pipes. “Just heading to make some coffee. Do you want to make use of the shower before Negan wakes? It’s right down the hall.”
The exasperating female heads right into the kitchen, not even caring that she leaves a stranger in her hallway. I stare after her, bemused for several seconds. Shaking my head, I make my way down the hall from whence she came. At least I can clean up before Negan wakes.
A bathroom is on the left, door ajar.
Like the hotel, the human home has a never-ending supply of hot water. Not that I’m rude enough to test the theory. I change my clothes, tossing my old ones into my satchel, and brush my teeth. I head back out, but I don’t hear any voices.
Disappointment hits when I see Rosemary alone in the kitchen.
“You clean up nicely,” the old human says. “Leave your dirty clothing in that mudroom near the back door. There’s a washing tub. I’ll soak them first so just place them in the sink for me.”
I stare at her, aghast. “I can clean my own clothing.”
“Yes, but why would you? I’m healthy, and you’re injured, boy. Now toss them in there.”
Bemused, I do as she asks .
“Perfect. Now sit. Been a long time since I’ve had anyone to fuss over.
Coffee? I made these scrumptious little coffee cakes.
Spiced with cinnamon, the way my little Neegie likes them.
” The old woman bustles around at the cabinet, dousing a sweetcake with a dollop of cream, before bringing it to where I sit at the counter.
My brother would have murdered her long before now and made off with the sleepy Negan.
My stomach churns when I think of how close he came to infiltrating their happy home…
and how much of a part I had in it. Because it was me who had the idea to ask Bakog to introduce me to the bridge.
My father jumped on that, giving me the task to see it through.
Though, at the time, I thought we might have a simple mating plan between us. A business arrangement.
Until the first time I saw her.
Then Rosemary grabs her own coffee and sits across from me at the counter. She’s going to join me?
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
I immediately know who she’s talking about. The image of the sleeping beauty from last night pops into my head.
“Aye,” I grumble, unable to deny it.
“She was beautiful from the first day she emerged from the womb. You know when Oshin first had her, he knew that much beauty would be a detriment. Unless, she was just as beautiful inside as out. So, his first thoughts? He strapped her to his chest, and brought her all the way south to Solaya. You see, in Solaya, he knew a human woman with the most beautiful soul he’d ever seen.
He was sure that by being around Joanna, Negan would learn to be pure and good inside also.
” She takes a sip of her coffee. “Now keep in mind, there were no alliances between the Blackhearts and the West Mountain orcs at that time. It took nerves of steel to enter an enemy’s territory.
Especially a lone male, who’d once been their prisoner, with an infant strapped to his chest. But he parked himself in the woods, pitched his tent, and sent up a smoke signal.
And when the Royal Guard approached to see what he wanted, he proudly showed off his baby.
He calmly stated that he was bringing his brand-new daughter to see Joanna.
He didn’t know that Latsil, a male of the royal guard, was her mate and recognized him.
It took a lot of trust for Oshin to hand his precious, helpless daughter to those males to take into the gates for Joanna.
I can’t imagine having that much strength.
Before the guards returned, he calmly pitched his tent a few more feet closer to the front gates. ”
I lean forward, entranced with the tale.
She snickers, lost in her own story. “So, when Joanna got that precious little one into her arms, she and the other women, much to their males’ dismay, hurried outside the gates to congratulate Oshin.”
“The king allowed it?”
“He sent more of his own royal guards out to safeguard the women. He didn’t plan on them spending all day outdoors, calling it a birthday party.
And at nightfall had to order them inside.
With a twinkle in her eye, Joanna asked Oshin if he’d like her to take Negan into her cabin that night where it was safe and warm.
He agreed and of course, Brachard could hardly send him packing off his territory with the male’s child in his village.
The next morn, Oshin’s tent was moved yet another few yards closer.
Again, the females brought Negan out to her father, but they stayed to visit.
The day turned into another party, with Joanna blackmailing two males, Kreele and Terk, into bringing a barrel of ale out.
No one knows what she had on them, but they hurried to do her bidding.
And again, the Royal Guard had to come out to protect every drunken person involved.
The next time, Joanna insisted on a picnic lunch.
But it was chilly that day. And so, a lot of the women kept going back and forth between the camp and the village gates.
They’d bring back hot soups and stews and drinks.
Brachard finally threw his hands up and said that it was ridiculous that there was a constant party going on outside the gates, hogging up half of his own protection guard while the other half were sodden fools dipping in ale.
Ignoring the fact that he was the one who insisted they protect everyone.
He ordered Oshin, the first Blackheart orc ever, to enter the West Mountain village.
” She winks. “As a free man, I mean. The first Blackheart to enter who was not a prisoner.”
“Did he sweep the woods to see if others were hiding?” I bark.
“I’m sure,” she agrees. “There was no trust between the two clans. But you understand that because you see it within your own.”
I nod. It’s baffling to all orcs to see this alliance that sprung about between the two most powerful clans. They were once the most hated of enemies, like my clan is with all the others.
“You know that’s how Latsil obtained his scars? From the Blackheart clan?”
“What? Shalia’s father, with the light green hair? The male who protects the first prince?”
She nods. “He was a Blackheart prisoner. Sold into it by his first mate. She lived with him in Solaya and no one knew that she was the traitor. No one inside the gates could find Latsil anywhere. Searched high and low. And poor Lats? Eventually, knowing he would never be found alive, he killed the Blackheart king. Imagine… the male was at his weakest. Captive for months. Hurt, tortured, scarred, and starved. And on top of it all, a broken heart, because he was well aware that his mate was present when he was taken, much as he didn’t want to believe she had anything to do with it.
You know what it’s like when an orc falls in love.
Anyway, he gained the title Kingslayer .
How a man so broken managed to take down a powerful king of the vicious Blackhearts is still a mystery.
Some say there was an unspoken agreement between him and the now-King Jacovi.
” She shrugs. “Mayhap, Jacovi untied Latsil. Mayhap he tended to his wounds. Mayhap he snuck him food. All we know for sure is Latsil managed to break free, challenged the king, and killed him. With no one else qualified, Jacovi stepped in as new king. And Latsil walked free.”
“And his mate? ”