Page 20 of Loved By The Orc (Monster Orc Brides #4)

Negan :

I WAKE UP SLOWLY, wrapped in warm arms. The room is dark and I have no idea whether it’s day or night. Mayhap early morn.

I just feel… safe. Comfortable and safe and loved pressed so close to him. Last night he told me he loved me. I said it back. Then we made love.

We love each other. Despite the fact that we’re in hiding from his clan, in their own mating house, I feel happiness bubble inside me. This is what I’ve always wanted. Yesterday I thought it was all ripped away from me and here I am.

He kisses the top of my head. “I love waking up like this.”

“I do, too.”

“How long have we been down here?” I ask quietly. I lost track after day four or five.

“Eight days, beautiful. They are not searching as hard anymore, figuring you are long gone. Hoping you never made it home. Mayhap just looking for your body. This is the perfect time to leave.”

“Now?”

“Within the next hour. You get packed and dressed and I’ll slip out, prepare the supplies and make sure it’s safe outside.”

When I’m finished with my chores, I head back to the window where we first arrived .

The grate slides across the window, and the metal squeals along the smooth surface. With a swoosh and then a thump, the window slides shut again, and the grate moves back into place.

“Honey, I’m home,” Varguk teases in a soft voice.

It’s been at least a week that we’ve been hiding out in the basement of the mating hut.

“Did it go okay?” I ask, scrambling up from the curtained area I hide behind. I rush over to him, and without thinking, feel his arms and legs for any scrapes or breaks. It’s important that he stay healthy…

“Female,” he says, laughing. “Will you cup my cock and ask me to cough?”

The darkness covers the emerald that I’m sure tinges my cheeks. “If you ask nicely.”

His hand reaches around my neck and brings my face to his.

A light smacking of my lips leaves me licking his taste as he says, “Never have to ask. I love that you worry over me, and I love that you check me. I’ve never had that before.”

“You’re going to have it lots.”

“Promise?”

“Forever and ever,” I swear.

And like he can’t help himself, his lips lock to mine. His kisses are deep and sweeping, and desire begins to unfurl in my belly.

But he pulls away.

“No time for this, love. We have to leave,” he says.

“They’ve just gotten back from a search, they’re tired, and we’ll have our pick of horses.

In the past, I took care of the beasts and none will balk at my presence over their owners.

Not one person suspects we’re hiding here, and I just loaded up on food for the journey. ”

“We’ll leave in the dark?” I ask, surprised. If Southpeaks are like Blackhearts, there are traps dug.

“Aye. We won’t travel far, just far enough to camp off Southpeak jurisdiction.

And the trail that we travel down, the horses will know from earlier today, right?

Once the first light of morn hits, we’ll ride hard.

We’ll make it to the mountains, and probably have to wait another night to make it to Solaya. ”

“Creede is closer.”

He shakes his head. “I want you safe, Negan. Completely safe.”

He’s a stubborn male, but a good one, so I give a quick nod.

“Gather our stuff.”

I grab the satchel that contains our flint and toothbrushes, the last bottles of water. An extra knife, a blanket, and a small pot.

“I’ll go through the window first,” he says. “Make sure it’s clear. Then I’ll pull you up and we’ll move quietly to where the horses are kept.”

The grate slides across the window again, the sound making me wince.

He waits a few minutes to make sure it’s safe, and then slides the window open, handing me his pack.

He pulls himself up, then reaches for the pack, sets it down, and pulls me through.

He presses a kiss to my lips as a reminder for silence, which makes me grin like a fool. He smiles back.

Funny how a few days earlier, he collected me from the room with a finger pressed over my lips as a reminder. I much prefer the kiss instead.

Taking my hand, he leads me around the back of the hut, peers around the wall, and we skirt across to the next building.

We do the same thing with the next hut, over and over, avoiding the homes with lights on, until there’s a clearing that leads to the stables.

With a few clicks of his tongue, a horse trots over like he knows Varguk.

Var ties his bag onto the animal, sets me astride, and then climbs on behind me.

We trot right out of the stables without a word.

Once we’re clear, he strikes up a heavier trot, taking us through winding trees and alongside a running creek. The moon is full and it’s probably one of the reasons he picked this night to leave .

After a bit, when the trees grow thicker, he slows us to a walk again. It’s cool out, and he lets his steed drink from the creek while we sit wrapped together at the base of a tree.

“You can sleep,” he murmurs in my ear. “I’ll wait for the first rays of the sun and wake you so we can be on our way.”

“How far are we from West Mountain land?”

“A ways. We can’t travel fast. We have to take hidden roads to keep away from other clans. Our villages are set up like a maze so we can always be aware of travelers.”

My breathing grows steady and next thing I know, I feel him shift. The sky is lighter—just barely—and I know he wants to mount and ride.

The horse travels slowly until there’s a good glow rising over the horizon, and then he picks up the pace.