Page 9 of Resisting the Wicked Orc (Silvermist Mates #4)

CHAPTER NINE

RAVA

“... a nd that’s why we need a full report on your combat training. How are we supposed to know you can protect her if we don’t?—”

“I’ve been fighting since I could walk,” Zral replied, his voice carrying that dangerous edge of patience I recognized all too well. “The Sombra don’t coddle their warriors.”

I paused in the doorway, watching the scene unfold. My brothers had Zral surrounded—Kaz with his arms crossed, Malak leaning against the wall with deceptive casualness, and Zane circling like he was sizing up prey. Zral stood in the center, shoulders squared despite the way he still favored his left side where Kaz’s boot had cracked his ribs.

“Carving toys isn’t exactly battle training,” Zane prodded, his tail flicking with obvious enjoyment. “I heard orcs from your clan spend more time whittling than fighting these days.”

Zral’s jaw tightened. “I’d be happy to demonstrate my skills. Anytime.”

This shit again. For three days, I’d walked in on variations of the same scene—my brothers testing Zral’s patience with thinly veiled interrogations disguised as concern. The compound felt smaller by the hour, too many dominant personalities crammed into too little space, with too much uncertainty hanging over all our heads.

My gaze lingered on Zral, cataloging the changes since that night. The bruises had faded from purple to yellow-green, and he moved with more ease, though I noticed how he still guarded his ribs when he thought no one was looking. The physical wounds were healing, but there was a restlessness in his eyes that mirrored my own. This wasn’t his place—surrounded by mercenaries who happened to be my annoying big brothers.

I loved them. Truly, I did. But if I had to listen to one more ‘friendly chat’ about Zral’s capabilities, I was going to set something on fire. Preferably Kaz.

What I really wanted was a moment alone with my mate without three overprotective idiots listening through the walls. We’d barely had time to breathe since Javed’s death, let alone process what it meant for us. For our futures.

I stepped fully into the room, and the tension immediately shifted. Zral’s face softened when he saw me, with more than a little flicker of relief in his eyes. Kaz turned with an overly casual smile that didn’t quite mask the severity of his earlier questioning.

“It’s done?” Kaz asked, his tail betraying his impatience.

“Yes.” I brushed past Zane, moving to stand beside Zral. His hand found mine, fingers intertwining with a gentle squeeze that sent warmth through my chest. “I threw the pendant into?—”

Kaz held up his hand, cutting me off. “I don’t want to know. The less information any of us have, the better. In case someone comes looking.”

Smart. I swallowed the rest of my explanation about the active volcano I’d found. Malak had been tasked with disposing of the ring somewhere equally unreachable. As far as anyone knew, the relics were still stories from our ancient past. Nothing more than legends.

“Any word from the Fitsum palace?” I asked, leaning into Zral’s warmth.

Kaz shifted his weight, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I’ve been summoned for an audience with the king.”

My heart stuttered. “And?”

“And nothing yet.” Kaz’s tail flicked with irritation. “But I got the sense from the messenger that Javed was no true loss to the old man.”

The unspoken question hung in the air between us. What would happen to the Kadhan clan now? Would we still be enforcers and mercenaries for hire, or would the king demand retribution for his son’s death? The uncertainty pressed down on all of us, making the compound feel like a powder keg waiting for a spark.

Zral slipped his arm around my waist in a casual embrace that felt anything but casual. I glanced up to find his dark eyes studying my face, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the tension in the room. He leaned down, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to my lips. But his fingers tightened on my hip, lingering too long for a simple touch.

The tension in his body mirrored what I felt in my own soul. I stood on my toes, bringing my lips to his ear. “Need a rescue?”

His groan was barely audible, but I felt it rumble through his chest. “Gods, yes.”

I turned to my brothers. “Right, well. I’ll be stealing Zral away before you decide vivisection is the best judge of character.”

Kaz looked like he wanted to object, but Malak caught his eye and gave a subtle shake of his head. Small mercies.

I didn’t wait for them to change their minds. Grabbing Zral’s hand, I pulled him from the room and down the corridor to my bedroom. The moment the door closed behind us, I pressed my back against it and let out a long breath.

“We need to talk,” I said.

Zral went still, his shoulders tensing like I’d just thrown a knife at his head. “What do you mean?”

Shit. Those four little words—the universal prelude to heartbreak. I recognized that look on his face—the careful neutrality that couldn’t mask the hurt beneath. My stomach twisted. How many times had I been on the receiving end of ‘we need to talk’ from Kaz before he delivered news I didn’t want to hear?

“Not about us.” I stepped forward quickly, taking his hands in mine and squeezing his fingers. “Never about us. It’s everything else. This place. My brothers.” I let off a sigh and met his eyes. “I don’t think we should stay here.”

Relief cascaded across his features, the tension draining from his body as he let out a breath. Something in my chest loosened at his reaction—he wanted this as much as I did.

“And here I thought you were already tired of me,” he said, but the vulnerability lingering in his eyes told me the joke wasn’t entirely a joke.

“You wish,” I replied, deliberately flicking my tail against his leg in a playful gesture. “Then you could go back to your simple life of carving and fighting without three overprotective brothers analyzing your technique.”

I pictured him back in Silvermist, manning the Sombra woodworking booth. Or in the Grimstone village I still hadn’t seen, surrounded by his friends I still didn’t know. No Zane breathing down his neck or Malak testing his reflexes with ‘accidentally’ thrown objects.

Just… Zral. Happy, easygoing. Talented with his hands for commercial and personal purposes.

My lips quirked.

“So what are you suggesting?” Zral’s thumb traced circles on my palm, sending tiny sparks of awareness up my arm. “Don’t you want to be a merc princess? Finally get your spot on the team?”

The question landed like a stone in still water. I guided him to sit on the edge of my bed, joining him with our thighs pressed together. The mattress creaked under our combined weight in another reminder of how thin the walls were in this place.

“Kaz offered to put me on the team officially,” I admitted, the words tasting strange on my tongue. After years of fighting for recognition, the victory felt hollow. “Said I’d earned it. That I could start training with them as soon as things calm down.”

“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” His dark eyes searched mine, seeing too much. “To prove yourself?”

I nodded, but the certainty I’d expected to feel wasn’t there. For so long, I’d defined myself by what I wasn’t allowed to do—wasn’t allowed to fight, wasn’t allowed to choose my own path. Now that those barriers were gone, I found myself wondering if I’d been chasing the wrong goal all along.

“I want that,” I said slowly, sorting through the tangle of emotions. “But I also want space to be me outside of being a Kadhan.” I looked up at him through my lashes, suddenly afraid he wouldn’t understand. “And I really like waterfalls.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Silvermist?”

“I could teleport back for missions,” I said, the words tumbling out faster as I watched his expression. “The commute would be negligible. And we’d have our own place. No pretending we didn’t hear Kaz discussing contingency plans if you ‘proved unsuitable.’“

“I’ll give you Kadhans points for creatively ending me. Through your daily heart attacks or his inventive uses of household objects…” Zral snorted, lips twitching into a half-smile. He turned serious and utterly engaged with the thumb he stroked in circles on my wrist. “I won’t hide that I’d like out of this compound. But I worry I’d be taking too much. Your family, your ambitions?—”

“My choices,” I cut him off. “I want this. I want to uncover all your secret dreams and annoying habits and a lifetime of tonights.” I lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I want to be your mate.”

Zral’s eyes flared with heat, and he leaned forward until our foreheads touched. The mate bond hummed between us, no longer a frightening tether but a connection I was beginning to treasure.

“A lifetime of tonights,” he repeated, his voice rough with emotion. “I like the sound of that.”

“So that’s a yes?” I couldn’t keep the hope from my voice. For someone who had spent her life being told where to go and who to be, asking for what I wanted still felt like an act of rebellion.

“Yes.” Zral’s lips curved into that roguish smile that made my insides melt. “I’m yours, Rava. For as many tonights as you’ll have me.”

I crashed my lips against his, swallowing his laugh as I pushed him back onto the bed. My tail draped his thigh as I straddled his hips. The kiss turned hungry, desperate with the release of days of tension.

His hands slid beneath my shirt, calloused fingers tracing fire down my spine. I arched into his touch, gasping as he found the sensitive spot where my tail met my back.

“Cheater,” I muttered against his mouth.

He grinned, nipping at my lower lip. “Tactical advantage.”

I ground my hips against the hardness straining beneath his pants, delighting in his sharp intake of breath. Two could play at this game. My fingers danced along the waistband of his jeans, teasing without delivering.

“Rava,” he groaned, his voice a delicious rumble that vibrated through my chest.

“Yes?” I asked innocently, pulling back just enough to see his face. His pupils were blown wide, desire darkening his eyes to midnight.

A knock at the door froze us both.

“Rava?” Kaz’s voice came through the wood, and I barely suppressed a groan. “We need to discuss the meeting with the king.”

I dropped my forehead against Zral’s chest, muttering curses under my breath. Zral’s chest shook with silent laughter beneath me.

“Not now, Kaz,” I called, lifting my head. “We’re busy.”

“It’s important.”

“So is this,” I shot back. “I’ll find you later.”

A moment of silence, then: “Fine. But don’t take all day.”

Footsteps retreated down the hall, and I let out a breath. Zral’s hand cupped my cheek, turning my face back to his.

“Take us back,” he said, his voice low and intimate. “To our waterfall.”

Our waterfall. The words sent a thrill through me. A place that was ours, away from prying eyes and overprotective brothers. A space where we could be just us, without titles or expectations.

I smiled, leaning down to brush my lips against his. “Hold on tight.”

Crimson smoke swirled around us, and then we were there—the thundering rush of water drowning out all other sounds. The spray kissed our skin as we materialized on the stone ledge behind the falls.

Zral blinked, adjusting to the sudden change. Then his eyes found mine, and the heat in them stole my breath.

“Better?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the roar of the falls.

He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he surged forward, capturing my mouth in a kiss that scorched through my veins. His hands tangled in my hair, angling my head to deepen the kiss. I melted against him, opening to the demanding sweep of his tongue.

I tugged at his shirt, breaking the kiss long enough to pull it over his head. I traced the contours of his chest, following the patterns of tattoos that marked his skin. The bruises had faded to yellow shadows, but they were still visible and terrible reminders of everything I stood to lose.

“No more thinking about that,” he said, reading my expression. “We’re here. We’re alive.” He nipped at my earlobe. “And I want to fuck my mate until she can’t remember anything but my name.”

The crude words sent a jolt of pure lust through the cloud of fear. I lifted my chin in a challenge. “Then get to it, orc.”

Zral’s grin turned wicked. He caught my shirt hem with his thumbs and skimmed higher and higher. I lifted my arms, letting him peel the fabric away. His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of me, bare except for my bra. Large hands cupped my breasts, thumbs brushing over the sensitive peaks through the thin material.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, bending to press his lips to the swell of my breast.

Heat pooled between my thighs as he unhooked my bra with practiced ease, letting it fall away. The cool mist from the falls raised goosebumps across my skin, quickly chased away by the warmth of his mouth as he captured a nipple between his lips.

I arched into the sensation, a moan escaping me as he sucked and teased. My fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on as pleasure spiraled through me. His other hand kneaded my neglected breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers until I was panting.

“Zral,” I gasped, grinding against him. “More.”

He chuckled against my skin, the vibration sending sparks of pleasure straight to my core. “Impatient.”

“Always,” I admitted, wrapping my tail around his wrist to guide his hand lower. “Slow is for round two.”

He took the hint, fingers skimming down my stomach to the waistband of my jeans. He flipped us, laying me back against the stone and claiming my mouth in another dizzying kiss. With deft movements, he unfastened my jeans and slipped his hand inside.

“Fuck,” he groaned, his finger circling my clit. “So wet for me already.”

I bit my lip, fighting back a whimper as he teased me with light, maddening touches. “Don’t act so surprised.”

His grin was wicked as he slid a finger inside me, his thumb continuing to circle that bundle of nerves. “Never surprised. Just appreciative.”

My hips bucked against his hand as he added a second finger, stretching me in the most delicious way. He curled his fingers, finding that spot inside that made stars explode behind my eyelids.

“That’s it,” he murmured, watching my face as he worked me higher. “Let me see you fall apart.”

The pressure built, a coiling tension that wound tighter with each stroke of his fingers. I clutched at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as I chased the release hovering just out of reach.

“Zral,” I panted, my voice breaking on his name. “I need?—”

“I know what you need,” he growled, his fingers grabbing the waist of my jeans. He tugged them down along with my panties, leaving me naked while he remained half-clothed.

I propped myself up on my elbows, watching as he settled between my thighs. His dark eyes met mine, holding my gaze as he lowered his head and licked a long, slow stroke through my folds.

“Fuck,” I hissed, my head falling back as pleasure sparked through me again.

Zral hummed against me, the vibration adding another layer to the sensation. His tongue circled my clit, teasing with light flicks before sucking the sensitive bud into his mouth.

My hips bucked, but his large hands held me firmly in place. He devoured me like a man starving, alternating between broad strokes of his tongue and focused attention on my clit until I was a writhing mess beneath him.

He slid two fingers back inside me, curling to hit that perfect spot while his tongue continued its relentless assault. His free hand snaked up my torso to pinch my nipple, the sharp pain mixing with the growing pleasure until I couldn’t tell one sensation from another. All I knew was his mouth on my skin, his fingers filling me, his touch sending me spiraling higher and higher until I broke.

My thighs trembled around his head as I came with a cry, my body arching off the stone. He worked me through it, drawing out every last tremor until I collapsed against him, boneless and breathless.

Zral crawled up my body, his expression smug as he took in my flushed face and heaving chest. “Still with me?”

I narrowed my eyes, summoning enough energy to flip us. He landed on his back with a grunt, eyes widening as I straddled his hips.

“My turn,” I purred, my fingers making quick work of his belt and jeans.

His cock sprang free as I tugged his pants down, thick and hard against his stomach. I wrapped my hand around him, stroking the velvety length. A bead of moisture gathered at the tip, and I swiped my thumb through it, spreading it down his shaft.

Zral’s eyes rolled back, a groan rumbling from his chest. “Rava, if you keep that up?—”

“Can’t have that,” I teased, releasing him. I shifted, positioning myself over him. “Not when I need my mate inside me.”

Zral gripped my hips as I sank down, taking his cock inch by slow inch. The stretch was almost too much, the perfect burn as he filled me. I kicked my head back, lost in the sensation as he bottomed out.

His hands caressed my thighs, his thumb slipping between my legs to find my clit. The light touch sent a shiver of pleasure through me, and I began to move. Slowly at first, rolling my hips to build the friction between us. Zral’s dark eyes stayed fixed on mine, watching each rise and fall with undisguised hunger.

“Gods, you feel so good,” he groaned, gripping my waist tightly. “Ride me, Red. Ride your mate.”

I braced my hands on his chest, lifting up before sinking back down. The friction was delicious, each movement sending sparks of pleasure through my core. Zral’s eyes dropped to where our bodies joined, watching his cock disappear inside me with each roll of my hips.

“Fuck, yes” I gasped, setting a rhythm that had us both panting. “So good. So deep like this.”

Zral sat up suddenly, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me in place. The new angle drove him impossibly deeper, tearing a cry from my throat. His mouth found my breast, sucking and nipping as I rode him.

“That’s it,” he encouraged, his voice strained. “Take what you need.”

I ground against him, chasing the building pressure. His hand slipped between us, finding my clit and circling it in time with my movements. The dual stimulation was too much. I came with a shout, my inner walls clamping down on his cock as pleasure crashed through me.

Zral growled, his control snapping. He flipped us again, pressing me into the stone as he drove into me with powerful thrusts. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed in our private sanctuary, mingling with our gasps and moans.

“Mine,” he growled, his pace increasing as he chased his own release. “My mate.”

“Yours,” I agreed, wrapping my legs around his waist to take him deeper. “Only yours.”

His rhythm faltered, becoming erratic as he neared the edge. I felt the mate bond pulse between us, stronger than ever. In that moment, I knew what he needed—what we both needed.

I tilted my head, pressing my lips to the crook of his neck. The salty taste of his skin sent a fresh tremor of pleasure through me. So close. Just a bite, just a joining of our souls. “Claim me.”

“Fuck.” Zral’s entire body tensed above me, his hips pumping wildly. “You’re mine. My mate.”

“Yes.” I flicked my tongue across his pulse point. “Make me yours, Zral. Completely, utterly?—”

With a growl that vibrated through my bones, he bit down. The brief flare of pain was replaced with a wave of pleasure, so intense that white light flashed across my vision. I clenched around him, clinging to his shoulders as he rode me through the orgasm.

I turned my head, sinking my teeth into the tender skin of his neck. Zral shuddered above me, his cock pulsing as he came with a deep groan. The mate bond roared fully to life, anchoring itself in our very souls.

We collapsed together, a tangle of limbs and ragged breathing. The roar of the falls seemed distant compared to the thundering of my heart. Zral’s weight pressed me into the stone, but I welcomed it, my arms wrapped around him to keep him close.

After a moment, he rolled to the side, tucking me against his chest. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back, following the curve of my spine. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent—woodsmoke and blackberries, now mingled with my own.

The mate mark on my neck throbbed pleasantly, a constant reminder of our connection. I touched it gently, marveling at how right it felt. How complete.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

His brow furrowed. “For what?”

“For seeing me.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Not the princess, not the mercenary, not the bride. Just... me.”

Zral’s eyes softened, though the heat remained. “Why would I want less of you when everything you are sets me on fire?”

I buried my face against his neck. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It is, Red.” His arms tightened around me, as if to emphasize the words. “Whatever comes next, whichever brother of yours disappears mysteriously first, that will always be true. You are my mate, and I’m yours.”

I laughed into his kiss, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep and genuine. My brothers would have a fit when they discovered we’d disappeared—again—but for once, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Let them worry. Let them search. This moment belonged to us alone.

Zral pulled me closer, enveloping me in his arms, in his warmth. “Tonight and tomorrow and always.”