Page 16 of The Orc Chief’s Baker (Orc Mates Of Faeda #4)

Chapter

Ten

brOVDIR

S he leaned in and put her warm hands on his shoulders. It took everything in him not to shiver. His mind was reeling from shock at how quickly things had progressed and he turned his head slightly so she could have better access. He’d expected a quick peck on the cheek.

Instead, she kissed him full on the lips.

His heart thundered, and it felt like it would fall out of his chest.

Fades, he couldn’t breathe. His mind scrambled to understand what was happening. His nose flooded with her sweet scent. His mouth felt like it’d caught fire as her soft, plump lips lingered on his own. Her body was so incredibly warm .

It was over long before he wanted it to be. He’d wanted to relish it. Memorize it. Instead, she pushed back from him, came back to her full height. He lost his balance and plopped down onto his ass in the muck and barely minded.

Her cheeks were bright, but she was smiling .

She was a beauty. He wanted to wrap his arms around the warmth of her body, press her curves into his frame and drown in her.

Instead, a cry sounded from the woods. One he could not ignore.

The warlord’s call.

Fuck , he wasn’t ready. He wanted more time. Why did Karthoc want him now ?

Just when he was trying to war with his instinctual need to obey the authority of his leader, Karthoc yelled again.

A giant roar . Loud enough that Trinia heard it and whipped her curly haired head toward the cry.

The strands that had fallen loose from her queue tempted him.

He wanted to clench it in his grip and tip her head back and?—

“brOVDIR!”

Trinia jumped, hand over her mouth in shock. “W-who was that ?”

“My brother,” Brovdir said under his breath. There was no fighting the call. “I must go.”

“Go just for a moment or . . .”

Judging from his brother’s tone. “Go for today.”

Her expression fell to one of disappointment, and that should not have made him so ecstatic. He wanted to keep her.

And then his brother’s roar caused the birds to fly out of their perches in terror and Brovdir inhaled sharply as dismay tightened in his chest.

“You’ll come back, right?”

He grinned. “Yes. I will.”

“All right, then,” she said with a nod. She’d recovered from her shock rather quickly.

She was a brave woman.

Fades, he wanted her.

“brOVDIR!”

Blast it. “I apologize. I must answer the warlord.”

Her eyes went huge, and his stomach dropped as she said, “But you said it was... you’re... the warlord’s brother ?”

Wrench him to the depths, he’d fumbled this. He should have taken the time to explain. “I am. I?—”

“brOVDIR, NOW!”

Fuck, he couldn’t fight it. And really, what more was there to say?

He bowed his head slightly. “I will see you again.”

She swallowed so thickly he heard it, but she nodded. Tension left him in a rush.

After one last look, he turned away and followed the sound of his brother’s angry yells back to the trade pavilion.

It would take at least a moon to travel back and forth from Baelrok, plus the time it would take to make the trays. He’d have to convince Karthoc to let him come back here...

He’d manage it somehow. There was no doubt in his mind that he would find a way. He’d visit her as often as he was able and eventually... maybe...

She might play conquest for him.

His hope at the thought was too stark to ignore. He’d lost count of the times he tried to find a conquest. So many women who’d shrunk from him in terror. Who he’d kept at a respectful distance and returned to their homes untouched.

Trinia was far different from them. They’d never wanted something from him, only wanted him to go away. Trinia wasn’t like that. She’d kissed him.

His lips still tingled from the touch. Fades be praised. He almost couldn’t believe this was reality.

“Brovdir!” Karthoc hollered as he made his way out of the woods and back under the canopy of the birch trade pavilion. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“I apologize, Warlord,” he said. “I was preoccupied.”

Karthoc inhaled deeply and said, “I can smell that. She got awfully close.”

Brovdir wasn’t keen on giving his brother any of the details and, thankfully, Karthoc didn’t ask for them.

“Ergoth—the bastard—told the village headman we would bring elk to every family here. Insinuated we’d gone back on our word because we showed without them. Now I’ve promised we’ll all leave now and get them hunted before the end of tomorrow.”

Fuck, that would certainly be a feat. He looked toward the line of tables, counting. There were almost thirty separate tradesmen. Thirty elk. He could hardly fathom it.

Though, he supposed it would be easier to find thirty or more unblighted elk in Rove Woods than it ever had been outside them.

His mouth was watering with want already. He’d smelled the roasted elk in the hall the night before but hadn’t been invited for a meal. Perhaps he could bring down an extra and the warriors could feast tonight.

“And I told them you would get five, as a show of good faith.”

Brovdir jerked with surprise. “Five?”

“Yes. I’m certain you can handle it.”

He could, but it would still be a challenge. Would likely take him all day and perhaps into the night.

But if it was the warlord’s order, then he would obey. He nodded.

The confusion must have still lingered on his face because Karthoc said, “You need to do this in order to leave a good impression on them. You need to be well liked by Oakwall, Brovdir. That is my order to you. To be friendly and outgoing toward them. Them and the orcs of Rove Wood.”

Brovdir’s brow furrowed and his stomach sunk with dismay. Being sociable and outgoing was difficult enough for him already to say nothing of how his voice faltered after a few sentences.

He would normally never question Karthoc, but his confusion got the better of him.

“Why?”

Karthoc took a deep breath, his expression flat, his eyes stern. They left no room for argument.

“Because I’m naming you the next chief of Rove Wood.”

And with that, Brovdir’s heart fell out of his chest for the second time that day.