Chapter 21

My cheeks are full of scrambled eggs when his words hit me. His eyes widen a fraction, as if only now grasping the implication. Heat rushes up my neck. My throat closes and I cough, choking on a piece of egg.

After swallowing, I eat another mouthful to hide the embarrassment. "That's a choice," I mutter into the bowl.

"You have a problem?" he asks, his voice suddenly angry.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Of course I have a problem, Your Majesty. I don't know you, and you want us to share a bed? You could roll on top of me and make Violet pancake!"

He squeezes his eyes in confusion, but I'm on a roll.

"Or do you expect me to sleep on the floor? Over a rug? We might be different, but I'm not an animal." Well, technically, humans are animals. I shake my head. That's not the point. "You could accidentally kill me with your size."

"Orcs have light sleep. I could never accidentally kill you."

Asshole. The emphasis sends a clear message.

"Well, you don't trust me, but I don't trust you either," I say. "How could I fall asleep next to a stranger who could hurt me if he wanted to?"

Thorn clenches his jaw and looks away. I swear his face has gone red, but that must be my delusion speaking. "Humans are more prudish than I expected," he mutters. "I'll find other accommodations for myself then. You need to be close to the child, and Gorbag will stay with you." He takes a beat, his nostrils flaring with deep breaths. When he looks back at me, his eyes are cold pits of darkness. "Eirik's your responsibility now. All of his things are in that dresser." He points out the dark wood furniture.

"What about food? What time does he eat? Is he allergic to anything?" There are a thousand things a nanny should know, but I bet he doesn't have a little notebook or something.

He scowls at the word allergic. I get it. Orcs are so badass they don't get allergies.

"The food will be sent at its proper time," Thorn says in that flat tone.

Thorn bends over the crib and, to my surprise, places a massive hand on the baby's legs. It's... almost a caress? No way this big orc has a soft spot for kids.

No matter how hard I tell myself that's impossible, I can't help but notice the tiny, tiny lift to his lips when he looks at the child. Or maybe that's just his tusks.

Thorn squeezes one of Eirik's chubby legs gently, then straightens his spine to glare at me from above. "The guard outside will ensure you do not harm the baby. Don't even think about it."

I glare back. "I crossed into another world to keep him safe. Why would I hurt him now?"

His eyes soften slightly as he stares back, but he says nothing.

Ha. Got him.

Thorn snaps his gaze away and strides out of the room. The door closes with a heavy thud, leaving me alone with the baby orc. The knot between my shoulder blades comes undone. The muscles in my stomach relax.

I didn't notice how my body responded to the orc king. Like an electrical current has been crossing my skin, raising all the hairs along my arms...

Stuffing the rest of the eggs and mushrooms into my mouth, I look down at Eirik. He can't be two, or he would be speaking, right? I only have the faintest of ideas about this. But Eirik is too big for him to be younger than one year old.

He wears a thick winter onesie, his chubby cheeks lifting when he opens his mouth to mumble. He has the same black hair, black eyes, and even the same nose as Thorn.

I reach inside the crib to tickle his belly. He grabs my fingers, his tiny hand gripping with surprising strength. I bend over the crib, propping my elbow on the rail.

"Are we going to be alright, Eirik?" I whisper to him.

No matter how curious I am about the place, one thing doesn't change. The way we met.

Why would a nanny and a baby need to flee from enemies in the dead of night?

Am I even going to survive the week?