9. Khuldruk

9

KHULDRUK

D ru held her hand as she led them down a path in the woods. He would follow her anywhere. He had felt her magic awaken, and the magic of their bond would wake his as well. Orc magic was only ever fully in its power when they had found their mates, and he was certain she was his.

Still, they walked quietly down a wooded path. The moon was full in the sky, lighting their way. From what he had learned about humans, their sight in the dark was not good, but with this amount of moonlight, she seemed to be finding her way easily enough. Even still, his senses were heightened, and he wouldn’t let any harm befall his little mate.

She led him down the path a bit more until they came to a small beach next to the lake. On the side of the small beach was a wooden dock that led out onto the water. Letting go of his hand, she walked down the dock until they came to the end.

"Can we sit?" she asked. "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around everything that just happened."

"I imagine that's a lot to take in," he said as he sat down next to her.

"Are you magic too?" she asked.

"Well, that's a complicated question. I’m from a place where magic is commonplace."

She turned to look at him. The moonlight fell on her chestnut curls, and he couldn't resist. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and moved his hand through it, feeling her silky soft strands.

"Hold on," she said with a slight grunt. "I've been in this thing far too long today." She reached down and started unlacing her stays. "Would you like help?"

"Yeah, actually, that would be great."

"Here, stand up and I’ll get you unlaced."

She stood with his steady hand as help, and then he kneeled before her, unlacing her corset. He noticed how lovely her unbound breasts were, and he was looking forward to the moment he would be able to fully appreciate them, but he could wait.

She took a deep breath. "Thanks. Taking a deep breath helps."

She settled back down on the dock next to him. He moved his arm, and she settled right in, and it made him smile. He wasn't sure how to talk about some of the things they needed to talk about, but maybe it would all be okay. When she was near him like this, everything felt right. He wasn't a man of many words, but he would find a way to explain all of this to her.

She turned on her side, leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder as she looked up at him. It felt comfortable, like they had always belonged just like this.

"So, I'm trying to take it all in, figure out why something that should be the weirdest thing I've ever heard actually makes sense. I reserve the right to freak out when this all sets in, but right now, I just want to hear more. Can you tell me where you're from?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat as his fingers nervously played with the rough wood on the side of the dock. "I am from the monster realm, like Bridget mentioned."

"There are humans in the monster realm?" she asked.

"Some, not many."

"What kind of monsters are there?"

"Many. Orcs, Elves, Goblins, Werewolves, Vampires, and hybrid of all."

"Wow. Is it similar to here?"

"It depends. Not all of the monster realm is the same. Some places look just like this; others, nothing like this."

"I guess I belong there too... a little bit, at least. Do you know any sirens?"

"No, I have never met them. They mostly live in the southernmost parts of my lands. They tend to stay near beaches and the ocean. I prefer the mountains."

"Can I ask you a weird question?" she said, breaking eye contact and looking up at the stars.

"I think you've earned a weird question or two?"

"I don't even know how to ask this..." Her energy had changed, and while his sense of smell was not as keen in this form if she was afraid he would be able to smell that, something was going on.

"Ask anything. I’ll answer honestly."

"Okay, I'm just going to say it." She stopped and took a deep breath. "When I touch you...I feel something."

He looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow, because he felt something too.

"Not like that," she said with a small grin and elbowed him. "Okay, well, yes, like that, but there is something else too."

"Yes. There is," he said. A deep sense of satisfaction came over him as she settled back into him and took his hand.

"What is it? It's almost like you feel like ..."

"Home," he answered for her.

"Yes, exactly like that," he said as she traced her soft fingers along his callused hands.

They sat in silence for a long moment. Should he tell her that feeling was there because she was his mate? She completed him. When they mated, she would awaken the magic of the ancients in him. That seemed like a lot for one night, so he kept that one with him. That one could be for another day.

"What is it like being a human in the monster realm?"

"I don't know. The humans I've interacted with all seem at home in our realm."

She jerked up and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"The humans are treated very well, the same as any monster," he said, trying to calm her.

"Aren't you human?" She took him in carefully.

"Oh. Right. My glamor." How could he have forgotten that? Of course, she thought he was human.

"Your glamor?"

He was a confident man. He was a chief, for crying out loud. But here, under the gaze of his mate, who had no idea he was a monster, he felt about two feet tall, which is about five feet less than his actual height.

"Yes... I'm afraid I’m under an enchantment to make me look human as I move through this realm."

The look on her face was hard to read, but he still didn't sense any fear coming from her, so that was good at least.

"So, you're a monster?"

He nodded slowly.

"What kind?"

After a long, slow breath, he admitted, "I'm an orc."

Her eyes got big as saucers. "An orc?"

He looked down at their hands and nodded.

"Like big, green, with tusks orc?"

He just nodded again. "I know I’m not as beautiful as many," he said.

"Hey." She let go of his hand and pulled his face up so their eyes met. "Don't do that. I'm just trying to figure this all out."

Their eyes connected, and the world fell away. It was as if the only thing that existed was this moment between the two of them on this dock. He gave her a small smile, and she matched it with a much bigger one. Then, to his surprise, she leaned him and kissed him. And just like that, the trepidation he had been feeling floated away. He held her a bit tighter, and she leaned against him with a long sigh.

"I wish I could see you as you actually are. I mean, I like how you look now, but I want to know how you really look."

"There is a way," he said.

"Can you remove the enchantment?"

He shook his head. "Bridget."

"I should have known. She's, like, crazy magic, right? I always thought there was something about her."

"Yes, I’ve only met a few in my life as powerful as she is."

She sat up and began to stand. He ached to pull her back to him and continue their peaceful moment here on the dock.

"Okay, let's swing by my camper so I can change into something more comfortable, and then we’ll head back to Bridget's. I want to see you."

He hoped she wanted to see him. What would he do if she was scared of him? She did seem to be handling this better than he thought she might.

They walked in silence back to her trailer. Nerves bubbled up in him.

"I'm just going to pop in and change real quick. I'll be right back," she said as she turned and gave him a quick kiss.

The ease of that kiss warmed him. It did very little to squash the nerves, but it warmed him nonetheless. He waited by her door for her to emerge, but he was not prepared. She came out in a short tunic with a hood and the tightest breeches he'd ever seen. He had seen few people dressed like that at the fair, and he knew that in some of the far cities in his realm, people dressed differently, but even still, he wasn’t prepared for her round ass in those pants.

"What?" she asked, smoothing down her shirt and her hair. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. Nothing at all," he said, taking it all in.

"Are you checking me out?" she asked with mock offense.

He just grinned at her. "I am. How could I not? Those pants leave very little to the imagination. And I have a good imagination for the rest."

Maybe he was being too forward, but he couldn't help it right now. And unless he was reading this situation wrong, she seemed to not mind.

"Is that right?" She grabbed him by his vest and pulled him down for a kiss. Kissing this woman was everything... He just hoped she would feel the same way after she saw him in his true form.