Chapter 8

Eight

Govek's face and hands were tingling, his mind was mush, and he could not pull his eyes away from the woman's chest. The blasted cloak was peeping open in the front, giving him a glorious view of her plump, round cleavage, which bobbed with her every word, threatening to spill out of her breast covering. Fuck, it was too distracting. He should close the cloak for her and end the temptation, but he could not close it without putting her down.

And he certainly wasn't going to put her down.

"I don't think I've ever been carried around like this. I've never really had a boyfriend. N-not that you're my boyfriend or whatever, I just mean like... I haven't been around many people buff enough to lift me."

Her easy babble helped to loosen the tension in his gut and, as her words flowed, her body gave into his arms, warm and supple and thoroughly distracting.

"So, thanks for carrying me," Miranda said. "I know I must be heavy."

He scoffed. "You weigh less than a rucksack of chicken bones."

"I probably look like one, too."

"You do not." Her frame would bulk up soon enough and hardly mattered in the list of her many attributes. Fades only knew how high his attraction would swell once she was clean. How much stronger the imprint would thrum.

Fuck, this was unsettling. Yerina's imprint had never gone so deep, even after three full seasons of bringing her boons and winning her favor.

He'd only given Miranda a few measly fish and the cloak.

It wasn't enough.

"Where are we going?" Miranda asked.

Not to war, that much was certain. His plans to join Karthoc were dashed completely.

But these woods were perilous too, and the only clan near was the one he'd just forsaken.

"Are you... taking me to where you live?"

Govek worked up the courage to push his cloak down and take in her sweet features. She didn't even flinch when she looked at him, even though his jaw was still lowered. Her eyes were bright and round with thick lashes. She worried her plump bottom lip with her teeth.

She was his. He knew not what they would do or where he would take her, but he would manage something.

"Govek?"

"I am taking you to a deeper part of the spring," he said, his voice lower and more abrupt than he intended. "To wash."

She shivered, and he tensed, certain she had finally recovered her senses. That the idea of bathing in his presence had popped the bubble of security and her fear of him would begin in full measure.

A brush at his chin forced the air from his lungs. Her warm fingers smoothed up the side of his face to the hinge of his jaw. "You don't have to hide, Govek. I'm fine."

He hadn't realized he'd concealed his teeth. "Hiding them is a courtesy to you."

"Courtesy?" Miranda's brow furrowed, and he nearly huffed with amusement.

"Yes. In my clan, we often keep our fangs hidden so that the humans do not become fearful." This was especially true during their regular trade with Oakwall Village, but most of the orcs in Rove Wood kept their fangs hidden as a show of respect. Govek had taken great pains to cover his even though it took more effort to conceal his much larger teeth. He had always hoped that the show of control may call his brethren to treat him with less suspicion and disquiet.

To think he'd spent so many seasons in discomfort only to have them throw him away.

"I mean, that ship has sailed, hasn't it? I already know what you look like now. And honestly, Govek, you look much better with your jaw in the right spot."

He searched her face for the barest hint of fear and found none. She was being earnest.

Fades help him. He lowered his jaw into its natural position, and she gifted him with the most dazzling smile he'd ever seen.

Then she shivered again. "You're really going to have me wash out here? It's going to be freezing."

"My skills with magic are not so wretched that I cannot fathom up a decent temperature for you."

She blinked up at him. Fuck, she was too pretty, and he needed to look away so she didn't see something in his face he was not ready to reveal.

"So, you can change water temperature with your magic? What else can you do?"

He hesitated, gut clenching. He should not have brought this up. The magic he held was unnatural. It was unsettling to all in this world.

But... not to Miranda. She was not of this world.

"Govek?" He savored the sound of his name on her lips, rolling the tender tone around in his mind until it filled him up.

"I only have the most basic magical skills," Govek said. He'd never received proper training. Hoping without regular communions, his magic would dwindle to nothing.

It hadn't worked, much to his father's chagrin.

"I have done well by you, my son, and worked tirelessly. Your rearing was trying, but I have ever stood at your side as support. I do so in this too. Your strength will aid in your journey to Estwill, and I have every confidence that you will return a success."

His gut twisted and his teeth clenched hard at the bitter memory of his father's words.

"That's okay." Miranda's voice was like a bell, a gentle chime that brought him back to the present. "I can't do any magic, so whatever you can do is better than me."

Of course not. She was human.

"I've never even seen magic before. Not real magic anyway."

"Your . . . Earth . . .does not have magic?"

Her gaze shot to his, haunted, glistening. He gritted his teeth. Remembering her words.

"They're all dead."

It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize for bringing up her painful past when she wrapped her slender arms about his neck and pressed herself more firmly into his embrace.

Fuck, he was lost. So abysmally lost. He cradled her to him and soaked up every drop of tenderness she was willing to give.

Soon she would realize what he was and spurn him. He'd learned that lesson well from Yerina. It was inevitable. But until that moment, he would relish every touch she graced him with.

"Tell me about magic." Her hot breath fanned over his nape and he barely stifled a shudder as bliss rolled through his gut.

Govek had spent so little of his life talking, had spent far too much of it alone either hunting in the woods or working on projects in his home, but if that is what his female needed to be content, he would do it.

He stuck to the basics, curating a balance that might quell her curiosity and stave off questions that were too prying. He did not want to lie to her, even if it meant keeping her from being frightened of him.

"Magic is a gift from the Fades. It helps us maintain our world while they are lost to slumber. It is mainly used to commune and conjure the seasons to flow properly."

"Commune and conjure?"

"Communing is the act of connecting to the Fades' power. Conjuring is the act of bending that power to one's will."

"So, you have to commune first and then you can conjure?"

"Yes, communing allows us to communicate with the Fades first and read what needs to be done to keep Faeda hale. Conjuring is not always required to enact their will." All orcs could commune, but only those born under the Rove Tree could conjure.

Blessed or cursed. His own communions and conjuring's often sparked without his conscious will. Instead of through calm and quiet like the rest of his brethren, it was his anger that struck up a connection to the Fades. And that anger burst forth magic so dangerous it could fell whole trees in a single blow, crack open massive chasms that could swallow entire homes, destroy entire cliffsides and cause devastating landslides.

His youth had been wrought with his blunders.

"It's really beautiful." Her words drew him out of his turmoil, and he looked down into her face. The red leaves fluttered down as the breeze caught them. Her complexion was dappled with sunlight from the canopy above. "We didn't have anything like this." Her lips trembled. "Orcs take care of the planet?"

"Orcs are tasked with the care of Faeda's surface. We bring balance to plant and animal life, ensuring that predators do not outmatch prey, that prey do not consume too much vegetation, and that plants maintain their order and grow steadily."

"How do you do that?"

"We have some control over weather, but our most vital act is to carry out the tasks communed to us."

It was not enough. Although the orcs of Rove Wood communed often, he hadn't seen any of Karthoc's warriors attempt to commune even once during their travels to Clairton. Which meant any tasks that the Fades were calling to be done outside of Rove were not heard.

"You can control the weather?" Miranda asked, tone bright with interest.

"I cannot." His voice was low. "But some of my brethren can cast rain in the morning and it would flood the land by the afternoon."

Tavggol had been gifted this way. His abilities were unmatched by any in Rove Wood Clan. His death had brought far more than sorrow.

Miranda soothed the tips of her fingers over the knuckles of the hand he had clasped around her knees. He found that his claws were extended.

"I apologize." Shame flattened him, and he moved to set her down.

"Nope." She clung to his neck again, squeezing him tight. "Don't you dare."

He huffed in surprise, but he didn't want to put her down either, so he readjusted her carefully, making certain his claws were well away from her flesh. "I have little control, Miranda. I am a danger to you."

Her snort of laughter flummoxed him. "If you knew the danger I'd just been through... you are by far the least of my troubles, Govek."

He wanted to question her, but the dread he'd seen in her face when the subject had been touched before was more painful than his own curiosity.

"So, is your primary job keeping the predator population under control?"

Govek tipped his head.

She quirked a smile, and the tension in his chest ebbed. "You took down that wild cat pretty quick. I kinda assumed you'd honed that skill, or are you just naturally talented?"

Govek looked away. Karthoc had also been impressed with the veracity of Govek's attacks, but that was because his unhinged, magic-laced, battle craze had won them the day in Clairton without casualties.

"I am... was the hunter for my clan."

"You were the only hunter?" Miranda asked, scratching at the back of his neck. He held his breath, afraid even the slightest change might scare her off.

"Yes." There were many members of the clan who were skilled fisherman and a few who could trap small animals, but Govek was the only member who hunted for large game.

"And then you left to fight in the war?"

The bubble of contentment that her little scratches caused popped around him, and he straightened, gritting his teeth.

They'd sent him to his fucking death, and it was doubtful they would ever feel a moment of regret over it.

"Govek?" Miranda said quietly, but this time, her sweet voice and careful words did nothing to quell his anger.

The spring'scurrent was slow in the area Govek had chosen, relatively deep, with sandy banks and large round boulders jutting out to form a lazy pool.

There was a natural rock wall at the far side where only a trickle drained through. He could heat this pool and the temperature would remain long enough for Miranda to bathe.

He set Miranda down in the sand. Water lapped against the golden banks and glittered in the daylight, reflecting the reds and yellows of the dying leaves that floated down with the breeze and sent lazy ripples through the water as they landed on the surface.

He was rarely one for sentiment, but even he could admit this place helped him to forget his troubles.

He swung off the pack and found some dried meat and bread. "Here."

"Thank you," she said, and ate without hesitation. He went to the edge of the water and kneeled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to heat the water for you." He hoped he could channel his anger properly so he could accomplish it.

"With magic?"

"Yes." His voice was strained.

Her steps drew near. "Can I watch?"

He tensed with uncertainty. He actively avoided conjuring magic as much as possible and had never had anyone request to watch him perform it.

But Miranda's eyes were bright, and her smile was soothing, and he could not deny her either the comfort of warm water or the act of watching him create it for her.

"You will not see much. Humans cannot see magic."

"And you can?" When he nodded, she quickly followed up. "What does it look like? In the movies it was always super sparkly and colorful. Is it similar?"

"It looks like waves of heat," he replied, puzzling over what a movie was.

Miranda kneeled next to him then, craning to see where his hands were dipped into the water. Her neck extended and the driving urge to bury his face into it and breathe in her scent spiked right through his guts.

The pungent odor of that vile tincture she was coated in barely stopped him. The pain might be worth it.

His control was in tatters.

Fuck. He rubbed a hand over his face, yanked his hair, and fought for reason.

"Are you okay?" Miranda asked, only making his wretched need for her worse. Why did she have to be so blasted kind?

"I'm fine," he snapped. "It just takes concentration."

Miranda moved away, shoulders slumped. "Sorry. I'll step over here and keep quiet."

The sight made his fists bunch. "You don't have to." He broke off with a heavy sigh and admitted, "The difficulty of it has nothing to do with you."

"You don't have to heat the water for me. I can take a sponge bath instead," she said. "You've done enough for me already."

The idea of her shivering on the bank while trying to wash was maddening. "You are my conquest. It is my honor to serve and protect you."

She gave a half smile and returned to her food. He flexed his hands in the water and centered his mind. Formed his thoughts around the anger that seemed ever present in his gut. It bloomed slowly as he focused on it, gingerly coaxing it to heed his will. He had to be careful.

He could not lose control and risk Miranda being hurt.

The swirling essence of Fade magic and might tingled up his spine and light flooded into his head. It was a pinprick now. Far below him. Almost too far for him to even grasp.

He'd never attempted to purposefully commune or conjure magic outside of Rove Wood before. The few times it had happened accidentally his power had been churned up by intense rage and grief.

The grief of finding his brother tortured to death.

His stomach felt like a pit, not just of sorrow, but of regret. He had committed many vile deeds throughout his life due to his inability to keep his anger in check and his magic under his control. But his actions that day, after discovering Tavggols body, had been a whole other kind of horror. The atrocity he'd committed at Clairton would always haunt him.

Gritting his teeth, Govek turned back to the task at hand, using the lingering pain from that wretched day to pull forth his connection to the Fades and bring about the conjuring of his magic. Wishing once again that he could be like his brethren. That he could pull his magic from feelings of serenity and calm. They made the act seem so dignified and peaceful.

Instead, he was forced to grow his fury and grief until it felt like a tight, red hot fist churning up his chest and stomach. He had to push it much higher and hotter than usual before the light from the Fades began to brighten in his mind. He knew this was because of his current location. Being deep in the outer woods with little to no connection to the Great Rove Tree and its blessings made communicating with the Fades difficult. Almost impossible.

It was no wonder that Karthoc's warriors and the other clans outside Rove Wood had given up trying to commune with them.

"So... what is a conquest again?" Miranda's voice was distant, and he tensed, reminding himself that his mind was far from her, not his physical body. Her light tone helped confirm that she was well, which made it much easier to draw in the Fades' light.

He found it difficult to form words but managed, "Conquests are human females."

"Human women who are cared for and protected by sentinels?"

"Yes." The light of the Fades was growing in a deep well of black within his mind's eye. Like a pool of dark water with a candle flickering at the bottom. He worked his way toward that light, using the tight ball of anger in his stomach to guide him. To drag him downward into it.

"But what do sentinels get out of the deal? Do you just enjoy the companionship? Do they stay with you long term?" Her voice sounded like it was underwater, garbled and thick. It took him a moment to process her words.

"Most human women return to their homes when their duty is complete," he finally replied. He could feel the light heating his skin now. Tingling up his fingers and swirling in his veins.

"Their duty?"

He was far too distracted when he elaborated. "Conquests bear the sons of sentinels."

Her sharp intake of breath cut through his concentration and his stomach dropped.

Govek yanked out of the communion and returned to full awareness. His eyes snapped open to assess his conquest's condition and found her unharmed, but thunderstruck.

Miranda had paled. Her emotions flickered across her face so quickly he couldn't keep track before she scowled and sputtered. "Excuse me?"

He could not think of words to combat her anger before she snapped, her voice loud and bold like thunder. "What the heck? I'm not having babies with you. You're a complete stranger. Is that why you helped me? So, you could convince me to have your kids?"

Govek was struck by the accusation. "That is not why I helped you, woman."

"Then why do you keep calling me this conquest thing? Do conquests have another purpose or something?"

"No... they don't." Why had he called her his conquest? Outside of wanting to protect her, she did not fit the role of one. Conquests only bore the sons of sentinels. There did not need to be emotional attachments involved, and sentinels certainly wouldn't be imprinted on their conquests.

And there was no doubt he was imprinted on her.

Nothing about this situation was predictable, but one thing he knew, he wasn't worthy of having children. His anger was too violent. His rage was uncontrolled.

And what if they were born like him? An abomination of the Fades, built like a warrior but able to conjure? Full of rage that tainted their magic?

Would his sons be subjected to the same isolation he was forced to endure?

"Goddamn, my planet explodes and now this?"

He blinked, looking up. Her world exploded?

"So, what? Your own women aren't good enough for you? Or is it the other way around?" She waved her hand up and down as her eyes raked over him.

Her words stung harder than he cared to admit. Building pain at the back of his throat and making his jaw come up around his teeth, as if hiding them would make him more human. More appealing to her. "There are no sentinel women."

"What?" Her voice rose. "How does that make sense?"

"It is by the Fades design."

"You mean your gods?" she asked, clearly incredulous.

"Yes." He did not know how to react to her disbelief. Her Earth did not have Fades?

"You're telling me you guys can get human women pregnant? There's no way that's possible." Irritation flashed behind his eyes, but she kept on. "You're not even human and you're saying your DNA is supposed to just miraculously match up with mine? That's crazy. I mean, look at you."

Govek's irritation quickly flipped to anger, and his muscles clenched, trembling. He knew not what this "DNA" was, but the insult was clear enough. And the implication that they were not compatible hurt much more than he wanted to admit.

"You're built like a freaking Greek god and I'm a third your size. How could I, or any human, possibly carry a baby that big?"

Govek's anger faded slightly, and he gathered his sanity. Fuck, he could not lose control like this. Not with her. He had to calm. Calm.

He watched the unflinching woman tap her chin as she examined him with a furrowed brow. Her unabashed curiosity and unflinching courage helped soothe him further.

"How big are your babies exactly?"

Govek blinked rapidly, unsure how to respond to the question. He'd never held a newborn before, was not even allowed near the orc sons, so he could barely venture a guess.

"Sorry, I'm getting off topic," she waved as if trying to smack the subject right out of the air. "Seriously, though, are you honestly saying there are no orc women? I've never heard of a species that didn't have its own female population before. That required a different species to procreate."

"There are no orc women—or goblin women, or sylph women," Govek confirmed slowly, confusion radiating down into his chest to smother out the last smoldering remains of his anger.

"So, there were never sentinel women?"

"No."

Her lips parted, eyes widened, flickering in thought. Something was going on inside her mind and Govek would have given his right leg to know what it was.

"So . . . orcs want to have babies with humans. Like . . . I mean . . ."

He tipped his head. "You mean . . ."

"I mean, you find me attractive enough to have babies with me?"

Govek never expected that to be her next question. He was so taken aback that he couldn't find words to answer her.

But Miranda had no such issue. She rushed on. "I mean, objectively, of course. Like you could be convinced to find me, er—or I mean, you could find any woman appealing enough to... you know. I don't mean me specifically, not at all, just anyone. Any human woman. Or?—"

"Miranda." His heart thundered in his ears.

"Y-yes?"

"What is a Greek god?"

"A what?" Her brow furrowed in confusion, and then realization flooded her face. Her cheeks went bright pink as she bowed her head. "Oh, uh. Well, you know?—"

"I don't," he said low and slow. "That is why I am asking."

"Oh god." Her words were so quiet he doubted she intended for him to hear them. "Don't talk like that. It's too much."

Understandably, she didn't realize how good orc hearing was—especially when it came to the female an orc was imprinted on. His chest tightened, knowing his growling must be unsettling her.

And then the scent of her arousal flooded his senses. Sweet and rich, like honey warmed from the sunlight.

Fuck, he almost didn't believe his own senses. Almost wondered if this was a delusion. But another deep inhale proved it.

She wanted him.

How was that even possible?

Govek gulped hard. Fire burning in his gut, confusion churning. "Miranda?"

"It's, uh, well, you know what gods look like, right?" She fidgeted.

"The Fades appear as light."

"Oh." She pressed her hands to her cheeks, large eyes looking up into his. "That's not it then."

"Miranda," Govek said low, watching a shiver course over the woman's frame. Fuck, her scent was growing so heady and thick he could almost taste it.

He wasn't even certain what he'd done to earn this. The food he'd gifted her was almost insulting compared to what Yerina had demanded.

"A Greek god is like... the epitome of beauty, like the highest rank of hunk. Ten out of ten hottie."

Blast. He didn't understand half the words she said, but her meaning was clear enough. He raked a hand through his hair.

Govek was no fool. He knew what he looked like. Was she bolstering his ego because she was still worried he may abandon her in these woods?

Miranda's face had turned a bright red, and she began to babble delightfully. "I mean, not necessarily that... that all orcs are attractive. I don't know cause I haven't met all of them, but at least with you it's—oh jeez. You gotta stop me before I get going like this or I'll say things I regret."

He certainly didn't regret anything she'd said so far. He wanted her to talk more. Lay her every thought out for him to examine.

"What do other orcs look like? Do they all look like you?"

Govek's gut pitched. "No. They do not."

He did not fit the aesthetic of Rove Wood orcs in any way. They were slender, unblemished, and regal. He was a beast next to them.

He stuck out among the warrior orcs too, even with all their brawn and strength. Like a dirt clod among smooth river rocks. At least the warriors were well proportioned. At least their hands were not so massive, a trait necessary to wield magic properly. At least their muscles were not so accentuated and bulging.

Govek did not fit in anywhere. He had no place.

"I wonder what a female orc would look like."

The comment snapped him out of his thoughts and his brow furrowed, nose curled. "I cannot imagine female orcs being very pleasing to the eye."

A giggle sounded, but Miranda covered her mouth with her hands, concealing the expression and disappointment made his chest tight. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh." His brows rose, and she admitted, "I was kinda trying to imagine a female version of you."

He snorted. "Fuck, that must have been a horror."

She giggled again, the sound breaking through her fingers and flooding through him. "You're pretty manly, or should I say orcly? What's proper?"

"The fuck if I know."

"I think manly works. Regardless, I can't picture it. Honestly, you seem pretty human to me."

He blinked, reeling from her admission. "I'm unsure how you have overlooked the significant physical differences."

Her hand lowered and the sight of her gorgeous smile forced air from his lungs, causing him to lose his breath. "I guess that's true."

Hoping to broaden that smile into a beam, he said, "Perhaps it would help if I wore a gown."

"I—what?"

"Then you could see what a female orc might look like."

His efforts were rewarded instantly as Miranda burst with full, rich laughter. The sound was so sweet and alluring that his jaw loosened, and he did not even bother to shut it.

"Oh my god, Govek." She wiped at her eyes, her smile still beaming bright.

This was, perhaps, the first time he had ever pulled a woman into mirth. Warmth burst in his chest and soaked through his veins, breathed life right into him. She was so beautiful in her happiness it was almost painful.

"I don't think even a dress would work, though." Miranda's tone was light and her eyes danced. "You're definitely an orc. A really badass orc."

His brows furrowed. She didn't appear angry but her words sounded like an insult. What had he done to earn her ire? What could he gift her to make that ire quell?

She rushed in, "I mean, cool—er, awesome, sexy—ah frick. I'mma shut up now."

Govek's throat tightened. Was Miranda upset with him or was she complimenting him?

"Go ahead and do your thing," she insisted. "I swear I won't bother you. Again."

He wished she would. He wished she would make easy demands of him the way Yerina had. Tell him exactly what she wanted so he could get on with earning her favor.

But he supposed the bath was what she truly desired.

With a nod to her, he turned back to the spring and dipped his hands into the icy water again, connecting to the Fades' energy and forcing his way through the grime of the outer woods.

The light went from a pinprick to blazing inferno so fast it blinded him.

Govek yelped in shock and rocketed back from the water. His head swam from the magical surge he'd lost control of. Fuck, it hadn't even been his temper that had made the magic spiral. His muscles tingled, and he flexed his hands, cutting off his connection to the Fades completely.

"Are you okay?" Miranda was near him now, crouching at his side. Her gaze was on his hands. "Are your hands okay? Oh god. That water is boiling."

Boiling? He looked to find the pool bellowing steam and bubbling. It put off enough heat that he felt it from where he sat on the bank.

What the fuck had happened? He'd never been able to connect to the Fades so quickly. Not even at Clairton. Not even from within the Great Rove Tree itself.

"Are your hands burned?" Gentle touches brushed his skin. The spring's healing properties had already taken the burns from blisters to simply raw. But he certainly wasn't about to stop Miranda's gentle, caressing touches. And fuck all, did she touch him! Her gentle fingertips grazed over each line of his palms, traced up his fingers, soothed over the tips where his claws were hidden. She trailed her hands up his wrists and over his forearms, and Govek resisted the need to shiver.

Fades be praised! Her touch was bliss.

"I think you're okay," she said, her voice as much a balm as the spring water.

"Don't go in yet," he ordered. "It's too hot."

She shot him a harsh, exasperated look and he stilled, mesmerized. Not even Yerina had been brave enough to look at him this way. "You really think I'm that dumb?"

"No." The word came out strangled.

She reached up and rustled his hair. Judging from the smirk, she intended to be playful, but fuck, it felt so blasted good. His eyes fluttered closed and he let out a sigh so gusty it emptied his lungs.

"You're a little touch starved, aren't you?"

Govek's eyes shot open, and he confirmed that she looked just as breathless as her tone had portrayed. Her cheeks were pink, her full lips were red, and her eyes sparkled in the dazzling sunlight.

He wanted to keep her.

He wanted her to want him. Not as a conquest, but as a mate.

Fades,where had that even come from? He was losing his blasted head. He knew that. But he still wanted every drop of Miranda's affection. He wanted to be greedy with it. Keep it all for himself. He wanted her to cleave to him and want him and grow her own attachment to him; to mirror the imprint that was raging through his veins, ravaging his senses.

He would gift her any number of boons to make that happen, perform any acts and go to whatever ends her whims demanded.

His mind drifted back to the one thing she clearly didn't desire.

"I swear to you, Miranda," Govek said. "I have no intention of treating you as a conquest and having you bear my son."

She blinked and sat back slightly. "You don't... want to have a child with me?"

"I do not."

Miranda's face paled, and her expression slacked.

"I leave you to prepare for your bath." With that, he got to his feet, turned his back, and moved to the tree line to give her some privacy.

Only to freeze in place as Miranda yelled, "Why the heck not?"