Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

MIRANDA

O h shoot. He didn’t actually mean that, did he? Cause what she wanted was to interrogate him about everything regarding this clan and his personal life until the sun came up. That or get him naked. It was hard to choose.

She glanced around the bathroom again. It really was nice, with smooth wood walls and a high ceiling. The torchlight illuminated the space more brightly than she would have thought three dim light sources could. Magic must have been at play, just as it had been with the twig match.

The tub was enormous , more than big enough for her and Govek to fit together.

She glanced at him and instantly knew that she needed to swallow down the bulk of her curiosity and give Govek a little pampering. He’d been through almost as much shit as she had.

His brother had been tortured to death. Burned alive.

Her stomach rolled. What he’d gone through was horrible . It was the absolute worst outcome.

The one that haunted at the back of her own mind. What if her babies...

No, breathe.

She did.

“Why don’t we take a bath, Govek?”

He nodded. “You may go first.”

“You don’t want to take one with me? I feel like I owe you a hair wash.”

His brows arched and her stomach dropped.

“Okay, if you tell me you forgot about the spring, I’m going to be very mad.”

“I certainly did not forget. But you owe me nothing. Our exchange was mutual.”

“Mutual.” From her memory, the attention was completely one-sided. All centered on her pleasure.

“Yes.” Govek’s brow was furrowed and his eyes narrowed. “I gifted you the tincture to wash, and you allowed me to touch you.”

Her gut warmed at the fact that he viewed pleasuring her as a reward , but she still protested. “Govek, we talked about this. I don’t like thinking about our relationship as transactional.”

He shifted and glanced away.

“I said this already, but I’ll gladly say it again. I like you, Govek. I want to be with you. You don’t need to give me anything in exchange for that.”

“But...” He swallowed. “I hear you. And yet, this exchange is the only way I have ever known. Will you give me time... and guidance?”

“Yes, of course,” Miranda said, breathing a sigh, a light smile playing at her lips. “That’s not a problem at all. I’ll just call you out whenever it feels like you’re trying to give me gifts for the wrong reasons.”

He nodded, shoulders sagging with clear relief even as she tensed again. Her thoughts went back to the woman at Viravia’s house. To Maythra’s warnings about Yerina .

Her stomach twisted and her mouth ran away with her. “Look, I know we’ve already covered a lot of traumatic stuff tonight, but like... I have to ask, did you do something... bad... to your ex? Yerina, right?”

His face constricted, and suddenly, she wasn’t certain she wanted him to speak, so she talked right over him. “I’m not accusing you of anything, really . It’s clear that Maythra is super biased against you, so I’m going to take everything she says with a healthy bucket of salt but like... we did just meet each other, and you do have this transactional quirk. Did you maybe read the room wrong with her and think that bringing her something fancy made you entitled to something she hadn’t fully given her consent to?—”

“Miranda.”

“Y-yeah?” Oh frick, all of that came out really bad, didn’t it?

Govek’s eyes shut and his hand raked over his scalp as he let out a ragged sigh. “I did not harm her. And I gained full consent from her at every juncture before proceeding. Be that during rutting or any other time.”

Miranda shifted, remembering his gloves and how he constantly asked for consent and how hesitant he was during almost the entire time they were intimate. “I believe you.”

He nodded slowly.

Miranda shifted, unwilling to press him for more now that her anxiety had been quelled—for the most part. She searched the room. “How do you even fill that bathtub?”

Govek looked up. “What?”

“I don’t see a faucet. Don’t tell me you have to cart in the water by bucket.”

Govek glanced from her to the tub and then crossed the room. He rapped hard on the ceiling twice and a long slender door fell open. A hollow bamboo pipe popped out.

She came over to his side and he tensed, so she stroked his arm, using it to steady herself as she went up on her toes and reached for the ceiling. Too high.

“I’mma have to get your help every time I want a bath, huh?”

He blinked, looking from her hand still resting on his bicep to the ceiling. “I... will find a way to lower it for you.”

“You don’t have to. We’re still going to Karthoc’s forge, right?” When he nodded, she said, “Then it’s fine. It’s only a couple of days, and I’d rather have baths with you, anyway. I’m sure we can both fit.”

Govek gulped.

“What do you say?” She sidled close and grazed her fingers up his abs. His breath caught hard. “You want to have a bath with me?”

“Yes.”

He hit the ceiling with the palm of his hand and water began to spill into the tub. The thundering drone was soothing. Steam rose, quickly heating the room.

He swung off his cloak before she realized what he was doing.

Holy hell, this guy was a dreamboat . Damn, was it possible to have this much muscle? To be this sculpted? Even the green coloring seemed to accentuate the lines and dips of his abs, the bulging of his calves, the thick cords in his thighs. All the way up.

He dropped his pants and her throat closed as his cock sprang out, huge and ready. Her whole body ignited. A thrilled shiver raced from the tips of her toes to her scalp.

“Miranda.”

She jumped and Govek snorted in amusement.

Then he bridged the gap between them and pulled off her cloak.

“Jeez, won’t let me enjoy the view for a minute, will you?” She laughed at his impatience and unbuttoned the dress. He exhaled so hard she could feel it rustle her hair before a chilled shiver ran across her arms and stomach. Her dress pooled around her feet, and she looked up to see him examining her with just as much reverence as she had for him.

“Happy?” Her tone was breathless. She could feel his eyes trailing all the way up her legs before pausing at her breasts. Her thighs clenched.

“ Yes ,” he grated. “Let me lift you in.”

She nodded, and he scooped her up. His hot body felt delicious against her chilled skin, but he didn’t linger for even a moment and brought them both into the water without preamble.

A throaty moan left her lips as he set her down in the hot water. She settled with her legs curled under her, the hot water lapped at them, and goosebumps broke out along her thighs.

It would take forever to fill a tub this size, but the wall of it was high enough that, once complete, it would cover her to her collarbone. She couldn’t wait.

Govek turned away to take a place on the opposite end instead of sitting next to her. She pursed her lips, irritated at his retreat. She leaned forward and grazed her fingertips from the top of his firm ass all the way down his thigh.

Govek lost his balance and lurched forward into the stream of hot water gushing out of the ceiling. He jerked away, sputtering and wiping at his face.

Miranda burst with laughter. She couldn’t help it even as he shot her a glower and his cheeks darkened to a forest green. To quell the sting of embarrassment, Miranda moved around the stream toward him.

He slipped down onto his ass, blinking rapidly. She moved to straddle his legs and could hear him gulp over the rush of the water.

Lord, he felt incredible against her. His thighs were all hot and hard between hers. She wiped the water off his forehead and chin while his eyes fixed to her chest.

Her stomach warmed. “Like the view?”

His rumble of approval made her squirm, and he gripped her hips but hesitated to pull her in. She moved for him, pressing her stomach against his torso. She could feel his hard cock snug between her legs, and it made her pussy pulse. Her toes curled in the water.

“I don’t want you to believe what the others say.”

She snapped back to attention, realizing that Govek’s expression had turned brooding, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“You mean... about what Maythra said? And others in the clan?”

“And Yerina’s lies. I have no right to argue because some of what she shared with others is true. But... I still...”

“Please tell me, Govek,” Miranda said, scratching at his damp scalp. “Like I said, I want to hear your side of things too.”

He gulped as he looked at her chest again. “Can I rest my head here?”

“Yes?” Miranda said uncertainly, half expecting him to play with her boobs. Instead, he brought his knees up so she was lifted higher, and he could more easily tuck his temple against her collarbone. His cheek rested between her breasts. His ear was right above her heart.

The warmth of him was staggering, and her heart skipped. She wondered if he could hear it.

“That last time with her was... awful.” His voice was muffled. “I do not want to speak on it, but I will if you...”

“You don’t have to.” Miranda scratched his scalp again, and he shivered. She wasn’t too eager to hear about him being with another woman. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

He nodded, hair tickling her sensitive flesh with each motion. “She... left. Rejected me. And I realized that nothing I could do would ever win her. I had done my absolute fucking best and she still...” His arms came around her middle and he squeezed gently.

“It’s okay,” Miranda said, leaning down to put her cheek against the top of his head.

“I lost my control, Miranda. Like fucking always and it ruined me. Us.” His body went lax. “The message from Karthoc about my brother going missing arrived the very next morn, and I left without seeing or speaking to her. Nor did I send her a message. Even with her imprint still coursing in my veins.”

Miranda’s stomach twisted at the mention. Was... he still imprinted on her?

If he felt her tense, he didn’t mention it. “She likely spread those lies out of hurt. There is some truth to them. There had been times that I was...” He shook his head against her. “I cannot overcome my nature. I am an uncontrolled wre?—”

“ Stop calling yourself a wretch, Govek.”

He jerked away from her, looking into her face with wide eyes.

“You are not a wretch. Not to me. And a rough breakup doesn’t give your ex the right to spread lies about you.”

Govek looked back at her chest, clearly wanting to rest against her again. She pulled him back down, curling her hands around the back of his head and pressing him in to hold him gently.

If he wasn’t brave enough to take what he wanted yet, then she would just give it to him. She could keep giving it to him until he gained his courage.

He sighed raggedly, though his tension eased. “It does not matter what the humans or orcs of Rove Wood say. We will be leaving, and I have no intention of interacting with Oakwall again.”

“Oakwall?”

“The only human village within the Rove Woods. Our clan has been peaceful with them for centuries and meets with them to trade three times every moon.”

“And that’s where you met Yerina? Where she is now?”

“Yes. I met her at the trades. Her sister is the only decent baker in these woods.”

Miranda snorted. “Is that why your bread is so awful?”

“I have never perfected the skill,” he said flatly.

Miranda couldn’t help laughing. “I’m sorry. Sorry,” she said, stroking the top of his head. She curled around him. “Thank you for telling me all this, Govek. I know it wasn’t easy.”

He huffed.

“Can I ask you some more questions? Or have you reached your limit?”

His grumble rolled through her, but he nodded. “Ask.”

“Are you still imprinted on Yerina?”

He pushed away from her again, looking aghast and confused. “No. Of course I am not, or I couldn’t be imprinted on you. It broke at Clairton. A full season ago.”

“Okay.” She moved her hands down to tap at his chest, pursing her lips. “So, this imprint thing. How exactly does it work?”

Govek brought a hand down into the water to curl around her hip. The tub was three quarters full and suddenly the tap cut off on its own. The room plunged into silence. She glanced up just as the pipe retreated and the door in the ceiling clicked shut. Magic was amazing.

Govek remained silent, so she pressed, “The women at Viravia’s... they made it sound like it took time. Like you needed to have pretty strong feelings for someone before you were imprinted.”

His throat worked in a gulp.

“Do you . . . have strong feelings for me?”

Finally, he met her eyes. His lips were set in a tight line.

“It’s okay if you do,” Miranda assured him. “It’s good if you do.”

His brows went up.

“I have pretty strong feelings for you too, or I wouldn’t be sitting naked in your lap right now.” She stroked his chest, and he shuddered under her. “I was only asking because the women made it seem like it wasn’t really possible for you to be imprinted on me so fast.”

“It . . . is not.”

She waited, let him gather his thoughts.

“I saw you fall from the sky, Miranda, and in that single moment, the imprint hit. There are children’s stories of instant imprints, but I’ve never heard of it being real.”

“Oh,” Miranda said. Her gut twisted a little. “Are you sure that you actually are imprinted then?”

“Yes. Very.” Govek wrapped his other hand around her hips now too.

“You mentioned before that you think the Fades did it?”

“I do.”

Miranda hummed, unsure she liked the idea of him being forced into this. “So, what does this imprint mean for us? You?”

“It . . . drives me to care for you.”

Miranda raised her brows.

“The imprint thrums when you are content and when you show me affection. It makes me want to offer you boons and protect you from harm.”

“So, you are forced to like me?”

Govek snorted. “No. I do like you, and that makes the imprint stronger, and thus, I want to offer you even better care. If I had found you annoying or unpleasant, it would have faded out. It may have started strong, but it is growing stronger because I find you so...” He paused to think, and Miranda held her breath. “Radiant.”

Miranda felt her heart filling up and flooding over with warmth. “Wow. You really know how to flatter, don’t you?”

“It is not flattery. It is the truth.”

Her face went hot, and she used her hands to cover her cheeks.

Govek chuckled, and she managed the bravery to look up at him, not wanting to miss seeing him laugh. Dang, he looked so handsome when he was smiling. The deep lines of his face smoothed. His eyes were bright and twinkling.

“Radiant and adorable ,” he said with such warmth that a whole-body flush rolled through her.

She would have ducked under the water in embarrassment had his expression not shifted. His brows loosened, his lips curled, and his eyes softened, making her want to swoon.

“Oh gosh, look at you,” she sighed.

He tipped his head in confusion, eyes skittering away for half a second before she touched his face, drawing his attention to her. She trailed her fingers from his temples to his chin.

“Miranda . . . that feels . . .” His eyes were closed, and his whole body went slack.

“There you go. All relaxed,” she said, scratching his scalp again. The cut was so uneven. “I wonder what you would look like with longer hair.”

“I . . . don’t know.”

“You run your hands through it so much when you’re upset, you’d probably end up ripping it out.” She pursed her lips and examined his head. “I’m surprised you don’t cut yourself.”

“Long hair isn’t practical for hunting—” His words cut off as she pulled one of his hands off her hips and looked at his palm.

“The wounds are gone.” She traced where his claws had pricked. “Do orcs naturally heal fast or is it the magic?”

“We heal fast.”

“Thank you.” She leaned in close to his ear. His scent of pine was intoxicating. “For telling me all the things you didn’t want to. And now we can do something much more fun for the both of us.”

“Hmm?” He squirmed under her.

She smirked. “I’mma teach you how to kiss.”