Chapter 12

Serena

”He did WHAT?”

I felt faint. Zesh was in the medical wing. And it was entirely my fault.

”Take me to his cell immediately.”

I knew what he meant by letter. He”d tucked Bloodletter away somewhere safe before getting into the fight. Which meant it had been premeditated. He”d done this on purpose, and I knew it was to prove himself to me. Nausea roiled in my stomach. As we walked, I took deep breaths. He was okay. But the thought he could have been hurt was like a thorn, digging away at me. Was this what it was to love an orc? Worrying about them? Could I do that all the time?

I looked around his cell and stopped, realizing what word I had used. Love. I loved him. I did. It wasn”t just lust, or accepting the inevitability that he was my mate. I could have lost him, and it would have destroyed me. The love I felt was so deep I almost couldn”t breathe for a moment.

”You alright?”

The guard was staring at me. My face was wet. I”d barely even noticed the tears falling. I wiped my eyes and stood up straight. Perhaps I did need to let my emotions out more, but not now.

”I”m fine. Just tired.”

I don”t think he believed me, but he didn”t say anything else. This was going to look ridiculous to him, but I began to make chirruping sounds. I avoided looking at his face. After a few moments the blue and orange bird whipped into the cell and landed on my shoulder. Bloodletter immediately preened my hair.

”Right, let”s go then.”

”Where did that bird come from?”

”An egg, I imagine.”

I walked out of the cell and the guard clearly decided it wasn”t worth asking again. I got some strange looks wandering around the prison with a bird snuggled into my hair. But I decided the only way to deal with it was to be brazen about it. I went straight down to the medical wing and walked right into Billy.

”Where is Zesh?”

”Who?”

”The orc, Billy. The prisoners have names, you know.”

Billy narrowed his eyes at me, but they widened again when he noticed Bloodletter.

”There”s a bird…”

”Yes, yes. Where is Zesh?”

I was getting snappy now as all my feelings threatened to explode out of me. And for once I would not hide it.

”In the side room. Cerys shouted at him so they moved him in case he kicked off. Wouldn”t want that beast hurting her too.”

”He would never hurt Cerys!”

The words flew out of me like an attack. I turned and marched to the side room as Billy stared at me, shocked. I threw the door open and came face to face with Zesh lying on the bed, purple bruises all over his torso, a bandage on his head. It was too much. The door closed behind me as Billy left. I held myself together just long enough to be sure he was out of earshot.

”What the royal fuck are you playing at?”

It came out in a shriek. I don”t think I”d ever been so furious.

”Uk”lah! I fought the minotaur. One of the biggest monsters I have ever met. And I survived.”

He looked ridiculously proud of this. Rage flowed through me. Bloodletter fluttered over to him and nuzzled his broken nose. He didn”t even flinch.

”Look at you! You”re injured. Why? To prove yourself to me? You have never needed to do that. I already love you.”

”I love you too, Uk”lah. Especially when you are your true self like this.”

Zesh grinned at me.

A wave of joy flowed through me. But also annoyance.

”True self? I”m absolutely losing my shit here.”

”Yes. You are an orc mate. You have an orc”s spirit. This human world has tried to shrink you. But THIS is you. On fire and feeling everything to its fullest. Is it not glorious?”

He”d seen and understood me so clearly in such a short time. Before I”d even explained my past, my family or spoken about my struggles. He just understood who I was. As I stood processing that, Zesh gave the loudest, deepest roar of pure joy. It looked so freeing. His body stretched out, giving everything to his feelings. What if I could really just be myself too now? I joined in, screaming out every emotion that I had ever held back. Fury, sadness, passion. All of it. With every fiber of my being, I screamed. When we stopped, I burst out laughing, and he smiled wildly at me. The door flew open and Billy stood there, ready to shock Zesh. He paused and took in the sight of me laughing, and his eyes flicked between us.

”It”s fine, Billy. Just a lesson in how to deal with your emotions healthily.”

I didn”t mention that it had been me who needed to learn the lesson. He nodded and left, his face still screwed up.

”You haven”t killed him yet, Uk”lah.”

”No. I don”t think I”m going to kill him.”

I climbed on the bed and straddled my mate. He grinned at me.

”Billy is a human problem and I will deal with him in a human way if it requires it. I have it under control.”

”Seems strange to me when you could just kill him. But I accept your right to deal with your enemies your way.”

”And I suppose I have to accept you as your true self too. You are a warrior. I worry about you. But at the very least, you do not have to fight FOR me. You already have me.”

”I have won the challenge of your affection!”

”Yes, you have. Let”s stop talking now.”

”What would you like to do instead, my…”

His words turned into a moan as I ground on his hardening cock. His eyes closed with pleasure. Excitement shot through me. I was ready.

”I invite you to a mating fight.”

His eyes flew back open. That big grin again. I would never tire of that.

”A mating fight? I accept.”

He had a wicked grin on his face.

”I have to go now, Zesh. But tomorrow. We will do it tomorrow.”

I climbed off the bed and laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. Zesh looked sadly down at his raging erection. I smirked.

”You”ll have to take care of that yourself.”

”I would not, without your permission.”

”My permission? Really?”

”It is unacceptable to pleasure yourself to a person without their consent.”

Heat flooded through me. It was my turn to give him a wicked grin.

”Well, you can”t have permission. Not until after the mating fight.”

”Uk”lah, please?”

”Nope.”

I pulled his furs off him and leaned down. It was the first time I had gotten a really good look at his cock. It was frighteningly large. Small curved fleshy barbs ran up it in a line from the base to the tip. Front and back. I traced my tongue along the huge green cock. Zesh groaned. I pulled away and walked back to the door.

”UK”LAH!”

”Tomorrow.”

I blew him a kiss and left the room. As the door closed, I heard a roar of frustration. Billy glanced back at the noise.

”He”s doing well at expressing his emotions.”

”Errr, if you say so.”