The Orc Outcast's Conquest (Orc Mates Of Faeda Book 1)

Chapter 14

Fourteen

Fades be praised. Govek was considering forgiving them.

His hand was damp, tingling, and raw with pleasure from Miranda’s blissful mouth. Her tongue. She’d fucking licked right over where his claws were hidden without even flinching.

He was losing his blasted mind over her. Nothing could have prepared him for this woman.

He would never be able to let her go. He’d rip the world apart if she tried to leave him. The imprint blazed a brand on his soul.

“Let me touch you.” He grated the words into her ear. His gloves were off, and he needed her full permission before going further.

He’d never had this. Never.

She shuddered so hard it vibrated his cock and he snarled, incredible pressure squeezing his gut. “Yes,” she breathed, and his bare hands grazed down her stomach. Her skin was so blasted soft. He’d never felt anything like it.

“Here,” he demanded, bare fingers stopping right above her core. The image of her on her hands and knees flooded his mind, her folds soaked, her thighs glistening in the firelight...

She was so wet she was dripping. For him.

“Anywhere!” His mate cried, raising her hips into his hand. “Touch me anywhere, please.”

He dipped his fingers low, sliding them between her legs. They glided against her hot folds, slick and easy and blistering hot. Fuck!

Bliss like he’d never known roared into him. He was touching her full-on, without any covering. He never could have dreamed.

“Govek,” Miranda moaned. Her head fell back onto his chest, eyes closed in rapture.

“You’re so wet,” he snarled, and it only made her shivering more exquisite. He swirled his fingers around her folds, exploring, learning. There was a little nub at the top and he slid a finger over it.

She jumped, hissing, jerking away from him. “T-too much.”

He moved away. Apparently not “anywhere.” He gritted his teeth, uncertainty dimming his pleasure. She ground her ass against his cock and stars flashed in his vision as he fought for control.

If he didn’t get it back, he would do something she didn’t like and ruin this. She’d reject him, force him out of the cave, refuse to take him back until he brought her enough boons to win her favor.

But there was nothing he could do to get her back. He had no fucking boons.

“Govek,” she breathed, her voice soft. Gentle. It lacked the rage he’d been expecting. “Like this.”

She’d said she didn’t want his boons.

She just wanted him.

Govek gulped.

She guided his hand to the same position she’d liked in the spring, snaked those two fingers low and into her warm, wet channel.

He fought the need to bellow out his praise.

“Ooh,” she whimpered, sultry and low, releasing him as he pushed his fingers deeper. He couldn’t believe he was being allowed this gift. Couldn’t have ever dreamed how hot and wet and tight she was.

Govek turned his attention to her reactions, watching her face and the full range of emotions. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her brow was furrowed, and her mouth was open and panting, her limbs twitched and bucked.

Her pleading quickly turned to pleasure tinged moans as he continued to thrust. He curled his fingers into that incredible spot that forced her to babble.

He wanted it to be higher, wanted to drench her in such ecstasy that she never remembered anything but him, wanted to be better than anything she could ever fathom, so she would never leave him or push him away.

“I’m ready,” she gasped, grinding her hips into his cock. The sensation skewered through his mind like bolts of delicious, rapture laced lightning. “Please, Govek. I want?—”

Fades help him. His control was in tatters.

He moved Miranda forward, helping her to get to her knees, cushioning them with her cloak. The full globe of her ass and thick thighs made him want to shout his thanks to the Fades. She was so wet for him, glistening and sweet and perfect.

Her scent was everywhere. Maddening and rich.

Govek worked reason into his senses as he slid his palm down her back. She shivered and moaned and arched her back.

Blast, the sight of his monstrously huge hand on her perfect ass ruined him. Her trust was so unfounded. He would split her in two with his force.

His fingers trembled. He was dangerous. Out of control.

“Oh, Govek,” Miranda whimpered, causing his angry thoughts to evaporate. She spread her legs. “Please.”

She fucking wanted him. Him. She’d taken off his gloves. She’d moved his hands. She’d bucked into his touch and gushed all over his fingers.

She was a Fades-given miracle. His miracle. And he would have her.

“Govek.”

The sound of his name moaned from her sweet lips thundered through his veins. He gripped her hair, and she tipped her head back, pushing her scalp into his touch instead of trying to struggle away. It seemed she relished his brutal hold and wanted more. Her honey scent flooded the space.

At every turn, his woman cleaved to him. Accepted him. Praised him.

His hand was still tingling and damp from her slick pleasure. The silky strands of her hair engulfed his fingers.

She babbled pleas he couldn’t make out.

She wanted him.

Govek gripped his cock and pressed the tip into her folds, wetted it from her dripping, wet center. Spikes of bliss raged as he found her entrance and pushed in. Her body gave slowly. He had to be gentle, but his need was making him crazed and his body shook with the desire to thrust in hard. He quivered with the need to go slow, even as the driving urge to spear her through in one surge seared his gut.

Fucking Fades, she was tight. And blistering hot. And his body quaked for more, Running pleasure down his spine and into the soles of his feet.

“W-wait.”

He froze, ice gripping his veins. He barely managed words. “Hurting you?”

Fuck, he needed to pull out of her. To retreat. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“No- no. It doesn’t. It . . . I just . . .”

The tremor in her voice broke him. Fuck, she’d changed her mind. She didn’t want him. She would reject him now and he would be hurtled into the depths of misery all over again.

“I don’t want to get pregnant.”

What? She didn’t want to what?

“Do you... do you have protection, or I mean... shit.” She shivered and squirmed. The head of his cock was lodged in her, and he felt every blasted shift she made. Devastating bliss spread to his stomach. He wanted to weep.

She whimpered. “I’m not ready to get pregnant yet.”

Yet?

“Govek?”

His thoughts spiraled. Yearnings he’d never allowed himself to consider were making it impossible for him to form words.

“I-If you promise to pull out, we could still...”

What was she saying? Pull out? He swallowed hard but finally managed to form a few words. “It takes two ruttings.”

“What?”

“Two ruttings,” he gasped. She pulsed tight around the tip of his cock and it felt so fucking good. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Two to render pregnancy.”

Fades, he knew he needed to offer her more and could not manage words. But he would not force her into this. If she needed an explanation, he would find a way to cool his blood and ease her fear, even if it killed him.

But Miranda relaxed, her body yielding to him. He groaned, rapture dancing up his spine. His head buzzed.

“Okay,” her voice was barely a whisper.

Before he could register her acceptance, she pushed her hips back and impaled herself on his cock.

He roared. The sound was deafening. Loud enough to wake the Fades from their slumber and cleave the entire planet in two.

Rapture licked up his gut as he thrust into her. She fucking took him to the base with ease, and arched her back, moaning out her ecstasy. She gripped his cock tighter than the gloves she’d stripped him of. Was hotter than the fire before them. She was so wet and slick. Twitching and pulsing.

He lost his senses as he worked his hips. Plunging into her. Rhythmic jerks. Rolling pleasure. He was only aware of Miranda pushing in tandem, spurring him on, forcing him deeper and harder. Her cries drove him daft. He was surrounded by her thick scent, her warmth, her desire.

He braced his hands against the ground, caging her, pressing her torso into her cloak. He buried his nose in her neck, sucking in her sweet scent as he dragged his cock in and out of her wet channel. The pleasure was brutal, almost agony. She was so fucking tight, searing hot, and trembling everywhere. He could feel every twitch and pulse. Her core gripped him so hard he saw stars.

Her honey scent was maddening and thick in his nose. Her body was hot and damp against his.

He picked up the tempo, and she begged for more. Pleaded. Writhed. Her limbs went taut. He dug his fingers into the cave floor, claws piercing deep into the soil and rock. His jaw slacked and trembled. Dripping.

He wanted to bite so fucking bad. To taste the salt of her skin. To feel her pulse against his tongue. The need burst from him in a guttural growl that trembled through his stomach.

Miranda let out a harsh cry and her pussy clenched around him, halting his thrusts. She slammed her hot ass into his groin, grinding her soft skin against him as she fell into bliss and exploded with an orgasm.

He gave that to her. He did. She was trembling and bucking and bliss wrecked because of him. His ecstasy mounted, coiling deep and tight in his stomach. Working spirals of heat up into his throat.

She was fucking screaming his name.

Thundering raw bliss exploded as he came and his sight winked out. He was mindless. It was all he could do not to collapse and crush Miranda under him. The pleasure was searing hot, raw, and he wanted more.

He hooked his arm around her soft, trembling thighs so he could hold her tight against his cock, spear her as deep as he could. He wanted her to feel every tiny twitch and pulse. To know what pleasure she was giving him and give it in return.

She ground into him again, arching her back, “Ooh, yes, Govek.”

Hope speared him as his release tapered. He worked an arm up around her waist, cleaving her to him. She was still trembling and her orgasm was still clenching his cock. Her breathing and heart rate were erratic, but they matched his own.

Govek buried his face in her gorgeous hair and basked in her scent. Imprinted it inside him. Even if she rejected him, he would forever hold it within.

Fades, have mercy.He would do anything they willed if they would whisper his praises into her mind and convince her to stay at his side. Just for a bit longer. For a few more days.

But Miranda came back to her senses far too soon and his stomach plummeted as she shifted away from his embrace. He knew what would come next—swift redressing, harsh complaints, and reproach and disgust in her eyes as she realized who she’d given her body to.

He moved to his side so she could more easily escape, unwilling to keep her prisoner if she wanted to go. She sat up slightly, her movements slow.

She turned to face him and fell back into his embrace.

Govek froze, uncertain as she cuddled his chest. The mingled scent of their mutual release was dizzying. He carefully trailed his fingers through her hair, down her back, over the wonderful curve of her ass.

She was still here. In his arms.

Her lips grazed his chest and his lungs seized. “Can we lay down?”

Lay down? Govek gulped thickly and smoothed her cloak out so her hot flesh wouldn’t be chilled on the cold, hard ground. He settled them both down, giving her enough slack she could scooch out of his embrace.

But she didn’t. She curled into his frame, her smooth legs twined between his own.

“It’s a good thing you like carrying me around,” she said, her mouth brushing his flesh with each word. “Because I’m not going to be able to move for a while.”

Fuck, he was a beast. “I harmed you. Let me get?—”

She laughed. Blessedly laughed,and the sound of it choked him. “No, no. The opposite.”

The opposite? If he twisted her statement slightly, it sounded like praise.

She nestled close. Gentle hands soothing his bare chest. His heart was frantic in his ears as her warmth soaked into his frame.

She wasn’t leaving. There were no harsh words. No sharp criticisms. No disgusted looks.

Instead, when Miranda met his eyes, she appeared blissfully content. Sated.

Govek gulped. “Do you . . . require anything?”

She sighed, as if irritated, and his gut pitched. “I should clean up, but I don’t want to.” Her fingers moved down his cheek to his chest. “Do you want to get up?”

“No.” Moving was the last thing he wanted. “Are you hungry?” The fish had gone black and the nearest spring was much too far for him to get more, but he still had some dried meat in his pack.

“Nope,” she murmured. The sound was muffled against his chest. Her eyes were closed. “I’m sleepy though.”

He relaxed and worked to memorize her perfect face.

Her eyes popped open. “Oh, but are you hungry? You haven’t eaten in days.”

His chest swelled and a shocked chuckle escaped him. “No, I’m well, Miranda. Orcs can go many days without.”

“Doesn’t mean you should, though,” she whispered, back to being drowsy. Her lips pressed into his chest again and he exhaled every drop of tension he had left.

The fire was high. The night had fallen behind the veil of vines, and he would keep her safe. Slowly, he reached to pull his cloak over the top of her. She didn’t reject it. In fact, the added heat relaxed her further.

She pressed her ear to his chest, lids heavy as she listened to the pulse of his heart.

“You will allow me to remain here while you sleep?” He’d never had this joy before. She was bare against his flesh. Vulnerable.

“Of course.” She said it as if it was obvious. As if sleeping in a brutal, violent orc’s arms after being ruthlessly rutted was fucking normal. Even in his clan, conquests returned to Oakwall Village after the rutting.

Only mates stayed.

“You are certain?” he whispered.

She hummed slightly, drowsy, comfortable. Her eyes were shut. Mumbles left her lips, but he couldn’t make them out.

“Sleep,” he begged, and she blessedly obeyed him. Her lovely features went completely slack.

Govek stayed awake, watching her far too late, but eventually followed her under.

And then he rose far too fucking early.

Miranda had barely moved in the night; her ear was still against his heart. Her breathing was slow, steady, and stirred warmth against his chest.

He gritted his teeth. He did not want to leave her. He wanted to remain here in her embrace until the end of days.

But she would be famished when she awoke, famished and irritable, and his instincts screamed to provide boons to quell that fury.

“I don’t want you to offer me boons...”

Govek raked a hand over his face. What was he supposed to do then? How could he ensure she would stay with him if she did not want his offerings?

“You’ve been doing an excellent job of winning me over so far, Govek.”

And that was by providing—keeping her safe and well fed.

Govek slowly untangled himself from her, leaving his cloak to keep her snug and warm. The chill in the cave was oppressive. The fire was embers. He gave it a quick stir to get it blazing again. He would not be gone long.

He went to his undergarment and found it ripped beyond easy repair. He had some tools to mend it but would have to do so when he returned to the cave. For now, he put on his slacks, trusting that Miranda would sleep through his absence and wouldn’t need them.

In the quiet of early daybreak, Govek abandoned his sleeping mate for the familiarity of the woods. Frost dusted a layer over the fallen leaves outside the vine curtain. The icy scent of incoming snow forced a shiver down his spine and not only because of the cold biting his bare flesh. An oddness gripped the air, a deep thrum unsettling the land. No birds called. He was unable to scent any animals.

There was a storm coming. Likely a blizzard.

His hand grazed over his face, into his hair, and tugged at his scalp until the sting brought clarity. But the clarity it brought made his blood quake, his teeth gnashed, and his claws came out, threatening to slash.

Miranda would not survive a blizzard and he did not have enough provisions to last them through a harsh winter.

Govek circled round the cave entrance in ever-growing arches that took him deeper into the woods. The imprint he carried for Miranda was strong enough he would hear her call even at great distances, but he was loath to go any further than necessary.

The blasted storm had caused every animal to take shelter, forcing his hunt to take longer than he wanted, but not any longer than usual for the season. On a typical winter hunt, he could be gone for a few days, sometimes an entire moon, and only bring back scraps.

It would not be possible for him to sustain Miranda’s health.

He would have to fucking return to the Rove Wood Clan.

Blast the Fades for their ruthlessness. Why could they not have dropped her in his lap near Karthoc’s forge? Or held off winter long enough for him to get there?

Govek slashed into the bark of a nearby oak, slicing deep through the soft wood with both claws and magic. He cut through with both hands, thrashing his flesh with splinters, gouging harsh and deep until the tree groaned, snapping. It plummeted.

The thunderous boom of it slamming into the ground rocked him to his core, but did nothing to crack the agony growing in his desperate frame.

Miranda was too weak, Karthoc’s forge was too far, and these woods were too fucking perilous for him to guarantee her safety without more provisions.

He would have to return to Rove Wood. To the clansman who wanted him dead.

There was no other choice.

Govek dug the wood out from beneath his claws. Some had left scrapes but nothing deep enough to draw blood.

The scent of a small animal speared his senses. The crash had startled it out of its burrow. A rabbit skittered across the leaves, already turned white for winter.

Easy prey.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus on following its tracks. They were frantic and wide at first, then the tracks were closer together as the rabbit slowed, entering the thick underbrush. Govek scented the air to determine where it was cowering and crept around.

Being at Rove Wood did not mean he had to interact with the clan.

Govek took a brief pause in his hunt. The clan had never been warm to his presence. They would likely leave him alone.

Slowly, crouching, Govek silently moved nearer to his prey.

They may not even notice he’d returned at all.

His hand reached through the brush, claws barely extended, magic thrumming behind his eyes. He moved by scent rather than sight. He could smell each rapid breath the tiny creature took. Hear its heart beating in his mind.

Hunting was the only time he ever felt his magic was truly useful.

If the Fades were well with him, he could keep Miranda’s existence hidden too. He only needed to gather some supplies, tinctures, and furs for warmth.

The rabbit, sensing danger, thumped its foot in warning, and Govek froze, heart thundering, his claws a hair’s breadth from the creature.

He could keep Miranda in his home for a day, perhaps two, and then they could leave Rove Wood together.

It could work. The orcs of Rove Wood wouldn’t notice a few meager supplies missing.

They wouldn’t expect him to return so soon.

They likely all thought he was dead.

Govek shot his hand forward and snatched up the rabbit so violently it had no chance to even scream. He snapped its neck in a smooth, practiced motion, ending its life swiftly, painlessly.

He looked down at the tiny creature, at how little meat there was. It was the only animal he could scent, and it had only come out of its burrow because he dropped a tree on it. Such luck would likely never touch him again.

Rove Wood was brimming with creatures. The blight wasn’t nearly so harsh there. Govek knew where all the best game liked to dwell and where all the best fishing spots were hidden.

How many hunts had he slaved over, only to have his mighty kills scorned and mutilated by novice butchers? How many white rabbits had he caught for Yerina? Dozens? Hundreds? All for the foolish hope that the lavish gown she created with the furs would please her. Earn him her favor.

He’d worked so blasted hard for that woman. For his clan. For his father.

A few days, Govek could hunt enough meat and swipe enough supplies from the storeroom. He would have to be quick if he didn’t want to be caught. He’d need to mask his scent somehow, but he could handle it.

He would have to. If they got caught... if his brethren discovered he was back in Rove Wood with a female...

They might take her from him.

His stomach twisted and bile rose in the back of his throat. He could do this. He had to. For Miranda.

She called.

He felt her voice rather than heard it. The tangle of it on the wind, like walking through a spider’s web. It tingled across his skin each time she spoke, shaking from the imprint’s invisible thread which connected them.

Gathering himself, Govek struck out through the woods and back to his mate. His steps were steady but heavy. The rabbit would not be enough for her. His own stomach ached, but he ignored it.

She was still calling when he arrived at the cave. Her frantic tone caused him to hesitate at the vines, trembling as he forced himself to pull them back. He was prepared for her rejection. He’d faced it before with Yerina.

But as he entered the cave, he saw Miranda’s expression go from tense to slack with relief at the sight of him. His chest squeezed sharply.

“Where did you go? You should have woken me up I would have gone with you,” she said, sitting up on her knees by the fire. She held his cloak tight around her chest for warmth. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Her care for his wellbeing made him ready to collapse into a grateful flood of praise to the Fades. “I am well, Miranda.”

“I had a bad nightmare. There was an explosion…”

An explosion? “There is nothing near here that can explode, Miranda. You need not worry.” He’d heard of mountains erupting, but it was rare.

But her world had exploded.

Her face was pale, her lip caught in her teeth, her hands wrung. He swallowed hard and could not come up with a way to distract her from her fear. Pull logic back into it. “I knocked down a tree. Perhaps the sound of it worked its way into your dream.”

She blinked. “You what?” He saw no reason to repeat himself when he was certain she’d heard him. “You did what? Why? How?”

His only response to her peppered questions was to lift his claws to her view.

She paused, her mind working. A snort left her, and he relaxed. “Okay, tough guy. Come here.”

His chest warmed with pleasure at her prompting, and he set the rabbit down by the fire. He snagged his pack so he could get her water and food to quell her hunger while he cooked her meal.

He lowered himself in front of her, ready to dig through the pack, but she grasped his hands instead, probing them with her deliciously warm fingers.

She’d gotten dressed while he was gone, in his shirt, her underwear and the cloak he’d made for her. The delicious memory of her naked body had him longing to strip her bare again. She trailed her soft fingertips over his, as if searching for damage.

“Looks like you’re okay,” she mumbled. “Why did you knock over a tree? Did it insult you?”

He grunted in amusement. Amusement which died away as Miranda rose and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. All warm and sweet against his icy skin. Blast him as a fool. He was dangerously close to tearing off her only set of clothes. By contrast, she lifted his cloak and slung it around his shoulders.

“You’re freezing,” she murmured, fumbling with the tie at the neck. The warmth of the cloak was nothing compared to her generous actions. Her eyes turned thoughtful, and she said, “Does the air seem... different to you?”

He blinked, tipped his head. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno. It’s weird, it just feels kinda electrified.” His confusion went deeper, and she let out an adorable snort of amusement. “I mean, like there’s going to be a thunderstorm soon.”

She could sense the incoming storm? “I believe a blizzard will descend upon us soon. That may be what you are sensing.”

“A blizzard?” She glanced toward the low fire and pulled her cloak up tighter.

Govek gulped thickly and went to the flames. Using his magic to build them up as he added in a few more logs. “I may need to put the boulder back in place so that the heat inside this cave can be better preserved.”

Fuck, would that even be enough? She was wearing literal scraps.

And her face went pale. “Is there somewhere else we can go?”

He shook his head. “My cla—Rove Wood Clan is still a two-day journey from here. All will be well, Miranda. I will not allow harm to come to you.” He’d battle the Fades themselves to keep her hale.

Her throat worked in a swallow, but she nodded.

He finished with the logs and returned to her side. How long did they have before the storm hit? Did he have time to hunt for more supplies? “I may need to go back out. Collect more provisions.”

“I should go with you. I can help.”

His throat felt tight. “No, Miranda, it is too cold for you.”

“But if there isn’t much time, then we should both?—”

“You can best help by keeping the fire high,” he said firmly. “Keeping yourself warm and safe.”

“I’m not some fragile butterfly, Govek”—she rose to her feet, ignoring his scowl—“and you can warm me up when we get back.”

A low rumble left his throat, and he raked a hand through his hair. He should not rely on her like this, but an extra set of hands would be useful with their limited time.

And he was reluctant to part from her again.

“Fine,” he muttered, “but you’ll wear my cloak too.” They’d left her shorts on the rock at the spring the day before so all she had was her underwear and his oversized shirt. He’d give her his pants as well but his underwear were in tatters from his overzealous removal the night before and he wasn’t certain what would discomfort her more, his nakedness or the cold.

“Keep it for now. I’ll tell you if I get too cold,” she insisted and he let out a long sigh laced with resignation. He could carry her if she got too chilled.

Deep in his bones, he felt that delightful thrum of her imprint soothing away his reservations.

He lifted his pack from the ground and gestured for her to follow him out of the cave. “Come then. We’ll go to the spring first.”