21. Varkul
Varkul
“This was a mistake.”
My mate’s sudden words cut a deep gash across my heart. I look up in surprise, her beautiful face still coated in a gleam of sweat.
“This was no mistake,” I say, my voice rumbling. “This is what we were made for.”
“Yes. No. I mean, doing this here .”
I look around. This room, with its white walls and bright lights is not what I would have chosen for a first mating, no.
I would have preferred to do so on a mountain, overlooking all of my clan’s territory, shaded by a large tree as the stars appeared overhead…
But, any place where I can claim Evelyn as my mate.. is a good place.
“Is this space not to your liking?” I ask. “Then wait until you see my clan’s lands. You’ll love it.”
“Don’t you see?” Evelyn asks, her voice rising with panic. “We won’t get to see your clan’s lands. They will never let me leave this place!”
“They won’t be able to stop me,” I growl, offended by my mate’s lack of trust in me.
Does she not see I will move mountains for her? A few pesky human guards and some thick walls won’t stop me.
Not when my pregnant mate is involved.
I know, deep in my bones, that I have just sired a child in her womb. My primal instincts tell me this, and they are never wrong.
Evelyn places her hands on my chest — the wounds have fully healed, but the scars are still there.
“I watched them shoot you before, Varkul. I can’t let it happen again,” she says. “This was a mistake.”
“It was not,” I growl, my frustration growing.
She is my mate . My one and only. That means something to me. It means she is my everything. And nothing, absolutely nothing will stop me from protecting her.
She untangles from me and hurries to get her clothes back on. I watch her, confused. I thought we connected deeply, but was I… mistaken?
No. It couldn’t be… unless…
Unless the bonds between humans and orcs aren’t as stable or as strong… but what I felt, what I feel right now with her is… it is telling me that she is my mate.
“I’m supposed to sedate you, but I won’t,” Evelyn says. “But please don’t get yourself killed, okay? Just do what they ask, and I’ll… I’ll think of something.”
Evelyn’s voice is hurried, clipped. I have never seen her this panicked before. I try to reach for her, to comfort her, but she hurries away from me, tears running down her face as she exits the room.
I stand there, naked, confused, angered.
What the gromph just happened?