Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Anna
Iwake up hot and bothered, after an explicit dream wherein Keric was in bed with me, his face between my thighs, licking me to orgasm.
The throes of said orgasm leave me gasping for breath.
I didn’t even know it was possible to have such a hot dream that it could make me come while asleep, but it did.
I’m gushing with moisture between my thighs and my nipples are two hard points. I look around, realizing its morning and I’m alone with no one beside me. Time to get up.
This is my second morning waking up in his bed, alone.
How am I going to survive this?
I’m not ready to commit fully to Keric forever and instantly becoming pregnant.
My mind is filled with the fact that powerful people are pissed as hell at the thought of me handing over evidence to the right authorities who can bring down their ring of fraud and get them jailed for the murder of Jonas Webb.
I want them stopped before they can hurt me or anyone else.
And in between that, it’s difficult to think realistically of romance, marriage and babies.
And yet my mind fills with these topics.
How can I not think this way when every waking moment is spent with the fabulously sexy Keric Irontree? Those powerful thighs and the kissable lips. His green skin looks so soft and those tusks add an edgy allure to the powerful package.
He even let me adopt a kitten.
I check the time on the nightstand and see that I slept in and it’s already almost nine o’clock in the morning.
Ugh. I throw back the covers and get out of bed.
I quietly make my way down the hallway and look at myself in the mirror. Luckily, I’d shoved my entire skincare system into my go bag. I always have travel size versions of everything just for an instance like this. My skin looks good, but I certainly need an exfoliant this morning.
I take a shower and force myself to think about the problem at hand, the evidence I gave to the orcs. The lawyer I haven’t met yet who is reviewing the files. This is all good news.
I can focus on that. Survival first. Romance later.
Except I can’t stop thinking about the dream.
After the shower, I rub my face with exfoliation pads apply my peptides and then facial sunscreen as usual.
I blow dry my hair to a shiny sheen, then I get dressed, disappointed at the lack of choice.
Today I’m wearing the clothes I wore when I arrived, because I’ve only got two sets of clothes.
This is what I washed last night. I did bring a t shirt to sleep in, so at least I have that.
Casual but presentable for a meeting the other Brides.
Deep breath. Time to face him.
I walk out of the bedroom. The house is nice and warm, despite the fact that it’s a chilly spring day outside.
Keric is in the kitchen, shirtless as usual, making breakfast. This time it’s pancakes and sausage.
How did I get this lucky, finding a man who likes to cook for me?
My whole life I’ve dreamt of finding a man who wanted to cook for me, but I didn’t think it was possible and here he is.
The smell of coffee and sausage fills the cabin. Dinah plays with her toy mouse on the floor, pouncing with exaggerated kitten fierceness.
Keric looks up when I enter. “Good morning. I was about to go and wake you up when I heard the shower start. Coffee?”
“Please.” My voice sounds normal. Good. Does he know I dreamt of him last night? Can he scent my arousal? God, I hope not.
I pick up the kitten and sit at the table, trying not to stare at his bare chest. Those tribal tattoos. The way his muscles move as he pours coffee. The memory of the dream flashes through my mind, the feel of his mouth, his tongue on my clit, his hands on my thighs.
Stop it. Focus.
“You okay?” He sets the coffee in front of me.
Did he just sniff me? “Fine. Totally fine.” That was too enthusiastic. I need to dial it back. I kiss the kitten and then put the squirming fluff ball back on the floor. “Just... thinking about meeting Drew and the others today.”
He nods and flips some pancakes. “They’ll like you. And you’ll like them.”
“What should I expect?”
“Honest answers. Whatever you want to know, they’ll tell you.” He starts plating pancakes and sausage for the both of us.
“That’s good. I need help with all the details, told from the point of view of other women, about how to settle in here as a human living mainly amongst orcs.”
“You’ll get it.”
I put butter and syrup on my pancakes and dig in. We eat breakfast. I focus on my food, on Dinah trying to steal bacon off my plate, on anything except the way Keric’s hands look holding his fork. The memory of the dream keeps intruding. His face between my thighs. The orgasm that woke me up.
I need to get out of this cabin.
At nine forty-five, our meal is finished and the kitchen was left tidy. Dinah is left behind in the bathroom with her kitty litter, bowls of food and water and a small blanket for her bed.
We climb into the utility vehicle. Keric drives me to Dinah’s cabin. I’m very aware of him beside me in close quarters. His bare green chest. Those tattoos on his shoulders. The way his large hands grip the steering wheel.
Stop staring, Anna.
“Nervous?” he asks.
“A little. What if they don’t like me?”
“They will.” Simple certainty.
We drive through the wild area and return to the residential area, with more cabins tucked between trees. Smoke puffs from chimneys and gardens start to show spring growth. It’s peaceful here. Beautiful.
“We’re here.” Keric parks the vehicle in front Drew’s cabin, which I can tell is larger than Keric’s. It must clearly be built for a family.
Keric walks me to the door. “I’ll pick you up at noon.”
“Okay.”
Our eyes meet. His gaze drops to my mouth.
I lick my lips.
He takes a deep breath and a step backwards. Then he’s gone. Walking back to the vehicle and pulling away.
I’m alone on the porch and nervous suddenly. What if I don’t fit in? What if they think I’m stupid for running for three years? What if—
The door opens before I can knock.
“Anna,” Drew beams at me, pulling me into an immediate hug. “Come in. We’re so excited you’re here.”
I follow her inside. The living room is spacious with a huge sectional couch. Four other women are already there, sitting with coffee cups and pastries. They all turn to look at me with welcoming smiles. It’s a nice, cozy scene and I immediately feel better.
“Everyone, this is Anna Lee,” Drew announces. “Anna, this is everyone.”
Laughter all around.
Drew introduces them one by one. “This is Miranda Overlook, she’s Rogan’s bride.”
“Oh really?” I exclaim, smiling at the woman with kind eyes and grey streaking her dark hair. “I’ve met your husband twice already.”
“I know,” she laughs. “I heard.”
“And this is Sarah Stoneclaw. She’s married to Lordan Stoneclaw, an orc you haven’t met yet.”
Sarah leans forward and shakes my hand. “And I’m married to Lordan Stoneclaw, an orc you haven’t met yet.”
I smile at the woman in her thirties with a warm, practical manner and a distinct Maine accent.
“And I’m Megan Stoneclaw,” a younger woman who looks like she’s in her mid-twenties offers, with a wide grin on her pretty face. “I’m married to Sarah’s husband’s cousin, another orc you haven’t met yet either.”
“Sit, sit.” Drew presses a coffee cup into my hands. “My husband and kids are all out of the cabin for a couple of hours so we have plenty of time to talk. Would you like cream? Sugar?”
“Both, please.”
She doctors my coffee while I settle onto the couch.
Miranda hands me a blueberry scone that looks warm and fresh. “These are from the newly established commune bakery,” she explains. “Run by a human Bride who used to work in a shop in Vermont.”
“It’s delicious,” I say after taking a bite. And it is.
“So,” Drew settles beside me, grinning. “We heard you adopted a kitten yesterday.”
Oh thank god, a safe topic. “Yes, I did. Her name is Dinah. She’s a grey tabby. Rothgar was trying to find homes for a litter.”
“She got the one nobody wanted?” Sarah asks, her Maine accent softening the words.
“The runt. But she’s perfect.”
“That’s so sweet!” Drew exclaims.
“Rothgar’s cats are legendary,” Megan comments. “He acts like a grumpy hermit but he’s a total softie.”
“I noticed that,” I laugh.
“How are you settling in?” Miranda asks gently. “It’s been what, two days?”
“Yes, this makes my third day here. It’s been... a lot. I had to leave behind my entire life in California suddenly and now I’m living in a cabin with Keric, an orc I barely knew prior to a few days ago.”
“It always happens fast like that when you find your orc,” Miranda sighs.
The rest nod in agreement.
“I don’t know what to do about my attraction to Keric,” I admit. “I’ve learned that we can’t actually date and that if we do anything together it’s like I’ve made a forever commitment with him and…I mean we barely know each other.
Drew pats my hand. “This is a completely normal reaction and in fact it shows you’re a good, responsible person just for taking the time to think all of this through first instead of rushing into something you’ll regret later.”
“It took all of us a bit to wrap our heads around our decisions too, at first,” Miranda confirms. The others nod in agreement.
I pause, wondering if this is when I should be telling them the whole sordid story about my past and exactly why I’m here. Or do they know the details already? Is my story passing around the commune like wildfire?
Drew leans forward. “So, Anna. You probably have questions about what life here is really like. We’re here to give you the real answers. Ask us anything.”
I look around at their open, friendly faces, glad that they’ve chosen the topic for me. These women genuinely want to help. “What’s it really living in a walled commune?” I question. “Do you miss big cities with…movie theatres and…human life?”