Morgath threw her bag into the back of the car, then turned to the raider.
“Raknar the Steadfast, ride ahead and let them all know I am bringing a bride home. Prepare a feast.”
The raider inclined his head and urged the krag forward. The beast moved with surprising speed despite its size, and within moments, it had disappeared down the dirt road.
Morgath turned to help Audrey up into the car, but she didn’t wait for him. She grabbed the side of the vehicle and hauled herself up with no effort, settling into the back seat.
“What did I say–”
“Fuck off,” she cut him off, crossing her arms. “I’ll behave like a lady when we arrive.”
He shook his head and climbed into the front seat. He started the engine, which sputtered and coughed before finally catching. The whole car shook as it idled, and Audrey wondered if it would even make it to the horde’s town.
Morgath pulled out of the parking area and onto the road.
Audrey knew exactly where they were going because she and the Tusk Hunters had spent months tracking his horde. The town sat in a valley in the Cabinet Mountains of Montana, about forty-five minutes from the nearest human settlement. It was isolated and surrounded by forest, which made it the perfect place for a horde to claim as their own.
She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to the group chat with the Tusk Hunters.
On my way. He chose me. Will check in when I can.
Then she sent another text to Monica.
Thank you for everything. I owe you.
The road was rough and full of potholes, and the car bounced with every bump. Audrey held onto the side to keep from being thrown around. The forest closed in on either side of them, dense pine trees stretching up toward the gray sky. Mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks still covered in snow.
Bored out of her mind after twenty minutes of staring at the back of Morgath’s skull helmet, Audrey decided to climb into the front seat. There was no reason to sit in the back like a child when she could sit up front and maybe get some useful information out of him.
She scrambled over the seat back, her hands grabbing onto whatever she could find to steady herself. The car hit a bump, and she lurched forward, her hands slamming into Morgath’s shoulder. She clung to him to keep from falling, her fingers digging into the leather of his vest.
“What are you doing?” he growled, his voice sharp with annoyance.
“Getting comfortable,” she said, shoving at him to make room. “Move over.”
“There’s no room.”
“Then make room.”
She pushed harder, and he shifted slightly to the left, though it didn’t help much. She squeezed herself into the small space beside him, her body pressed against his side. As she tried to settle in, the back of her hand scraped against one of the curved horns.
“Ow, fuck,” she muttered, looking at the small cut. Blood welled up along the scratch, though it wasn’t deep.
Morgath glanced at her, and his hand shot out to steady her before she could slip again. His grip on her arm was firm but careful. He held her until she managed to wedge herself into the seat properly.
“Don’t blame me if you fall out,” he said, letting go of her and returning both hands to the steering wheel.
She wiped the blood off on her jeans and looked up at the skull helmet. This close, she could see the texture of the bone, the way it had been carved and shaped to fit over his head.
“What’s with the helmet?” she asked. “Don’t you ever take it off?”
All these years, she’d been obsessed with him. She’d pieced together every scrap of information she could find about Morgath the Skullreaper, until she felt like she knew him better than she knew herself. It was strange to be so close to the orc she’d been obsessed with since she was a child, to see him as a real person instead of the monster from her nightmares.
He growled at her.
“Mind your own business and let me drive.”
She huffed and leaned back. Or tried to. There wasn’t much room to lean. She was squeezed in so tightly that she could barely breathe. Morgath occupied two thirds of the seat. His thigh pressed against hers, warm and solid, and she could feel the heat radiating off his body. His muscles were taut and strong beneath his clothes. He was as hard as a boulder.
