As fascinated as Audrey was by the process, the scene quickly became too much for her. The blood pooling on the table, the precise cutting through hide and muscle, the gutting that exposed organs and bone. Her stomach turned, and nausea rose in her throat. It was entirely possible she wouldn’t be able to eat tonight.
She got up and walked out of the diner, deciding it was time to retreat to her and Morgath’s house. She didn’t want to call it home. It would’ve been utterly ridiculous.
She shut herself in her room and was thinking of calling the Tusk Hunters when she heard Morgath enter through the front door. Everything he did was loud, his footsteps heavy enough that the ground seemed to shake under him. She could track his movements through the house by sound alone.
He banged harshly on her door, his fist making the wood rattle in its frame.
“Are you in here? Audrey!”
She opened the door and blinked up at him.
“What?”
He growled at her, his voice low and rough.
“What was that earlier?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t push me, Audrey.” His voice went quieter, the words coming through gritted teeth. “Never defy me like that again.”
“I only pointed out the truth,” she said.
“You’re listening at doors now?” he demanded. “In the middle of the night?”
“It’s not my fault you were so loud,” she shot back.
“Mind your own damn business,” he said. “And put on a dress for dinner.”
She turned falsely sweet, letting a smile curve her lips.
“You’re going to put me on your lap again, rub yourself against me, and feed me with your own hand?”
“My horde thinks I claimed you last night,” he said. “That my seed has been seeping out of you all day. So yes, that’s exactly what I’ll do until they are fully convinced you’re here to stay and they can take their own brides.”
“When do you think they’ll be fully convinced?” she asked.
He shrugged. “When they’ll start visiting the institutes.”
He turned on his heel and walked out without another word, as if the whole point had been to scold her, give her an order, and his job was now done.
Audrey groaned to herself and pinched the bridge of her nose.
She went to the dresser and pulled out the same green dress she’d worn when they’d first met. She was dying to see his reaction. She put on some makeup, then made her way to the community center, ready to put on whatever show he needed.
The atmosphere inside was warmer and less tense than the previous night. The orcs were more relaxed, laughing and talking as they ate. Their voices filled the space with a comfortable rumble that made the room feel alive.
Morgath pulled her onto his lap as soon as she approached, his arm wrapping around her waist to hold her in place. He fedher, offering her pieces of roasted meat and bread, while the other orcs watched with approval.
Audrey was growing increasingly frustrated by the skull helmet and the barrier it created between them. Her hands twitched with the need to remove it, so she could see his face.
It shouldn’t matter what he looked like, she told herself. She didn’t need to know. It was better for her not to see his face, so she wouldn’t get attached to him. Seeing his face might humanize him.
All evening, she could feel his hard cock pressed against her ass, the heat of it burning through the thin fabric of her dress. Every time she shifted, she felt it twitch and throb.
To provoke him, she rubbed herself against him with deliberate slowness. She pressed her whole body against his chest, letting her curves mold to his solid frame. She even hooked her arms around his neck and leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing the bone of his skull mask.
“Do you think I’m convincing enough?” she whispered.
