A sorhox was even more magnificent and terrifying up close than viewed while it grazed some distance away in a pasture. Easily the size of a minivan, its medium green hide rippled with muscles as it moved, its dark eyes gleaming with intelligence. Curved horns spiked out from behind its ears, ending in lethal-looking points that caught the lamplight. Its long tail, tipped with a wickedspike, swished behind it as it came to a stop directly in front of us.
Three-clawed hooves pawed the ground, and when it opened its mouth in what might’ve been a greeting, I caught a glimpse of fangs that could easily tear through flesh. Yet there was something undeniably gentle in the way it lowered its massive head toward Dungar, however. And a rumbling purr echoed through its chest.
“Riley, meet Treelee.” Dungar stepped off the boardwalk and over to the beast’s side to stroke the creature with obvious affection. “She’s sweet and won’t hurt you.”
Treelee turned her snout his way and nudged him hard enough to make even a big orc like Dungar take a step backward.
“I raised her from a calf after her mother was injured in a rockslide,” he said. “She’s been my companion for eight years now.”
“She’s…” I swallowed hard, trying to find words that didn’t include “absolutely terrifying” or “capable of eating me in two bites.” “Impressive.”
Dungar’s tusky grin rose. “She’s as gentle as a luminook once you get to know her. Come close and hold out your hand.”
“She’ll bite my fingers off.”
“Trust me.”
The warmth in his voice made me step away from the wall. Trembling, I extended my hand toward the massive creature, half-convinced I was about to become her evening snack.
Treelee’s tongue swept across my palm in a long, careful lick. Then she nuzzled my chest with her snout in a surprisingly delicate way. The gesture was so sweet it made laughter bubble up from my chest.
“She likes you.” Dungar’s expression had gone soft as he watched our interaction. “That’s not always the case with strangers.”
“Maybe she can sense I’m just as nervous as she probably was when she first met humans.” I tentatively reached up to stroke the side of her head, marveling at the warmth of her hide.
“Ready for a ride?” he asked.
Before I could protest or ask what exactly that might entail, Dungar’s hands spanned my waist. He lifted me effortlessly onto Treelee’s broad back. The spike jutting up from between her shoulders provided a natural handgrip, and he hooked my bag of soggy belongings onto it. Then he vaulted up behind me, and suddenly, I was very much aware of how I was settled between his powerful thighs, my back pressed against his abdomen. Heat radiated from his body.
When Treelee shifted beneath us, I found myself pressed even more firmly against him, and that’s when I felt the thick, unmistakable outline of his cock, long and substantial, pressed against my ass.
I tried to ease forward, but that only made me more aware of his size, of the way his body responded to our closeness. My face flamed as he stirred behind me, his breathing becominguneven.
Definitely not mentioning that. Nope. Not even thinking about it.
Except I was thinking about it.Vividly.
“Orcs don’t use reins with our personal sorhoxes, though the tourists do,” Dungar said, his voice rougher than usual. “We guide them with heel commands and vocal cues.”
I felt rather than saw him press his heels gently against Treelee’s sides, and she turned and began moving along Main Street with a smooth gait that was surprisingly comfortable. We passed shops and the restaurant I was beginning to know by heart, and moved out onto the dusty road leading away from town.
The evening air tasted crisp and clean, carrying the scent of pine and wildflowers. Stars had begun to appear in the darkening sky, and the mountains rose around the valley like silent guardians. This was the kind of beauty I’d only seen in movies, the kind that made you believe in magic.
“It’s gorgeous here,” I said, immediately feeling foolish for stating the obvious.
“I hoped you’d think so.” His arm tightened around my waist, steadying me as Treelee navigated a small rise. “Sometimes I still can’t believe we actually made it to the surface, that we found a place like this.”
We passed several small ranch houses set back from the road, each with warm lights glowing in the windows.
“My brothers and their mates live here,” he said, gesturing to them in general.
When Treelee turned up a gravel driveway, I knew we’d reached Dungar’s home.
The house was picture-perfect in its simplicity. White siding with black shutters, and a large deck extending from the back that overlooked the most breathtaking view I’d ever seen. A two-story red gambrel barn sat to one side, and beyond that stretched the plain where we’d found Marcy, rolling away toward the forest and mountains beyond.
My heart gave a weird lurch. I could wake up to this view every morning. I could sit on that deck with my coffee and watch the sunrise paint the mountains gold and pink. I could build a life here, in this beautiful, peaceful place with this incredible male who looked at me like I was something worth fighting for.
You could, if you really are his fated mate.The thought whispered through my mind, but I pushed it away, reminding myself that I’d decided not to think about the mating bond thing until tomorrow. There was too much to process, too many implications I wasn’t ready to face.
