That evening, we make camp in a small clearing in the forest not far from a bustling human village. We drove through, passing an inn and a village market that afternoon—and I was saddened to see how the inhabitants behaved when they saw the orc wagon drivers. Their faces pinched with worry, and women ushered their children from the streets. When we stopped at a bakery for some fresh bread, Ozork asked me to go in instead of them, as if he knew I’d have a better chance of getting good service.
“It’s unfair,” I mutter to Marut as he shows me how to tie the strings to hold our tent upright. “You did nothing wrong.”
He looks down at me with a fond smile. “It’s good to hear you say so. But we have a library full of books and scrolls all testifying to the fact that orcs used to be a warmongering people, pillaging across the lands in search of riches.”
I open my mouth, then close it again. Human stories about orcs are much the same, but that doesn’t mean this clan isn’t different.
“Under King Gorvor, we’ve enjoyed a decade of peace,” Marut says. “You needn’t worry about this. Humans will get used to us passing through their lands eventually and see we’re not here to create trouble.”
I hope that’s true. But the party that evening seems subdued, though that might have more to do with how cold it is. We pitched our tents closer to the fire, and Neekar offers everyone hot bricks warmed in the coals to stave off the night chill. Marut takes two, wrapping them in cloth, and carries them over to our tent as we retire for the night.
“Take care you don’t burn yourself.” He buries both bricks in the blankets. “And if you wake up in the night, let me know, and I’ll bring you another. The watch will keep the fire going.”
I melt at his attentiveness. “When is your watch, then?”
He ducks his head. “They cut me out of the schedule,” he admits. “They said it’s my wedding gift.”
I stare at the tent flap, thinking about the four orcs out there who must be thinking we’re, ah, doing things newlywed couples do. Ritta mentioned that tea to me today, and they’re giving us whole nights together, which is apparently a luxury.
“Hey,” Marut says, “none of that.”
“What?” I ask, more than a little defensive.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” he orders. “You and I have our own agreement. They don’t figure into that at all.”
I swallow, then force myself to say, “But there is something we should talk about. Ritta mentioned a-a special tea?” My voice rises, coming out all squeaky at the end. “To prevent pregnancy.”
Marut freezes with his hands on the laces of his shirt. “Did she?”
“Yes. And I wanted to discuss it with you before I did anything on my own.”
He hums and unties the laces of his shirt. Then he pulls it off with one rough tug and rolls it up for his pillow. “That’s your decision, Violet. I know we might not need it for a while, but you’re the one who needs to choose.”
I fiddle with the hem of my sleeve. “See, I don’t think that’s true, not entirely. I mean, it would be if I didn’t want children. But what if I do, and you don’t?”
Suddenly, Marut is leaning over me, his face so close to mine. I twitch back, startled. I didn’t even see him move.
He runs his nose over my shoulder, then up to my ear and whispers, “I want nothing more than to fill your belly with my seed, little bird.”
I gasp, rearing back to see his face. “What?”
“I will give you as many babies as you’d like,” he murmurs. “And we’ll have fun making them, too. I’ll treat your pussy so well, Violet. Just say the word, and you’ll have my cum.”
My breath stalls in my throat. A flush spreads from my belly all through my body, right down to my tingling limbs. He’s-he’s serious. He’s known me for such a short time, and he’s ready to plant a baby in my womb. I blink at him, too flustered to reply. Is this an orc thing? Do they all speak to their mates like this? I…like it. I cannot say that the heat pooling between my legs is unpleasant. A sense of urgency grows inside me, one I don’t know how to chase away.
Marut is still staring at me as if he expects an answer. And I suppose I owe him one, though I have no idea how to articulate the mess of thoughts and emotions roiling in my head.
“All right,” I blurt finally.
A muscle twitches in his jaw. “All right what, Violet?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, then force myself to meet his gaze again. “To what you said. I-I agree.”
He lets out a long exhale, and his broad shoulders relax a fraction, as if he’s been just as tense as me, waiting for my verdict. I half expect him to take my assent as permission to ravish me, but he doesn’t do that.
Instead, he barks, “I would like to kiss you again.”
I can’t help but smile. “Good. I’d like that, too.”
He leans forward and captures my lips with his, and I know immediately Marut is done playing with me. This kiss is a different beast altogether from the almost chaste pecks we shared before. His breath is hot on my skin as he nudges my nose so I angle my head to the side, then demands my surrender. I gasp, shocked at the thrill that zings through me at the contact, and he takes that opportunity to slick his tongue into my mouth, exploring. It’s strange, and I’ve never done that before, but I like it, so I try to replicate what he did to see if he likes it as well.
Marut groans the moment my tongue touches his lower lip and brings his out to brush against mine. My first thought is that this is very strange—but then all thoughts flee. Sensations assault me, throbbing and pulsing through my body. My eyelids flutter closed at the pleasure, and I open my mouth to him, eager for more.
I need something. I reach forward to grasp Marut’s shirt and keep him close—I don’t want this to stop—but my fingers only reach warm, firm skin. I go to pull back, but Marut’s invitation to touch him, anytime, pops in my head, so I carefully splay my fingers on his chest, marveling at the broad slab of muscle moving underneath.
Suddenly, Marut wrenches himself back and hunches his shoulders. I remain in place, breathing hard, my lips swollen from his kisses.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean…”
I don’t know how to finish that sentence. I did mean to do what I just did. But from what we talked about, I assumed Marut would like my touch, not shy away from it.
Though there’s nothing shy in the way he’s looking at me now. His dark gaze feels like a caress, and it seems as if he’s barely holding himself back.
“Marut?”
He exhales through his nose, then crawls closer, looming over me on his hands and knees. The poor light casts shadows on his handsome face, making it harsher than it is.
“Do you trust me, Violet?” he rasps.
I lift my eyebrows. “Yes?” I don’t mean for it to sound like a question, so I repeat, “Yes,” with a more determined voice.
Because I do—otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. Not in this orc camp, on the road to parts unknown, not in our small tent, so close to him.
He doesn’t move, only stares at me intently. “And you enjoy kissing, don’t you?”
Heat still thrums through me, and I know he can scent it on me, so I choose the truth. “I do,” I admit. “Very much.”
Marut tracks his gaze from my eyes to my lips, then lower to the neckline of my nightgown and down to my lap, which is still hidden by blankets. I’m fully covered, but I’ve never felt this naked before. He sees everything, and though that frightens me, it’s also liberating, because he’s not going anywhere.
In fact, he leans an inch closer and asks, “If I promise not to put my hands on you, will you let me kiss you? Your body?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, then breathe, “Yes.”
There’s no question in my voice this time. I want to know what he has to show me, and if he promises not to grab me, I can do this.
I think I can anyway.
“B-but if I want you to stop…?” I ask.
“You only need to say the word,” he promises, “and I’ll do it.”
“That’s good.” I sit up straight and roll my shoulders back. “I’m ready.”
He smiles then, one of his full, real smiles that sends a shiver of awareness through me. I’m in deep here, and I don’t think there’s any going back. But I have no regrets. Not yet.
“I want you to lie back,” he murmurs. “Can you do that for me?”
I obey instantly. That’s easy enough to do, after all. And he’s still kneeling, his hands braced on the sleeping pallets.
“Now untie the laces. Aye, there, at your neckline.” His voice is deep, almost mesmerizing. “I’d like to see you.”
Now that—that’s something I’ve never done before. Bared myself to a man, or anyone, really. I didn’t even have a maid at home to help me bathe like some ladies do, so I’ve never been naked in company in my adult life. I don’t know if I can do it either.
But Marut waits patiently for me to make my decision. And when I stare at him, I realize he’s naked from the waist up, too. It’s different for a male, of course, but the fact that he’s showing me his skin makes this somewhat easier.
With trembling fingers, I reach up and tug at the laces of my nightgown. Marut tracks the movements of my hands with unwavering attention, and I notice how his body stiffens when I take the edges of the fabric and part it, exposing my breasts to him.
“Gods, Violet,” he rumbles. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
My nipples pebble in the cool air, but I don’t mind the temperature, because I’m burning up inside. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, though I’m not afraid. No, this is something else entirely.
“Now push the covers down,” Marut instructs. “And let me see your pussy.”
I close my eyes, embarrassment punching through me, hard. This is too much, too soon. I don’t think I can do it. I’ll have to ask Marut to stop before we’ve even begun…
“Open your eyes, Violet,” he coaxes. “It’s all right. What you’ve already given me is enough.”
I peer at him through my eyelashes. He hasn’t moved, and he doesn’t seem disappointed either. So he only wants to kiss my breasts? I let out a shuddering exhale and lay my hands at my sides, where I fist the covers and hold on tight.
“I’m ready,” I whisper.
Marut moves slowly, as if he’s afraid of startling me. He plants his knees by my hip and his hands on either side of my head and leans down to kiss my lips. I’m glad—this is known territory, something we’ve done before, and I like it so much. He brushes his tongue over my lower lip, inviting me to open my mouth, and I let him in, relieved that we’re back to what I already know. He seduces me with slow licks, then nips my lip and soothes the bite with his tongue, until I’m panting under him, my arms trembling as I restrain myself from grabbing on to his shoulders.
Then he leaves my lips, and I nearly protest, demanding he return and kiss me some more, but he trails light kisses over my chin to the spot beneath my ear. I shiver when he bites gently down on the side of my neck, then I move my head to the side to give him better access.
It all feels incredible, and I have no words to describe what’s happening to me.
“You taste so good,” Marut murmurs. “I knew you would the moment I scented you, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever imagined.”
His breath mists over my skin, and goosebumps flare up all over my neck, my chest, my belly. I shift restlessly on the sleeping pallet, squirming under the weight of his attention.
“Marut,” I whine, needing more but unsure of how to ask.
“Aye,” he says, his voice carrying a hint of a smile. “I’m here, little bird.”
I fall silent as he dips his head and moves his lips to the spot where my neck meets my shoulder. He kisses and licks my skin as if I’m the sweetest delicacy he’s ever tasted. When his tusks slide over my collarbone, I let out an involuntary squeak, and he soothes the spot with his tongue. He’s taking care of me, attuned to every reaction, every breath I take.
He kisses the valley between my breasts, and my pulse ratchets higher. My eyelids flutter shut, but I don’t want to miss any of this, so I force myself to keep my eyes open. Marut licks my breast almost all the way to my nipple, which is tight and ready, but he stops just short of the sensitive bud and repeats the motion from another angle. Again and again, he tortures me, giving me so much sensation—yet not quite enough. He switches his attention to the other side and feasts on me, tasting my skin, and just when I’m about to demand what I want from him, he takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks down on it, hard.
I cry out, then remember where we are and cover my mouth with my hand. The sensation is exquisite, a sensuous, intense pull that sparks a fire in my belly.
“Shh,” he murmurs, then takes the peak into his mouth again and flicks his tongue over it. “It’s all right, Violet.”
It’s all right?
It is most decidedly not, and I want to tell my husband that, but words elude me because he moves to my other breast to repeat what he just did. It’s all I can do to keep still and not yelp every time his teeth drag over my sensitive flesh. Something is building inside me, my skin feels too tight, my entire body thrumming with nervous energy.
I need to know what this is. I won’t ever forgive myself if I don’t uncover this strange new secret.
“Marut,” I gasp. “Stop!”
He retreats immediately, jerking back as if scalded. I breathe hard, staring at him through the gloom.
Marut crouches in the far corner of our small tent, his head brushing the roof, and presses the heels of his hands to his eyes. “Forgive me,” he rasps. “I didn’t mean to take it this far. I only wanted a taste…”
Taking a deep breath, I push the covers down, uncovering my lap first, then my legs. I kick the blanket away and grasp the hem of my nightgown.
“Marut,” I whisper.
“No, don’t say it,” he replies almost angrily. “I am at fault. Just let me find my shirt, and I’ll spend the night outside.”
“Marut,” I snap, a little louder now. “Look at me.”
My husband lowers his hands and blinks. I slowly drag up the fabric, exposing myself to him. My hands tremble with anticipation, because I don’t know what he’ll do. I open my knees slightly—and that’s as much as I’m capable of. He’ll have to meet me halfway and show me why he wanted me like this.
“Fuck.” Marut’s rough curse fills the silence between us. “Violet. Yes.”
He kneels in front of me. Behind the laces of his leather pants, his cock strains, thick and bulging. I want to see him, because if I’m attracted to parts of him like his forearms and his neck, I really want to know what seeing his cock will do to me. But Marut doesn’t reach to undo the strings—he merely stares down at me, at the most private part of my body.
“You’ll have to help me,” he growls. “Show me more, so I can reach you.”
“All right.” I lie flat on my back and let my knees fall to the sides. “Like so?”
He hums in agreement. “Aye. Now put two fingers to your pussy and spread it for me.”
Wetness pools between my legs at his words. Embarrassed, I cover my pussy with my hand, hiding it from view, but Marut leans down and inhales deeply.
“I can smell you growing wet, little bird,” he purrs. “I’ll lick up all your cream, and you’ll give me more.”
A deep pulse of want reverberates through me. “Gods. What are you doing to me?”
His dark gaze burns with intensity. “I’m going to make you come. I’ll lick your pretty pussy until you climax.”
My entire body feels as if it’s throbbing in time with my heartbeat. I’m a trembling, panting mess, and he hasn’t even started.
“Will it hurt?” I’ve heard whispers from older women, and my sister-in-law hinted as much when she first arrived in our household.
Marut pauses. “Not tonight. I’ll only kiss you and lick you, but when you’re ready to take my cock, aye, then it’ll hurt for a bit. But I’ll make sure you’re wet, and we’ll go as slow as you need until you get used to me.”
He says all this so matter-of-factly, I believe him without a shred of doubt. He’s not embellishing the truth, and I’m immensely grateful. Instead of answering, I move my hand on my pussy and spread my lower lips with two fingers.
Then I wait, holding my breath, to see what he’ll do next.
