His eyes darken. “Clover.”
“I’m sure,” I grin up at him.
He lets out a rough breath that almost sounds like a laugh, then kisses me. Softer this time. Slower. His lips linger on mine, and when he finally pulls back, there’s a faint tremor in his hand as he touches my cheek.
He rolls onto his side and pulls me against him, gathering me into the warmth of his body. His hand settles low on my stomach, possessive and gentle at the same time. The ring on my finger catches the low light, green and gold, Troona and Uzrirgard, everything I lost and everything I found.
For a while, we just breathe. No speeches. No soldiers. No revolutions. No ghosts standing between us.
Just his heartbeat beneath my ear and his hand on my stomach.
I fall asleep wondering if his heir is already growing inside me.
CHAPTER 35
Clover
It feels like a week passes before I figure out how to breathe properly again.
King Lix’tuk and I can’t seem to get enough of each other. I wake up in his arms every morning. Every night, I go to sleep panting, covered in sweat, and filled with his seed. We don’t get to spend every waking moment together because he’s still got a kingdom to run, but I cherish every moment we have when it’s just the two of us.
I’ve started planning our wedding. That gives me something to focus on when he’s busy. King Lix’tuk said the bride makes all the arrangements, which sounded romantic until I realized what that entailed. I had no choice but to turn to Lady Frax’mo for help. I’ve never planned a wedding before, much less an orc wedding. There are so many rituals and prayers; it’s a little overwhelming. Orcs don’t just honor the Twelve Gods on their wedding day. They practically invite them to supervise.
I’m looking through pictures of wedding dresses when the library door opens and King Lix’tuk darkens the doorway. That used to scare me a little. Now it makes my heart skip a beat and puts the biggest smile in Uzrirgard on my face.
“You’re early. I was just about to get started on dinner,” I say, standing up.
“I missed you,” he complains, closing the distance between us and wrapping his muscular arms around my waist.
He kisses me like he does every single day. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of being kissed like this. I can feel his love. His desire. The need that always simmers beneath his skin. When our lips part, I’m in a daze for a moment before I’m able to recover.
“How are the orcs reacting to all the new edicts?” I ask curiously, looking up at him.
“Some are supportive, some are pissed off. Same as always,” he answers, taking my hand and pulling me toward the door. “Doesn’t matter. Those edicts have been needed for quite some time.”
King Lix’tuk had me review all his new edicts. He wanted my input because I’m going to be sitting on a throne beside him one day. I expected more resistance from the orcs, especially the Lords and Ladies, but the reaction has been strangely positive. It seems that orcs don’t really care if King Lix’tuk marries an orc or a human, as long as it means his bloodline doesn’t end.
The edicts that are the most divisive involve the other humans in Uzrirgard. The ones most orcs keep as pets. King Lix’tuk’s edict gave them their freedom. They can return home or stay in Uzrirgard, as they choose. Surprisingly, more have chosen tostay than leave. I guess I’m not the only one who has a better life here than I ever had back home.
Still, better doesn’t mean free. That’s something King Lix’tuk understands now.
When we step into the hallway, I turn toward the kitchen, but King Lix’tuk pulls me in the opposite direction.
“Don’t you want me to revive us some dinner?” I ask.
“No, I’m hungrier for something else a lot more,” he growls, dragging me in the direction of our bedchamber. “You’ve kept me so distracted that I still haven’t punished you properly for shooting yourself up with experimental drugs before discussing it with me.”
“If it was up to you, you’d still be brooding about it,” I tease.
“Probably,” he admits. “Doesn’t mean you should have done it without talking to me first.”
“Fine,” I sigh as he pulls me into our bedchamber. “What is my punishment going to be?”
“I should make you get the belt,” he threatens, removing his armor and placing it on the rack. “But I think I’ll just make you squirm.”
I grin while his back is turned, but once he turns to face me, I force a more serious look. I’m not really in trouble. He knows how wet I get when he spanks me, and I always squirm against his hard cock while he reddens my ass. Still, I’m surprised he’s bothering with a punishment first. Lately, when he wants me, subtlety dies before his armor is on the rack.
“Strip, little human girl,” he orders as he sits down on our bed.
