AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That sounds fantastic.” I began to walk toward the bathroom, when she put her hand on my arm. My blood surgedthrough me and every nerve ending flared to life. “I can do it. Please don’t trouble yourself.”
Already, this woman was inside me and around me. She hadn’t even been here a full day.
“The part where we take care of you starts now, female. I will draw you a hot bath and leave you to it, yes?”
Her full lips parted. “Thank you, Menace.”
I went into the bathroom and not only ran the hot water but added some of the brown sugar and vanilla salts that Draven had delivered the day before, once we knew she was coming. I took two of the new towels we’d purchased and tossed them into the towel warmer. When I came out, she was alone in the room, sitting on the edge of the bed with something satin in her hands.
“Good night, Ilya. Sleep well. Please come and find us if you need anything in the night. It can’t be easy sleeping in a new place.”
“You’re sweet, Menace. Again, thank you.”
Sweet. I wasn’t sweet. If anything, I was sour and vinegary and made of war and impure thoughts. Still, I made no sound to correct her.
Instead, I nodded and left her with a grunt.
Chapter Fifteen
Ilya
When I woke the next morning, I was snuggled under the mountain of quilts in my cozy bedroom. For for the first time since the accident, I found myself looking forward to the day. Not that I was willing to completely let my guard down and feel confident that we would be together forever. Not yet. But I’d never wanted to run hard and fast into anything as quickly as I had this relationship or living situation or whatever it could be called.
Obviously. I’d been on a plane within twenty-four hours of downloading the app. Rolling over, I grabbed my chiming phone to see a message from Cindy.
Proof of life, please!
It warmed my heart that someone knew where I was and cared how it was going. With her about to move in with her mates from the app, she was the perfect person to keep in touch with. We’d understand better than anyone else each other’s situation—maybe. If she could get past her judgment over the terms of my relationship. Breeder? Did you treat a breeder the way I’d been treated? Somehow I didn’t think so. But did I have a teensy bit of jealousy about the true romance she was embarking on?
Maybe. After all, what girl didn’t want the fairy tale? But, didn’t most relationships, the good ones, evolve into what these three orcs were offering me? Companionship, a family, security…and sex! Surely we’d all have affection of some kind for one another, even if it was not true love. Respect was important, too, and they’d shown me nothing but.
On impulse, I took a short video of my room and ended with me in my comfy bed with a big smile on my face. Thencaptioned it,Alive and well in the mountainsand hit send. I remembered how important their privacy was, but I hadn’t said which mountains, right? And she was only concerned about me.
Good. Got to go pack more. Keep in touch!
Thanks for checking in, Cindy. Means a lot.
Setting the phone down on the nightstand, I stretched and put my feet on the floor. The orcs were all about taking care of me, and so far they hadn’t let me lift a finger, but I’d been working since I was a teen, and if I sat around and did nothing, I’d lose my mind. Especially before there were any little ones to chase. If we had a big family, that would for sure keep me busy. But for now…I needed to find my place here. I was not a breeder or a sex slave to be lying around waiting to be “serviced.”
And since nobody had made a move on me the night before, I didn’t think they considered me that, either. But I’d have to show them that I wanted to help out. Starting today. But I also wanted to take a little time to do what I had not been for some time. Since all I had done was work, and I hadn’t dated in years, a lot of my old beauty routines had gone by the wayside. Sure, I was always well groomed, but my hair was usually scraped back into a high ponytail to keep it out of the way, and makeup on a good day consisted of a dab of lip gloss and a little mascara.
Not that I anticipated going somewhere formal, but I did bring in my blow dryer, hair straightener, and curling iron, and my neglected makeup bag for after this morning’s shower. When I looked at the results, I had to smile at my reflection. I’d always been a little curvier than was fashionable, but my soft blue sweater and jeans showed my figure at its best, my hair was shiny and softly curled, and the liner I’d avoided for so long emphasized my eyes. I’d never been a lipstick wearer, but the rosy gloss made my lips appear fuller and could I hope kissable? Would they want to kiss me?
Oh, I hoped so. Lovemaking, or even sex, without sweet kisses would be missing something. They didn’t have to shower me with words of love, but kisses would be a nonnegotiable. More confident of my feminine charms than I could remember being, I sailed out of the bathroom and started for the stairs.
They were all working when I got there, and Menace looked up from his screen, lips parting to say something before his jaw dropped. “Ilya, you are…you look…”
“Beautiful,” Saber put in. “Even more than yesterday.”
“Are you hungry?” Draven asked. “I put your breakfast plate in the oven to keep warm. I’ll get it for you.”
I rarely ate right when I got up, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Coffee?”
“Yes, with a little cream and sugar. But I’ll make it.”
“No.” Draven set his laptop down and stood up. “You sit right down and I’ll bring you a tray. That way, we can appreciate how pretty you look and how nice you smell while we toil away.”
