AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mornah’s eyes narrow slightly, her tone shifting. “Mistress Sloane, I must warn you about angering the king. It would be unwise to defy him.”
“What’s he going to do, throw me in the dungeon?” My reply is flippant, but a flicker of uncertainty passes through me. There are worse accommodations than this suite.
“King Dexari is a fair ruler,” Mornah says, her eyes never leaving mine. “Yet he has little patience for disobedience. Especially from...” She trails off, but I can fill in the blank.
“Well, I’m not interested in pleasing the king, even if he is ridiculously handsome.” The words slip out before I can stop them, and heat rises on my cheeks.
Mornah’s expression softens. “Child, I understand your resistance. Yet, your fate lies in the king’s hands. Survival often means choosing your battles wisely.”
Her words hit me harder than I expect. I’ve been fighting for so long it’s become second nature.
“Enjoy your meal.” Mornah gives me one last look of warning that seems to saychoose wiselybefore she turns and leaves the room. The sound of the key turning in the lock echoes in the silence she leaves behind.
The thought of giving in and wearing one of the robes to play nice for the king goes against my very nature. But what do I gain by resisting? If I want to survive long enough to escape, I need to use my head instead of acting on emotion.
After what feels like hours of internal debate but is really only minutes, I reluctantly decide to put on a stupid robe. It’s not surrender, I tell myself. It’s strategy. Playing the king’s game, at least for now, will buy me time to gather information and find a way out of here.
I approach the wardrobe, but before I can pull one of the robes off the hanger, a scratching sound coming from the window freezes me in place. Seconds later, the scratching comes again, more insistent this time.
Fear and curiosity war within me. Nothing good can be out there, right? The smart thing would be to ignore the scratching, change my clothes, and eat my breakfast.
Except, when have I ever done the smart thing?
My feet move me toward the window before my mind has fully made the decision to investigate.
Chapter 5
Dexari
The restof the conversation with Renowlf and his mate does little to soothe the storm within me. I am torn between the weight of my duty and the raw, unyielding force of my desire for Sloane.
Renowlf’s final words echo relentlessly in my mind. “You cannot deny what your spikes already know, Dex. Trust me, I tried. The human female is your perfect genetic match. Yet making her your queen will not be easy. Expect resistance from every direction.”
A low growl rumbles deep in my chest, where frustration and desire are locked in a bitter struggle. Sloane has occupied every corner of my thoughts since I first laid eyes on her. Her scent, her spirit, the fire that blazes in her eyes…Everything about her calls to me.
It matters not that she is a human rather than an orc. The gods have decreed her mine, and I will not turn away from what is fated.
She is my mate. The future mother of my offspring. The one female destined to rule at my side.
The truth surges through me, a feeling so fierce it threatens to shatter my control. My fists clench, knuckles whitening as I struggle to accept it.
I can already imagine Sloane's reaction to this truth. She will resist. Of that, I am certain. Yet in the end, she will accept it. She must.
A sharp knock on the door angers me. I left explicit orders not to be disturbed. “Enter,” I command, the word laced with a promise of retribution for the interruption.
The door swings open, and Mornah steps inside, deferential but unbowed. My anger cools, though it does not disappear entirely.
“Sire,” my maid says, dipping her head in respect. “I have a report on my interactions with the human female.”
I motion her forward. “Speak.”
Mornah's eyes spark with interest as she begins her account. “She is an interesting female. Quick-witted and strong-willed. Although she is small, she is pleasing to look at. Did you notice the color of her eyes is the same shade of green as your skin? Her spirit does not seem to be broken despite—”
“Enough,” I cut in, an unbidden irritation bubbling up inside me. It grates on me to hear Mornah speak highly of Sloane. “Did she tell you why she killed one of my guards and wounded another?”
Mornah’s expression remains steady, but a glint of amusement dances in her eyes. “With all due respect, sire, the subject did not come up,” she replies, her tone bordering on insolent. “We diddiscuss the manner of her dress, though. I suspect she will be wearing a robe when you visit her next.”
“You suspect?”
