Page 51 of Wed to the Orc Captive

“Is that truly the only reason you can think of that I would say no?”

Was it the singing, or…but if he was angry, wasn’t this something he’d want? Or… “Is this a test? Did you want me to beg?”

Revulsion crossed his face. Not a test then.

I hugged myself. “I don’t understand. ”

“What do you want from me?”

This was beyond me. “I'm trying to give you my body.”

“No.” His eyes were flint. “What do you want from me, Annora?”

My thoughts were only fear.

I scrambled over where I must have screwed this up, how I’d insulted him. He was waiting for an answer. “We’re…” I swallowed. “We’re married. Aren’t we supposed to…”

“Supposed to,” he repeated. Those flames in his eyes were banked, dull. “No. I am not interested in being a robber baron you have to buy off with gifts of flesh. I am not…” a humorless tsk. “...a dog for you to quiet with scraps of meat. I don't want to be your monster.” There was no smile on his face. “See?” he said. “Even now, you’re flinching.”

I had lost all grasp on this situation, on how to help. “What can I do?” I whispered.

“What can you do?” He looked incredulous. ”You can believe me when I say you don't have to do this, yes? Let's stop with you buying me off with skin.” He turned his face away. “Forgive me for not seeing the comfort in being your least monstrous option.”

“But I have nothing else to offer you.” The words tumbled from me. “If I'm just cooking your meals…you're facing banishment.” I sounded deranged. “This is going to be too much trouble. You're going to get tired of me.”

His eyebrows rose further. “You're worried about keeping me?”

I was getting louder, against all reason. “You're the only person here with a reason to keep me alive!”

Hot shame stained my face.

He drew breath, reasoned, “You will make other friends. And you'll have mine.” He looked away again. “If you don't find a place here, I will get you safely to somewhere else. You have my oath.”

“I was a fool,” I whispered. The pieces were clicking into place, my stupidity choking me. “You were far from your people. You didn't need me to be…to be what you wanted. You're here now. There are more suitable women⁠—"

For the first time he raised his voice. “I am not sleeping with an orc. I am not compelled to fornicate every fourth day. We are not beasts.”

He stopped, his face frozen, and I realized I was shielding my face with my arms.

I lowered them. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He caught his breath. “You think so little of us.” He shook his head. “You think so little of me.”

I had botched this. I had botched everything. And he was never going to touch me again. I choked out, “Can I cover myself, please?”

He grabbed up the blanket, swept it over my shoulders. His weight was on his good leg, and his face was too close, too close for someone who’d just rejected me like the fool I was. His jaw tensed. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

I could have almost laughed at that, if I wasn’t, apparently, already crying.

I pulled away, stood, and went to get the shift, the dress. They were harder to get into than out of, especially trying to keep the blanket, and feeling like a fool.

“We don’t have to talk about this now,” he said. “We can find you a place. One way or another.”

I dropped the blanket at his feet. I definitely was not ready to talk to him about this now. Maybe with this level of humiliation, I’d never be ready to talk to him ever again. I picked up the water jar, light, empty. “I’m going to get water.”

“You don’t know where the stream⁠—"

“It’s down the walkway at the second fork. It’s visible from the path. I can hear it from outside the house. I won’t get lost.”