Page 5 of Charmed By the Orc
“I…” The bile that I had been empty of before rose in my throat. “I…” The jarring headache returned with a vengeance. “I…”
“Whoa,” he said, sweeping me into his arms with a speed that knocked the air from my lungs. “You’re turning as green as me.”
The absurdity of his comment cut through some of the pain and anxiety declaring war on me. And his nearness created a funny feeling in my head, like I’d sucked in a helium balloon. I giggled, and ever the smartass, I added, “That’d be a sight to see. A green human.”
His gravelly laugh barreled through his chest, the same chest that I was currently held against. Somehow the vibration ofit helped ease my aches. “Let’s get you fixed up before that happens.”
“Why?” I kept up the banter, unwilling to give up this lighthearted reprieve and the floating sensation swimming through my head. “We could charge admission.”
He chuckled and placed me on the bed. “Well, before we start planning this business of yours, what say you get to feeling better first?”
When he started to pull away, I grabbed his arm unthinking. “Wait.”
A low electric current vibrated from where my hand held onto his thick forearm. We both stared at the spot, trying to make sense of the strange connection between us.
“What are you…” His gaze found mine and I couldn’t help feeling the pull of his unusual yet beautiful mint-colored eyes. Time stood still for a breath, then he cleared his throat and said, “What do you need?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say,You.The tusks sticking from his mouth, framed by a neatly trimmed black beard and cut jaw, should have frightened me. They didn’t. His enormous bulk, easily surpassing my own average frame, should have set me running. It didn’t. It was as if madness itself had gripped my mind and played a game with my heart. But I couldn’t deny that this stranger whose name I didn’t even know, whose species I didn’t even know, made the pain recede and filled me with a sense of lightness I’d never known before.
I should have been screaming, crying. I was inside a damn game world. But instead, I let go of his arm and patted the bed. “Would you sit beside me for awhile?”
He eyed the spot, likely judging the sanity of my request—he could join the club. When I felt better I’d have a hell of a time assessing my mental state I was sure.
Somewhere between command and question he said, “You should sleep.”
“I can’t. Not with the pain.” I sighed, wishing I could rest and wake up to the world righted again. That thought at least made me feel like I hadn’t lost my mind completely. Still, there was no denying that his closeness eased my pain, turning it to a pure delight, as if I was filled with laughing gas.
“You’re hurt? Why didn’t you tell me?” The alarm on his face reassured me that this male wasn’t going to harm me, no matter what or who he was. Well, at least not yet. I gulped at that. Then, a pain shot up my spine, and I winced. His gaze tracked the movement.
“It goes away when you’re near,” I confessed, not daring to reveal more. Yet, I didn’t want the giddy feeling to go away. I patted the bed again.
“That’s impossible.” He curled a dark brow upward, but he also helped me move over to make room for his bulk.
“All of this is impossible,” I grumbled.
Climbing in bed atop the comforter beside me, he rested his back against the headboard. He didn’t touch me, but the heat of his body warmed the otherwise chilly room. The hunter green tunic I wore and brown leggings looked woefully familiar. My thief character in the game wore the same. But I wouldn’t worry about that now. For the moment, the pain had eased with his nearness, and I was floating on a cloud.
I mean I was in bed with a strange male who I suspected might be an orc. And I had no idea what his intentions were with me. But all things considered…
My stomach knotted from the uncertainty balling in my gut, battling with the lovely euphoric feelings. I pillowed my head on my arm and turned on my side. “Will you talk to me until I fall asleep?”
“As you wish.” His rumbling voice soothed my nerves like a balm to my senses. “First, will you tell me your name?”
“Samantha Riley.” I yawned, the adrenaline seeping from my system. “But my friends call me, Sammy.”
“Then, little one,” he smiled down at me, “may I call you Sammy?”
“Sure. What’s your name?” I closed my eyes, not quite believing I was falling asleep next to a stranger—a stranger from a fiction game no less.
“Guruk of the North, Defender of the Caverns, Guardian of the Sacred Beasts.” His large finger stroked at my temple, instantly easing the lingering ache there. “But simply, Guruk, will do.”
“Good, because that’s a mouthful.” I tried to laugh, but instead I moaned into his touch.
He yanked his hand away. “Did that hurt?”
My eyes snapped open and I grasped his hand. “No, it helped. Do it more, please. And just talk. Whatever you want.” I yawned again, the energy flowing out of me like water through a sieve. “It’s working.”
“Okay, little Sammy. What can I tell you, then?” His knuckles stroked the top of my head. “I’m the third son of an old orc family. Deep in the caverns of the northern caves…”