“Oh... Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I just...”
“You just what?”
“I... umm... wanted to help.”
“You’re not helping! You’re interrupting my alone time, and I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but it doesn’t make me particularly happy.”
“I... umm... I’m sorry.”
“You should be.” With a flick of her wrist, Kinna made all the water and foam in the basin rise in the air. “Go away, and don’t bother me again!” Another flick of her wrist, quick and firm, and she hurled the water right at Beth.
It splashed Beth right in the face. She cried out and took a few steps back. Thanks to her glasses, soap didn’t get into her eyes. She took them off and blinked at Kinna, barely able to see her.
The mage ignored her. She was back to her laundry, the basin magically full of water again.
Beth had no choice but to turn on her heel, defeated and humiliated, and go home to change her ruined dress.
Chapter Six
Beth hung her wet clothes to dry, then decided she wasn’t going to get out of the house again. Not anytime soon, and certainly not alone. She kept remembering Kinna yelling at her and splashing her with soapy water. Had anyone heard that? Had anyone seen them? She felt ridiculous.
But that would pass. What wouldn’t pass was the fact that the mage hated her, didn’t want her there, and was never going to help her. Which meant that Uthar was her only chance.
Beth had to make their relationship work. And she didn’t have time to waste. In other circumstances, she wouldn’t have worried so much. She liked him well enough, and she was sure that with time, she would come to love him and enjoy her life with him. But they couldn’t afford to wait when they both wanted things that were time sensitive.
As she looked through the cupboards for something to eat, or something to make tea with, Beth thought about Uthar the Hunter. The raider turned captain. Her orc mate that had to prove himself.
He was handsome, but he was rough. He didn’t know how to behave with her, which probably meant he hadn’t been with a lot of women. His mood changed quickly, and he kept her on her toes.
She was attracted to him. Physically... And emotionally, she found him kind of endearing. He’d been truthful to her, had even showed vulnerability... She could appreciate that. She even found it sexy.
Beth had to make it work. For her sister. But also for herself. She was bound to him now, and the best way forward was to find a way to work together toward a fulfilling relationship. She was willing to do what it took. But… was he?
She was lost in her thoughts when the front door opened, and the orc captain stepped inside. She turned to him, a bit disappointed that she hadn’t found anything edible in the kitchen. Apparently, he treated the kitchen like a museum.
“Have you eaten, my bride?” he asked, and his voice was surprisingly smooth and kind.
Beth smiled. She hoped that meant he wasn’t mad at her anymore.
“N-no. I was just looking through...” She motioned at the empty cupboards.
“What do you need? Everything is at the diner. We can bring food here and stock the shelves, if it pleases you.”
“I wanted some tea.”
“Come. We’ll have lunch together.”
And he actually offered her his hand, and Beth took it. He wrapped his long, thick fingers around her, and she felt oddly protected.
Uthar was in a good mood. She liked him when he was like this.
At the diner, there was no one but them and the two orcs who prepared food, basically, all the time. Beth and Uthar sat at the big table, and one of the male orcs brought them trays of fruit, grilled mushrooms, and grilled meat. It was pretty clear what her diet was going to consist of from now on. Not that she complained. It was all delicious and flavorful, though the orcs could learn to use more salt and spices. But it would all go straight to her hips.
“We can go to the kitchen after, and you can choose anything you want. I’ll carry it home for you. But you don’t have to cook, Beth. You can just come here whenever you’re hungry, and Krib and Burok will serve you.”
She found it interesting that even though there were females in Uthar’s horde, the two cooks were male. Then again, even in her world the best cooks were guys...
For a while, they ate in silence. Beth wanted to start a conversation, but she didn’t know how. She felt a bit guilty about the night before and the fight they’d had, but she couldn’t apologize. He had to know that she had boundaries he couldn’t cross just because he’d taken her from the institute.