Page 40 of The Savage Vow
Kissing her in broad daylight where anyone could see had been reckless. Even felt dangerous, but for the first time in solars, she felt as if something heavy inside her had shifted.
She was still replaying the moment when the door to her workspace was pushed open. Yambul loomed in the doorway with his ever-present scowl on his face.
“So…” he said slowly. There was a hard glint in his eyes as he glared at her. “You got a new friend?”
“She’s just someone I’ve met.” She straightened to her full height. It was none of his business who she knew or spent time with.
The orc stared at her for a while, making her nervous.
“She’s come to the shop before.”
“Didn’t look like she was here to buy a bow.” Yambul snorted. He folded his arms in front of him.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Her cheeks warmed suddenly. She ran her hands down her trews and stared at him.
“You know exactly what I mean.” His gaze swept her from head to toe. His sharp assessment gave her the chills. “If you’re making coin on the side,sukga, you best keep your clients out of my shop. I won’t have my name dragged through the mud because my apprentice can’t keep her legs closed.”
The words struck as if he’d slapped her across the face. She bristled at the notion that he’d called her girl, then a whore.
“I would never?—”
“Don’t lie to me,sukga,” Yambul sneered. “I’ve seen how orcs ogle humans like you. You think you’re special because one of them smiled at you? That one of them will spirit you away from here? Make you dainty little promises? You’re property. Mine. Remember that.”
Something inside her ruptured.
She opened her mouth then shut it. Solars of swallowed anger pressed hard against her tongue, but she remained silent.She swallowed the words she yearned to say. At the moment, silence was much safer. Yambul was stronger. He held the reins of her contract.
He basically held her future in his hands.
With a final sneer, he stalked over to his office and grabbed his cloak that rested on a hook outside the door. He turned back to her as he slid it on.
“Clean up properly tonight, and don’t think about sneaking off to meet your little friend. I’ve got my eye on you.” He stalked through the store and slammed the door behind him as he left.
Orlena stood there shaking. Anger engulfed her, so much that she wanted to scream. She forced herself to take deep breaths and blow them out to try to calm her nerves.
Property.
That’s all he had ever thought her to be. She’d known he didn’t like her. That she was just an employee. Even though he’d paid her father off for her, he still provided a tiny salary to cover food and living expenses for her.
But to be considered property, that didn’t sit well with her.
Her gaze drifted to his office. He’d left the door open as he always did. The desk he used to keep his ledgers and documents came into view.
Bula’s voice surfaced in her head.
You will have a choice.
At the time, Orlena had thought she’d meant someday in the future when her five solars were up. That was a distant dream for her.
Now she stood alone in the shop with Yambul gone, and her thoughts took on a sharper edge.
Soon.
The bell over the door chimed. She blinked and automatically raced into the storefront. Customers came and went. The steady rhythm of buyers interested in bows, arrows, and other suppliesforced her to focus. She completed simple repairs and sold quite a few items. She smiled when it was required, but she didn’t feel happy about anything.
Her thoughts refused to stay away from the tiny question that rested in the back of her mind.
What if Bula didn’t return?
