MURDOCK’S PRIZE

A MONSTER ROMANCE

CELESTE KING

Copyright © 2021 by Celeste King

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CONTENTS

Also by Celeste King

1.  Murdok

2.  Janice

3.  Murdok

4.  Janice

5.  Murdok

6.  Janice

7.  Murdok

8.  Janice

9.  Murdok

10.  Janice

11.  Janice

12.  Murdok

13.  Murdok

14.  Janice

15.  Janice

16.  Murdok

17.  Janice

18.  Murdok

19.  Janice

20.  Janice

21.  Murdok

22.  Janice

23.  Murdok

24.  Janice

25.  Murdok

26.  Murdok

27.  Janice

28.  Murdok

29.  Janice

30.  Murdok

Preview of Orc’s Queen

31.  Geneva

32.  Harok

33.  Geneva

ALSO BY CELESTE KING

Grumpy Alien King

Grumpy Alien Boss

Lured By The Alien

Kaldar: A SciFi Romance

Jartok: A SciFi Romance

Vark: A SciFi Romance

Hethal: A SciFi Romance

Kiss My Sass

Back That Sass Up

Show Me That Sass

Stolen By The Alien Beast

1

MURDOK

Murdock

I step into the already sweltering meeting hall to find exactly what I expected. Orcs are brawling and barking at one another, so no one can tell who’s arguing what point, any longer. A slew of ale has been spilled, saturating the ground beneath their pounding boots as I stand well clear of the excitement, likely looking a little bored.

My clansmen dutifully remain beside me as we avoid the worst of it.

A bowl clatters against the roof, and food rains down from the beams, a fine addition to the foul slosh of ale and mud. Harok is nowhere to be found yet, but I have a feeling he’d be disappointed to witness the greatest chieftains of our day duking it out with fists and crude words.

I roll my eyes, but I ought to be used to this by now.

Orcs don’t bother with tact.

“There should be more women,” I mutter under my breath. “That’d quell the idiots.”

But Harok has strange ideals, which I have a feeling he means to impose on the rest of us in that diplomatic fashion of his. I should be miles from here, enjoying the spoils of our clan’s latest victory, not waiting for Harok ‘the Great’ to finally arrive.

What’s so great about him, anyway?

Servants are doing their best to control the chaos, but they only manage to arm the enraged guests with more frothing ale. A wayward orc is thrown against me, and I shove him off with disgust. My hands are sticky when they come away, and I nearly join in on the ruckus out of sheer fury. But one of my clansmen deals with him before I get the chance.

I think I recognize the brute, but he’s gone before I can put a name to that ugly mug.

Frustration grips me.

“We’re leaving,” I growl at my subordinates, refusing to be victim to another spill. “This was a waste of time.”

As I pivot to leave, Harok strides through the grand entry with Aqidah the Wise and their entourage, his fierce red eyes scanning the crowd with heated disappointment. As they pass over me, I give pause, reconsidering my prior assertion. Maybe he’ll knock some sense into these brutes, after all.

I hope he does.

An errant orc breaks from the fray and goes for Harok.

He comes in with a wide punch, which Harok dodges easily and sweeps his legs out from under him, throwing him face first into the muck.

The resulting splat silences the hall.

Harok clears his throat expectantly. “I do hope my invitation has not been mistaken for a free for all,” he says easily over the shifting crowd. “There’s plenty enough for everyone here. Please, take your seats and help yourselves.”

Despite much grumbling from the other chieftains, seats are found.

Harok’s servants tidy up the messes and find new plates and cups for everyone as food is passed around with more civility than before. Harok seems to wait until we’re all served before beginning, as if he knows it will quell our raging spirits.

If so, he’s not wrong.

“Some of you,” he begins, taking his seat at the end of the main table, surrounded by his own soldiers. “-have come a very long way, and I appreciate your attendance this afternoon.”

No one dares interrupt him.

“I wanted to speak with you about something that has weighed on my mind for a very long time.” He takes a breath before starting, the crowd hushing with expectation. Even I’m impressed that he’s secured their short attentions. “We are not native to this planet. That, we know from the stories our shamans have kept alive, from memories that most of us here still struggle to reconcile with. We came from someplace else, someplace we were not wanted.

“But when we arrived, new troubles awaited us.

“Our females had difficulty bearing young, in this strange new environment, and our numbers are still dwindling. Soon, we will be outnumbered by the humans ten to one, if their rate of growth remains the same.”

The silence is deafening, and no one bothers to eat.

We all know this, subconsciously. It is not difficult to see the way things are going. But Harok is worried about it where I am not. So what, if the humans grow in number? We will defeat them the same way we always have and make them our slaves.

“They’re clever, the humans,” he continues, his gaze softening briefly. “Resourceful, creative, inventive. Yet we crush their ingenious spirits with slavery, when we could be sharing in their visions of a brighter future.

“They have more to offer than the sweat of their brow.” When murmurs of quiet dissent chase through the crowd, he hardens his voice. “It is easy to fall back on tradition, but where will that get us? In just a few hundred years, we will be extinct.” He lets the sentiment sink in before continuing. “Do you want to be the last great generation of orcs? Or will you help me carve a future for us, alongside the humans on equal footing?

“We can change, or we can die.”

He sits down beside Aqidah and his allies as the hall explodes in conversation of all colors. He has made them think, gods forbid. As the crowd argues with more couth than when we arrived, I rise and seek Harok out.

It has been a while since we’ve matched blows.

I grin in recall of the last time, when he tossed me out the ring with ease. I’ve grown stronger since then, but it appears he has, too. “Harok,” I say, sliding into his close circle of allies, which opens to me easily. “You’ve upset the Chiefs in less than a minute.

“That has to be a record.”

“Murdock the Vengeful!” He claps me hard on the shoulder, which I take without wincing. “I am glad that you could make it.”

I shrug off his greeting. “Your high ideals are dangerous, Harok. Not everyone shares your vision of the future.”

He glances over the crowd, which is thinning as we speak. I expect most of them don’t like the idea of standing on equal ground with their slaves, and I don’t blame them. Harok sighs but there’s resolve in his expression that doesn’t fade. “And what you think, friend? Do you think my vision is as hopeless as the others say?”

My jaw shifts as I consider it. “You have no human slaves here.”

“I did away with them after-” He shakes his head with a scowl, as if trying to rid himself of terrible memories. “It doesn’t matter. I never was keen on the idea. Not before, and certainly not now. It is a barbarous practice that should have ended when we came through the rift.”

I study him. “I don’t think it matters. They are useful.”

His nostrils flare. “You have seen their ruins just as well as I. You cannot dismiss such incredible feats as what their ancestors built. We can have that again, if we foster true alliances with them. But if they are our enemies, we don’t have a prayer.”

“Who needs prayer,” I spit, “when we have brute strength?”

A deep sadness comes over him. “You too, Murdock?”

“The world you envision is incompatible with the world we inhabit. I’ll admit, you have a point, but what about it? We are orcs, and, as you can see,” I say, panning my hand to display the pig trough his great hall has been turned into. “-we are hardly suited to diplomacy.

“I live to conquer, not contemplate.”

A snarl overcomes Harok. “Then why bother coming at all?”

“The offer of free food and ale, of course,” I say with a low laugh. “-and perhaps another chance at sparring with the Great Harok. Or is it Harok the Great?”

He spits into the sludge at his feet. “A rematch it is, then.”

2

JANICE

Killing is the easy part.

Just thinking about it makes my heart race and hones my vision. Human, orc, it doesn’t matter. They all die the same, choking on their own blood. Unconsciously, I feel for the blade at my hip before Samuel, our leader, calls me into his office.

He’s restored the bunker impeccably, hailing back to a time before orcs existed on this planet. The walls are clean and white, and the heavy desk is carved from the finest oak. His cold gaze studies me, but he knows I am the best choice in bunker #90.

There is no finer assassin.

“Janice,” he says with a welcoming wave. “Come, sit. I have another mission for you.”

Music to my ears. I stifle a grin before it manifests, sitting across from him though the killer inside me riots to be back on the field.

I calmly cross one leg over the other. “Who is it this time?”

“A Chieftain,” he says simply, though it takes me a moment to register. “He’s been a thorn in our side for some time, but now, the orcs are assembling in greater numbers than we’ve ever seen. I want you to nip it in the bud before it becomes a real problem.”

I nod, swallowing back all but one question. “Which one?”

“Murdock the Vengeful.” Samuel leans forward, his gaze boring into me. “It won’t be easy. You’re going to have to be very clever to get anywhere near him. But I have feeling you can manage it.” He slides a folder to me with the intel they’ve collected on him. I flip through it, finding a picture of the ugly brute among the sheaves. “From what we’ve gathered, he treats humans as objects in more ways than one.”

I ignore his insinuation. “He doesn’t need to like humans,” I clap the file shut before having a chance to memorize the Chieftain’s face. “He just needs to die.”

Samuel leans back, looking almost impressed. “That’s why I chose you. Now, get on with it. I think Amy has something special waiting for you in the lab.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” I rise, tucking the folder under my arm before leaving, hesitating in the doorway and offering a final, deadly look. “Consider it done.”

I’ve never killed someone as high up on the ladder as Murdock, but there’s always a first for everything. I daydream as I make my way down into the lab, wondering what Amy’s got for me that’ll make my job easier.

Probably poison, if I know her, I think, patting my poor knives. It’s been a while since they’ve been put to good use, but they’ll get their chance, if plan A goes awry. Murdock the Vengeful might be a bloodthirsty orc, but I doubt he’ll turn down my solicitations.

I can be very convincing, especially if he enjoys conquering humans.

Amy’s eyes widen when I find her working on placing individual droplets meticulously into a tray of test tubes. “Janice! There you are. Sam said you’d be stopping by today.”

She removes her gloves with care and dons another pair before waving me further into the lab. The stark white of the tiles is almost blinding beneath the antique fluorescents, but I’ve been told she needs the light to be able to work.

“How are you, Amy?”

“Same as always. Nothing exciting ever happens down here, and I’m glad for it.”

We laugh together, though I am her opposite. I’d go crazy in an underground lab, with only the rats to keep me company. “Samuel said you’ve got something special?”

Her face lights up. “Yes!

“I’m pretty proud of this concoction, actually. Let me show you.”

I follow her through a set of doors with a security lock, and then another. This is where she keeps the poisons, which fill the room with a medley of fragrances. Some of them are deceptively pleasant, though I know intimately well what they can do to a man.

Or an orc.

“Here we are,” she says, cracking open a tiny freezer that hisses and releases its contents. Cold air billows out before it settles, and she plucks a lone glass vial from its holder. “I don’t have a name for it yet, but this is the most potent poison we can make on this side of the equator. The ingredients are locally sourced and have to be handled with care. I put in the in the freezer to keep it from separating.

“You won’t have a lot of time to use it. Maybe a few days.”

“And then, what?” I ask. “Will it be ineffective?”

Surprise, then amusement comes over her. “No. It’ll still be effective. But it’ll start to smell. Right now, it should be scentless. It’ll mix seamlessly into any beverage or food you can get your hands on, but once it starts to degrade, your target will notice.

“It’s better to use it sooner, rather than later.”

I accept the little vial, wondering at its clear contents. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Amy stuffs her hands into her lab coat. “It’ll work best directly in food, but you can also wet your blade in it. It’s made of over a hundred different poisons and venoms. A drop of this, and your target will be on the ground twitching before you can say ‘sorry’.”

A laugh escapes me. “You know I don’t apologize.”

Amy grins in turn. “Yeah, I know.”

“It’d better be able to bring down a Chieftain orc,” I say, tossing the little bottle into the air and catching it, much to Amy’s shock and surprise.

“Careful with it!” she cries, putting her hands up defensively. “That thing is dangerous. If the liquid even touches your skin, we’ll be burying you, too.”

I slip it into an inner pocket and roll my eyes. “I’ve got it.”

“I hope so,” she says. “-because I don’t want to bury a friend.”

I suppose we are friends, I think, fussing over the meaning in my mind. Even in this coveted bunker, it’s not smart to make friends. People come and go so easily, when orcs are involved. Today, the bunker stands, but tomorrow… who knows?

My work is dirty, and I know how quickly a life can be snuffed out. Even the affable Amy, nestled deep in her little lab, isn’t safe from death’s cold grip. “I’ll be fine. You’ll see. And before you know it, I’ll be back for another dose.” I pat my pocket, making sure the poison is secure. “Trust me.”

It’s in my room that I can look over the file with more care.

Murdock. My fingers trace the letters of his name. Murdock the Vengeful. What silly names they make for themselves. The picture slides out easily from the other pages, and I stare down at my target.

His mouth is firm over his cracked tusks, and the steel gray of his eyes is more inhuman than his kin. He lacks a soul, that’s plain to see. Most of them do, but a very few are as hateful as him. I can see it in his cruel expression.

How did they manage to snap a picture of him and survive?

Maybe they didn’t.

I shiver as I think about being in the same room as him. Will I have to flirt? Pretend that I am attracted to this monster? I hope it’s easy. I hope I can take the place of one of their slaves and slip the poison into his meal without him ever knowing I was there.

But it can’t be that easy.

I recoil at the thought of pretending to please him, of sitting on his lap and whispering sweet nothings in the hard shell of his ear. His rancid breath washing over me as he laughs and drinks his ale. A shiver grips me.

I close my eyes and focus.

It’s only for a little while, and Samuel is counting on me. They all are.

I open my eyes again and memorize his hard features. “So,” I ask the picture, knowing it doesn’t have an answer for me. “-how do I kill you, Murdock?”

3

MURDOK

“I will only defeat you once again.” Harok flexes his arms across his chest. “Come, my friend. I shall summon Aqidah.”

I grin.

I’m quite content to battle where we stand.

The opportunity to defeat Harok in front of witnesses appeals to me greatly. I daydream about it as I follow Harok outside the Great Hall, down the hill, and towards the newly constructed Challenge Stage. Like most orcish buildings, the framework is human. Once, it had been some sad excuse for a theater, where humans wore too much makeup and played make believe for a stage of a thousand other weak meat sacks.

The orcs have made it grand.

Tributes to the War God decorate the outer walls of the arena. My blood surges in anticipation as I pass beneath the skulls of the vanquished, greeted by the roars of orcs eager for bloodshed. Even Harok is not unmoved by the display. I watch the chieftain’s eyes gleam as he feeds off the energy of the crowd.

“Isn’t this much better than arguing policy?” I ask.

We are orcs.

We have not been created to debate political minutiae.

And I find it impossible to believe that Harok enjoys such a tedious existence.

Yes, we have been banished from Protheka. But we are in our element when we fight.

Surely Harok prefers action, as I do?

“You’d be surprised how similar it is.” Harok’s red eyes glow in the dim stadium lighting, illuminating the thick, ragged scar across the side of his face.

Harok climbs on the stage, and his tribe bangs staffs against the floor. Echoes of their support fill the arena, and other tribes chime in, creating a deafening thunder.

Aqidah gestures for silence, and then beckons for me to join his opponent on stage. My tribe does me honor, roaring their support. I do not enjoy the support of many other tribes, but it does not trouble me. Once I defeat Harok, they will all chant my name and rejoice in my glorious victory.

I do not intend to lose.

The battle horn sings the start of our fight, and I don’t hesitate. I swing my fists with all my might, catching Harok twice in the abdomen. A lesser orc would have doubled over, but Harok merely dodges my follow-up blow.

He approaches me in a sideways fighting stance, shielding much of his massive body from my devastating blows. My upper arms begin to burn as I punch air. Harok deftly side-steps my fists, savage grin stretched across his face.

“You fight like a human,” I spit.

“Thanks.” Harok doesn’t seem upset by the comparison in the slightest. He kicks me viciously in the stomach so hard I feel the blow in my spine.

I retaliate, relishing the feel of Harok’s cold skin against my knuckles. If Harok would just stand still and fight like an orc, the battle could have been finished by now. None of Harok’s blows have the same weight behind them as mine. One well-placed blow can send the orc to his knees.

Harok just refuses to let me land it.

Orcish fighting holds no room for strategy or deception. There is a human theory I have heard in a bar once, against my will, I had been surprised to agree with. The survival of the fittest. Only the best and strongest survive to create more of their species.

Orcish society sees no value in cleverness, generosity, or a kind spirit. Brute strength alone can rule our kind.

And what if what Harok says is true? Our women are not bearing anymore full-blooded orcs. What does our survival look like, now?

I roar in frustration. Damn Harok for making me think about anything other than Harok’s imminent defeat. Harok has landed only a few blows, yet still he smirks at me, dodging my fists like he was afraid to get hit.

I’m so focused on my fist finally connecting to the chieftain’s jaw, I fail to notice Harok’s foot sailing against my shin until it’s too late to counter. His foot connects and sharp pain sings from my leg up to my teeth. I barely have enough time to rebalance myself before Harok seizes the offensive.

Harok hits harder than a hoqin, but I can withstand the blows. I can withstand anything, if it means the roars from the crowd will soon be for my victory. I hold my own, blow for blow, until Harok fakes a blow to my left flank. I aim a kick towards his exposed right flank, but Harok has already anticipated the move. He grabs my foot before it can connect.

“Harok the Great has won this battle,” Aqidah decrees.

It takes all my restraint, which has never been in great quantity, to keep myself from arguing with Aqidah.

“If you rule it so.” Harok releases my leg. I shake it before stomping towards the edge of the stage. “Harok the Great has not yet overpowered me. I know I am stronger. I do not resort to such trickery in order to win a fight.”

“You don’t use your brain, you mean.” Harok crosses his arms over his scarred chest. “Murdock the Vengeful, you are one of the strongest opponents I have faced. If you used your smarts instead of relying on brute strength, you might be more of a challenge.”

Harok speaks as though he had trounced me onstage, instead of doing nothing more than dodging my fists for the first half of the fight.

“You’ll see what a challenge I can be.” I jump down from the stage, landing in front of a row of cheering orcs. I snarl at them, and their cheering softens.

Aqidah and Harok remain on stage. Harok drinks in the crowd’s exuberance. He’s lucky I challenged him. His proposal regarding the humans was too preposterous for many of the orc clans present. It was good for him to have shown that he could lead physically, too.

I reach the exit and turn. “I’ll defeat you next time!”

“Only if you grow a few more brain cells, my brother.”

I snarl.

Brother. If Aqidah wasn’t here to keep the peace, I would climb back up on that stage right now. Harok is not of my clan, and he fights more like a human than an orc. He has no right to call me anything outside of ‘Murdock’. We are not family.

I force myself to turn from Harok and call for my clan to leave. There may be a few more scuffles after this battle, but I tire of the repurposed human arena.

My clan follows me to the exit. If they are embarrassed by my loss, they don’t show it. Most orcs consider it an honor to last more than three minutes in a ring with Harok the Great.

I have grown accustomed to others underestimating me. I would never have become the chieftain of the Golden Warriors if I had not been the strongest, toughest orc in, what the humans called, Niagara Falls.

One day, I will defeat Harok and taste victory.

Until then, I will drink.

“To the bar!” I lead my clan out of the arena and into the main camp. It will be good to relax after a tough fight. I can have a few drinks, bond with my clan brothers, and probably meet a woman to make the approaching night more interesting.

One thing about which I agree with Harok. When it comes to women, humans and orcs are equal in my eyes.

“Sir?”

I already dislike the tone in my clan brother’s voice. “Yes?”

“We are scheduled to patrol.”

It had been a nice dream while it lasted. I exhale sharply. “Of course. Patrol first.”

As if my defeat wasn’t distasteful enough, Harok scheduled the Golden Warriors to man the first watch. I watch the sun lower to the horizon and add the injustice to the long mental list of reasons why I need to defeat Harok the Great.

4

JANICE

There have been rumors for a long time now and, over recent months, we have learnt they are more than just words. Humans are living and working amongst orcs. As much as I find this unthinkable, it is a good way for me to get close to my target. And I will get close.

Not only are humans and orcs collaborating, but it now seems that the creatures themselves are working together. Again, this is something I find hard to believe—these are not a species that seem able to coexist with anyone or anything else, yet here we are.

I can only imagine what it would take for humans—especially women—to want to live amongst them. Their lives at their bunkers must be truly horrendous for an orc stronghold to be considered as a more alluring alternative.

But orcs do not make alliances for nothing, there will always be an agenda. They have been quite content to kill, main and enslave humans since arriving here but now we are needed. We are needed because their magic is dying. We are needed because they are nothing without it and cannot heal themselves. We are needed because this is our planet, and we are the ones that know how to live on it.

If it is doctors that they need to replace their now defunct shamans and healers, then I will be a doctor. I have the basic skills to be able to pass for one. This is how I will infiltrate the Golden Warriors, and this is how I will get close enough to kill their leader.

As I approach their stronghold, I can already smell them—all that hate and rage. I smile timidly at the guards on the gates. “I am here to be considered for the position of doctor,” I say. “They are expecting me.”

The shorter and stockier of the two looks me up and down as if I have two heads. His neck is so thick it would take more than a few blows with an axe to sever his ugly head. I would still find a way—it’s what I do, and I am good at it.

“Name,” he eventually grunts.

“Janice. Janice Lane.”

He looks over at the other guard who nods before opening up. I pass through, taking in every sight, sound and smell. This clan has occupied the crumbling ruins of human buildings. This was a city once—Niagara Falls. Now it belongs to them.

“Another one!” he cries as a much taller and intimidating creature walks towards me.

“This way,” he grunts.

We move quickly through the stronghold until we reach a large room where a number of sick and injured orcs are resting. “You are here because you think you can become a healer and join us,” says a very direct older orc. His hair is long and there are bones threaded through some of the sections.

“I am,” I say. “I have trained to be a doctor in my settlement and am sure I can be of service to you.”

“We shall see!” he snaps. “There are warriors here that are in need of assistance. This will be your task.”

“Of course.”

“I will observe. Now begin.”

I wasn’t expecting a welcome, but his bluntness is almost disarming. Still, I need to get on with the job that I have been set. This is my chance to prove myself and infiltrate this damned awful place. There are five altogether, most of whom are sleeping. “You have supplies?” I ask.

“Of course we have supplies. You will find everything that you need over there.” He points to a cabinet and I have to stifle a laugh. How does he know what is needed? He is an orc with no medical training, just a few drops of dying magic left at his disposal. No wonder his temperament is so difficult. He has gone from one of the most important amongst his people to nothing.

All of my thoughts I keep to myself, as I tend to the sick and injured orcs. There are no major difficulties here, just flesh wounds, some dislocated joints that I manage to address, despite the looks of anger from those I am treating.

But I keep my cool and do what I am here to do. I need this position in order to carry out my assignment. I work methodically with the skills that I have. They aren’t vast, but they are enough, and besides, as an assassin I am good at playing a role.

Once the orcs have been treated to the best of my ability I turn to the bad-tempered shaman. “I am done.”

He narrows his eyes at me and then inspects my work. Inside I am smiling, wondering if he is good at putting on an act as well—he is not a doctor or medic.

“Very well,” he says. “You have done as I have asked. If you wish to remain then the position is yours.”

“I am much obliged. Thank you,” I reply.

“Yortar!” The door opens and a guard enters. “Take her to the room that that I have set aside.”

Yortar nods. “Come with me,” he says. “You will be provided with food and shelter in return for your services.” He walks so quickly I can barely keep up. I am tall and fit with long athletic legs, but these creatures are so much bigger than me with their thick muscular limbs, broad backs and tremendous height.

I am led across the stronghold to a building on the far side. From here I can hear the roar of the falls in the background. The crashing and rushing of water that never stops. It has been the one constant in this world. Something that neither human nor the orcs can destroy.

We get to our destination and I am pleasantly surprised by the room that I am shown into. It is not grand by any means, but it is comfortable with an obviously huge bed, a table and chair and lots of natural light.

“This will be your quarters. You are free to make yourself at home.” Without another word or gesture the orc turns and closes the door behind him. I almost expect to hear a lock, but there is nothing. Just the creaking of the door and the click of a latch.

Instinctively I am drawn to the window that looks out across the stronghold. It’s a prime location to keep an eye on things and I can hardly believe my luck. Maybe this will not be a long assignment after all.

The stronghold is a lively one. There is one thing that can be said for the orcs—they work hard. They are driven by many things, most of them not so different from humans or any other creature. Survival is something that we all have in common.

This world is a hard one, especially now. There are many threats and dangers. Until now illness and injury were not something that they needed to waste their energies on. But now that their magic is dying this is not the case. For humans, this is a good thing. Not only does it mean less orcs in the world, but it gives us power and leverage that we did not have before. They have magic. Had magic. We have science and knowledge.

A huge orc at least seven feet tall marches across the stronghold and I know that it is him. They are all intimidating creatures, but the chieftains even more so. He is a beast, a warrior that will have sent many to their deaths and many to their knees, cowering.

He stops in his tracks and my heart thuds when he looks up, right in my direction. Immediately I duck and turn away from the window, angry and somewhat surprised at myself for acting in such a way—I am a trained assassin!

I suck in a lungful of air and turn back to the window where I still find him, a wide and arrogant grin etched on his face.

Still my chest thuds—what does he want?

5

MURDOK

Her beauty strikes me even from this distance and she is a welcome sight on this busy day. A pleasant distraction as I go about my business. My hands on my hips and my stance wide I stand and look up at her as her eyes sweep over the stronghold.

I wonder if she has been to an orc stronghold before, how accustomed she is to be being around us. If she has taken this new position as doctor then she must have some experience of orcs, and I would very much like to give her some new ones.

Human women have passed through my chambers on many occasions, but none has ever lasted for longer than a few days. This has been a source of frustration to me—I would like to enjoy them more. There is something about them that intrigues me. Their bodies are soft and fleshy, not like the hard muscular forms of us orcs.

Many have given themselves to me, looking for a better life than that the humans can provide for them. Though I have and would never force them, I am aware that they agreed to lie with me because they were afraid not to, though they have nothing to fear from me.

Nothing apart from the length between my legs.

They are fragile and anxious and though their flesh is appealing I eventually tire of them. But I can’t imagine tiring of her. Our new doctor is certainly a beauty. I can make out the warm tone of her skin and long dark tresses that I would like to wrap around my hand as I pulled her close to me to taste her.

The fact that I can’t see her in all her glory just makes me more intrigued. How soft would that human skin feel? What would she smell like?

From the way she looks back at me I am not hopeful she would be any different to the other human women—they are always so damned scared! This one so much so that she turns away from the window when she catches me looking at her.

I can hardly blame her; I am an orc and a chieftain, but this will not stop me wanting to look upon her. She has caught my attentions, and as chief I will place them where I see fit, and besides, I prefer a challenge.

It’s not as if I would be interested in anything other than some bed sport. I am not made to be partnered with anyone and would never take a mate, so no woman—human or orc—need fear that they will be tethered to me. That would be the last thing I would want or require.

What good would a mate be for me? A mate would only cloud my judgment, as it did my father. He was a powerful chieftain, but he put the clan in jeopardy going to war against the dark elves to save my mother. They both died, and I was considered a traitor to even be of the same blood as them.

My father’s actions taught me that I can trust no one. Ruthlessness not love is what a chieftain should be made of. I did not rise to my position by being loved or loving. I got here by strength, action and the determination to pull myself out of the hole of shame that my father created for me.

I won this position through strength alone, and I rule by it with the iron hand that is required. This is why I am Murdock the Vengeful. There is no room for anything other than this. Especially for that of a mate. There will never be any talk of love or of mates from me.

There are others of my kind like Harok and Aqidah that now wish to integrate with humans, and they are free to do as they wish. But for my clan I am only interested in humans as workers. With the dying of the magic we need them so that we can conquer and remain strong.

This new breed of chieftains has yet to convince me that their new progressive ways are what is needed for our species. They speak of alliances and coexistence. They even take human mates and breed orc-human offspring.

But we are yet to see where this will lead. I trust no-one and certainly not a human or anyone that allies themselves with them. Have we not learned our lessons about how other species treat orcs? The dark elves have taught me all there is to know about those who are not like us.

Conquer or be conquered—this is all I need to know. And humans stand little chance of conquering us so why would I need to use them for anything other than labor? The real concern for us is other clans. It is orcs that can damage us both physically and militarily and this is where my energies need to be spent. Not worrying about living alongside humans for their medical knowledge.

It is foolishness. We can find a way around the dying magic—by force if necessary. We do not need to kowtow to humans. They will do the work for us and we will remain strong. We are orcs. We are the Golden Warrior Clan.

As a leader it is my job to teach the people in these ways—to instill in them the values that will protect us, keep us strong and make us a clan that will be feared. I do this every day in the way that I lead.

Strength is what I am made of. Force and power. A strong body and mind that can enjoy some carnal pleasures—that is all I desire, and looking up at our new doctor, the latter is now tugging at me.

“Chief, the patrols have been done and there is nothing out of the ordinary to report.”

“Make sure that it stays that way.”

“Of course, Chief. Also, the weapons are ready for inspection.”

My men have done well. The perimeter is clear and as requested our artillery is growing. It is something I have been focused on recently. Strong men, strong borders, strong battle resources.

“Show me.”

He nods and I am momentarily aware that I don’t want to stop looking at the human doctor. I look up at her window before I go, but she’s no longer there, appearing and disappearing as if my stare scorches her skin.

Turning my attention to the huge knife at the belt of my subordinate I smile and grab at it. Instinctively he tries to stop me as if I have lost my mind, but I am quicker. He looks back at me in abject terror as though I am about to slice his throat.

But he is even more stunned to see me draw the knife across my palm, slicing a long deep wound into my flesh that oozes blood, all the while the smile on my face growing. There is always a way to get what I want, and I stop at nothing to make sure this is so. Right now, I am very clear about what that is.

“Show me the weapons.” I hand him back his knife that drips with my blood. “Then bring the new doctor to my chambers to treat my wound.”

“Yes… of course, Chief.” I march off as he follows, feeling wild with excitement and with a grin so wide I am in danger of splitting my face.

Today is a good day, I can feel it in my bones. And I will seize it. Because that who is I am and that is what I do.

I will inspect the work of my men, and then I will inspect the new doctor.

6

JANICE

“Doctor,” comes a gruff call accompanying a knock at my door. “The Chieftain requires you to treat his wound.”

So soon? I’ve only been at his camp for a handful of hours, at most. The Golden Warriors are more civil than I first gave them credit for, but their Chief is said to be crazy. Even his own soldiers whisper about him when they think I’m not listening.

I try to master my galloping heart and settle my frayed nerves. “I’ll be right there!”

I’m stalling. I don’t want to be alone with him. Not yet.

I check my inner pocket for the vial, assuring it’s still there, and that it hasn’t broken. I already know the answer, but the motion has become a bad habit.

The knock comes again.

I scramble to look busy when the door opens, pulling my shirt halfway off before putting it back on. I slip it over my head to find one of his guards gaping. He hasn’t recovered from me flashing him by the time I brush past. “Well? Are you going to take me to him?”

He snaps his jaw shut and nods, avoiding my eye. “This way.”

A smug smile finds me as he leads me to Murdock’s chambers. “What sort of wound has your Chieftain received in such a short time? He looked fine, a few hours ago.”

The guard doesn’t answer.

I didn’t expect he would. But the silence is deafening. Am I in trouble? Maybe the talk of his ‘wound’ is a ruse so he can get a better look at his new ‘doctor’. All these pretenses, just to kill the idiot. I make sure the vial is still secure.

I need to stop checking on it, or someone will notice.

They need to think that I’m exactly what I claimed to be, when they took me in. Just a doctor in need of shelter and resources, not an assassin. I force my arms to drop at my sides and focus on the path between my new room and Murdock’s. Every piece of information will be vital when I have to make a run for it.

The guard opens a door to me. “He’s through here. Last door.”

Still, he follows as I approach. I’m deep in enemy territory, so deep, I’m not sure how I’m going to escape, when the need arises. I take a steadying breath before knocking, waiting for his answer.

“Come in,” comes a deep and expectant rumble on the other side.

I ease the door open, still shadowed by the guard. “You called for me?”

He’s lying on an oversized bed with an animal skin bathrobe draped over his powerful form. And his eyes bore into me, those piercing gray orbs missing nothing. I stop myself from checking my pocket again. His guards didn’t notice, but I have no doubt he will.

The way he lies is almost- human.

His skin is that deep emerald, but the way he moves seems different from the rest of his kind. It’s as if he’s adopted the demeanor of a man, but not the look. He’s also mad as a hare, if the rumors hold any substance.

I have to be careful with this one. “You called for me?”

A grin breaks over his heavy features. “I did.” He’s measuring me up. I can feel his gaze scour my form as if I’m there for his pleasure alone. I’ve felt this sort of focus before, but it never made my skin crawl quite like his does.

He has no food or water beside him, and I can’t find an opening to poison him, not with his guard standing at the exit. So, I play my part. “What exactly is the problem?”

Murdock produces his hand, and a clean, deep cut on his palm.

It’s clearly self induced.

I tend to the wound with practiced expertise, like he’s one of the many soldiers in his infirmary. When our skin touches, my heart rate picks up again, and I have to voluntarily control my breathing.

“You’re too pretty to be a doctor.”

I swear my heart stops entirely for a solid second before finding its rhythm again. He hasn’t caught me, I assure myself, he’s just being a chauvinistic ass.

I glare up at him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He tilts his head, his eyes blinking too infrequently for my liking. “Too young, as well. You can’t have seen more than twenty summers.”

My lip firms. “Twenty nine,” I correct.

I roll the gauze around his hand, having assured the wound was clean before binding it. I want to spit into it, just to spite him.

“Twenty nine?” he asks as if impressed by the number. “Your looks are deceiving. What is your name, doctor?”

Even my false title is a curse on his lips. “Janice,” I say, gathering my supplies and standing, keeping my gaze averted. “If that’s all, then I’ll take my leave.”

Just as I start to turn, he grabs my wrist and drags me in, making me drop my supplies. I protest with a little shout because he expects it. “Let go of me,” I plead like a demure woman, and not the assassin that I am.

He doesn’t even entertain the notion of releasing me, staring hard into my eyes. A glimmer of desire flashes in his frightening gaze. “Do you know what I want?”

I shake my head violently, though there’s no doubt.

Murdock sits up. He was never truly injured. I know that, but my next breath misses me when he towers over me, still seated. His grip tightens, and I have to stay my first instinct to bury my knife in his gut. I’d find no knife, anyway. I left them back at the bunker.

“Unhand me,” I say through gritted teeth.

He doesn’t seem to hear me.

I shove with all my might, and he releases me all at once. I quickly regather my supplies before standing a good distance away. “I don’t appreciate being handled like a slave. I am a doctor, and deserve to be treated as such.”

“Do you, now?” His chuckle is dark, like he enjoys watching me retreat. “Go on, then. Run. Everyone knows I like a challenge.”

My skin crawls at the threat, and I back away.

His grin broadens. “I always get what I want, in the end, Janice.”

I can’t help a scoff from escaping.

Murdock stands abruptly, making me flinch in earnest. All my training and careful preparation vanishes for this primal fear.

I’ve underestimated him.

His nostrils flare as he inhales, though he doesn’t come any closer. He tilts his head as if confused by me. “If you want to make it difficult, fine. I enjoy the chase.”

With that warning, I run.

I can’t help it. True terror has me in its grip, and I am at its mercy, like I am at his mercy. My core is shaking when I slam my door shut and lock it tight. I lean against the hard grain as tears sting my eyes. No one’s in pursuit, but that doesn’t mean he’s not coming for me eventually. He knows where I am, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If only I had had a chance to poison his wound, I could have been back at the bunker by sunset.

As I collect myself, I recall how he chuckled when I ran.

My pulse is pounding in my ears and I am surrounded by his allies. I am an animal trapped in a cage, and he’s already suffocating me. I force myself to breathe, long and slow, my body struggling to obey.

I have more training than that.

I’m not an animal, and he is not a man.

But still, my panicked mind doesn’t slow down, racing through the terrible things he has planned for me. If I cannot get control of myself, then I will never get the better of him. I clutch the hidden vial and squeeze my eyes shut.

What the hell is wrong with me?

7

MURDOK

Murdock

She is evasive, my new doctor.

A week has gone by and I’ve hardly caught wind of her outside the clinic.

The way her stern expression broke with surprise and fear fuels me. I want to see more of her, all of her, without this pesky prelude. A tightness coils around my spine when I think of claiming her, and I burn to hear her sweet protests. I crave to turn them into pants of exultation, of her screaming my name. I want to revel in her. To claim her.

She’s all I can think about.

I’m so wrapped up in the notion of seeing her again, my hand slips and I receive yet another little cut for her to mend with her delicate fingers. How many injuries have I sustained, just to excuse myself and head to the clinic?

My guards are no longer even concerned, knowing looks passing among themselves. I’m not being subtle in the least, and I couldn’t care less.

I examine the little wound favorably.

It’ll take her at least a minute to wrap it and send me on my way. There’s a lot I can say, in that sliver of time. Something perplexes me about her hard exterior, that cold expression she reserves only for me.

Like she wants to kill me, but can’t muster the resolve.

I slip into the little building and wait until her current patient leaves. I listen to how she deals with him, almost kindly. Almost. I don’t think she likes us all that much, but she is desperate, and I’m glad to use it to my advantage. I’d much prefer to make her my own, personal, physician, so she didn’t have to touch any of the others.

It irritates me when she does.

Her bumbling patient finally leaves, and I slip in while her back is turned. She is dutifully putting away her supplies when I speak, her body going rigid when my words reach her ears. “Do you have time for one more patient, doctor?”

Janice unclenches, and pivots with a neutral air. “I am worried about you, Murdock.” Her cool tone is scornful. “You’re the clumsiest orc I’ve ever had the misfortune of serving.”

A quiet laugh escapes me, and I ease closer to her. Her pulse rises when I get too near, so I keep a healthy distance. Soon, I promise myself, resisting the urge to stroke the soft skin of her neck. “Have you served many orcs?”

Her jaw tenses. “I’m accustomed to doctoring humans, so no.”

“I’m flattered,” I say, watching the little vein on her neck pulse harder. She reacts to me in a way I’ve never experienced before. I like it.

Janice holds out her hand with irritation. “Where is it?”

I stop myself from teasing her further. A charming redness is already crawling up the flesh of her chest and blooming over the bridge of her nose. I surrender my hand to her. “Another cut. I want to be sure it doesn’t get infected.”

When her hand closes over mine, chills ripple up my arm. “This is nothing,” she says, but tends to it anyway, shredding a strip of gauze and rolling it tightly around my finger. “Do your best not to pick at it, and you should be fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Her glare is bright with barely concealed rage as she holds the door open for me.

I linger until she grows visibly uncomfortable. “Until next time, then.”

“I certainly hope not,” she says.

I throw my head back and laugh. Doesn’t she know this is my clan? I can go where I please, but for now, I decide to leave her be.

Her scent lingers in my nose as I go to meet with my guards. I want to know how the other humans are faring in my tribe. There are only five, so far, including the flustered Janice. My guards will have more information on the others, whom I’ve hardly noticed underfoot.

Maybe Harok is onto something, with these clever little humans.

I’m grinning when I enter the meeting hall, where several of mine have converged and are talking low among themselves. Their chatter ceases when I enter, and I throw up a bandaged hand. “Please! Don’t stop on my behalf.”

“Chief,” they say in unison.

One of them is breaks from their reverence first, glancing only briefly at my nicked hand. “We’ve done as you’ve asked. The human recruits are well established among the other clan members.”

“Good,” I say. “Make sure their needs are met.”

“Of course.”

I realize that all I want to do is go back to the clinic and torment Janice, until that cold demeanor breaks again. Irritation swells inside me. “And what about the doctor’s assistant position? We’ll need more than a solitary staff to tend to all our wounded.”

“We’re still searching,” one of the guards says.

“Keep looking.” They straighten at my command. “And be sure it’s a female. I don’t want any more males working with Janice than can be helped. In fact, I forbid any males to be injured from here on out. Make sure the word gets out before the dinner bell. If you are injured, treat it your damned self.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence among my guards.

Don’t they know a joke when they hear one? But perhaps my delivery was off. I’m still scowling, after all, and my mind is somewhere else. When my expression finally lightens, a nervous chuckle is shared. “Off with you,” I say, waving them out. “You’ve done good work and I look forward to your updates as they come.”

“Yes, Chieftain,” they say.

And I am finally alone.

I have not been subtle about my interest in her. She has distracted me from my duties, so I feel obligated to join in the patrol this afternoon. There’s something about her that drives me insane. Her resistance only goads me on.

I’m used to getting what I want. Isn’t that what I told her? No, that’s not quite right. I always get what I want, in the end. Yes, that sounds more like it. I recall the way she trembled when I said it, how my promises spurred her to run.

How I stopped myself short of giving chase.

It took all my willpower, but I am glad to know she is under my roof. Not so very far away at all if I really want to claim her. Soon enough, I will. I’ll break that cold exterior and find her warmth. I’ll make her scream my name with the desire I know she’s hiding from me.

If I wasn’t certain, I might have left her alone from the start.

But I like the way she looks at me. The way she hates me.

Hate is not so far from passion, after all.

I chew on my lip as I go about my rounds, enjoying the cool breeze coming in from the north. I wonder if Janice has turned in for the evening yet, or if she’s finishing up at the clinic. I expect I’ll find my way around to there before the night is through, with another ‘wound’ for her to mend.

“Chief! Chief!” comes a shout from the distance.

I stop in my tracks, craving nothing more than to knock the idiot on the head. There are better ways to call for me, rather than getting all excited and making a scene.

“Chief!” he shouts again, running full throttle towards me. “It’s the doctor!”

I bare my tusks and jog past him towards the clinic, forcing him to catch up. My voice is a growl of frustration. “What has happened?”

“A wounded orc- he is attacking her!”

Panic reinforces my pace. “Why didn’t you stop him?!”

But whatever excuses the peon is blurting, I’m not listening any longer. With the wind in my ears, I race to Janice, hoping I’m not too late.

8

JANICE

I’m putting away herbs and balms when I stumble upon something much more sophisticated stowed away behind the antique medical supplies. Medicines: tinctures and antibiotics and salves. Things the orcs could never have gotten their hands on by themselves, and they couldn’t have been synthesized here in their base, either. They don’t have the materials, or technology to do so.

My bunker, bunker #90, is the one that controls these types of supplies. We’re the only ones that can even synthesize them, anymore, likely on this entire continent. “Where on earth did you manage to get this?” I ask aloud, handling the vials with the utmost care.

Amy would spit if she saw this trove.

We’re the only ones who have the technology to create some of these, and even then, the machines are outdated and the parts are impossible to come by. Still, we’ve managed to preserve them to keep the flow of medicine coming, for the human settlements that need them.

But they’re still worth a small fortune.

A shiver goes up my spine. Who’s leaking medicine to the orcs?

Something crashes outside my door, then it flies open.

All I see is red as several orcs drag their wounded companions into my clinic. One is wide awake and failing, getting blood everywhere. The other is half asleep, lolling between two guards. Their injuries look like knife wounds, but with all the blood, I can’t be certain. I throw a sheet over the narrow procedure table, though it won’t do any good with two battle wounded orcs. “Lay this one down here!”

They do so, and a narrow eyed shaman shadows them, placing his hands on the heavily wounded guard. He doesn’t even grace me with a look as he bows over my patient and blocks me from being able to assist him. I can tell he’s trying to perform magic, but it’s pointless. Whatever magic they possessed before is growing more useless by the day.

They don’t have a source, here on earth.

“Please,” I say, already prepared with torniquets and gauze. “Let me see him.”

The shaman doesn’t seem to hear me at first, his shoulders tense as he tries to heal the orcs wounds on his own. “Get away with your useless medicines, doctor.”

“He’s bleeding out! Do you want him to die?”

Hateful yellow eyes home in on me, blood still oozing out from between his fingers. “You shouldn’t even be here. I don’t understand why the Chief took you in in the first place.” He turns back to his task, which is obviously failing. “We have our magic, and that is enough.”

“It is not enough!” I stamp my foot, sick and tired of their orcish elitism. “It doesn’t matter that you have all the magic in the world, if your friend dies, now does it?!”

“You’re as crazy as the Chieftain,” he murmurs.

A fury I can’t begin to define overwhelms me. I don’t know if it’s because he compared me to Murdock or because he thinks so little of me and my ‘medicines’, but I’ve had enough. With an icy tone, bordering on homicide, I speak calmly and with conviction. “You brought them to my clinic for a reason.

“Move, and let me do my work.”

Even the proud shaman seems to register that his magic is doing nothing, and his friend is fading by the second. He withdraws with a disgusted grimace. “If they die, it is on you, human.”

“If they die,” I correct as he storms from the clinic. “-it is because you did not let me care for them when I asked!”

But he’s already gone.

I waste no time, snapping open a tourniquet and wrapping around his bleeding arm. But it’s the wound on his stomach that won’t be so easy to control. I pinch the flesh shut as best I can, and thread the needle through slippery flesh. It is a messy affair, but finally, I manage to slow the deluge of blood and peritoneal fluid.

His head lolls to one side, but I can tell he’s still breathing.

The other is flat on his back with bloodshot eyes bulging at the ceiling. There’s something wrong about his expression, vacant. Maybe the pain has overwhelmed him, because I can’t be sure how deep his wounds go. I stitch this one back up while I’m on my knees. My clinic is not a hospital, and the infirmary is no place to do real surgery.

I wipe my brow as I work tirelessly over him. “Hang in there,” I tell him, though I’m pretty sure he can’t hear me. It’s more my own sake, anyway.

When the worst of it finally stops, I slump over my patient with exhaustion. They’re both still breathing, despite the shaman, and at least their deaths won’t be on my hands. Time will tell if they have internal bleeding, but I did my best.

Murdock can’t reprimand me for that.

A tired thought occurs to me: when did I start caring about what he thinks?

I’m here to kill him, have I forgotten? Saving orcs isn’t my goal, and I could have let these two die without ever facing the repercussions of my inaction, not with Murdock breathing down my neck every chance he gets. I have a feeling he enjoys tormenting me too much.

And still, I’m relieved when I note their steady breathing.

I’m about to rise when the orc on the floor wakes with a deafening bellow, swinging wildly as if he’s still fighting his enemies. He catches me across the chest and face, throwing me hard into the crude cabinets. I’m still trying to breathe again when he rises, crazed.

I scramble to my feet, a breath finally coming as my lungs open again.

But those bloodshot eyes find me, like I’m the enemy he seeks. I go rigid briefly before a fist comes at me. “Stop!” I cry, dodging his attacks that come quick. I’m just glad I’m quicker. “I’m the doctor! I just saved your life!”

Nothing I say lands with this crazy beast.

He bashes holes through my walls and trashes my carefully prepared setup in pursuit of me. Luckily, his companion remains fast asleep despite it all, because I couldn’t dodge the two of them at the same time. I don’t understand what has happened, or why he feels the need to kill me after I just stitched him up.

Something’s wrong with him.

There’s no sanity left in his wild yellow eyes.

There are only so many places to flee in my cramped little office, and he’s destroyed my furniture, so that I have to clamber over it to get to the exit. But even as I move to throw open the door, something hard collides into it, blocking my exit.

I pivot and cower.

He’s going to kill me. I’ll die without my blades, in an enemy base, so far away from home. I shut my eyes as his fist closes in, bracing myself for impact.

When it doesn’t come, I dare peek.

Murdock is here, gripping tightly the fist that was meant for my face. He strains against his clansman with fury in his cold gray eyes, his arm wrapped tightly around me.

When did he get here?

In a flash of a second, I recall with muted clarity that the window had shattered at some point. I thought it was because the crazed orc had thrown my chair out the high window, but it must have been him. I glance up as his form tightens around me protectively, watching his hard jaw clench with unfettered rage. I’m just relieved it’s not at me.

My strength falters as he roars and throws the orc back several paces.

The silence that ensues is deafening.

9

MURDOK

Murdock

The window.

I can hear her pleas as she tries to reason with her attacker. The crash of furniture is all the motivation I need to throw myself through the glass.

An orc has already got the doctor cornered, his fist going for her head. Fear and rage fuel me, and I find myself across the room in an instant, blocking the shot before I realize I’ve moved. I try not to think about how her delicious curves are pressed against me, and bellow out a roar, forcing the attacker back several paces with a hard shove.

I bare my tusks in a silent growl, expecting more of a struggle.

But the bastard wavers and collapses in a heap of green limbs and vacant eyes. There’s something wrong with him, that’s plain to see. But I’m just glad to feel her safe against me, her breath coming fast like a caught hare.

Finally, I look down to find her already staring at me.

I issue a cocked grin. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Janice pulls out of my grip, and I let her. She holds herself, her body still shaking from the upset. “You…”

“Me,” I say evenly, standing tall. “What of it?”

“You- saved me.”

“Of course, I did,” I reply, looking her over to make sure the wild orc didn’t cause any real harm. “Do you know how hard it is to find a good doctor?” I’m playing at nonchalance but I want nothing more than to examine every inch of her to make sure she’s truly okay.

Her nostrils flare adorably, and she turns her face from me. A redness is creeping over the delicate flesh of her cheeks again, and she clutches herself tighter.

I drop the grin, realizing how the room has been destroyed. It could have been her, I found ripped to pieces, if my guard had just been a little slower. “What happened here?”

She doesn’t answer, her tremble getting worse.

I kneel and capture her face. Though I expect her to protest, she leans into me instead. “Tell me, Janice. Did he hurt you?”

She bites her lip rather than answering. I want to bite it for her, but she’s had a real fright, and thought I’m an advantageous ass, I do know how to pick my moment.

And this isn’t it.

“Talk to me,” I insist.

She seems to recover, righting herself and brushing me off. Something has come over her, where she was frightened and shaking, now she’s cool, collected. She’s like a whole new person that I don’t quite recognize. “I’m fine,” she says, her voice steady and even. “Help me get this door open.”

I watch her every move as she goes to the door and tries to pull away the broken furniture, struggling with the weight of it. “You’re not fine,” I say, fury chasing up my spine. I don’t like how dismissive she is. I just saved her life! When she finally gets the worst of the wreckage moved, I put a hand against the door so she can’t open it.

She simmers in my shadow before turning to face me. “Let me go, Murdock.”

“You always say my name like it offends you,” I murmur, leaning in so she’s pinned against the door. “Why?”

Janice won’t look at me. She won’t let me see those cold, crystal eyes of hers, filled with resentment. I reflect again at how stunning this woman is, her ire only fueling my frustration.

My next words are a growl. “Look at me, damn it.”

Finally, she does. Her eyes are wide for a brief second before she narrows them. “You’re a beast, that’s why. Now, let me go.”

“Never,” I promise, drawing my fingers down her arm in an effort to make her tremble again. It works. “Not in a million years, will I let you go.”

She blushes hard. “You will,” she whispers so quietly, I almost don’t hear her.

I catch her jaw and force her to look at me again. “Is that a threat?”

Her bright eyes narrow, but she says nothing.

I grin again, but it’s a hateful thing that turns down into a grimace. “This little game you’re playing is cute, but I’ve just about reached the end of my patience.”

“What patience?”

“See, this is what I’m talking about.” I can feel the heat between us reaching a critical mass. Why can’t she? “You don’t know when to give up.

“You’re already mine, you’re just too stubborn to realize it.”

Her jaw clenches, but she can’t turn away this time. Instead, she glances at anything but me. “I’m not into orcs,” she says in a painfully even tone. “I’m sorry you got the wrong impression, but you’re just my employer. That’s all.”

My thumb massages the muscle of her jaw as if to loosen her clenched teeth. How she’d bend to me, if she’d only give up this ridiculous endeavor. I lean in, so I can smell her sweet exhale. “This is my clan. My settlement, and I have abided your disrespect long enough.”

I crush my lips to hers. She riots to be free, but I don’t let her go. When she tries to bite, I chuckle, dragging her flush against me.

Janice issues a tight, distressed moan.

She does not know how gentle I can be, under the right circumstances. But this isn’t gentle. It’s a struggle for dominance, and she’s already lost.

I press her to the door in my insistence, refusing to let her go until she yields to me. She is taut with defiance, but her tongue begins to roll with mine, and I suck in her sigh. There it is, I think, finding exactly what I’ve been searching for since she arrived.

My fingers tangle in her dark hair as I force her head back, exploring the tender flesh of her neck. A swallow makes her throat leap under my heavy caress. “Damn you,” she utters at the ceiling, steading herself against my chest.

I chuckle and ignore her curse, recapturing her lips.

Her kiss is more urgent than before, and excitement coils around my insides. My cock is already hard when she bites my lip in earnest, drawing blood. Any gentleness evaporates for urgency as I command her to me.

Janice’s eyes close, even as she tries to pull away.

I let her, drawing away slowly and marveling at her raw lips. There’s blood—my blood—on her chin, and she tries to wipe it away with a sleeve, looking more embarrassed than hateful. I stop her and sweep my tongue over her chin, making her eyes flare.

Satisfied with my work, I pull away, leaving my thumb pressed to the swell of her lower lip. “Was that so hard?”

Uncertainty flashes in her beautiful eyes, but she says nothing.

I lever off of her as if to finally release her from my hold. She remains against the door as if for support, and I test the wound on my lip favorably. “You’re feisty, just like I thought you’d be.”

She’s gripping the handle, but doesn’t throw it open in an attempt to escape.

When I stroke her cheek again, she holds deadly still. “I love it,” I murmur, craving another thorough sample of her. But it can wait. She’s already had one hell of a fright today, and the only orc I want her to be leery of is me. “Tonight, I’m going to see you, Janice.”

When she doesn’t protest, I ease the door open as if to let her go.

She blinks before moving to leave, but I grab her wrist and hold it tight. “I’m going to teach you who’s the boss around here,” I say, releasing her to her own devices.

Janice rubs her wrists and looks me over long and hard, the murderous expression gone for wariness. She bites her lip, then lowers her head and storms away, her redolent scent drifting in her wake.

10

JANICE

I can’t waste this opportunity, I think, steeling myself for what I must do tonight. But the memory of our kiss lingers on my lips. The salty tang of his blood when I bit too hard. My insistence was contrived. It was the only way to get him to leave me alone.

I have to believe that.

I throw my hands through my hair and groan aloud. Where has my nerve gone? I was ready for this mission when it first started. Every dead orc is a boon to our kind. Their language is brutality and war and death. They know no other.

But something about Murdock burrows deep under my skin.

I hate him more every time I’m in his presence. And still, he’s surrounded by his loyal clansmen, giving me no opportunity to make my move. I’m stifled in this settlement, and it’s driving me nuts. Samuel will be wanting results soon, and every day I don’t deliver weighs on my conscious. Don’t I want him dead too?

It’s getting dark outside.

I know he’s planning on seeing me, just like he said he would.

For all the things Murdock is, he’s not a liar. A shiver grips me as I remember what he said to me, my fingers tracing the hollow of my throat where he’d left his heavy kisses. I shouldn’t be recalling these things with such whimsy. He’s my target, and I’m his assassin.

That’s all.

He’s dead, I assure myself, echoing his own words, he just doesn’t know it yet.

With that certainty, I swirl the poison around his wine glass until it dries invisible. He could pour the drink, himself, and never notice the clear, deadly film. It’s perfect. Still, when I think about what it will do to him, something sits wrong in my gut.

My job is not to ask why, though.

I just do what I’m told.

I set the glass down just as the even steps of an orc pad down the hall towards my room. But his gait is a little different than the others, with a slight heaviness weighing down his right foot. I recognize it instantly, well before the knock comes. The heavy rap still manages to startle me, and I readjust the wine bottle on the tablecloth. “Just a second!”

He offers only silence.

My hair is up in a tight ponytail, and my clothes are something one would wear to bed, loose and comfortable but not too revealing. I have to at least play the part, even though I know he won’t get far enough to rip them off me, anyway. I put on a demure, expectant look before opening the door. There’s no point in trying to keep him out. He’ll just kick it down, and that’ll garner too much attention for what I have planned.

I still act surprised. “Murdock-”

Murdock takes up most of the doorway with his lean bulk, his searing gaze scouring me. His tone is deadly. “Were you expecting anyone else?”

I tilt my chin up defiantly. “Maybe I was. What’s it to you?”

He eases in before shutting the door behind himself. What a gentleman, I think to myself, though it’s getting harder to breathe with him in such close proximity. He’s huge, in my tiny room, and I don’t know how we both fit in here. But it’s the menacing gleam in his eye that weakens my resolve. Like if I look away, he’s going to pounce.

My heart races when he takes a step towards me.

I have nowhere to run. I’m trapped, and there are only two exits: his death, or my surrender, and I will not be surrendering. Unconsciously, I step backward, losing a little ground. He takes it as an invitation to prowl towards me, making me feel small under his scrutiny.

My voice comes on a rush, high and unsteady. “Wait.”

He stops in his tracks, his eyes only on me. “I told you already-”

“I know, I know,” I say, reaching for the glasses and wine. I’ve ensured that his is the bigger cup, making it impossible to mistake the two. “I just- need a little liquid courage, is all. I’ve never been with an orc before tonight.” I let the words linger briefly. Let his imagination blind him. “Will you… join me?”

One of his wicked eyebrows rise. “Where’d you find those?”

“In storage.” I pour the glasses of wine in turn. I’m almost certain I can see the invisible poison swirling around in the dark wine, though I know it’s impossible. Amy’s work is flawless. “I didn’t think it was a big deal, since there was half a crate of the stuff just sitting around.”

I pivot with greater ease, feeling my confidence returning.

Murdock, however, is over me, like he can’t resist being near me. Possessing me. I look up and force a bored expression to pass over my face. “You need to let it breathe, first. Come on,” I say, slipping past him and settling on the bed before offering the poisoned glass up to him in a languid fashion. “-join me.”

He seems thrown off by my proposal, and actually obeys.

Our fingers brush when he accepts the glass, and I steady myself. I have to be brave for just a little longer, and then the bastard will be dead. Enjoy your last few minutes on earth, Murdock. You should never have come in the first place. The thought makes me smile in earnest, and though he’s sitting too close for comfort, I’m in the perfect position to ensure he drinks it.

A simmering grin comes over him as he analyzes the contents of his glass. “Usually, we just chug the stuff. It has such a bitter flavor.”

“That’s where you’ve got it all wrong,” I say, doing my best to feign interest. I’m good at my job, it just took me a little longer to secure my success with this one. “This is a fine cabernet, maybe some of the best that can be found, nowadays. It’s a good year.”

Though he looks interested, his gaze slides to me. “Is it?”

I lean in, though I’d rather be anywhere else, and offer a simmering smile of my own. “It’s common knowledge,” I purr. “I’m sure it’s aired now. Give it a shot. Maybe it’ll give us both a little courage.”

When I think he’s going to try it, he draws it away instead. “I don’t need it.”

Panic hits me, but I slow down and take a drink of my own before setting my glass aside. “Don’t make me drink alone, Murdock.” I hate to do it, but I slide into the hollow of his arms. “Let me help.”

He doesn’t take his eyes off me as I bring the cup to his lips. Just a taste.

Murdock almost lets me before he sets it down next to mine. “Tell me, Janice,” he murmurs, lowering his head so our foreheads are almost touching. There’s a cunning in his expression that I’m used to, but it takes a wicked turn. “-what’s your contingency plan?”

11

JANICE

I swear, my heart has stopped in my chest.

My vision homes in to his lips as I slowly register what it is he just uttered. What’s your contingency plan? Contingency plan.

Does he know?

The way he’s staring at me with that tenacious sneer. Like this whole thing is just some terrible game to him. I fear I’ve underestimated this Chieftain, and here I am, caught in the circle of his arms. He could have crushed the secrets out of me, but instead he’s toying with me in his own way. True terror grips me as I realize this.

If he does know, what’s going to happen to me?

I strain to keep my cool, but he’s already gloating at his victory. Do I have to abandon the mission? Is it even possible, this late in the game?

When he lifts his hand, I flinch. It pauses in the air briefly before he tucks my dark hair back, the brush of his fingers like sweet little threats. “Well?” he asks evenly. “I’m dying to know.”

Even as I stutter in search of a response, his grin widens.

I’m certain he knows, though I can’t understand how he figured it out. I sent no correspondence back to the bunker, and have told no one in this settlement why I’m really here. Why would I? Every single one of them is my enemy. Especially Murdock.

Does he think so little of his own life?

“I-” I begin, my throat tight with panic. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

His grin vanishes for a scowl, and he leans against the back wall as if to better take me in. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”

I don’t answer, stealing my own wine and taking a deep draught. I consider taking his, instead, because then at least I can go out on my own terms.

I hope it doesn’t come to that.

He stops me when the glass is nearly empty, then pins me flat on my back, letting the glass hit the floor with a crash. The air goes out of me on a whoosh, as I find myself nose to nose with my target. “It’s healthy, to be a little nervous around me,” he says, “but I need to hear the truth of it from your own lips. What’s your contingency plan?

“How are you going to seduce me, Janice?”

With Murdock’s weight pressing down on me, I can hardly breathe as it is. But the revelation stirs me from my panic, and I find my bearings again. Still, I blink in utter surprise. Relief is rattling around inside me as I push against him, forcing him back.

Only by his grace does he allow me up, keeping a strong arm wrapped possessively around me. Is this what he meant by my ‘plan’?

Okay, I think, I can work with this. “What makes you think I’ve been trying to seduce you?” I ask, maintaining an innocent but hurt expression.

Cool surprise lights up his steel gray eyes, and he tilts his head. “Everything about the way you move speaks volumes.” He leans in again, that overpowering scent of orc, freshly washed, floods my senses. He didn’t come here to kill me. I’m almost disappointed that he’s not as clever as I first thought. “The way you always catch my eye when I’m nearby. Do you think I wouldn’t notice your dark little side eyes?

“It’s cute,” he continues, “pretending you’re not interested. But I know better. You came to my clan for a reason, didn’t you? It was just serendipitous that I had a position open for a talented physician like you.

“Well, now you have my unvarnished attention.”

I swallow hard, shaking my head mutely. Whatever he’s been imagining, he has it all wrong. The fantasies of a crazy Chief. “I don’t- know what you mean.”

“Bullshit,” his voice becomes a growl, something that resonates deep in his chest as he leans in and presses his lips to my ear. “You’ve been seducing me every day since you arrived, with the way you look at me. You keep playing hard to get, and it’s turning me on, Janice.”

A real shiver overcomes me.

I wish I could fake the trembling in my core, but it’s authentic. He’s making me quake when he should have been dead some minutes ago. If he’d only drank the wine, I wouldn’t be in this predicament. I’ve never had to fuck my target, but things seem to be heading that way. The thought of letting him have his way with me makes my gut clench into a knot.

I tear back, nearly falling off the bed if he wasn’t already bracing me, and offer him only an aghast look. “I’m not seducing you!”

Murdock chuckles and bares his teeth at me as if threatening to bite, his tusks menacing in their own right. “Do you think I’m a fool?”

Yes. “No.”

He looks me over with heated interest, his grip tightening around my waist as he drags me under him again, mussing my hair in the process. He places a heavy hand on my stomach as if to feel the heat there. “Do you think I can’t tell that you hate me?”

I try to respond, but my lips are dry.

That sardonic smile is back. “Do you know how badly I want to change that?”

He has me shivering again, and I can’t stop it. No, no, no, I think when he closes in for another kiss, this is all wrong.

But I surge when our lips meet, duty and instinct warring.

I do hate him, I promise internally. With all my being, I loathe this bastard.

And still, when his heavy tongue breaches my lips, I can’t help but croon, proving him right. Another chuckle resonates through him and into me, and I hate myself for it. Where is this coming from? He is my target. I should feel no way about him. This is supposed to be an underhanded transaction, and still, I’ve been plotting and calculating for so long, I didn’t realize he’d wriggled so deeply into my inner thoughts.

If he drank my poison, I would have been halfway back to bunker #90 by now.

I push against Murdock in a wane effort to break from the kiss. He’s so much stronger than me, and I mourn the thought of returning to my people, unsuccessful. This bastard is going to break my killing streak without even knowing it.

He’s going to ruin me.

When I feel the hard press of his cock through his pants, I realize he’ll ruin me in more ways than one. I squirm beneath him, still opposing his insistent kiss. He won’t be gentle for long, if I keep struggling.

He’s an orc, for shit’s sake. He’s three times my weight and taller than me by a healthy margin. If I think I can best him in a test of strength, I’m the fool.

Do I want to, though?

I should be disgusted by this. I should fight with every fiber of my being until I’ve done everything I can to stop Murdock.

I should resist.

And still, I find myself responding to him.

I hate that I like it. I can’t ever let him know that, though. I strain to keep my jaw clamped shut and my eyes closed. I’m a challenge to him, and the more I fight, the more he gets out of it. If I don’t react, maybe he’ll get bored of me and leave.

But I realize, were he to leave, I would be very heartbroken.

What is happening to me? I’m going mad. Do I want to kill him? Or do I want to fuck him? How can I want both?

I can find another way to poison him later, when I’ve collected myself.

Tears sting my eyes, but they’re not of grief. At least, not the kind I’m used to.

I am attracted to this orc. My body is welcoming his attentions.

But I know I must kill him.

It’s frustration that’s got its claws in my heart, the battle of two worlds that never should have met in the first place.

12

MURDOK

I’ve come to realize that there are two sides to this woman that lies breathless beneath me. The first is the one she wants me to see, hard and cold and professional. She always speaks with conviction as if she has rehearsed her lines at great length in the mirror.

But the other side- it’s difficult to find beneath that staunch veneer. I see it in the cracks when she’s surprised or caught off guard. I hear it in the tone of her sweet voice when I ask her unlikely questions. It’s in the redness that’s creeping over her soft cheeks, and the fire in her belly that defies her hateful looks.

I want to stoke that fire and find out just how hot it burns.

Janice withholds a moan when I urge her lips to part. She lets her arms lay limply at her sides in silent protest. But her fingers twitch as if they want to join in, as if she’s fighting back the urge to reciprocate.

She’s so stubborn I have to wonder: am I wrong about her?

When her eyes slide open, worry and desire are mingling. There’s not an ounce of hate left. I can imagine it has fizzled off in the heat between us. I don’t want her to worry, I want her to relish in my attention. I crave to make her scream my name and beg for more.

I draw my nails up her taut form, and finally, finally, she reciprocates. Though I’m stronger by nature, her tongue battles mine as she grabs my face and pulls me down further, so I fall to my elbows over her.

I permit it with a chuckle.

There it is, I think, kissing her harder.

Her body responds, and I break the kiss to trail down her slender neck. Her flesh is sweet and tender, a thing that is easily broken if I’m not careful. I tug on the collar of her nightgown, this bothersome stretch of cloth that conceals her most intimate places from me, and rake my tongue over the hollow of her throat.

She leans into me, her mouth to my ear. “Wait, Murdock-”

I ignore her plea.

We’ve come so far, and I refuse to stop now, when she’s yielded so sweetly to me. My teeth find purchase as I threaten to bite, raking over the charming slope of her shoulder.

Her gasp is precious.

I press a grin to her flesh, then relinquish it with a kiss and meet her wide eyes. She’s breathing hard again, and I swear even her worry is fading. “Is it true, what you said?” I murmur, brushing my nose against hers. “-that you’ve never been with an orc?”

Janice’s soft lips turn down, but she nods. “Why would I lie to you?”

Excitement overwhelms me, so that I can hardly contain it. But her words land wrong. She’s been lying to me this whole time, with every breath she takes. I have to keep in mind that I know very little about her, other than that she’s a doctor. My next words sound more like a threat than I mean them to. “You tell me.”

Her crystalline eyes flare again before she averts them.

She’d rather tolerate my passions than tell me the truth. Janice won’t crack so easily, but I look forward to the challenge. My fingers tangle in her dark tresses and I nip at her lobe. “You’ll tell me everything before the night is through, I promise you that.”

Another shiver courses through her, and she looks at me with that hateful expression again. But there’s resolve there too, something I can’t quite get a read on. That’s when she kisses me hard, knocking me off kilter.

She pushes herself into a sitting position and straddles my lap, distracting me with a feverish kiss. I catch her shapely hips and drag her flush to me, making her feel how impatient she’s made me. There’s a little tick at the back of her throat when my cock leaps against her through our clothes, but she doesn’t stop the heavy dance of our tongues as she shoves me against the back wall.

My thumbs slide up the tender hollow of her stomach. The fire has been stoked, so that she nearly burns me on contact.

But I’ve never been afraid of fire.

I slip my hand up her thigh beneath the sheer cloth, enjoying the warmth we’ve created. I ease just a little further, brushing against a pair of panties she has insisted on wearing tonight. What a pointless piece of cloth, I think, stroking my thumb up that hidden cleft.

Janice hisses in surprise. “No.”

“No?” I echo darkly, pressing harder until she buckles against my chest. I like the way her fingers clench and unclench, and her breath comes hot. I pet her head while simultaneously stroking her. “You’re so good at lying, but your body betrays you.

“You’re soaking wet, Janice.”

She catches my wrist, squeezing her legs together as if to trap us between her thighs. She’s almost breathless again when she speaks. “Of course, you’d take that as an invitation.”

I press my lips to the crown of her head, forcing my fingers to wriggle a little further past her defenses. I manage to snag the hem of her panties and draw them back. Not matter how she tries to stop me, I brush the sensitive hairs of her cunt and breach that first fold.

Janice goes rigid.

“See?” I murmur, dipping in to that sweltering wetness. I’m already rock hard, but I’m getting off on tormenting her. “You like being dominated, don’t you?”

She shakes her head violently. Another lie.

I’ve heard her screams under duress, and right now she’s deadly silent. I get not a peep from her when my fingers slide into that velvet warmth. I kiss her hot forehead. “Let me in, Janice. Let me know you.”

This time, she doesn’t shake her head. She gives me nothing but a steady exhale. That’s when I breach her entirely, two fingers driving home. She chokes on my intrusion, and her body flexes around me, gripping me as if it won’t let go. I swear, she wants this as much as I do. Why doesn’t she just say so?

I wriggle a little deeper in when a frantic knock rattles the hinges.

I’m reeling from the interruption, my cock going limp even before I withdraw my fingers. Janice looks up at me with that familiar worry, her gorgeous dark hair a tangled mess from my handling. Her lips part as if she’s going to say something when another knock comes.

I manage a healthy scowl, dragging down her nightgown and clutching her to me. This is far from over, but for now, it has to wait. That doesn’t mean I’m pleased with the current turn of events. “What is it?!” I snap.

“My chief! Something has happened!”

I groan and deposit her onto the bed before rising. She looks so small among the bedding, all by herself. I don’t want to leave her but duty calls. I throw the door open to find one of my guards, wide eyed but looking guilty. His gaze slides to Janice and I block his view. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“I wouldn’t have interrupted if it wasn’t an emergency.” He seems wary on his feet, and entirely uncomfortable that he interrupted our private moment. I believe him.

I grit my teeth. “What happened?”

“It’s the humans-”

My gut churns when he mentions them. Distantly, I recall the crazed orc in the clinic who just so recently tried to tear Janice to ribbons, and wonder if something similar hasn’t happened while I’ve been preoccupied with her.

“-two of them are dead.”

There’s a quiet gasp behind me.

“How?” is my only question. There are a million ways to die on this damned planet, especially in a settlement full of orcs, but two? This sounds intentional. “How did they die, Ren?”

He shakes his head. “You’ll have to see for yourself.”

13

MURDOK

By the time I am ready it is morning and it is a cold one, but I am glad for the opportunity to clear my head as I go about my patrols. But it is not working. All I can think about is who did this to those men. They were not just killed, whoever did it was brutal in their execution. As if the act was as much about sending a message as it was about putting an end to their lives.

My first thought was that it must be orcs because no human could cause that amount of damage to a body. Though there is not a clan alive that I can think of that would do such a thing—who would dare threaten Murdock the Vengeful!

But these are strange times. Orcs and humans are integrating and, while there are many that are following in the footsteps of Harok and Aqidah there are also those who refuse to work with humans, let alone mate and breed with them.

Could this be a way of driving a rift between the species before a peace of any lasting kind has been reached? This is more than possible, and surely something that the likes of Aqidah the Wise has considered.

My mind wanders then to Janice who I have not had a chance to see since yesterday when we were interrupted. It is hard not to think of her—her taste, her scent. Of the wetness between her beautiful thighs that I would have liked to explore.

I am in awe of her. The beauty that she possesses and the deliciousness of that body that I would so like to be inside. It is all I can do not to forget about my patrols and go to her—sink my tongue into that sweet mouth and my cock into her glorious depths.

But there is a greater need that pulls at me when it comes to that women—to protect her. Because there is a killer on the loose, and though I do not wish death upon anyone who resides in my clan, both orc or human, the thought of something happening to her is not something I can think of.

As such I have two of my most trusted men guarding her, though I still feel as if it is I that should fulfill this duty. I am the one that that is best suited to the job and I am the only one that I trust to make sure no harm comes to her.

But I am also a chieftain, and there is no way I can neglect my duties now. It is times like these when the clan need their leader the most. This is my job, and I will do what I need to to ensure that Janice and my clan are safe.

The thought that the killer was actually intending to kill Janice is something that is never far from my mind. Little would they know that they would find her with me. I have never been so glad of a thing.

She is new to the clan and is a doctor. Without her we would once again be left vulnerable. I rack my brains trying to understand the motives of this killer, but there is no conclusion that I can reach and be sure of.

Eventually I reach the eastside of our border and make my way to the watch tower that stands there. I am satisfied that it is sufficiently manned and call up to the guards.

“Anything?”

“No, Chief—it is all clear.”

It is a welcome relief to hear. Whoever killed those men may be skulking around in the shadows, but at least we do not have enemies at our borders to deal with. If the killer is working alone then we will find them. But I will not be distracted from my main duty of protecting this clan from others that would ruin us.

A part of me wonders if I should send word to Aqidah, but I don’t want to do that just yet. There is enough going on and the last thing I need is interference from another chief. If the time comes then I will do it, but for now we deal with this ourselves.

It is time to head back and see what this day brings us now. I am eager to see if there have been any developments at the stronghold and whether Janice is safe. Then I will once again address the council.

I am almost at the barricade when two guards rush towards me. “Chief, there has been another killing.”

My stomach sinks to the ground like a stone. Not her. Please, not her. “Who? Human or orc?” I just need to know, and yet at the same time it seems as though time has stood still as I desperately hope that I do not hear the words that I dread.

“Orc, Chief.”

There is a relief that washes over me that makes me feel dirty and tarnished. As if I am the worst leader and a traitor to my kind. But knowing that she is safe makes up for that. Nobody can or will know what courses through me in this moment, but there is no denying it.

“Take me there!”

“The northside, Chief.”

We rush to the scene of the crime, where I find two dead orcs, killed in the same barbaric way that the human workers had been. Who on this planet would have the strength to overpower two orcs in this way? It makes no sense to me.

“Are there any others?”

“We searched the area, Chief and there is no-one else.” I turn one of the men over, his head flopping sickeningly to the side, almost as if it is about to fall off, his neck having been severed to the bone.

He is young, not a boy but younger than me though his build is strong. The ground below him is not as drenched with blood as I would have expected. A wound like this means he would bleed out like a stuck pig—but there is hardly anything. He was killed elsewhere and brought here.

“Bring these men back to the stronghold and be vigilant at all times,” I command as I march off back to my work chambers. The rage that I feel is only slightly tempered by relief that it is not her. I move quickly and shout my commands as I enter the base.

“Patrols are to be stepped up! I want four warriors for each patrol and no area of our stronghold or its boundaries to be left unmanned!”

I can hear the cries of Yes, Chief and carry on my way storming across to my work chamber and slamming the door behind me. I will join them in their patrols later, but for now I need to think.

What on Earth is happening here?

14

JANICE

There’s a sense of something uncomfortable in the stronghold. Not quite panic or fear, but something that has everyone on edge. It’s evident from the constant comings and goings of warriors patrolling and searching the place.

But even worse, from my perspective, are the two guards that I now seem to have—two orcs that will not leave my side. How am I going to execute my plans and fulfill my mission with these around me?

I have tried to search out Murdock but he is nowhere to be seen today. From the sounds of it he is busy ensuring that the perimeters are secure and that each and every warrior is doing what is required of them.

Yes, there’s definitely something in the air, and Murdock is keenly aware of it. The fact that humans have been killed is not something that escapes me, but I am not the weak human woman that these orcs think that I am. If someone is coming for me too then they will have a fight on their hands, and I am a better fighter than I am a doctor.

As my duties at what passes for a clinic draw to a close for the morning I am determined to track him down. There is no way I can continue with the orcs on my tail, they are driving me half insane.

I treat the last patient and make sure that the supplies are in order. I don’t need the shaman on my case, he is bad-tempered enough as it is. I’m glad that there are not many orcs needing my services today. I need some time alone to think and then I need to find Murdock.

When I leave the clinic the guards are there waiting and follow me. It boils my blood, but there is nothing I can do about it now.

Wandering around the stronghold there is only one thing that is being spoken of, so many whispers and rumors that drift into my ears. It sounds as though there has been another killing—orcs this time.

I should be happy about this but I’m not. Whoever is doing this is interfering with my mission. I want to get the job done and get out of here. Murdock needs to die and I need to be the one to do it.

So why the hell did I give in to his advances, and why can I not stop thinking about how my body reacted to him? It drives me insane just thinking about how I let it get that far and how I could be attracted to an orc.

An orc of all things! I can’t get my head around it. He is just like any other of their kind, so why is my body doing things that I wish it wouldn’t? Betraying me in such a way that I can’t even think straight when I am close to him. And if I can’t do that then how the hell am I going to kill him?

I decide to go back to my room before looking for him again. My mood is not conducive to persuading an orc to do my bidding and get rid of the guards that are following me.

I am glad to finally get there and close the door on their faces, though I know they will still be at my door. It feels as though I am a prisoner, and that is not something I can stomach. I take prisoners and kill them. I am not one.

In my room I find a tray loaded with bread, meats and fruit. Though my stomach is growling I can barely manage more than a mouthful. There is too much going on inside me to even think about eating.

Instead, I stand at the window, hoping that he will appear as he did before so that I don’t have to scour the place looking for him. But even though there is a lot going on down there, Murdock does not show up.

After an hour or so I can stand it no more and decide to hunt him down. He is obviously not going to show up anytime soon, and I need to just get on with it. When I open the door the guards are there as I thought.

“I am going to find your chieftain,” I say boldly, marching off before they can argue with me. Still, they follow even though they would have no problem if they wanted to stop me. Even I could not go up against two male orcs.

“Do you know where he is, or shall we just drag ourselves around this place?” I ask them as we march around the stronghold.

“He will be patrolling—possibly the westside at this time of the day.”

“Then let’s go there,” I say. “The sooner we find him, the sooner I can get back to my duties.” I am enjoying my newfound confidence at being in this clan. Murdock has shown more than an interest in me and I have two guards so that must indicate some degree of importance that I am determined to use for my own benefit.

Plus, it seems Murdock likes women who are a bit of a challenge. Well, challenge accepted, Chief Murdock.

We reach the westside within a few minutes. It is a fairly undeveloped part of the territory—just a field that houses the remains of an old human building and that’s where I see him.

He turns to us as he senses us approaching, and there is a look on his face that I can’t seem to read. “Janice, what is it?” he shouts.

The anger in me erupts and before I know it a barrage of demands and complaints comes spewing out. He looks back at me, shocked, but the anger that I would expect from him—the formidable Murdock the Vengeful—isn’t there.

“I am not happy about this arrangement—am I your prisoner now?” I cry.

“Of course you are not. These guards are for your protection. Why else what I have assigned them to you?”

“To watch over me so that—”

“So that you are safe,” he interrupts. “Until we catch whoever is responsible for these killings it’s best that you are protected.”

I am too stunned to reply, partly because of the calm and patient manner in which he speaks to me and also because of the resources he has used up for my protection. And I believe him—he really does want to ensure my safety.

Suddenly, the determination that I had to kill him is pricked. This is an orc that has made the effort to protect me. I have seen how he is with his clan—the loyalty he has to it and his people. Yes, he is stern, but he is fair.

He has made sure that the humans he has brought in have been treated well. Not necessarily warm, but fair, and I have no complaint about how I have been housed and fed. I doubt there are many clans that would behave in this way.

But this clan is not as I imagined, and neither is he. He rules with an iron fist, but he is not oppressive, just a strong and competent leader who takes his role seriously. I had always thought that all orcs deserve nothing but death—is this true?

“Leave us for a moment!” he says to the guards. They nod reverentially to him and I am glad to finally see the back of them as they turn and walk away from us.

I’m shocked when he grabs my hand and pulls me away, out of the open space and towards the ruins. His grip is strong and there is no way out of it.

What have I done?

15

JANICE

His grip is strong, and his arrogance infuriates me. Who does this orc think he is? I try to rip my hand from his, but there is no way he is letting go and his size and strength are too much for me, even if I am skilled.

He looks at me with eyes that are fierce and determined, yet in them I also see something else. He isn’t trying to overpower me, he wants me to listen to him and there is a genuineness in his expression, stern as it may be.

Suddenly my anger is replaced by nerves. By the fluttering and squirming in my stomach and a dryness in my mouth. What is going on with me? He is supposed to be my target, my enemy. But everything in my body is screaming the exact opposite.

“Please, listen to me, Janice. It is not safe for you to be unaccompanied by my guards at the moment. I understand you don’t want them and feel that you don’t need them, but if you’d seen what I have…” He trails off as if he can’t bear to finish that sentence.

“I’ve lived in this world long enough, Murdock and I have seen plenty.” What does he thing I am, some kind of child? Because being a human in this world isn’t exactly easy and being a female is even harder.

His grip loosens slightly. “This world is not an easy one, that is true, and I am sure you have witnessed many horrors. But you are part of this clan now and are one of the first humans in this stronghold and as such need to be protected. That is my job, Janice and that is what I intend to do. I am the leader, and what I say goes.”

“Protected? From what?”

“That’s just the thing—we don’t know what. Or more precisely, who. Once I am more knowledgeable about what is happening here then we can look at your protection needs again. But for now, the guards stay.”

I am momentarily taken aback by the strength of his convictions and his obvious determination to protect me. Here I am, an assassin on a mission to kill him and yet he is now vowing to protect me.

An unfamiliar rush of feelings flows through me. I have always done my job to the best of my ability. It is what I live for, but something is changing here. I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and I am at a loss as to what to do. This is something that my training has not prepared me for.

“If you don’t know who has committed these crimes then there is no reason to think that I will be next or deserve any special treatment. Why would whoever it is come for me?” It sounds ridiculous to me. But then I know who and what I really am, and he has no idea of what I am capable of.

“Things are changing, Janice. There are clans that now want to coexist with humans, to live alongside them as equals. But not all orcs are in agreement on this and they will always despise humans.”

“And you?” I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. Humans and orcs living together.

“I am one of those chieftains that is willing to work towards coexistence, though I am not as convinced as others.”

“Why?” I ask, and I have to admit I feel the sting behind those words. Is it because I want him to be one of them?

I can certainly understand this would not be an easy transition. There is so much water under the bridge when it comes to the history of orcs and humans. Building relations between two species intent on destroying each other will be no easy feat.

He doesn’t answer straight away, and I feel the many unspoken things that are floating around us. “I am a little less trusting,” he eventually says.

“But you are willing to consider such things?”

“I am. Now.”

He looks deep into my eyes and my stomach flips. What does he mean by that? I thought the only reason I was here was because of the dying magic and the need for my services. Never would I have believed there were orcs out there that planned on living peacefully with and amongst humans.

The thought then dawns on me that this would make him an ally and not an enemy. I have come here to kill my enemies not those that wish to broker peace and forge a new world. But is he telling me the truth, and can I trust him?

“There are clans out there right now that are building new communities.” He looks deep into my eyes before continuing. “Some that are even mating with humans and breeding families. I know such things sound… strange. But it’s true none the less.”

I can only imagine what the look on my face is saying, as I am incredulous. Mating! That is not just pleasure-seeking or breeding but something much more serious. If that is the case, then it really would be a new world.

The grip on my hand loosens until it is free, and I am almost sorry to lose the skin-to-skin contact. His eyes narrow, and I'm not sure if the feeling makes it into my unfiltered expression as his arms come up to cage me, my back pressing against the wall as this huge orc looms over me.

Heat from his large form emanates from him and I wonder what it would be like to be encased by those strong arms, not caged and fighting them. To feel that thick hard body up against mine and those lips once again on my mouth.

Since I was last in his arms I have not been able to stop thinking about him, frustrated even by the way that we were interrupted. Remembering his hand against my throbbing sex and how I longed for it to glide across me.

I’ve never felt so conflicted in all of my life. Wanting an orc, and not just any orc, one that it is my mission to kill. How could things come to this? I was supposed to simply infiltrate this clan, carry out the mission and then leave.

Now I am hearing talk of orc and human alliances. Of co-existence and orcs and humans having families together. And the orc that I am supposed to kill is so alluring to me, my body wants him desperately.

He is so close I can almost feel the erection that now grows and my heart thuds in my chest. Murdock is huge and bulging and I am desperate to know what that would feel like though I can’t reconcile this in my head. It is as though my mind and my body are at war with each other. A war that my body is intent on winning at this stage.

I try to stifle the growing need to be close to him and the thoughts that betray my species and my role. I can’t want this man. Because he is not a man; he is an orc.

An orc that I must kill. An orc that is now telling me how he is working with others to make this shit-heap of a world a bit better for all of us. This can’t be happening. It surely isn’t real.

He presses his face close to mine, his tusks almost touching my skin and his hot breath mists my face. I can hear his arousal in the way that he breathes, and I have no idea if he can tell the same of me. Because I know that between my legs there is a warmth that is growing and growing, just waiting to be touched by him.

“What are you thinking?” he asks me.

If only he knew.

16

MURDOK

My words hang in the air between us as I lean closer towards her. Her pale blue eyes are swimming with emotion as they widen, framed by her thick, dark lashes.

Handling personal feelings is not my strong suit and as I search her eyes, I can’t decipher what it is that’s going on in her head. Even though I have been known to be insensitive and brutish, I can usually read people well enough to understand their body language.

With Janice, though, she is a complete mystery. I have barely been able to break through a sliver of the walls she seems to have had up around her since we met. She’s come across as cold and aloof the whole time, but every now and then, that barricade slips a little and reveals something underneath.

Like right now. The distance she tries to keep between us is rapidly closing, both emotionally and physically, and I can see that while she tries to act like she doesn’t care, there is something very real bubbling up in her.

It’s unlike the person I thought I had come to know. Part of what entices me about her is how tough she is to crack, and I hadn’t anticipated how maddening and thrilling it would be when I finally started to wedge open that shell of hers.

I want her answer to come bursting out, but her lips are still pressed in a thin line, an indication that she has no intention of responding to my question. It’s driving me insane trying to get inside of her head, and I rely on every clue, every stiff muscle and curve of her body, her scent and her breathing, just to make sense of what is going on here.

Is she shocked? I’d think so from her wide eyes, but her breathing is steady, and her hands are pressed firmly at her sides.

Maybe she’s confused? Her eyes are searching me like I have secrets she wants to know, ones that I withhold, but her features don’t give away a question for me to answer.

I lean closer, trying to see how she will react to me, and as her breath hitches and her eyes dart down to my mouth so fast I think I may have imagined it, I feel like I’m being hit by a Hoqin. I may be making the whole thing up; I may be reading this wrong––and to be honest, that’s more likely than what I think is going on.

Before I can get my mind to catch up with my body, though, my lip curls up with a dominating growl, and I lean forward, taking away that last bit of space between us.

Our lips crash together in a symphony of chaos, and at the moment that her body relaxes into mine and my hands go to her waist, alarms start going off in my head.

Not because I’m taking what I want, what is so clearly mine, but because of how good she feels and tastes. It’s intoxicating, addicting, and soon, I find myself pulling her closer to me, desperate to get more of her.

I’ve never felt so insatiable, and as much as I love exploring her taste and her body, something comes barreling through this kiss, smacking into me like a physical blow. Every woman I have ever been with has been for purely physical reasons, but with Janice, I have been entranced without knowing why. Until now.

I like her.

The words echo in my head, and I almost break the kiss in shock. I force the thought away, telling myself that this is only physical. She is just an itch I need to scratch, and once I bed her, I can move on with a clear head.

Somehow, I know that’s a lie.

Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling my focus back to her destructive lips, and I swear I am seconds away from taking her right here. My body is rioting against my clothes, and my muscles are clenched tight with the need for her.

Janice parts her lips, and my tongue swipes in, eager for more of her. My hands span her small waist, and I bend her until her body is flush with mine from her chest to her ankles.

She is pulling me harder against her, and while it should be everything I want, my mind is overwhelmed with the number of thoughts crowding in. Too many of which are not about her incredible taste or the feeling of her phenomenal frame in my hands.

I break away as her teeth scrape against my lip, my mind going numb. I need to clear my head before this girl utterly destroys me.

She blinks at me, her eyebrows pinching together in confusion. I don’t blame her. I have been looking for reasons to do just this since I laid eyes on her, but I am the one that pulled away.

I know I have to get out of here before things go too far because my brain has been feeding me nonsense, things that just can’t be true. I need a few hours to clear my head and sort out my business because if I take Janice right here, I don’t know what it’s going to do to me.

Grinning, I brush back a stray strand of hair, and huskily, I whisper, “I’ll see you tonight, Janice. Wait for me… We’ll finish what we started the other day.”

Her eyes widen, and as heat flushes up her body, I pry my hands off. I have to get out of here while I have a little bit of self-restraint.

I stroll back to my office, and as I pass through the camp, heads turn in my direction. Instead of being met with looks of respect, though, there’s concern and confusion.

Pausing, I evaluate myself and realize that my shoulders are pushed back with my chest poked out and my back too straight. Even more so, a massive smile is stretched across my face, and I’m almost positive that I must look like I have officially lost my mind.

When have I ever walked around smiling at nothing? Shaking my head, I erase the grin from my face and try to put my emotions in check. I don’t know what Janice is doing to me, but my heart races and my cheeks start to pull up into a soft smile every time I think of her.

I shove into my office, gritting my teeth. I have to get ahold of myself. I’ve never felt like this for anyone, and I have to assume it is because I have never been with someone so beautiful. It is a new level of conquest, and my body is reacting to hers violently.

It can’t be more than that and it never will be. After tonight, I will be back to my old self, and that’s exactly what I need.

As I take my place behind my desk, my mind is still buzzing with a thousand thoughts. My affirmations have done nothing to take away the questions that are still distracting me, and after staring blankly at my desk for who knows how long without accomplishing anything, I stand up.

I’m restless, and the only thing that I can think about is Janice. I need to focus on my duties as chieftain, but my mind cannot be controlled any more than my body can when I’m with her.

With all my self-restraint focused on not leaving this office, I don’t even consider the thought brewing in my head until I’ve already pushed out of the door and down the hall to where my subordinates are working.

Their heads pop up as I enter the room, a flicker of confusion rippling among the orcs around me. I usually shout for someone when I need them, and never have I felt nervous standing before my people.

As I lean against a vacant desk, though, I have to calm my stuttering heart. I am two seconds from turning around and walking away when words I have no business asking fall right out of my mouth.

“What do you think I should do when I’m courting someone?”

17

JANICE

After Murdock left me, I returned to my room. I know I should have gone to the clinic to keep up appearances, but my head was such a mess that I would have just made any injury worse.

I don’t understand what this orc is doing to me, but my body hasn’t cooled since our kiss. I can’t stop thinking about the intensity of his stare or how his eyes seemed to light me on fire from the inside out. My muscles are tense with the anticipation of what it will be like for him to look at me like that again.

I pace back and forth in my room, uncertain of how to kill the time. It’s already been a few hours, and after an unsuccessful nap, which was just me tossing and turning violently on the mattress until I had worked up a sweat, I freshened up.

There’s nothing left to do except wait for Murdock to arrive. My eyes dart toward my abandoned dinner that had been delivered, and I know that I should eat. I’ll probably need my energy to keep up with a beast like him, but I can’t convince myself to.

I pick at the food on the plate, my stomach churning already as I considered what it will be like to go to bed with an orc chieftain. It chases away the thought of even conjuring up an appetite.

It’s not that I don’t want to be with Murdock. He ignites something in me that’s primal and undeniable. He makes my whole body throb and burn until I think I am going to combust, and he hasn’t even touched me, yet.

I’m eager to see what those experienced hands do, but at the same time, I’m tense. I am here to kill him, yet, I’m taking him to bed. It’s not the first time I’ve done it, but it will be the first time I let someone leave the bedchambers alive.

My hands tug through my hair as I try to sort out the emotions threatening to drag me under. I still haven’t made sense of our earlier conversation, turning over all the things he said.

A world where orcs and humans can coexist? I never thought I’d hear of it, especially from an orc. It’s hard to continue moving forward with my mission when I know that I might be taking out someone who could improve the lives of my people.

Not to mention what he could do for me… I’m not usually one to let my arousal cloud my judgment, but I’ve never felt like this with anyone. In fact, I’m so wound up that if he doesn’t show up here soon, I might have to go hunt him down.

Thankfully, there’s a sharp knock on the door that hits me right in the gut. My whole body clenches, and I almost feel like time slows down as I lift my eyes towards the noise.

I know who is waiting on the other side without asking. I can feel his powerful presence through the flimsy wall, his authority coming off in waves that strike me right in my middle.

“Come in,” I call out, cringing at how my voice quivers.

I am normally so strong and self-sufficient, never letting anyone or anything get to me. It’s how I was able to achieve such a high-ranking position in my bunker.

As the door swings open to reveal the massive chieftain, though, I am reduced to a puddle at his feet. My heart starts to hammer in my chest, and I am frozen in the path that I had been pacing into the floor.

He stands in the frame, taking up the entire thing, and his eyes rake down my figure. I bite back a shiver as he does so, and I swear I can feel his gaze on my body as if it were his hands.

I gulp as my center starts to throb, and I want to close the distance between us, to end this agony that hurts so good. I can’t seem to move underneath the weight of his stare, leaving me to be at his mercy.

Murdock closes the door slowly behind him, never taking his eyes off of me, and I feel like I can hardly breathe. My eyes keep flicking down to his mouth and his twitching fingers, wondering what they are going to do to me.

I’ve heard rumors about Murdock before, how he is experienced and many women have enjoyed warming his bed. He’s giving in that aspect, and I can’t lie about how eager I am for him to ravage me.

He takes one thundering step towards me, then another. The whole time, I remain still. I want him to claim, to take me, to fully be in charge of the ecstasy I know is awaiting me the second he decides I am worthy of it.

As a powerful person, there is something so liberating and intoxicating about giving control over to someone else. He was more right than I even knew when he accused me of enjoying being dominated. It makes me tremble with excitement as he comes closer, cupping my face.

He tilts my chin up to look at him, lowering slowly until his lips just barely brush mine. Groaning, he squeezes his eyes shut and exhales against my mouth. “You taste so delicious,” he growls. “I can’t wait to completely devour you.”

The words melt the ice that had been in my limbs, and I snap up against him, my arms locking around his neck. I pull his mouth to mine like he’s oxygen and I need to breathe, my tongue flicking out to meet his.

I went from frozen to hungry in a matter of seconds, but Murdock has no trouble keeping up. His arms wrap around my waist, pressing me firmly against him, and I’m worried the anticipation alone has made me wet enough to soak through my pants.

His tusks brush against my skin roughly, and I love it, pressing my mouth to his more firmly. His teeth nip at my lower lip, building a moan deep in my throat, and my hands glide down his back.

I expected him to be faster with me, to get to what he has wanted since we met, but his hands are taking inventory of my body as his mouth explores mine, leaving me the one who is trying to shed clothing.

Finding the hem of his shirt, I tug at it. It’s almost skintight against his muscular body, and I need his help to pull it off. He eases out of the kiss, obliging my silent plea to jerk the fabric over his head.

My eyes widen at the rippling muscles there, gorgeous pecks and tight abs with a powerful V that disappears into his low waistband. It’s enough to make my knees weak.

His eyes watch me hungrily as I evaluate his body, and I can see the cocky look in them. He isn’t self-conscious, nor should he have to be. He could make any girl melt just by looking at him.

“Your turn,” he demands, and with shaky hands, my fingers glide down my firm stomach to find the edge of my shirt.

I don’t know when I became such a trembling mess, but for Murdock, especially in this moment, I’ll be anything he wants me to be.

I fist the fabric, pulling it up slowly so that my skin is revealed inch by inch, and a shiver works up my spine at the deep growl that escapes him as I do so. I know that I am beautiful, but I have always used it as a weapon. It’s thrilling for it to be appreciated and not exploited for once.

Our eyes take in the other until the air is so charged, I’m worried it will spark. When the tension builds to an unbearable level, we slam into each other violently, Murdock lifting me up in his arms and my legs wrapping around his waist.

I dig my knees in, his body too thick for me to lock my ankles, and as I slip down slightly, I brush against his massive erection. Shock jolts through me at the size of it, and one thought passes through my mind.

What have I gotten myself into?

18

MURDOK

It’s not lost on me the way that Janice jerks away from my cock when it presses against her. A shiver ripples down her spine, and although she doesn’t break the kiss, her lips still bent on breaking me in half, her body has gotten tense.

I knead my fingers into her firm ass as I move towards the bed. I don’t want her to be nervous, especially with my size. I am adept at pleasing human women, and while I want to ease her fears, I find that my actions will speak louder.

I lay her back gently onto the mattress, only breaking the kiss when her back hits the blankets. I move my lips across her jaw, brushing my tusks against her and chuckling as she writhes against me.

Janice is starting to relax, even as her hips grind against my erection, and I know her need is overcoming her concerns. Using one hand to hold myself above her, I grip her hips with the other.

Pinning her body to the bed, I nip at her ear, and my cock strains against my pants as a whimper works its way up her throat. I keep my hold on her tight but gentle, careful not to bruise her delicate skin as my arousal builds.

That’s the only thing that is difficult about being with human women. I always have to keep a hold on my strength to keep from hurting them, but even if I wasn’t so practiced at that, I know that I could never hurt Janice. I’m not capable of it.

I move down her throat with hot, open-mouthed kisses that seem to drive her mad as she struggles under my hand. While my body is begging me to hurry, to sink into her and ease the tension in my balls, I want to take my time with her.

I’ve never met anyone like Janice, and she deserves to be worshipped, every inch of her. That’s exactly what I am going to do.

Shifting up, I drag my knees onto the bed, straddling her and pinning her hips between my thighs so I can use both of my hands as I sit back and take her in. She’s a marvel, and with slow movements, I slide my calloused hands beneath her bra straps to remove the only clothing blocking her upper body from view.

She trembles as I unlatch the fabric, pulling it from her to reveal her soft mounds. I grind my teeth to keep my head clear and stay in control of my body. She’s unbelievably beautiful, and it’s getting to me in a way no one else has.

I thumb her nipples gently, rubbing them between my fingers and grinning as she throws her head back. Shifting my hips back, I slide down her body without stopping, pressing kissing between her breasts and down her stomach as her breathing stutters.

Her hips are bucking up to meet my face by the time I arrive at her center. I let go of her erect buds, and she lifts her head to look at me with a narrowed gaze.

I wipe the look off her face by sliding my fingers beneath her waistband and tugging her pants and underwear down to her knees at once. I lick my lips as I stare between her legs, and my cock starts to throb as I see how wet she already is.

Slinking off the bed, I take her pants to the ground with me and position her legs on my shoulders. I tug her closer until there are inches between my mouth and her body, and her legs are quivering as my breath brushes against her skin.

Running my nose up and down the insides of her thighs, I inhale her scent. It’s glorious, and I find it hard to resist diving between her legs. I need to build her anticipation, though, as it will make it easier to stretch her out.

“Murdock,” she whines, her piercing blue eyes focused on me. “Please.”

Who am I to deny such an angel?

I bring my tongue to her base, licking up her center, and she falls back with a gasp. Her taste is sweet and floral, and I find it addicting. I keep dipping back in for more, sucking her clit into my mouth as I bring my arm around her leg.

I ease in two fingers like before and am surprised at how easily I am able to enter. She’s not as tight as others I have been with, but I’ve also never made someone this crazy with desire.

Teasing another finger in, her knees pinch my head, and I suck harder so that her focus is redirected. It works as she shrieks, and I pump my fingers in and out.

Her walls are very accommodating, and my body is burning to find out just how much. I just need to get her a little further before I try.

I spread my fingers, edging her open further, and curl them against her walls. I stroke her as my tongue lashes her pearl, and her hands fly to her hair. Her hips lift up, and I let her ride my face, her body already starting to pulse around me.

“Murdock–– Fuck!” She screams as I increase the speed of my fingers.

Her body does the work on my mouth as I coax her close to a climax that was already half-built before I arrived. It doesn’t take long to get her over the edge, her screams like music to my ears.

I ease off of her, rising at the edge of the bed to undo my pants as she tries to catch her breath. With her still in her throes of passion, I stroke myself, rubbing her wetness along my length.

She lifts her head as she comes back down, and I give her a questioning look. “Do you want more?”

Janice gulps. “Please.”

I pull her to the edge of the bed, placing my tip against her clit and swirling her juices there. With her body engorged with pleasure, I rub my cock between her folds, lubricating it, and bring my thumb back to her clit.

Applying pressure there, her legs fall open and her arousal pours out. I shift my hips back, lining up with her, and I am able to ease in.

Her body takes the first quarter no problem, but as I start to hit resistance, I ease back, gliding back and forth to give her a chance to stretch without pain. Janice is panting as she brings her eyes to me, but she forces out, “Go deeper.”

“I worry about hurting you,” I confess as I slip back at.

“Don’t.” She gives me a vicious smile. “I’m tougher than I look.”

The words hit me in the balls, and I press forward. I slow when I’m over halfway, but she shakes her head at me. “Deeper,” she gasps.

I’m uncertain as most women can’t handle me, but I grab her hips and slide all the way in, stopping once she has taken me fully. Her chest is heaving, and the sight mixed with the way her body squeezes me makes me feel like I might finish before we’ve even started.

“I told you,” she murmurs with a smirk. “Don’t be afraid to break me.”

I lean forward, planting my forearms on either side of her head as I shift my hips back. I pull out until just my head is still inside of her and dip my mouth down next to her ear to whisper, “I want you to remember this night as your best. Don’t be so prideful.”

Her arms snake up my back, and her nails bite into my skin as she retorts, “It’s not pride. I like it rough.”

I know that I still can’t unleash my full power on her, but her words unleash a portion of what I was holding back as I thrust powerfully into her. She tenses, gasping, and I look at her. “Are you sure?”

Her legs lock around my hips. “Give me everything you have. I want to feel you for days after this.”

I oblige, giving her what she asks for. While my main focus is to pleasure her, she fits me like a glove, and I find that this is my best night as she meets me with passion and ferocity. Janice leaves me wrecked, mind, body, and soul, and I’m glad that I am finally able to do the same to her.

19

JANICE

I stretch languidly in bed, both pleasantly sore and relaxed at the same time. My thighs in particular burn warm whenever I moveI hum deep in my chest.

Murdock has shown me such pleasure, I don’t know how I’ll survive so long without it.

I can’t remember a time when waking had been pleasant and not an urgent chore. I keep my eyes shut and reach for Murdock, but the bed is empty.

I sit up. My heart thuds nervously in my chest.

Has he decided last night was a mistake?

A note sits on the bedside table, and I work up the courage to read it. I shut my eyes and take a long moment to steel myself. It’s probably for the best if he decides against seeing me. It’s not like we would ever be compatible.

But this isn’t an apology letter or a cold dismissal. His handwriting is clumsy. The letters are more intricate than an orcish hand can easily write.

The simple note made me smile. I read it aloud to myself, voice quiet.

“Gone hunting. Go eat. Breakfast is ready…”

My smile widens until my cheeks hurt. I never thought I’d be smiling like a fool over anyone, much less an orc, but last night had been the best of my life. Flashes of his lips against mine… skin against bare skin…warmed me straight to my core.

I never before dreamed I could feel so close to anyone, much less an orc.

Much less an orc I am meant to…

I push aside all thoughts of the true reason I am here.

This is no time to think about my mission.

“Fun night?” A woman’s husky voice teases.

Spurred by instinct, I roll off the bed and into a fighting stance, holding the bed sheet against my naked body with one hand in an attempt at modesty, even though the woman in question has probably seen me change into workout clothes countless times during training.

Melissa.

The crazed assassin grins crookedly, twirling a knife in her hand. Her long, black curls are tied back in a severe ponytail, and she moves slowly towards me, like a cat tracking a songbird. I had never cared for her, and Melissa knows it.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh.” Melissa taps the knife gently against her mouth. “Right. Just a little check-in. You know. Professional courtesy and all that. You’ve been taking so long and we were wondering why.” Her grin returns, more an angry slash than good humor. “I see why, now.”

“You don’t see how you being here might mess up my job?” I growl. “If Murdock or his people catch you here, then my cover is blown!”

“Oh, yes, I see how hard you are at work, smiling to yourself like a schoolgirl with a crush.” She shoots my sheet-covered body a knowing look and rolls her eyes. “Do you really think you can go through with it?”

I tighten my hold on the sheet, wrapping it more securely around her body. I know that no part of me thought about killing Murdock when I woke up today.

Melissa had been teasing me…up until that point. I watch reality hit her, when she sees my answer written across my face as plainly as orcish scrawl.

I can’t kill him.

And she won’t.

“You whore.” Melissa’s grin drops from her face. Hatred gleams from her eyes. “You would give up all of us, everything we’ve worked for, over some orc dick?”

I don’t flinch. There is no honor among assassins, and hesitation with a fighter like Melissa means instant death. I aim a blow directly at Melissa’s throat. The taller woman dodges a collapsed windpipe with less than a millisecond to spare.

“Come on, you crazy bitch.”

Melissa is a skilled assassin, but some humans enjoy their profession far too much.

If she hadn’t been an assassin, I wonder who Melissa would have killed, instead.

It would have had to be someone, because Melissa is more praying mantis than human. I donn’t think she can live without some form of bloodshed.

“I’m crazy?” Melissa sneers at me. “You’re sleeping with the enemy, dollface. Do I need to bring you back to a human settlement under orc control so you can fully comprehend how fucked that is?”

“They’re not all like that.” Murdock believes in equality and coexistence, but I don’t think Melissa wants to hear any of it. Her family had been born slaves, and she still has the scars from an orcish brand on her upper left arm. I try anyway. “Murdock wants peace between us.”

“Murdock wants what’s between your legs, and he’ll say whatever he thinks will have you spreading them.”

I can’t say she’s wrong, not when I’ve wondered the same thing, myself. But for some reason, Melissa’s assumption that Murdock must be uncivilized or hateful simply because he’d been born an orc makes my blood boil.

Melissa doesn’t know him. She doesn’t know any of the orcs, outside of the ones who had run her childhood settlement. How can she know if they were all awful?

How can I?

I attack again. Melissa counters. We’ve sparred many times together in the past. We know each other's moves as well as our own. Only this time, I don’t pull my punch as it slams into Melissa’s jaw.

Our fight turns brutal. Melissa moves with a feline grace I have never been able to match. She slices at me with relentless efficiency. In training, Melissa has always won.

This isn’t training.

This won’t end with a handshake and good-natured ribbing in the locker room afterwards. I may not be as graceful and precise as Melissa, but I’m tough, determined, and not above fighting dirty.

Melissa catches me with a fist to my gut, and the knife follows so fast all I can see is a blur of silver. My lungs cry out from lack of air; Melissa knocks the wind right out of me, and all I can do is suck air like a landed fish.

I sway on my feet. Melissa’s grin curves in satisfaction.

She thinks she’s won.

The tip of the knife pierces the bed sheet, and I twist the corner of the sheet around Melissa’s right hand and kick her in the ribs. I hear a rib snap with a satisfying crunch, and Melissa sucks in a painful breath.

Her hand goes limp around the blade, but I don’t loosen my hold on the sheet. We grapple, bruising each other with our hands. Melissa digs her nails into my skin, and I return the favor.

We were on the same side. This is surreal.

I was supposed to be killing an orc chieftain, and now I am shacking up with him and attempting to murder my own team. The only thing more inconceivable is trying to kill Murdock.

I squirm enough to gain a few inches of distance from Melissa and loop a corner of the sheet around her wrist. I will have to time my next move perfectly, because if I let go of Melissa’s hand too soon, I’m dead. Melissa will have enough time to pierce my organs with the blade I hold trapped in the sheet.

Finally, I flip Melissa fully on her back and use my entire weight to push her down. I loop the sheet around her neck fast and twist. Instinctively, Melissa’s hands both rise to her own neck, and the knife clatters to the floor.

I push aside the twinge of guilt twisting my stomach. Melissa’s eyes grow red from broken capillaries. It’s not like Melissa would have shown me any mercy, if the positions had been reversed. The other woman clutches at her own neck,her kicks growing more feeble by the second.

Determined, I twist the bed sheet tighter around her neck. This is a fight to the death, and I will not lose.

20

JANICE

The sheet is burning the skin on the inside of my palm, but I don’t let up as I think about a world without Murdock in it. It makes my gut twinge with guilt from my past missions. How many people did I kill without considering I was wrong? How many times had I been Melissa?

Staring down at her, my heart softens a little, and I know her strength is zapped. She’s close to passing out if her fluttering eyelids are any indication, and I can’t help the sadness in my core.

I never wanted things to go this far, and I regret not being honest with Murdock before. I could have stopped these murders by telling him, by contacting my people, but instead, I have only washed my hands in blood once again.

As I remember that she came here to kill Murdock, anger flares in my veins. I have killed many beings before. What’s one more?

Just as Melissa’s lips start to tinge blue, she throws her legs in the air and slams down into her heels. With the momentum, she bridges more violently than I thought she would have had the strength for, and without my weight properly shifted back, I am toppled onto the ground.

Cursing beneath my breath, I chastise myself for letting her play me. She had feigned being on the edge of consciousness to save up some of her strength. She probably felt the moment my grip had eased, and she took advantage of my mistake.

I roll away, slamming into the far wall as she flips over, undoing the bedsheet from around her throat. Even as she coughs, Melissa throws a wicked grin at me, and I force myself up onto my feet, my eyes surveying her as she tries to climb to her feet.

She stumbles, her knees buckling, and that gives me enough information to go off of. She is very weak and used most of her energy to get me off of her just then. She doesn’t have much more to stand, let alone fight me off again.

I dart forward as she tries to catch her breath, leaving the bedsheet and knife out of both of our grasps. We slam into the ground together, my body on top, and my hands fly to her throat immediately, cutting off her supply again.

This time I stay low, keeping my body pressed hard against hers so I can't be so easily thrown off. I clench my jaw as her nails rake along my hands, careful not to ease up on the pressure.

Her hands reach up to close around my own neck, but I know that I have more breath in my lungs than she does. I will outlast her in this, and just as my lungs start to burn, her arms collapse to the ground.

I don’t give her the satisfaction of gasping for air. I pull in controlled breaths through my nose as I tighten my grip, which she had almost managed to force me to ease up on.

“No matter what you think,” I hiss in her ear as her body limply twists beneath me, “you are not better than me. I might be sleeping with an orc, but you are killing humans. What is that supposed to achieve?” My voice is increasing in volume, but I can’t help it as my anger grows.

I don’t know what she is doing here, but I’ve had enough of her crazy bullshit. She should have never showed up here, and I’m going to make that clear.

I pull back to look at her as bubbles form on her lips, her breaths weak gasps. “We are supposed to be killing orcs. Orcs. Not humans, but you can’t control yourself, can you?”

The softest laughter escapes her, using up the few breaths still in her lungs, and it’s so maniacal that adrenaline shoots through me. My body is reacting to her as a danger even with her body going limp and her face bright red from lack of oxygen.

“Naïve,” she coughs, and I almost want to let up just to hear what she has to say.

I’m considering it, and as I weigh my options, to kill her or get my answers, it seems I let up just enough that she sucks in a gasp. I squeeze tightly as soon as I realize, but it’s too late.

Stupidly, I didn’t restrict her arms, and one slams up against me with a burst of new strength, her palm landing solidly against my jaw and throwing my head back with a crack. I lose my grip as my teeth slam together hard enough to make my whole head vibrate.

Melissa launches upward, her fingers gripping my hair as she slides out from underneath me, and I don’t have enough time to react from her first blow as my head is yanked down. My skull connects with the rough floor, and the noise is enough to make my stomach roil with nausea.

The pain that erupts afterward makes me wonder how I am even still awake, and as I try to lift my head up from the ground, Melissa’s heel slams into my cheek.

Stars dance across my vision, but I refuse to give up as I realize I’ve landed next to the bed. My outstretched arm is centimeters from the poison, and I swipe it as Melissa crouches next to my head.

I use my thumb to pop the cap off behind her back as she shakes her head at me, clucking her tongue. She has always been too cocky for her own good, and it is catching up with her now.

Fisting her hand in my hair, she pulls my head up off the ground and sneers in my face. “You were never a good fighter were you, Jan? Always a little too hesitant for my taste. When I go in for the kill, I commit.”

“Like this?” I retort as I fling the open bottle of poison in her face.

Melissa screams as the liquid lands on her face, and her hands fly up to clutch at her burning skin. I roll away to avoid getting any on me and rise up into a crouch as I watch the poison work.

I knew it is deadly, but I didn’t realize what I had been given until now. Little holes are forming on her skin, layers melting away like I am holding a flame to her face.

It’s disgusting to watch, but I can’t tear my eyes away as the poison fights against everything it encounters. I was told it could only kill with ingestion, and as it drips into her mouth, Melissa’s eyes glaze over.

Just to be sure that she can’t rise or find anything to help her, I land a solid kick against her side. She collapses, her whole body trembling, and I am not sure what I am going to do with her.

I double-check that there is nothing within her reach that she could use as a weapon before going to unwind the knife from the sheet. I palm it as I find it, my eyes darting back to Melissa, who is still practically vibrating.

The sheet is still in my hands when the door flies open, and I pull it up to cover my body. I almost drop it when I see that it’s Murdock on the other side, relieved that he’s back.

I quickly realize that I shouldn’t be as his eyes dart from the body on the floor back to me. I’ve never seen the fire in his eyes dance so violently as he looks at me, and I take half a step forward before the expression on his face stops me in my tracks.

His features are dancing between fury and heartbreak, settling closer to intense rage as his jaw works and he looks me over. My heart drops to my stomach, and I know without saying anything what he’s thinking.

I don’t know how he found out, but I do know one thing: Melissa blew my cover.

21

MURDOK

There are no words for this.

At first, I don’t understand why there’s a woman clad in dark clothes seizing on the floor of Janice’s room, her face melted away to reveal sizzling meat and pale bone, though I’m certain the intruder is no longer with us. It takes me a long minute to fully comprehend the situation, even as Janice utters some rambling excuse.

I can’t hear her past the ringing in my ears.

This morning had started with such promise. Before dawn, I woke to hunt. It was a strange compulsion, when I have so much else to attend to as chieftain. But I wanted to bring her something special. I wanted to provide.

She was all I could think about.

And even when I had been victorious, I could not shake her naked body from my mind, hauling my kill back to camp over my shoulders. There was still the mystery of the murders to think about, but even that didn’t distract me for long.

Our pairing last night was supposed to quell my wild appetite. It was supposed to put out the fire in my limbs and free me from the grip of infatuation. But it seemed to only heighten my desire to see her, to possess her.

I wanted more, until I stumbled upon this mess.

“Murdock, please, listen to me…”

Her voice is impossible to listen to as I piece together all the things she never said to me. It was there, in every one of our little interactions from the moment we first met. That gleam of intent in her eyes was not desire, but something far more sinister.

Pain lances through my chest.

I suck air through my teeth, recalling how I couldn’t get her off my mind, even when I tried to stay busy with work this morning. I couldn’t focus, just like I can’t focus now. I had wondered if she were awake, if she had eaten, if she was regretting our pairing yet.

The way she stands now, I assume the coupling didn’t faze her at all.

How many times has she done this? Bedded a man, or an orc, then driven a dagger into his heart? How many times has she pretended to love? By what I heard through the heavy wooden door, it must have been a routine transaction.

We are supposed to be killing orcs, Janice had said, and hearing her voice utter those words had made my muscles freeze. I hadn't managed to move as I listened to the whispered insults until the cries of the dead woman filled the air.

Who’s we? I have to wonder. And what was Janice doing with poison?

A miserable grin overcomes me. I should have known.

I have been with human women that tolerated me for concessions. For my favor. I know when a woman feigns interest. Or… I thought I did.

With Janice, though, I’m not sure of anything, anymore.

She was just so- convincing. Mewling for more when I had tired, our romp lasting through the night, so I don’t know how I divorced myself from her side. Maybe I should have remained to witness this exciting discussion first hand.

Janice’s eyes are bright with tears. “Murdock. Talk to me.”

I take a step back to avoid her as she reaches for me. I can’t stand the thought of her touching me sweetly. Not after everything that happened. Every single thing she told me has turned out to be a lie. Even the desire I feel is something she contrived to make me compliant in my own death.

That poison, I force myself to admit, was meant for me.

I recall her sultry gaze when she put the wine glass to my lips and urged me to drink. Even that night, she was scheming for my end. I suck in an unsteady breath, the facts coming slowly, pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly into place.

And still, she vies for my forgiveness.

Is it her life that she wishes to preserve? Why would she plead with me to understand so passionately? I could crush her slender neck with ease, and imagine the grinding crunch of her bones in my fist as the light in her eyes fade. I could leave her to my clansmen to break her defiant spirit, until she is no more than a senseless creature, then send her back to her people.

But the terrible images make me shake my head.

I could leave her in the prison to rot.

My gaze locks with hers, and she pauses in pursuit of me, her eyes wider than ever, her breath almost nonexistent. She’s afraid, like she was when I first pinned her under my scrutiny. It looks the same as it did before. I can’t find the seam between authenticity and her stellar performance. She is a liar, but the truth of her deception is far more grim.

She is a killer of orcs.

And with that knowledge, my heart shatters.

The agony is unbearable, like she’s planted that knife she holds straight through my chest, so that I can’t take a breath. All this, while I’m frozen in the doorway.

It clatters to the ground as she puts her hands up and continues to plead. “I’m sorry! I should have told you the truth when I realized-”

Her words don’t make sense. Or, I don’t care to make sense of them. She is so very good at lying. Her tongue is quick to make up more enticing little perjuries. What does she trying to achieve? I have found her out, and all she can hope for is mercy.

Mercy I don’t feel inclined to offer.

The tears chase down her cheeks. Last night, I might have swiped them away, but the dawn has brought her ugly truth to light. Even the tears belie her true feelings.

I am rigid with potential, and reach for her with dark intent.

She’s faster by a hair, stumbling backward and nearly tripping over the dead woman. “Murdock… you don’t understand. Let me explain!”

I grimace as I pursue her to her bed that still smells of us.

“Please,” she whispers, shielding herself wanly as if she knows she can’t get the better of me any longer. She’s so pathetic, trembling naked on the covers. I was bedazzled by her beauty, and was almost destroyed by it. Never again will I let that happen.

My grip tightens around her delicate wrist, and she lets out a cry of pain.

I stop my ears to the sound and drag her out, naked for all to see. Let them witness what happens to traitors and liars in my clan. Her struggle is nothing against me, though I know she’s straining with all her might.

Let them see her for what she is.

I laugh hatefully under my breath, though I’m sure to others I live up to my deplorable reputation. Janice was the source of my problems all along, right under my nose. She allowed her people to trace her back to my camp, and instead of worrying about my own people, I wasted my clan’s manpower on her safety. No wonder she was frustrated by the guards.

They gave her no opening to execute me.

Despite her protests, I lower my head and drag her out of the building with more force than necessary. I thought we could have a better chance, like Harok had hoped for. Like Aqidah assured us we could. But I am certain, now, that humans are the hateful, scheming creatures we first thought they were. Everything I thought we could achieve, I have to reconsider. Humans had nearly destroyed themselves without our help, before we arrived on this lush planet.

They don’t deserve its treasures.

22

JANICE

“Murdock, please!” But I know there’s no way he is going to listen to me. The look on his face is one of pure hatred—so different to the orc that I saw last night. My stomach heaves and my heart clenches in my chest. No!

Why did she have to come here and do this to me—to us—and now of all times? I have never felt such anger towards a person.

His large strong hand grips my arm and there is no way that I will be able to free myself. The rage in his eyes is enough to kill me on the spot, and yet there is something else…

A hollowness.

A deep cavern of misery that I have caused, and it stings so much I can hardly stand it. I would rather take a hundred arrows, blows or daggers to my body than feel the pain of that look in his eyes.

We are both warriors and know pain, but this is nothing like that. This is bone deep. Soul deep. I have destroyed him with my actions, and he will have no idea that even though I came here for him, I would never want to harm him now.

As he pulls me from the room I manage to grab a blanket. He is showing little care for my state of undress, something that would never have been the case before now. Murdock has made it clear that I am to be his. Was to be his.

I had never thought about what was going to happen to us, I had hardly had the chance. But I knew deep inside that some way or another I wanted to be with him. There is no chance of that now—she has seen to that.

Last night was a night that I never wanted to end. I came here with a job to do and ended up discovering that my life could be something different. That I could be something different and the Murdock was different. Different to many of the men I have encountered and different to how I thought about orcs.

Tears burn my cheeks—hot and angry and heavy with sorrow. I recognize the hollowness in his eyes as it mirrors my own now that I have lost him. Murdock had become important to me and not just as my target.

Facing this loss I know deep in my heart that I love him. But there is no way that we can be together now. It is over between us and maybe for me altogether. Now I have become his target.

Nothing that I say makes a difference. He is done with me and his silence says more than any words he could speak. I will now feel the wrath of the man I love—Murdock the Vengeful.

Whatever happens I will face it. It is nothing more than I deserve. How strange to even think such a thing when my mission in this dark, difficult life was to kill orcs. Coming here has shown me another way and Murdock has changed me.

He carries on dragging me until we are outside and the cold air is nipping at my naked skin. If this were another time I may have felt conscious about my nakedness, but there are stronger things coursing through me, leaving the blanket limp in my hand with littl attempts to cover myself.

Still, he says nothing, his hold on me strong and leaving me no choice but to move alongside him as he surges forward. There is a drive and determination in him that is almost machine-like. As if he is not the man made of flesh and bone that I laid with last night.

I only feel his grip loosen when we are in front of the holding cages that are used for enemies and traitors. I am both. I am everything that he now despises and more.

I have heard of the ways that orcs deal with their traitors and seen the results of their rage against their enemies many times. Though I am a fighter myself there is nothing in me that wishes to fall back upon my skills. The very ones that were supposed to be the ruin of this chieftain.

The look he gives me shatters what is left of my ruined heart, his eyes so dead I can’t stand to look back into them. Shame runs through me, poisoning my blood as my tears continue to fall. The poison was supposed to be for him, and yet I find that I have poisoned us both with my actions.

I should have never given in to my body and to my feelings for him. Though I was supposed to kill him I have done something much worse. And it is killing me too.

There is nothing left for either of us to say. Our actions have communicated everything. Clutching the material around me I walk towards the cells, ready to wait for what is coming to me. Nothing can be worse than this.

“Stop!” he snaps, and I jump from the break from the silence and the harshness of his tone. “Follow me.” His voice is deep and gravelly and oozes with a coldness that I can’t bear. This is someone who is so full of life—so vital. But there is nothing now.

The looks from the clan members are ones of confusion as they watch this spectacle—their chieftain leading their new doctor naked towards the barricade. The ground tears at the soles of my feet but it is nothing compared to what is happening on the inside.

The stronghold has been on alert after the recent killings and they must wonder what is going on now. They must wonder that maybe I am the one to blame for the recent killings or just that I have failed miserably in my duties as medic for this clan.

Either way there is no getting away from the fact that I am on full display for everyone to see. But I don’t care. Nothing matters now apart from getting through to Murdock, yet that it seems is an impossible task.

“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper when we reach the barricade. He stops and stands tall and strong and detached. Before him I am but a broken mess. I clutch at the blanket, my hair now tangled and soaked with tears. My face hot and wet.

“Go. And never come back.” He is so emotionless in the way that he speaks it wrenches at my guts.

“You’re letting me go?” I ask, my own emotions running wild. “Why?” I scream. It’s harder to see him this way than if he were angry. I almost want to see his anger even though I know how formidable it will be. “Punish me! Get angry at me! I lied to you! I betrayed you!”

“You don’t deserve my emotions. Now leave. I never wish to lay eyes upon you again.”

He turns and walks away, his large beautiful body disappearing behind the waterfall of tears that spring from my eyes. I find myself on the other side of the stronghold gates, somewhere that I would have gladly wanted to be before now.

But that was before him. Before I got to know him, felt his body against mine and his lips on my skin. I have come to love him, the first time I have felt this way about any man. And now he is gone.

The thought of never seeing him again is sickening, but the thought of the pain I have caused him is worse. I’ll never forgive myself for what I have done. He will never know the love that I feel for him and how wrong he has been about me and my intentions.

I caused this, and now both of us will suffer.

23

MURDOK

Though it galls me to admit it not an hour has passed over the last fourteen days when she has not entered my mind. In truth she has never left it. Never would I have thought that I could feel this way about anyone let alone a human, and never would I have believed she could have done such a thing to me.

My heart is heavy and still feels as though it will probably not return to what it was before I met her. I cannot allow myself to be caught out in such a way again. I was right to trust no one and should not have let down my guard with her.

Yet I miss her. With every sinew of my body. We had only just started to get to know each other and though she is human I am an orc—I am now bonded to her in some way. Taking a mate was never an option for me but there was something about Janice. Something that was dragged to the surface the moment that I met her though I tried my best to deny it.

The night that we spent together was proof to me that there was a bond. I was drawn to protect her and as much as I fought those urges the desire was too strong. Humans speak of love, but for orcs it is different. We are bonded by the very cells in our body—the elements that we are made of. It is everything to us, and that is why this hurts so very much.

She will never understand what she has done. I was merely a pawn in her game. One that was to end up dead. And she would have been the one to do it.

Yet every day since I forced her to leave the clan increases the need to be with her. Just to look upon her again, smell the scent of her skin and run my hands over her soft, supple flesh. But this can never be. There’s no way on Earth that we can be together now.

In a way I am glad that there is much to distract me from these feelings and ruminations. Events are escalating with yet more killings of both humans and orcs. As yet we do not know why this is happening and with each passing day my fears about coexistence grow.

Perhaps it is not to be for this clan. Though others have made it happen and the likes of Aqidah The Wise espouse this new way of living, it does not seem to be working for us. Since bringing humans into our stronghold things have become complicated and dangerous—especially for me.

As chieftain I must put the clan first and it is my job to protect them. There is only so much tolerance I have for this kind of threat and will have no one—human or orc—saying that I can’t protect my own. When I find out who is behind all of this they will pay dearly, and it will be at my hand.

I am sick of trying to fathom it all out. Are the humans killing their own kind to frame the orcs? And who can kill orcs so easily? Even a group of humans would find it difficult to kill us, let alone capture and torture one of us. Yet, they've done just that.

I feel as though I have done nothing but go back and forth with this issue since the night of the first killings, and though the council demand answers I have none to give them. This makes me feel susceptible and fuels my rage.

I am not weak and I will not succumb to these threats. It may be taking longer than I would wish for, but I will get to the bottom of this if it’s the last thing that I do. I always get what I want in the end.

As I travel across the landscape, my hoqin moving swiftly beneath me I know that I have to make a decision soon about the trajectory that my clan will take. I like Aqidah and respect Harok despite our previous skirmishes, but I am loyal to the clan before anything or anyone else.

With my men I rush to the neighboring clan, one that we are peaceful with. They have summoned us urgently and there is a concern in me that what is happening to us is now starting to spread. If this is the case, then all hopes for coexistence may be waning and my decision will be a quick and easy one.

We have moved swiftly to their borders which are now just ahead, and I am eager to hear the reason for their summons for help. I scan the area as we ride, looking for any signs that something may be amiss, but as yet I have not seen anything that would give me any cause for concern.

We ride across the wide expanse, a field of tall reeds that will take us to the stronghold. That is when I catch the whistle of travelling arrows as they hurtle towards us and everything in me springs to action, my heart racing and my muscles flexing.

“It’s a trap! Down!” I cry, painfully aware of the lack of shelter as the arrows rain down on us. I jump from my mount to the ground, the only place that I instinctively feel I should be amongst the reeds. My men follow my lead as they too drop to the grass.

But the arrows do not stop and there is the constant hiss of air .

We crouch down close to the ground and try to work out where they are coming from. “Spread out!” I command, but they do not listen as I cry out in pain—one of the arrows landing in my shoulder.

I have been shot before, on more than one occasion, but it never felt like this. I am lucky it has only lodged in my shoulder but there is a searing that tells me these are no ordinary weapons.

My men circle me, using their own bodies as cover and I am shocked and touched by their loyalty. I have known warriors retreat in such a situation as this, but not these. There are some in this world I can trust after all.

They almost pile atop me, and I can feel their bodies heaving and heavy. I worry that the heaviness and the blood that now drips down onto me means that they have also been hit. They surround me, a wall of protection that shields me from the falling arrows that are now starting to ease off.

I push at them, my heart sinking when I realize I was right—many are dead though some remain. I must help them but am painfully aware that an enemy still stalks us.

Who is this?

Yanking one of the arrows from one of my men’s dead bodies I almost recoil at the sight and the realization. This arrow… can only be produced by the dark elves. This surely cannot be.

In the near distance a group of humans now appears as if from nowhere and with them are three hooded figures. My heart thumps wildly in my chest as if it can sense the danger that they bring.

“Who are you!” I yell. “And why are you doing this?”

Slowly the hooded figures remove their coverings and my guts twist when I look upon their pointed ears and their grey lifeless skin. It is a sight I have not seen for a lifetime, only in my dreams.

Dark elves.

It cannot be. Images of my parents flash through my mind, everything that I felt when I lost them to these creatures resurfacing to the point where it consumes me. There is only one thing I can do now.

I scream as I surge towards them.

24

JANICE

I sigh, flipping through the papers on the desk. It’s boring being shackled here, but it’s what I asked for. Even if I feel like my soul is being ripped from my body, I’ll push papers if it’s what is best for Murdock.

I can’t deny that I also feel I deserve the punishment when he forced me to leave without one.

Being back in the bunker these past few weeks has felt different. It wasn’t a happy welcome, and in fact, I knew I was risking my life just asking to return. Luckily, I knew that Melissa wouldn’t be able to send messages so far out, and there was no way for her to have met with anyone after discovering my involvement with Murdock.

It was a little disappointing to know that Melissa was sent out there by the same people who trained me, but it only affirmed that I have finally chosen the right path.

I told them I was compromised by Melissa, that the orcs killed her. It was the only way for me to get back in, and even that usually isn’t enough. I had blown it, and I knew that I wouldn’t be given any more work. Not that I want it.

I came back to the bunker to keep an ear out, to be a spy for Murdock after orcs and humans were killed on his base. It all fell into place when they decided to give me a lighter sentence as this was my first time not successfully carrying out a mission.

That’s how I ended up with a desk job, the only thing they entrust me with now.

It’s what I want, though. I wouldn’t be able to carry out any executions, but sitting here in the bunker, I have access to all the information.

Somehow, I thought it would absolve my guilt. So far, it hasn’t worked. I am still riddled with it over how I treated Murdock, and I keep hoping that I will come across priceless information that will at least make it up to him. Even if he won’t ever love me because I am an idiot…

I shake my head, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. If I slip up on this, they won’t trust me with anything anymore.

I sort out the files that have been given to me, noticing that there is a locked false bottom in one of the drawers. I pause, looking behind me. I don’t see anyone around, but even so, my body goes on high alert.

Placing the stack of files on top, I push the hanging folders all the way back and feel on the inside of the drawer. It doesn’t take me long to find the slot for a key, flush with the metal and along the side so it is almost impossible to see.

I pull two slim blades out of my back pocket. They were given to me to pick locks, and I still carry them out of habit––or maybe I was just hoping I’d need them one day.

I make quick work of the lock, hearing it click into place and the bottom popping open. Suppressing a smug grin, I slide the false bottom out of the way to find more files.

There are images and drawings of weapons, orcs, and small dark beings with pointy ears. I study them, searching the pages until I find one that outlines their plans.

The file outlines the training programs for the assassins. The humans that have been trained as assassins are then sent out to kill orc chieftains, which is not news to me but the reasons are. According to this document, our orders have been coming from… the dark elves?

I pause, shocked. They are the reason the orcs are here in the first place. They destroyed the orc’s home planet.

Does this mean they are here now? They have been sending us to kill chieftains to eradicate the orc race for the dark elves?

My head is spinning, but I still hear the scrape of shoes coming down the hallway. I push the false bottom back into place, resuming my work as I hold my breath. Thankfully, whoever it is keeps going down the hall, and I don’t even bother to turn around.

I’m too busy plotting. Murdock needs to know about this, and I can’t risk sending a message. I have to go to him.

I quickly finish with the files before heading to get my rations for dinner. It’s getting late, and lucky for me, I also have kitchen duty. I am able to swipe some extra food before slipping back to my room, packing a few extra clothes as well.

Once I am sure that the others are asleep, I slip out of my room, and on stealthy feet, I rush down the corridors of the bunker. My heart is pounding as I climb up to the surface, knowing that I can never come back here.

After they discover that I have left, they will mark me a traitor and kill me on sight. Not that I truly blame them because that’s exactly what I am.

I have to pick someone to be loyal to, though, and I choose the only one that’s ever made me feel like myself. With Murdock, I feel whole, and I don’t know if I can move forward without that anymore.

I have to find a way because I know this news can’t heal all the damage I’ve done. A small part of me hopes that it’s a start...

The night is dark; the moon is barely a sliver, which means there is next to no light. It makes it easier for me to slip through the forest unseen. I don’t make it too far before I hear thundering footsteps close behind me.

This is the only problem I was worried about encountering. There are orcs near our bunker, and they have much better eyesight at night than I do. The best I can do now is run, and unfortunately, that has to be in the opposite direction of Murdock’s base.

“Do you know what we do to deserters?”

The orc’s voice thunders through the still air, and I fight the shiver that creeps down my spine. I can’t see more than a few feet in front of me, and unless he speaks, I stand the chance of running straight into him.

“We make examples of them.”

He’s getting closer, but he doesn’t know I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I know that while he may have better eyesight, it’s not as good as an animal’s.

I dart around a tree, ducking down so that I blend into the shadows, and grasping blindly at the ground, my hand closes on a rock. I toss it as far as I can in the opposite direction, only letting loose a breath when I hear him take off that way.

It buys me some time, but by daylight, there are several more on my tail, and every time I try to loop back around to go toward Murdock’s base, they almost capture me. I’ve been pushed farther out, but I don’t have a choice.

I’m exhausted, hungry, and running low on supplies when I start to think I’ve lost them. It’s been three days, and I’m not even positive where I am anymore. I’m stumbling blindly forward in search of an orc who hates me, and I pause, knowing I need to take a break.

It’s safest to wait out in the trees as most people don’t look up. I carefully plant footprints leading down another path, and backtrack, keeping my feet in the previously made tracks. Scrambling up a nearby tree, I glance down at the ground to ensure it looks like I had kept running forward.

Climbing up into the tall branches, I’m eager to have a vantage point so I can confirm where I am. I’m shocked, though, when I spot a small battle just over the hill ahead.

Orcs litter the ground except for one, one I would know anywhere. It’s Murdock, the only one left standing, and he’s facing off a group of humans with three… dark elves?

My heart twists as I see him struggling against the beings that destroyed his planet and way of life, and although he may not want to see me, I can’t stop myself from scurrying back down to the ground.

25

MURDOK

I plunge forward without considering the effects of my actions. I am greatly outnumbered, especially when my opponents have dark elf weaponry. Their blades are made to cut through orc skin easily, causing deep injury with little effort. I guess that explains how they were killing my men.

I don’t care, though. I’m not thinking logically as I dive forward, grunting at the arrows slamming into my body. All I see is red, and I can’t stop the images from another battlefield from filling my head.

My hand closes around the windpipe of the archer closest to me, and I squeeze, satisfied by the snap. I drop the human to the ground, my eyes never leaving the elves.

I have to get to them. It’s all I can think about as I continue to press forward.

My skin is already wounded in so many places, I barely feel it as more arrows find a home in my chest and shoulders. I don’t bother to pull them free as I take down two more of the human minions, but my feet have turned heavy and my movements have grown sluggish as I trudge farther forward.

Each step is turning into an effort, and I realize for the first time that I am slick with blood. I have withstood more of an onslaught than I originally noticed, and it is draining me.

None of my men are on their feet anymore. It’s just me, alone and dying on this battlefield. My will is stronger than any other’s when it comes to this fight. I refuse to go down without getting my hands on the dark elves, their smug smiles as they watch me stumble enraging me further.

They are sadists, eager to see orcs be tortured for their sick amusement. Just being near them makes me feel crazed, but no matter how hard I try, how many humans I take down, I can’t get near them.

They skitter back, leaving one or two humans to slow me down in their wake. It’s slow going as I take on more arrows, but I can bring a human down pretty quickly. Some of them land painful blows, especially to my torso with the elven blades, but I will not stop.

The elves can see I am not retreating, and one of them turns, aiming a blade at my chest. I don’t even try to dodge it as it soars through the air, hitting a few inches away from its mark.

He signals to one of his human protectors to finish me as blood gushes from the deep wound. It doesn’t deter me as the human flocks toward me with a sword blade from my planet.

One thing about being a chieftain: you learn to never fear death. It hasn’t been a concern of mine since we came to this planet, and even as my knees buckle, I do not feel scared. They can kill me if they’d like, as long as I take out at least one of those damned elves.

I swing down against the weapon, my hand closing around the blade. My body has gone numb, and I rip it from the human, using it to end the life of the one who tried to take mine.

My breathing has turned labored, and I can feel a trickle dribble down my chin. I refuse to wipe it because I’d rather not know if it’s spit or blood.

My eyes are locked on the elf that stabbed me. Sucking in a deep breath, I dig into the deep reserves of my energy and charge forward. I will take this one down. I am determined.

I rip an arrow free of my body, dipping it into a pouch on my waist and turning it so it’s a small blade for me, and before anyone can get between the elf and me, I’ve crossed the distance between us.

I ram the blade underneath his ribcage, twisting it violently as I lean close to his face. “You will die from your own weapon.” The elf smirks. “I wouldn’t look so smug,” I tell him. “It’s dipped in poison.”

His eyes grow with rage, and he slams his fist into my torso. My words have turned him into a frenzy as he lands blow after blow, not that I care. I am certain that the arrow will puncture something as it comes out if I didn’t already.

“Back!” The elf barks as he lays into me, telling the other two not to approach. They’re all so prideful, almost to a fault, and he seems determined to finish me himself now.

Unfortunately, his downpour of assaults takes out the last bit of strength I had, and my legs give out beneath me. My knees sink into the wet ground beneath me, and the elf pulls back.

Reaching over his shoulder, he unsheathes his bow and an arrow, and he slowly backs away. I almost want to laugh. Even when I am here on my knees, weak and an easy kill, he can’t finish me.

Elves are terrible at close combat. They attack from the shadows with bows and arrows like the cowards they are. They don’t know how to look into another being’s eyes as the light leaves their soul.

He coughs, and I grin as I see blood splatter out from his mouth. He may be about to kill me, but I know I’ve brought him down, too. His will be much slower than mine.

As he raises his bow, his arrow trained on my chest, I throw my arms out to give him an easy shot. I laugh, unable to control the crazy feeling bursting through me. I am ready to die, having given my best for my clan and brought down an elf with me.

The only regret I have is not seeing Janice again. Even after what she did, I couldn’t stop loving her. I miss her, and now that I know I will never have the chance to see her again––not that I was going to seek her out––my heart sinks a little.

I hear the snap of the bowstring as he releases it, the arrow whistling as it flies. I close my eyes, waiting for it to hit home. I am eager to be done with this troublesome life that I can’t seem to master, but when I peek open my eyes again, I am still in the field.

It’s like time has slowed down for me, forcing me to watch this moment. The arrow is still spinning as it soars toward me, and as it closes the distance, someone leaps out in front of it.

I never saw her coming, but her body is imprinted in my mind like a tattoo. I would recognize her anywhere.

The arrow finds a home in Janice’s chest, and her body goes limp midair. She falls, and I lunge forward with my arms out, catching her before she slams into the ground.

I cradle her against my body, biting back the choking feeling that surges up when I see that the arrow pierced her chest perfectly. While I had been at peace with my death, I would never be okay with hers, and rage rips through me.

“Janice!” I scream, overcome with a new level of hysteria, my energy surging with the need to help her.

Her breathing starts to slow, and her eyes are fluttering closed. I search her, wanting to help, but she’s the doctor, not me. There’s nothing I can do for her.

“Janice, how do I help you?” I ask, my voice breaking. Her eyelids twitch as she tries to keep them open. “Janice, please,” I beg.

Her hand rises slowly, patting against my chest, and in a hoarse voice, she whispers, “I love you.”

Her arm drops across her stomach, and her eyes close. I hold my breath as I wait for them to open again, shaking her gently, but this time she doesn’t stir.

26

MURDOK

My whole body is vibrating with emotion, Janice shaking violently in my arms as I struggle to control my muscles. I have never felt anything like the waves crashing over me, threatening to drown me. I feel suffocated by the complete devastation that is flooding me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I dropped dead from the pain of it.

I shudder as I stare down at Janice, but no matter how much I plead with her, she won’t open her eyes. Exhaustion pulls at me, especially with all the wounds I’ve sustained, but I push it away, focusing only on her.

Her breathing has gone shallow, and as her chest freezes, I throw my head back and scream, the word so jagged and painful that it hurts my throat as it comes out.

“Why?” I cry, begging for our gods to help me. They have blessed me as chieftain, guided me through hardships, yet when I finally find the woman who gives my life the truest meaning, they have taken her from me.

A sharp chuckle causes my head to snap back up, and rage roils through me as I realize it is the elves. They are watching me with their beady eyes, reveling in my demise. Their smug looks make fury battle my sadness for my attention.

I can’t believe that these creatures have taken another loved one from me. They refuse to let me live in peace, and as the anger that licked up inside me dies out, I drop my head, feeling defeated. I don’t have it in me to battle them as tears flow freely down my face, my hands wet and warm with blood, whose I do not know.

“Kill me,” I croak out, the words sounding foreign to my ears. My voice is broken and raspy, and even as I slowly lift my head to look at them, my lips seem to move without my command. “Kill me!” I shout.

I expect them to do it swiftly; after all, they were just about to finish me off. They all just stand there staring at me, though, and my shoulders sag, my body starting to crumble.

“We won’t kill you,” the elf who had beaten me says. “You must live to feel the pain of losing h––“

A loud crack cuts off his words, and he collapses forward. A small wound has formed on the back of his skull, and I’m shocked as I stare down at the dead elf, red coloring the grass around him.

The thundering sounds of many warriors fill my ears, and I am surprised they were able to sneak up on us so easily. At the front of the group rushing towards me, I spot Harok, brandishing a silver weapon in his hand.

His men lurch forward, attacking the elves and humans and giving Harok the ability to slip through the fight to where I am still on my knees in the grass. He crouches before me, his eyes softening as he looks down at Janice.

“Murdock…” He says softly, and for once, I do not cruelly criticize his kindness. I welcome it, hope for it because now I know that it is not a sign of weakness. He is stronger than I ever understood to stare into the face of the evil in this world and be able to smile. Something I wish I had been better at when I had the chance.

“What is that?” I ask, my eyes trained on the weapon. Even when I am dizzy from blood loss and devastated by heartache, I am still a chieftain. I need to assess the situation.

“A gun. It’s a human weapon that isn’t able to penetrate orc skin.” He grins proudly. “I wasn’t sure if it would kill the elf, but I had to try. I’m lucky that it worked.”

Harok’s face pulls down in pain as a groan escapes his lips, and I can see the tip of the arrowhead sticking out of his shoulder. He throws his head back, jumping to his feet as he rips the weapon out, but he doesn’t charge ahead as I expect. Instead, he looks to me.

“I will end this for you,” he vows, and jumps into the frenzy building around us.

Alarms go off in my head as I continue to sit on the ground. I am a chieftain, a great warrior! I should be defending my people, avenging my men. Instead, I hug Janice closer to my chest, feeling the individual shards of my heart as it splinters further.

“Janice,” I murmur against her skin, breathing in her sweet scent. “Janice, I was wrong.”

My tears are coating her face, and I wipe them quickly, smoothing back her hair. She looks so peaceful, and for that, I am grateful. As much as her death pains me, I do not wish for her to feel the arrow she took for me.

“Janice, I should have never thrown you out. I promise that if I am given the opportunity, I will never let you go again.”

Someone hits the ground before me, and I jerk back, pushing onto my feet reflexively. I curl my body around Janice’s, determined to protect her until the very end. In my distraction, I feel something brush against my skin, and I freeze, twisting Janice to look down at her.

I was almost certain that her breath had tickled my neck, but her chest is still, her skin too pale, and I know it had to be the wind. I force my eyes back up to the person who has approached me, my mind still preoccupied with the woman in my arms.

Before me, a man is squatting, holding his hands out before his chest with the open palms facing me. His eyes are wide and assessing me, and I realize that he is evaluating me like a wild animal he doesn’t want to spook.

My lip curls up as a deep growl escapes me, but the man doesn’t back off. I realize then that he is wearing shaman robes.

I ease back from him, less inclined to rip him to shreds now that I realize he is no threat to me. At least I do not believe he is as both a shaman and a human––leading me to believe that he is trained as a human doctor as well.

“Murdock,” he says gently, easing forward. “Harok sent me to you. I need to heal you and Janice.”

I pull her tighter against my body, shaking my head slowly as a deep warning rumbles in my chest. The man sighs, looking more annoyed than threatened.

“I want to see if there is a chance to save her,” he insists, his eyes assessing what they can from the distance between us.

My heart feels torn as I consider it. Can I let her go? Could he actually do anything to save her?

Hope blossoms in my chest as I consider my options, and while I know it is going to kill me if he confirms what I already know, I can’t stop myself from hoping that there is something he can do.

Slowly, I lay Janice onto the ground, and back away, giving him space to work. He rushes forward, his hands going first to her chest where the arrow is embedded. His hands press against her skin, and he cocks his head as he feels her.

His eyebrows pinch together as he slides his hands up to her throat, and I start to charge forward as his fingers wrap around the base. I am about to rip his arm off when his eyes widen and his head snaps up to stare at me.

The doctor brings his fingers up to Janice’s nose, and I’m stunned, stopped in my place as he tells me, “She’s breathing.” He whips around, his eyes landing on another human rushing towards him with a back, blood trickling down the side of her face. “She’s still breathing!”

27

JANICE

My eyes creak open of their own violation, and I bite back a cry. The light makes my head throb, and my whole body feels tight and tired. It’s enough to make me want to sink into the mattress and go back to sleep, but I can’t.

I’m not quite sure where I am, which sets my body on high alert, and as I try to push up onto my elbows, pain radiates through my chest. I gasp, struggling to even turn my head, and finally, I admit defeat as I relax back onto my pillows––not that I had really moved off of them.

Slowly, memories flood through my mind. Murdock, elves, a killing shot. Tears fill my eyes as the fear and pain of seeing Murdock about to be killed pours through my body. The memory is enough to bring out sobs, and I realize that I don’t know if I was fast or accurate enough to save him.

A soft sound next to me makes my breath hitch. Someone is in the room with me.

I fight against the tightness of my pectoral muscles as I turn, even though it is complete agony. It feels as if I have severed every one of them and am operating with free nerve endings slamming into everything, sending waves of pain up my body every time I want to breathe.

My lips curl up into a soft smile as my eyes land on a massive orc, his body sprawled out in a chair at my bedside. His head is tilted back, and each exhale is a soft snore. I savor the view of him, thankful that my sacrifice saved him.

“Murdock,” I call, trying to wake him softly. He doesn’t stir. “Murdock.” This time I try a little louder, but still, it doesn’t wake him. “Murdock!”

He jolts up, his eyes wide and his hands going to his sides where weapons have been tied to his belt. His eyes lock in on me as he starts to fully wake up, and his mouth pulls up into a massive smile.

“Hey.” He shifts forward, taking my hand. “I’m surprised to see you up,” he murmurs.

My body tenses as I try to move closer to him, and it must show on my face as he nearly leaps to his feet, his body hovering in a squat just above his chair. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?” His voice is panicked as his eyes search me, and I have to fight back a chuckle.

“I’m okay,” I assure him, patting the back of his hand.

He doesn’t look as if he believes me, but he slowly lowers back into his chair. I wait until he’s calmed down a bit more before asking, “What happened?”

I can see the sadness dance in his eyes even as he offers a small smile. “You saved me. The arrow barely missed your heart, and Harok and his clan arrived shortly after you passed out. His shaman was able to save you with the help of the remaining orc magic.”

The air is thick with the emotion Murdock is trying to swallow. I can tell he is struggling as he leans closer, pressing his brow to my knuckles, and I wait as he gathers his strength. When he lifts his eyes back to me, tears are swimming in them.

“I was terrified I was going to lose you,” he confesses, raw emotion making his voice husky. “Your heart has stopped twice since we made it to this base, and each time was the worst moment of my life. I didn’t know if they were going to be able to keep bringing you back, and I learned over and over again that I can’t live without you, Janice.”

I stare at him stunned. I know exactly how he feels, but to hear these words come out of my hard-shelled orc is surprising. I always knew that somewhere deep down Murdock was a big softy. It warms my heart to see him finally breaking through the walls that have shielded his heart.

I’ve be ready to do the same for so long.

“I am so sorry for what I did,” I say, the last word breaking as a sob bursts through my chest. I didn’t expect it, but I continue to push through it even as my tears threaten to overwhelm my words. “I was stupid and blind to how I was being used. You opened my eyes and made me understand that I was wrong.”

Tears are already pouring down Murdock’s cheeks as he shakes his head at me. He presses a soft kiss to the back of my hand, whispering against the skin, “I forgive you.” He rises out of his chair again, his hand reaching up to cup my face gently. “Janice, there is nothing you could ever do that I wouldn’t forgive. It has been killing me to be without you, and I thought I was doing right by my people. I was really just being a stubborn ass, which was not good for anyone.”

“No,” I gasp out. “I tried to hurt you. I brought people here who hurt your men.”

“Shh.” He brushes my hair back. “That’s not who you are. I know you didn’t mean for anyone else to get hurt, and even if you were given the task of bringing me down, you weren’t trying too hard. You are fierce, and I am confident that if you wanted me dead, you could have done it.” I cringe at it, but he just chuckles.

“You changed while you were here; I could see it.” He gulps, and I can feel a slight tremble in his hands as he tells me, “I love you. I love you so much that I could never hold anything against you. You have to know that I don’t take anything you’ve done to heart. I know that you weren’t going to do anything to me.”

I can’t help the way that the sobs rack my body. I’m crying so hard it hurts, and I can’t stop. He’s being so kind to me, and the guilt is insurmountable. He’s right that I would never do anything to hurt him now, but I did try. If he hadn’t been so insistent in his advances, I would have succeeded, too, and the thought terrifies me that I was capable of killing someone I love so much.

Murdock dips down, his mouth pressing to my skin to kiss away my tears. He works fast, keeping up with the steady stream until I’ve caught my breath enough to tell him, “I love you. I was sent to you for the wrong reasons, but since I met you, I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t hurt you, and you were so much more than I expected. I couldn’t believe the way you captured my heart.”

He pulls back to brush his nose against mine. “It’s nothing in comparison to the way I was ready to cut mine out and serve it to you the second I saw you. I would have done anything you asked of me, Janice. You were all I thought about. Hell, you still are. You’re a drug, all-consuming and life changing, and I never want to get sober.”

I throw my arms around him, pulling him against me. I ignore the way my body protests as his lips meet mine, and pure electricity pours through me. I feel energized and healed in a way that nothing else could ever do for me.

No, Murdock is my sickness and my cure all in one, and I can never give him up. He is too addicting, too good for me, too earth-shattering for me to ever let go.

He breaks the kiss, tilting his forehead against mine as his thumb strokes across my cheekbones. “I love you so much, Janice.”

I am afraid my bones are going to shatter as my body tries to smile wider. I’m on cloud nine as I whisper back, “I love you, too, Murdock.”

28

MURDOK

Janice gingerly plants her feet on the tile floor for the first time in weeks. I’m there to steady her, linking an arm around her frail form as she tests her footing. But the doctor has cleared her, and it’s time for us to leave this place. It has been too long since I have been at my base, and I’m sure there are many things I must attend to.

But she is my first priority. “Ready?”

She leans into my embrace with ease. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Good,” I say, “then let’s go home.”

Her glance is uncertain, though I’ve assured her a thousand, thousand times that I’m only worried about her. Still, she apologizes again. “I’m sorry, Murdock-”

“Stop it,” I interrupt as gently as I can manage, catching her hand as we walk the first few steps towards the door. “We’ve been through this.”

“I know,” she says, though it’s obvious she’s still blaming herself.

I capture her cheek and make her look at me. “It is in the past. My clan knows what you did for me. I know what you did for me, and that’s all that matters. Now,” I say with more conviction, “let’s show them just how tough you are.”

A little smile forms on her face, curling up at the edges. “I am pretty tough, aren’t I?”

I hold my breath when we arrive at the base.

Everything has been relayed to my subordinates over the past few weeks, and I really hope they haven’t bungled this up. I want it to be perfect for her.

The gates open to a grand celebration, exactly as I envisioned it. Music and festivities greet us, and Janice’s eyes widen at the bright decorations that line the streets. I’ve been secretly planning this party since she woke up in the hospital, and brought in Harok and Aqidah’s expertise to finalize it.

They greet us first, accompanied by their human mates.

Janice waves in excitement at the quad. “Geneva! Lisa!” The women greet her with warm embraces, commenting on her quick recovery. She dismisses their concerns and they steal her away from me. If they were any other humans, I wouldn’t allow it.

I’m stewing over that thought when the chieftains reach me.

“She’ll be fine, Murdock,” Harok assures me, clapping my back and donning a hearty grin. “There are no more enemies within your walls. You worry too much.”

“I worry just the right amount,” I say, my gaze sliding to the pair. Then, under my breath, so only they can hear me, “for my future mate.”

Aqidah looks me over with a cool expression. He’s always been even tempered. Far too much for an orc. “You’re going through with it? With the woman who tried to kill you, no less.” He laughs at my expense, and Harok joins him. “Murdock the Vengeful, a married man. I never would have thought it was possible.”

Harok leans in as if it is a great secret. “Do you have a ring?”

I grit my teeth. “I didn’t think a ring would suit her.”

One of Harok’s heavy eyebrows rise. “It is human tradition, you know.”

“I know.”

Aqidah pipes in too, ignoring my furious glance. “She will not look kindly upon the proposition if-”

“I have something else planned,” I snap, silencing their unwanted opinions. “This is why I didn’t bother to tell you when you came to visit us.”

They glance at each other, then shrug in unison.

I glower at their silent judgement. “I’m going to find Janice.”

She’s not hard to spot among the gaggle of human women. Truly, Harok and Aqidah have chosen beautiful mates, and Janice fits into their clique seamlessly. Still, there is no comparison to my amazing woman. “Janice,” I say, reaching to take her hand. “There is food and games prepared, if you- want to partake with me.”

Lisa gives her a last, sisterly hug. Geneva kisses both her cheeks. I have a feeling they already know what I am about to do, and are giving us their blessing. They must have spoken with their husbands. They seem to all be of the same mind. When they finally return to their mates, I lick my lips in anticipating, trying to keep my head for the proposal.

There’s a secret smile playing about Janice’s eyes. “What’s all this about?”

“Nothing,” I say, feigning innocence. “I just thought you’d enjoy a feast and some leisurely fun after being bedridden for so long.”

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling guilty,” she says, walking with me in an aimless fashion. It’s not actually aimless, though, as I gently guide us towards the chieftain’s house, where my surprise is waiting for her. She continues, allowing me to lead. “After everything… I mean. Dark elves? How were we supposed to know?”

I shake my head.

“They’re gone now, though, right?”

I give her hand a reassuring squeeze, and nod. Our eyes meet, and I realize how easy it is just to be with her. I know with certainty that I want this feeling to last. “Janice…”

“Uh oh,” she says with a little laugh. “You’ve got that look on your face.”

I stop in my tracks. “What look?”

“The one when you’re worried about something that’s out of your control.” I do my best to banish the look she’s talking about, but it only makes her laugh harder. She rests her head against my chest, still smiling. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, I’ll be here.”

“Actually- that’s what I wanted to talk with you about.”

Her crystal blue eyes look up at me, uncertain. “What do you mean?”

Our friends gather in a loose circle around us. The music slows. My subordinates execute their roles perfectly, and a rare creature is led out from behind the storehouse on four freshly manicured hooves by gold studded reins. It’s a pale gray, with a long black nose and a white mane, carrying on its back a patchwork of furs that I had meticulously crafted for her.

Her gaze follows mine, until she sees her gift, and gasps.

“It’s a horse,” I say. “My gift to you, Janice.”

She takes a cautious step towards the beast, and then another. I go with her, showing her that it’s safe and petting the docile creature’s heavy mane. “I have it on good authority that some humans used to offer them as gifts from the groom to the bride.”

Janice is enchanted by the mare, but finally, it dawns on her what I have intended. Her eyes snap up to meet mine. I can feel the crowd pressing in, waiting anxiously for her response.

“If- you want me to get a ring instead-”

“No, she is perfect.” She beams up at me in earnest. “I love her. Thank you.”

I’m still holding my breath.

Tears well in her beautiful eyes as she laces her arms around my neck on tip toes. Her breath is sweet when she leans in. “Yes, Murdock. I do.”

I grin into her kiss as the crowd cheer around us, but I don’t hear them. Just the pulsing of my heart in my ears, and her soft exhalation when she pulls back to take me in. I brush my nose against hers, relief overwhelming me. “I’ll make you happy, Janice. I swear it.”

“You already have,” she whispers, crushing her lips to mine.

The music rises over the cheering crowd, and I catch Harok’s knowing look above the rest. I told you so, it simply says. He dips his head to me, then disappears among the crowd. But I’m too happy to be vengeful on this day, of all days.

She said ‘yes’.

29

JANICE

Murdock is full of surprises today, none of which he’s keen on revealing.

He has brought in women—'not slaves’ he’d emphasized—to care for my every need today. Geneva and Lisa are here too, fawning over the magnificent dress the women are preparing with slow but certain progress. My dress fans out when I twirl, like a pale blooming flower. “It’s too much,” I say.

Lisa pats my hand. “I’d just go with it. It’s not going to stay on for long, anyhow.”

I redden at the reminder.

“You’ll be fine,” Geneva assures me. “The last thing you need to do is worry on your wedding day. Leave that to Murdock.”

I bite my lip and wonder where he is. After breakfast, he disappeared entirely, leaving me with my entourage of women and the expectation to meet at sunset. Food has been piecemealed throughout the afternoon, but that’s good. My gut is too tight to accept much, anyway.

"I’m not afraid. I’m-” I don’t have the words for the flutter in my chest, or the heavy stone in my gut that’s a hard contrast to the clouds in my head. I can’t focus, and my palms are already sweating, like I’m at the altar, waiting for Murdock. Will there even be an altar?

Their touch is distant when they ruffle my chiffon sleeve, or pat my hand.

My mouth is dry, and I’m certain the shoes are going to roll my heel. I have trouble standing so tall. Is this how he feels? No, I think, he was born tall. Still, Geneva allows me to lean on her when they lead me off the platform.

“It’s time,” Lisa says in a confidential tone.

I glance out the window and realize she’s right. The sun has nearly reached the horizon when I wasn’t paying attention, and I gulp.

Geneva seems to notice and rubs my arm. “It’s okay. By the end of the night, you’re not going to be worried about a thing. I’ve seen how you two are together. It’s a perfect match.”

My smile is wry. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say to a bride on her wedding day?”

“Yes, but in this case it’s true,” Lisa pipes in, beaming at me.

I’m led outside, arm in arm, to Felicity, my beautiful gray mare. She’s adorned with white flowers braided through her hair, and a pale saddle rests on her back. It takes three of us to hoist me into the seat, but I manage to find my bearings in the sidesaddle.

“Ready?”

There is warm music that grows louder as we approach the center of Murdock’s settlement. There, a bonfire that waits for us, and a feast for our guests. The finely dressed crowd parts to make way for Felicity, all eyes on me. Humans and orcs mingle, just as Murdock had hoped. I’m proud of him, for the difficult path he chose to take. We’re paving a new future, for both our kinds.

I flush when I see him, and his steely gray eyes widen.

Murdock accepts me from my steed, letting me down in a flurry of pale chiffon. He is so handsome today, dressed in a fine dark suit, though I know he won’t tolerate it for long.

The shaman waits as the crowd hushes around us.

Murdock and I exchange expectant looks.

By the end of the night, he’ll be mine, and I’ll be his.

I can’t imagine being more connected than we already are, but I’m glad to partake in this ceremony with him. The shaman urges us forward with a wave, then dips his thumb in ash that he’s prepared in a bowl and presses it to each of our foreheads. “We witness the union of two races, made one!” As the crowd cheers, he leans in. “It is a hard path you choose to take, but you are both strong, and our world will be all the better for it.”

I glance at Murdock, who offers a resolved nod. “Thank you, shaman.”

“Go,” he says, “-and make your people proud.”

Without warning, Murdock sweeps me up into his powerful arms. I squeal but it is drowned out by the crowd’s celebration as the chorus rises. He presses his lips to my ear, his breath warm and intoxicating. “If you didn’t already know- you’re mine, now.”

I shiver but press my cheek to his. “Show me.”

He wastes no time stealing me away, the crowd cheering us on as he ducks into his private residence. Instead of taking me to my old room, he kicks his door open. All around us, there are flowers that make my nose tickle with their redolent scents, and on the bed is the fine quilt of furs he had made for me. I’m tossed into it and land in a plume of my own dress.

I watch breathlessly as he removes his coat, then his undershirt.

We’ve done this before, but there’s something novel about our wedding night. I stare at his powerful, sleek form, wondering if I should join him in undressing. But his gray eyes pin me to the bed when I tug at my dress. “Don’t you dare,” he warns gently, leaving his trousers on as he climbs up onto the bed. “That’s my job.”

He straddles me and reaches around to undo the dress, his heavy fingers nothing like the sweet pats of the women. His nails rake over the skin of my back, making my core tremble with anticipation. He kisses my throat as he works, drawing the dress down over my shoulders and leaving my front exposed. But he’s not done.

The dress isn’t even off when he drops his hand down and finds my nub with practiced expertise. I nearly leap out of my skin as he rolls it in tight, heavy circles. I taste the bare flesh of his chest and shudder as he works me into a tizzy.

His lips crash into mine, commanding me to him.

I moan, exciting the little hairs at the base of his neck beneath my fingers. But I’m impatient too, and I reach for his sheltered cock. He lets me roll it around my palm before drawing it out, that heavy tip warm as he drags my dress down the rest of the way.

I exhale gratitude and inhale his heavy musk. “Everything was- perfect today,” I whisper into his ear, urging him to enter me with a roll of my hips.

He grips me almost hesitantly, his fingers biting into the flesh of my thighs before he plunges deep inside me, making us both go rigid. There’s not a breath between us as he hits my end, my body rioting before accepting him. When it finally does, I go limp to his handling, letting him find an even rhythm that rocks the oversized bed.

His lips chase up the side of my neck, and he finds my lobe to nibble on. “It still is,” he murmurs under his breath. “And it will be, no matter what comes our way, because we have each other.”

I lean into the assurance, frisson chasing up my spine. “I love you, Murdock.”

“And I love you, Janice.” His thrusts become insistent and rough, but he knows I can take it. My cries begin to echo through the building. I don’t care who hears us. We’re only performing our marital duties, and I can still hear their celebrations through the walls, anyhow.

He locks our hips together briefly, and I can feel his cock burning with the oncoming release. My forehead is beading with sweat as we pant together, our lips crashing in our heated union. I swallow down his groan, my body going rigid in expectation.

White light blinds me as I come on his weighty girth, biting his shoulder to muffle my screams. It seems to excite him, and he crushes me into the bed with his own release. His hard thrusts shove his seed deep inside me, and I accept it gladly.

When we’re finally sated, we crash together on the fur, and I curl up in his strong arms.

Sleep threatens to darken my sight, but I glance up at Murdock’s serene face. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know, with him beside me, everything will be alright.

I’m almost asleep when he leans in and kisses my cheek. “So,” he says darkly, and I hear the grin in his voice. “Ready for round two?”

30

MURDOK

Married life has passed like a dream, so when spring comes again, I can hardly believe it has been a year. The shaman warned me to be careful with her because she is human, but my Janice is a resilient woman, and I am reminded of that fact every day.

Her strength is not physical, but it’s just as assured.

Janice has slipped seamlessly into my clan’s daily life, so that I could not imagine living another day without her among them. She is glad to be free from her bunker, I think. The work they made her do never quite suited her, though she doesn’t say much about it. But I can see true happiness in her now that wasn’t there before.

This time, I let her plan the anniversary party.

It’s simple and intimate, much different than our lavish wedding. I had to go a little over the top, because—according to Harok—a horse is far too much trouble and not a good substitute for a ring. I would agree if Janice did not spend an inordinate amount of time exercising Felicity, returning to me winded and bright eyed each afternoon.

She insisted on holding the party on a hill outside the base. Though I’m leery of all the things that could be lurking in the forests shadows, she’s insistent. The meal, too, is simple, though I’m growing ever fonder of human food.

These little cakes are a delight.

We hold hands beneath the table as our guests enjoy themselves. She pops a little cake in my mouth, though I don’t know if I can stomach another. “Should we…”

I don’t have to wonder what she’s asking. I’m eager to get away, myself. “Absolutely. How do you plan on losing them?”

Janice stands abruptly, quieting their muted conversations. “Thank you everyone for making this day so special for us,” she says to our guests, to Harok and Aqidah and their mates, to our friends among my tribe. “But Murdock and I are going to take a little stroll. Please, enjoy the rest of the food.”

Murmurs of gratitude and congratulations abound.

She grabs my hand and urges me up. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

“We’re taking a stroll?”

“In the woods,” she says, nodding towards the tree line. “It’s peaceful.”

“There are creatures in the woods,” I warn under my breath as I take her arm in mine. Still, she steers us ever forward. “Dire bears and ill tempered hogs and man eating wolves. It’s not safe out there.”

“It’s okay,” she says, leaning in with confidence. “I’ll protect you.”

I don a glower. “Janice-”

“Humor me.” She offers an earnest look, and I realize she’s already got something planned. “It won’t take long.”

I clamp my lips shut and escort her to the place. I can still see our guests on the hill, and have every opportunity to throw her over my shoulder and bring her back to camp kicking and screaming. But our marriage hasn’t survived a year without me trusting her.

She’s far more capable than her appearance suggests.

“Fine,” I grumble, “but if anything happens…”

“We’ll go straight home.”

Excitement ignites in my belly. I live for the way she says ‘home’, and let her lead me into the woods like the lovestruck fool I am. We trek deep into the woods, until the daylight is blocked out by the canopy.

I’m growing impatient when I hear water flowing, and she pushes a curtain of vines from our path. “I found it a while ago,” she says, “and have been waiting to share it with you.” Beyond the lush, ropy kudzu is a little oasis hidden from sight. It’s untouched by man or beast. A little waterfall gurgles from a high rock wall with a tiny lake at its base, and the moss is as soft as any bed, with the light trickling through the leaves. It is magic, if I’ve ever seen it.

I’m so awed, I don’t notice that she’s already undressed, welcoming me into her arms. “Come to me, Murdock.”

What can I do but obey?

I begin to strip when she stops me with narrowed eyes. “That’s my job,” she warns, pointing at the space in front of her like I am to sit at her feet.

I have no shame.

Janice pets my head when I do as she commands, enchanted by her beauty. She tilts her head and drops down on her haunches to relieve me of my clothes. Her fingers are delicate as they work, unfastening my buttons with agonizing slowness, until they drop to the ground. “Now,” she murmurs in my ear before rising again, cupping my hands over the soft mounds of her breasts, letting them slide over her shapely curves. “-take me like you’re angry with me.”

I sweep her into my arms and drive my cock home without hesitation.

A sweet sound escapes her lips as her knees tighten around my waist. She holds on for dear life as I slide into her, leaning her back against the flat stone for support. Her lips are inviting, and I taste them fiercely, forcing her to yield to me.

She does so with a tight groan.

Where I was leery before, I’m hastened by the potential danger all around. I am not a chieftain here, I am just an orc, taking what I want from my woman, and any creature that dares to interrupt will meet my heavy fists. A primal urge rises inside me, something I’ve never felt before. Leave it to her to bring this out of me.

Her fingers tangle in my dark hair as she braces herself for my heavy thrusts, her moans becoming cries of pleasure and relief. It as if she knew the wilderness would make feral, and is enjoying every moment of it.

Janice’s pants spur me to action, and I drag her to my hilt.

She chokes on the weight inside her, her toes curling into the flesh of my thighs. I growl, a deep and menacing sound that reverberates against the stone. It is a sound that would drive away even the wildest of creatures.

Slick fluid releases, easing my thrusts until I feel her end, fighting to keep me out. Her breathing goes ragged, and I know she’s about to come. Her wild eyes find me before her soft mouth closes over mine.

I’ll bring her to her peak, then come tumbling after.

I slide to the ground, with her tight in my arms, and force her down onto my cock until she throws her head back with a mad laugh. I kiss the hollow of her jaw with searching lips, pummeling her on my cock until her body goes rigid.

As her body quakes around me, I maintain my resolve, skewering her until her body surrenders and comes, making her scream. Her knees tremble fiercely at my sides, and I fall back on the moss, pushing deep into her until my seed explodes into her. There is a moment of silence, as if the whole of nature is watching our pairing. But finally, I am spent, and go limp. Janice lays listlessly atop me and I cradle her against my chest, kissing the top of her head.

We breathe together in harmony.

Everything is right.

After a time, Janice stirs, sweeping her hair out of her eyes and smiles sleepily up at me. “I don’t want anyone else to know about this place, okay?”

I kiss her burning cheek. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“Good,” she says with a sigh, lying back down as if she’s going to take a nap on me. I rub her back in slow, even strokes, remaining nestled inside her, exactly where I belong. But as we drift off together in the safety of the oasis, I consider how good it felt to be under her command, for once.

I’m not used to surrendering my power, but if anyone would handle it with care, it would be her. I lean in and inhale the sweet scent of her flesh and sigh, noting how her breathing has finally deepened in sleep. And though I know she can’t hear me, I still tell her my deepest truth: “You are my everything, Janice.”

To be continued. To read more about what happens with these two join my newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/celesteking

PREVIEW OF ORC’S QUEEN

You read about Harok and Aqidah who are two orcs with their own clans. To read about their own stories, check out my preview for Orc’s Queen.

Orc’s Queen

By Celeste King

Available on Amazon here!

31

GENEVA

The girl in my arms has started to shake as her deep sobs wrack her body. She is rail thin and the bones in her shoulders are so sharp they could cut ice. I don’t offer her any words of solace—there would be no point. We would both know they would be lies, and I can’t bring myself to do that to her.

All I can do is comfort her with my arms, let her know that despite the horrors that await her, she is not alone. There were many that have come before her and many that will come after, including me. It’s a cycle of misery that will never end.

I’m unsure if it is a good or a bad thing—to feel the deep fear of what’s coming and know that you’re not the only one. Because as much as I am terrified for her and for myself, I would not wish this feeling on anyone else.

The sound of clinking metal and heavy footsteps stalls her crying. She looks up at me, her tears having created dirty streaks down her face. The look in her eyes is enough to break my heart. She can be no older than thirteen or fourteen, but her tiny frame makes her seem even younger.

This is why she is here, alongside me in this cage. Bunker #3 is known for its depraved ways—a human trading post, where people, especially women, are traded for resources. Bunker #78 where I was taken from has always lacked resources—except for women. One of the most valuable in this disgusting and unfair world. Not that we are valued at all, ironically enough. It is about what we can be used for. The prices that we can fetch and the services we can provide.

My only consolation as I crouch on the dirty floor with my back pressed to the metal, is that I am the one who is here. But it wasn’t supposed to be this way, the leader of this bunker is more fond of girls than women.

At twenty-two I am far from what he desires, but there was no way I was going to let him take my twelve-year-old sister. By the time they had brought me here and discovered I am not her, it was too late. I will still fetch a good price for something, but it will not be my sister that monster gets to defile.

She is safe for now, and that is all I wish for, but deep down I know the day will surely come when it is her behind these bars. That is a thought more terrifying than anything that can happen to me, knowing that she could be the plaything of the creature that arranges these deals, or even worse—traded to orcs.

My grip on the girl tightens as the door of the cage opens and a tall, balding man enters. Just to breathe the same air as him makes me sick to my stomach. These people are worse than orcs, using women for their own disgusting purposes without a thought of the suffering and trauma that they cause.

The girl screams and clings to me, her nails digging into my flesh as the man enters and grabs at her. We both desperately try to hold on to each other. But it’s no good. We can hold on all we like—kick and scream all that we can—but we do not hold the power here.

“Please!” I cry. “Leave her and take me instead. She’s weak and will be no good to anyone. Take me!” The panic in me is all-consuming, taking over every cell in my body. I don’t even know this girl, but it’s as if I am giving up my own sister to this man.

My cries are met with a slap to the face that is so hard I almost lose consciousness. My ears ring and dark shadows crawl across my eyes. Still, I persist, clinging on to her leg as she is dragged from me.

When his foot lands in my stomach I’m floored, clutching at my guts and crying out in pain. Her screams are deafening as she sees what he’s done to me, knowing no doubt that she can expect just as brutal a treatment. But she’s a child, and even though she will have seen and experienced many dark things in this life, she has no idea of the things that can happen to her now.

“Fucking women!” he curses, dragging the child away. “When will these bitches learn!”

The clinking of metal returns as the cage door is closed and locked and I let out a scream of rage and sorrow for every woman and girl that has to endure this hell. Her screams are now muffled by his hands as he shouts and curses at her for putting up such a fight.

What does he expect—that we should go willingly to the torture that awaits us? Is their arrogance so huge and lack of empathy so lacking? I can only surmise that it is.

Must this existence be so dark? Surely we can do better than the life we have created for ourselves. It was not down to us that the orcs arrived through the rift, overtaking our planet and resources, driving us underground. But what has happened since then is nothing but our own doing—that of the men that chose to use females to reassert their dominance.

Now, if they’re not dominating and manipulating us then they are trying to use and outwit other settlements. What is wrong with this world! As humans we should be uniting to fight the orcs that have invaded this planet, and yet all we do is cause more suffering and misery.

There have been many nights when I’ve wondered if it is like this the world over. There have been whispers that not all settlements behave as the ones that I know do. But they are only whispers. Anything else would enrage the leaders—they don’t want people, especially women, to know that there is another way, and that others out there are changing.

But I keep those whispers alive. Somewhere where they can't be seen or heard by others, deep inside where no one can touch them or take them from me. They've taken enough from me, my freedom, my choices, the ability to live my life as I see fit.

They've taken so much from many of us, for years, thinking that we are worthless and that we do not matter. We do matter. Our grandmothers, our mothers, our sisters, our cousins, our friends. All of us that live now and came before.

The orcs may have taken away everything that we knew. Thrown us back into a time that we thought was long gone—technologically and socially. But that should not have meant we went backwards instead of forwards. The orcs came and we retreated, stepped backwards in every sense possible.

Becasue the human heart is filthy, maybe more so than that of the orc. At least they know what they are. Humans pretend to be civilized, imagining themselves to be wise and intelligent, and yet act worse than animals.

They have drained the energy from my body and the hope from my heart and replaced it with something dark and empty. A deep void that I am being drawn into, breaking apart as it takes me, piece by broken piece.

Curling up into a ball the helplessness overtakes me. Tears erupt and burn my cheeks. Why must it be like this? Why must I be like this? I should have done something, but I instead I am here, caged like an animal unable to help myself or others.

Waiting for it to be me.

To be continued. To read more check out Orc’s Queen by Celeste King.

32

HAROK

The council is at full attendance today, even though there are many matters outside of these four walls to deal with. But there is not a single member that wishes to miss the guest that we have. It is all anyone has talked about for weeks.

“Aqidah the Wise, I am thankful to finally be sitting opposite you.” I look around at the council whose faces indicate their less favorable feelings about this meeting.

“And I you, Harok. The Golden Arrow Clan is looking forward to forging a relationship with The Thunder Strike Clan that may benefit us all.” He speaks in a way that is both strong and gentle—a strange and intriguing combination for an orc.

“I quite agree,” I say, addressing the council members more than him when I say, “it is imperative that we start to work together. Now that the magic is dying there is an even more pressing need for collaboration.”

“Of course. Our energies are best spent working on these matters than on battle or competition. There are hard times ahead, but if we come together then we stand a chance of surviving this loss, as difficult as it will be.”

He is pragmatic in the way that he sees things and I like that. I mean every word when I speak of collaboration. I have been chieftain of the Thunder Strike Clan for many years, fought many battles and done many things to ensure the safety and prosperity of my clan. But the orcs have been here on Earth for many years—Protheka nothing but a distant memory—and the magic is dying.

Without it we will suffer greatly. It is already happening; magic being rationed in the same way as grain. We need to learn new ways—human ways—if we are to survive, and no one knows that better than Aqidah the Wise.

He has only been a chieftain for a year yet has made many improvements in his short time at the helm of the Golden Arrows. He has successfully integrated humans into the clan, starting with his own mate, and they are working together, learning from one another.

“Humans have been an essential part of our success. My mate, a medic from a human stronghold has started a program to teach us the ways of science,” he tells us.

“What does this even mean?” one of the council members interjects.

There is a hostility in his voice that makes my fists clench. This is supposed to be a meeting to bring us closer together not trade insults with our guest. But Aqidah pays no mind to his aggression. Or rather he does, but seems to understand the reasons for it.

“I am sorry, let me be clearer in my speech. I am so familiar with many of the human terms these days and forget that others are not,” he says, apologetically.

The council elder grunts and a smile tugs at my lips. This chieftain is every bit the leader that I imagined him to be, and there is no doubt as to how garnered his name. He is indeed thoughtful and wise, able to rise above the aggressive tendencies that are the lifeblood of us orcs.

“There are many ways in which the humans have helped us. Doctors and medics are healers of sorts. They are able to treat disease and infection, but not of course with magic. They have achieved this through the many advances that were made in science—knowledge and understanding of the natural world. How things work, how they are constructed. Including our very bodies.”

Though many of the council look less than impressed, there are some whose interests have been piqued by Aqidah. In my heart I hope he is able to convince as many of these old fools as he can—because we need it.

“Humans can’t be trusted!” one of them cries.

“With respect, but I would beg to differ,” says Aqidah calmly. “Though I know it is not easy, and there are many obstacles to overcome when building these relationships. There are bound to be reservations.”

“These are more than reservations, Chief Aqidah. We have seen firsthand how these humans treat each other! What would they be willing to do to us!”

“I understand your feelings. But if there is one thing I have learned it is that there is good and bad in every species. It is not about trusting all humans, but the ones who are worthy of that trust,” says Aqidah.

The meeting continues in this way for some time, with Aqidah offering up as much information and confidence as he can when it comes to orc-human relations. I sit back and watch, taking in as much as I can of what this impressive chieftain has to offer.

When we are done I take him for a walk around the stronghold and its borders. “I am sorry for the hostility of some of my council. I fear it may be some time before they come around to my way of thinking,” I say.

He is calm and measured as we talk, as he was back there, and there is something about him that makes me feel this is a chieftain that I can not only trust, but respect and learn from.

“It is only to be expected,” he says. “These are new and testing times, and we orcs have been used to doing things a certain way for a long time now.”

“Yes, and those ways are no longer serving us anymore.”

“Agreed. But change does not come easy. The older members of our clans in particular find this hard. They have only bad experiences of other races having faced persecution from the Elves. Now we are asking them to work with humans—it will take time.”

He is right in what he is saying, as frustrating as it is. We are the Thunder Strike Clan. We move quickly and with force. Sitting around for months or even years going around in ridiculous circles is not something that I can tolerate.

“It has been an honor to have received you today. And I can only thank you for travelling to sit with us,” I say.

“The honor is mine. Have faith, my friend. We will get there eventually.”

“And may I congratulate you—I hear there is child on the way now.”

“There is, and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“I am glad for you. A happy leader must make for a happy clan.”

“I would like to think so. Since I took over from my father there have been many changes. He was a good chieftain but a brutal man, ruling by fear alone. I hope to lead by example and respect.”

“A safe journey home to your clan and to your family. And my best wishes for the safe delivery of the orcling.”

“Thank you, Harok. I am glad to have met with you today. We will see each other again, no doubt.”

“We shall indeed,” I say before we nod at each other and he takes off on his hoqin.

I watch him as he disappears into the distance, feeling a renewed sense of hope. Then I make my way to my work chamber and call for Zora, my second-in-command.

“So, what did you think of our guest today?” I ask.

He pulls up a chair and I get the sense he is not as optimistic as I am. “In all honestly I am impressed with him. He has created much change and quickly, but there are still some in the council that are not as convinced.”

“I know, but they will come around. They will have to. Soon there will be no choice. Would they lead us into possible extinction because they are not willing to evolve?”

“I understand your feelings, I really do. But at this point I fear it is dangerous for us to associate with Aqidah or show any signs of cooperating with humans, since the council will probably do anything to stop you.

I say nothing, because a part of me knows he is right. Currently, the clan is divided into two factions: those for and against humans.

The painting of the previous chief, my father, looks down upon us both as we wrestle with these issues. “This conservative mindset will lead to the extinction of our kind! Zora, you’re the only one I can trust, I need you to do something.”

33

GENEVA

A gnarled old bastard dumps more slop into the trough, a sour smell rising from the unwashed basin. “Soups on. Eat up, or it’ll be your breakfast, too.” I do my best not to gag as he chortles and walks away, shutting the heavy wooden doors behind him.

This is what we’ve been reduced to, eating slop and surviving off of the leader’s refuse. I can’t even be certain they haven’t taken a shit in the stuff, it smells so foul. My body refuses to even investigate. It knows it’s not food, any longer, but a grimy sludge that would better serve as fertilizer. It’s all I’ve been given me to eat since they took my sister.

I can’t believe this is how humans treat each other. If we are like this with one another then it’s no wonder the orcs won.

Renewed hunger rips through my gut.

It’s been days, I think, since I was dumped in here, but I can’t be certain. They won’t use me. I’m too old, they said, though I’ve hardly seen my twenty third summer. They want them young, and the thought burns me from the inside out. I have tried to break open this cage, but there’s no way to escape. They’ve obviously done this before. Many times.

My tears have long since dried, but the hollow grief remains.

There are others in here with me, each of us separated by heavy bars. It is lucky because some of the men might have tried something by now. They grab me if I get too close, so I remain in the far corner of my cage, where only their lascivious stares can reach me. This is my life, now, to act as little more than reserve for men’s sexual appetites.

I am cold, and hunger has become a constant companion.

I close my eyes, expecting sleep to come. But a commotion rises outside. A shouting that grows as more voices join in. A deep battle cry cuts through the hubbub, and I think I hear weapons clashing. It is the most interesting thing that has happened since I arrived, and I strain to listen, knowing that, whatever the outcome, I will be used as little more than leverage for the victor.

There is no hope in this bunker.

And, too soon, everything goes quiet again.

It is not the kind of quiet I am used to. It is silence that consumes even the shallow inlet of my breath, and the murmurs of the other slaves around me. My body jerks violently when the doors slam open again, and there is a silhouette in the archway.

They are tall, much taller than any man.

Despite it all, I squint, doing my best to find features in the stranger’s shadowed face. The other slaves muffle their fright in their filthy hands, but it takes me a moment longer to take in the creature standing before us.

His eyes glint a murderous red as he looks us over, nothing at all like the seething human glances I’ve grown used to. He is a fearsome orc, and I have no doubt he keeps many slaves. Will he take us too? Add us to his collection?

His gaze falls on me.

I can’t breathe anymore, and my body is frozen. His strong fingers open the cage with ease, something I’ve been attempting to do for days, and he reaches for me. Finally, my limbs unclench and I scramble towards the rear of the cage.

Normally, I’d be afraid of the others, but their attention is entirely on him. When he misses me, he sighs. It is a small thing that escapes his thick chest, but he reaches again, this time catching my arm and dragging me out.

I flinch with dreaded expectation. I know what orcs want, and this one can be no different from his kin. He is battle scarred and fearsome, a ragged line running over his cheek and down his neck, wrapping around out of sight.

He is familiar with war, and I must certainly be his prize.

But then, he does something I could never have expected. He lifts me up into his arms and secures me tightly against his powerful chest. There is a rumble when he speaks. “For your own sake, stay still.”

The warning is surprisingly gentle.

It shocks me into obeying. Maybe this is how he controls his slaves. I can’t be sure. But I remain paralyzed in his warm grip, lest he decides I broke his rule and kills me. They are not beyond swift punishment when it’s convenient for them.

An orc’s rage is never far below the surface.

I don’t move, but I dare peek at the bunker through my tangled, dark hair. I am shocked to see it in ruins. The rooms have been raided and the residents, those bastards that traded in young women, are on the ground, kneeling as if in submission.

I think I see the one who served us slop, face down in his own vomit with a spear sticking out of his back. And there are more slaves, lined up against the wall as if waiting for a verdict.

I try to stop my limbs from shaking, because I know he’ll feel it, this red-eyed orc that stole me from my cage. Stay still, he’d told me, and I’m doing my damndest. But I can’t stop the fear from shooting through me. He navigates the kneeling crowd with ease, pacing to several of his own soldiers who linger at the entrance.

One in particular stands out. He’s not dressed for battle, but for magic. I’ve seen their magic before, performed by those they call shamans. They wear heavy beads made of bone and wood in their hair, and trophies from kills around their neck. They are always more adorned than even the bloodthirsty soldiers that charge into battle.

The orc who stole me from the cage looks down at me and sighs, as if this work exhausts him. I shrink beneath his burning gaze. There is something unspoken in his expression, something firm but even keeled, like there is true intelligence behind his orcish features. I want to ask him so many questions, first of all: why? What does he have to gain from freeing slaves from slavers and scavengers? Does he mean to free us at all? Kill us?

He seems to decide on something, his lips firming around those proud tusks that are thick and sharp compared to the others’. That’s when he hands me to his shaman. “Take her. I’ll deal with the rest of them and we’ll meet again soon.”

The shaman accepts me without question, but I have been all too obedient, and struggle against the transfer. I still don’t know what they have planned for me. “Wait-”

His red eyes pan over me, and I can tell he’s not used to being questioned. His jaw ticks but he ignores my outburst, turning away so I view the impressive scar ripping through the muscles of his bare back.

The shaman holds me firmly but patiently, even as I strain against him. “Stop, please,” I call, pushing against those wiry arms that bind me to his chest. “Tell me who you are!”

My captor freezes, and I think he’s not going to answer me.

I hold my breath, waiting for his next words. He is tightly wound when he glances at me again, that heavy gaze falling on me. He must be a chieftain, a true chieftain, not like the war hungry creatures that decimate whole settlements in their path. There is nobility in his demeanor, and when he pivots, it is with purpose.

Even the shaman seems surprised my words have gained traction.

He tilts his head as he observes me. “What does it matter? You are free.” But even as he says that, he approaches again, glancing between me and the shaman before answering, his mouth forming a firm line. “But if you must know, I am Harok the Great,” he says with emphasis. “-of the Thunder Strike Clan.

“And there are no masters here.”

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Also by Celeste King

1. Murdok

2. Janice

3. Murdok

4. Janice

5. Murdok

6. Janice

7. Murdok

8. Janice

9. Murdok

10. Janice

11. Janice

12. Murdok

13. Murdok

14. Janice

15. Janice

16. Murdok

17. Janice

18. Murdok

19. Janice

20. Janice

21. Murdok

22. Janice

23. Murdok

24. Janice

25. Murdok

26. Murdok

27. Janice

28. Murdok

29. Janice

30. Murdok

Preview of Orc’s Queen

31. Geneva

32. Harok

33. Geneva