Page 4 of Orc’s Promise (Knotty Monsters #3)

CHAPTER FOUR

TANSEY

A fter a week living among the orcs, I’ve come to realize they are much like humans and very different at the same time.

Respect for women exists here, even from the hulking monster Baloq, who keeps me in his chambers like a pet but hasn’t touched me.

Though I don’t think that’s out of respect for me. He has orders not to touch me.

Orders I remind him of often enough.

Every morning, he brings me food, clothing, towels, and a basin to wash.

During the day, while he performs his duties, he locks me inside his quarters.

An eight-by-eight-foot cave with a low ceiling, stone walls, two light discs, and no windows.

It reminds me of prison, except there’s no toilet in here.

For that, he escorts me before he leaves and when he returns.

Then we go outside, among his people. My chance to breathe fresh air and exercise.

Again, much like prison. Though I must admit the scenery is beautiful here. No cement walls. No barbed wire.

Just orcs everywhere. Though I wouldn’t call them beautiful, they are muscular, fit, and impressive with their knives, swords, harnesses, and loincloths.

“You’ve been well-behaved this week, mate,” Baloq says as he leads me to one of the many campfires that dot the base of the mountain.

As with every other night, he picks a fire with no people around it.

He doesn’t want them near me. They watch us from nearby, but that doesn’t mean they want to meet the new human captives, so no chance to ask them for help.

Even if I spoke their language, which I don’t.

A familiar shiver moves through me, similar to that sensation outside New Earth before their neld, Verig, confronted me. I’m being watched, I’m sure of it. I’d like to dismiss the feeling as paranoia, but I’ve already lived my worst nightmare. Fuck that, I’m still living it.

Baloq has no intention of releasing me. He thinks I will submit to his wishes. Consent and give myself to him, in time.

There’s no chance in hell of that happening.

My eyes scan the crowd. Verig’s leaning against a tree.

Not hidden, but not standing among his people, either.

He’s watching me in the open. It’s not the first time.

Every time Baloq escorts me outside, I sense Verig’s eyes on me.

Always watching, like Baloq. Only I don’t shiver when I see Verig.

At least not in a way that makes my stomach clench in fear.

My anxiety level spikes when I don’t see him. It’s bad enough I have to worry about Baloq and when he’ll finally decide to disobey orders, but I find myself fantasizing about Verig when my focus should be on escaping.

Verig’s lower lip curls down, flashing me his tusks. A shiver travels right to my core. I wonder how he’d use his tusks on me.

Fuck! What am I doing?

I’m a fool, tempting fate. I need to get away from these orcs, Verig included. First, Baloq. And soon. He’s not going to be patient much longer .

In prison, the male guards often stared at me. Fortunately, they never touched me. I allied myself with the right prisoners and cleaned their toilets every day in return for protection from the guards. Worth every disgusting minute.

Here, I have no one to trade favors with. No way to keep Baloq from touching me.

All I have is what Verig said. That I’m not to be taken against my will. I remind Baloq about this. Daily. Sometimes two or three times a day.

Baloq’s hand moves down my back, skimming along my thin dress. I wish I’d traded in my full-length sundress for the leather sheath dress he offered the night we arrived at Mount Racha. Wearing the thick animal skin, I wouldn’t feel his hands on me.

“Stop touching me,” I snap. “Your neld said you can’t mate me against my will.”

“He didn’t say I can’t touch you.” Baloq’s hand moves up the back and locks around my neck like a dog collar.

My skin crawls. Despite being in the fresh air, I can’t breathe when he’s touching me.

I fling his arm aside and search for Verig.

He’s moved closer, though not much. He’s sitting around a fire with three other unmated orcs, unconcerned that Baloq is touching me.

Green eyes find me, and he bares his tusks at me.

I shudder, unsure if he’s threatening me or…fuck, flirting. I cannot read these orc’s expressions.

I wish the orcs’ king, their grak, would approach so I could ask him how the hell I can get away from Baloq and be placed with another male. Any other male, even Verig. I suck in air. No, not Verig. The way he watches me tells me he’s as dangerous as Baloq. Perhaps more.

Not that I want any of these orcs. My only goal is to find a way out of here.

We’re a full day’s ride from New Earth, through dangerous territory, most of which is patrolled by orcs.

Their horses, called gorjas, run faster than any thoroughbred back home.

On foot, I’m guessing it would take me at least a week to return to New Earth.

If I knew how to get there. Much of the ride here was pitch black, not that it stopped Baloq or his gorja.

They have better night vision than humans.

I fast-walk away from Baloq, hoping he’ll give me some breathing space, literally, but like a guard escorting a prisoner to the infirmary, he follows me, maintaining a three-foot distance at all times.

None of the other human women out here are that closely guarded by any of the orcs.

Does that mean they’ve accepted a new fate and want to be here, or that the orcs they’re with give them more freedom?

They’re sitting together by the fires, eating and talking amongst themselves in whispers. I make eye contact with several of them, women I know from my two months in New Earth, before the night the orcs kidnapped us. Not a single woman calls me over or says a word to me.

I see the fear on their faces now. They don’t want to be here any more than I do. Perhaps they’ve already…mated.

I don’t approach them, since I’m sure nothing good would come of it.

Baloq has warned me to stay away from the others, human and orc alike.

If I defy him, I’ll jeopardize my exercise period.

This is my time to soak in the sunshine, breathe fresh air, and stretch my legs before returning to solitary.

Baloq doesn’t stop me from exploring the area at the base of the mountain.

I wander from one area to the next, examining the cooking tables, tanning frames, and especially the weapons repair area.

The first chance I get, I’m going to pilfer a weapon.

A knife will be easy to hide on my person.

Baloq locks his weapons in a trunk each evening before he lies down beside me in bed.

Hours and hours, I lie awake, not moving for fear Baloq will do more than touch if I don’t remain alert.

Despite all the workstations at the base of the mountain, it’s what’s missing that stands out most. Women and children. There aren’t many orc females here compared to the number of men. And only a handful of kids. It confirms why they took us. To breed.

I don’t know how many women the orcs took the night I was kidnapped. I’ve counted a maximum of nine out here each night, but I suspect there are more beneath the mountain.

Occasionally, I hear crying in the tunnels, but sound echoes and bounces around down there, making it impossible to know from which branch the crying is coming. Not that my beast of a guard would allow me out of his sight to investigate.

We’ve wandered far from camp, through the woods, when I realize I’m safer with other people around, so I turn around and head back. Except I didn’t mark my path. I could ask my green shadow, but that means talking to him, which I avoid at all costs.

A tingle moves down my spine, as if I’m being watched by more than Baloq.

I hasten my pace, hoping I’m headed in the right direction. It’s too easy to get twisted around beneath the canopy of trees that blocks out much of the sun.

I slam to a halt when I hear a snorting sound.

“Gorjas,” Baloq explains. “Their pen is to the right.”

I turn right and see a set of bright green eyes watching me. Verig. He doesn’t even bother hiding.

He watches me as much as Baloq, but he hasn’t approached me since the day I was kidnapped. Why?

Or rather, why do I care?

I don’t. I care about nothing and no one. Only returning to my Ethan.

I hope he’s not crying himself to sleep without me.

Stop this. He’s fine. Mary will take good care of him.

A chill races down my spine, but not the creepy type as when Baloq curls around me at night and I lie awake, wondering when he’ll progress from grinding against me to…more.

I shudder visibly. Seconds later, Verig is standing before me, his eyes locked on mine and the ridges on his brow scrunched together. Concern?

Baloq growls from behind me.

“Can you get him away from me permanently, Neld?” I ask quickly, before Baloq warns him off.

“Let me be with the other human women? Or at least choose another…” I can’t call Baloq ‘mate’ because that would signify I’ve given in to this horrific situation, and I’ll never do that.

“Guard,” I finally finish, because that’s all he is to me.

“Guard? What are you talking about, female? You chose to live with Baloq, in his quarters.”

“ His choice. Not mine. He never lets me go near anyone else, and he locks me in when he leaves to perform his duties.”

Verig’s nostrils flare. Rage fills his face so quickly that I step back.

Before I can say more, he bounds toward Baloq, his hand on one of the many knives he wears strapped across his chest. Orcan words fly at a rapid pace, the males’ voices rising to the point that I’m sure a fight’s about to break out between the two.