Page 32 of X’nath (Dark Orcs of Helfallow)

32

Chapter: Chasing the Unreachable

X’NATH

I t had been days since she barged her way into my home and we shared something neither of us had expected—though both of us knew was inevitable. And now, she was running from me.

I could feel it in every hesitant glance, every inch of distance she put between us. Gracie, the one who had put down her walls while I was inside of her, worshiping her the way she deserved, had become something else—a new challenge I planned to conquer and permanently bring home as my prize.

It was a matter of time. Our initial push and pull was unsure, new territory for both of us. But the last move was hers. She came to me and brought herself into a predator’s den, pretending she was unaware of the situation she put herself in. I knew she secretly wanted it. She wanted me to prove to her if my desires were true.

And I did. We both did, for the rest of the night. I never let her up for air, making sure her waking hours would be haunted by my touches, by the way I made her scream in pleasure.

She had let me in, even if only for a moment. The real Gracie was something much more precious than I could have imagined. I was honored to have been chosen, to hold such a treasure within my grasp. Now, it seemed she was retreating, pulling back into the shell she'd built for herself.

She wasn’t going to get away this time. Not when I was this close to breaking through.

This was a game, and it was one I planned to win. She had let me close once, I could easily make her do it again. The thrill of the chase, the tension in the air between us—it sparked something in me. Her resistance was almost as intoxicating as her acceptance.

I watched her quietly tend to my wound every day, her hands delicate as she wrapped the bandage, the softness in her touch a stark contrast to the fire in her eyes that night. Her eyes would flicker to mine, and then she would turn away, as if afraid of what she saw there. There was nothing to fear from me—not anymore.

My wound was healing well, but it wasn’t just my body that needed mending. I could feel the tension between us now more than ever—thick and suffocating. I knew she was scared, that she had closed herself off from me because of the intensity in which we came together. But she couldn’t deny it forever.

The other men noticed, of course. They always did. They were amused, teasing, their banter growing louder with each passing day. I could hear their laughter as I made my way through the village, following the faint scent of her presence like a beast on the hunt. They knew what was happening. They’d seen the change in her, and they witnessed me prowling after her now. My blood burned with frustration and desire.

“X’nath, chasing shadows again?” Murag called from his place near the forge, his voice carrying across the village. “Better be careful, she’s a slippery one. You might just find yourself on your back again.”

I shot him a glare, but his grin never faltered. Damn him, and damn all of them. They had no idea what it was like to want someone so badly, only to have them retreat further with every step you take forward.

I followed Gracie’s trail, passing by the familiar places where she used to linger—near the training grounds, by the communal fire pit. She wasn’t here today. No, today she had chosen to hide, teasing me to find her.

My feet carried me to her home. The door was slightly ajar, just enough for me to slip through without making a sound. I stepped inside, my eyes scanning the dimly lit room. She wasn’t there.

I let out a low growl of frustration, the familiar potent scent of her lingering in the air. She had been here. She always came here when she didn’t want to be seen. So why wasn’t she now?

Stepping out of her home, I made my way toward the second location she frequented, the lake. A prisoner of not just her mind but her routine, I spotted her immediately. She was standing there, her back to me, her body tense, like she was waiting for something.

Another few steps toward her and I could feel the shift in the air, the subtle pull that told me she was aware of me, even though she hadn’t yet turned.

A few more steps and my body tensed in preparation. As anticipated, I saw it—the flash of movement as she spun on her heel and broke into a run.

A wide grin stretched across my face.

My instincts kicked in immediately. The chase was on, and I wasn’t about to let her slip away—not this time. She knew it. I could almost feel her anticipating it, daring me to follow. Another test, just like always. Gracie had a way of pushing me, testing my limits, seeing how far she could go before I’d snap. She loved these tests, loved seeing if I’d break under the weight of her resistance. She thought she was challenging me, pushing me to the edge of what she assumed any other male would tolerate. But what she didn’t realize was that I wasn’t like them. She was already mine.

I pushed my legs harder, the distance between us closing quickly as I followed her through the tall grasses and the thick trees to the east of the lake. She was fast, but I was faster. I could hear her breath quickening, the sound of her footsteps crunching against the ground, but I was closing in on her, step by step, my mouth watering.

She darted between the trees, moving with the grace of someone who was used to running away from something. Was this how she ended up on the ship to begin with, I wondered? Was there a male in her past she was trying to escape? The thought made my blood boil. No one was worthy of such a prize.

No one, but me.

My heart pounded in my chest, not from exertion, but from the thrill of our little game.

I called out, but she didn’t slow. “Gracie!” My voice was louder now, louder than I’d meant it to be, but I didn’t care.

Her silhouette was barely visible through the trees, but I could hear her—her breathing, her hurried steps—and I was gaining.

When I reached her, she tried to sidestep, but I was too close. With one swift movement, I caught her arm and yanked her back against my chest, holding her firmly in place. Her breath hitched as she struggled against me, rubbing her decadent curves against my hard cock.

“ Lak’osh, why do you keep running?” I demanded, my voice rough, but the question was as much for myself as it was for her. I needed her to voice it outloud, to rationalize this nonsense.

She was trembling in my arms, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. I could feel her heart racing against mine, a sign that she was just as affected by this as I was.

“Let go of me,” she snapped, her voice edged with panic, but I didn’t loosen my grip. Not yet.

“No,” I said, my voice low, my hands tightening around her to make sure she felt me. “Not until you stop running from this.”

She twisted in my arms, her face flushed with frustration and something else I couldn’t quite place. She wasn’t afraid of me. But there was something in her that was terrified, something deeper, something she wouldn’t face.

Did she realize how achingly beautiful she was, even like this?

“I’m not going to hurt you, lak’osh ,” I said, walking her back until she hit a tree. Placing one of my arms above her, I caged her in, the way I knew she secretly enjoyed. What was it about this little, fierce female? She was more complicated than the weather patterns, more mysterious than the gods.

“It’s not that, X’nath. I?—”

I grabbed her chin and slammed my lips on her. This human custom of “kissing” had grown on me. After much discussion with the other mated men, they explained to me the varying techniques one could duel with their partners. I planned to explore them all if Gracie would just stop running from me.

In an instant, it was as if that intimate night came crashing back. Her body submitted easily, her tongue sweeping inside my mouth. We both found ourselves lost in our hunger for one another. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. She shoved my chest and slipped beneath my arm, retreated from me with wary eyes.

“Is this what you want from me?” I asked, gesturing to my angry, engorged cock. “Because if your plan is to torture me for some sort of sick, twisted pleasure of yours, it’s working.”

She didn’t speak, but I saw the confusion in her eyes, the war raging behind them. She wanted to push me away, but she also wanted something more. I could feel it. She stood there, paralyzed by it.

I approached her slowly, like a hunter closing in on wounded prey, knowing she was ready to bolt at any moment.

“ Lak’osh, you ache for me. I can s mell it,” I growled, desperate to relieve her, desperate to relieve us both. Why was she torturing us?

Her pupils dilated and her breath hitched. I watched the rise of fall of her chest, the way her skin flushed in an alluring shade of red the closer I came to her.

“Please,” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears I couldn’t understand.

The moment my foot moved, she bolted again. But with a swift leap, I caught her, and we both tumbled to the ground. She fought, scratching and clawing, but her struggle felt half-hearted, more about convincing herself she was resisting than actually trying to escape.

“I can’t, X’nath. I can’t do this with you,” she sobbed and my protective instincts kicked in.

This wasn’t about her words, no. There was something underlying, something she wasn’t saying truthfully. She continued to claw and I grabbed her hands, locking them above her head and trailed the tip of my nose across her soft skin until she caught her breath.

“X’nath,” she said with a trembling voice. “I-I’m broken. Can’t you see that?”

I scoffed, refusing to listen to her lies. She was a warrior. A goddess. No, she wasn’t broken, far from it. I may be a simple warrior, but I wasn’t as stupid as she thought me to be.

I knew where this was coming from, and the voice was never hers. I leaned in, locking my gaze with hers, forcing her to focus on me.

The moment she did, I snarled, “Who did this to you?”