Page 4 of The Orc's Oath

Her voice seemed sterner now, her face blank. Perhaps this was the start of how humans mated? I had not impressed her enough to take her yet. My body was tense with craving. My heart battered my chest. I needed her. She would writhe underneath me as she conceded the mating fight and I claimed her. As her body wanted mine and…

"My name is Serena. I'm going to be your therapist."

"Orcs do not have therapy."

"Well, humans do and you are in a human prison on a human world."

Her tone was what a human guard had once told me was called sassy.

"Is this your challenge to me, Uk'lah? To learn the ways of humans?"

Her eyebrows twitched, and she studied my face for a moment.

"Yes. It's a… challenge."

"Humans are strange. But I will win this battle of therapy. For you. How do we start?"

I still believed that therapy was pointless, but if I was willing to destroy cities for my mate, I should be willing to do talking. However, it seemed much less fun.

Serena leaned back in her seat, dark hair curling around her neck. I wondered if she would like my hand there.

"Well. Tell me a bit about yourself."

"Ah. Bonding. I see. I would not do this for anyone but you, Uk'lah. Not this soon after meeting."

Her eyebrows twitched together again. But she remained impassive and waited quietly. She was a tough skull to crack.

"I was born of a lower family in my tribe. Small orcs who cooked for the fighters. It was my job as the biggest child to raise our family's standing. My father gifted me my first axe at age four. I took my first trial to become an adult at nine and killed a giant adult lion with it. I joined the fighters and worked my way up, proving myself in battle until I claimed leadership of a battalion and the red sash at age twenty."

I sat up straight as the pride in my achievements washed over me. I worked hard to get my sash. My Uk'lah's eyes had widened slightly. Was she impressed?

"That all seems very young to be… killing lions, fighting and becoming a leader."

"Yes. I am considered impressive in my tribe. Many orc women have tried to claim me."

"Well… yes, I'm sure they have…"

"I have been offered many mating fights."

"I'm sorry, mating fights?"

She looked confused again.

"You do know of the mating fight?"

"No, but please, tell me about it."

My mate didn't even know about the mating fight. My stomach sank. I would have to explain it to this small human. I'd assumed that the gods would match me with another orc if they honored me with a fate-bound mate. Tribe members had whispered tales of other races matched with orcs who ran from their mates when they learned about us. Orcs languishing alone, rejected. But honesty was an important and prized trait in my tribe. I would tell her of the mating fight. I hoped it would not frighten her away for good.

Chapter 4

Serena

The large, green orc looked almost sad for a moment. He watched me, forest green eyes seeming to assess me. There was a depth and intelligence there that I hadn't expected. I could see him thinking about everything I said. Absorbing it. A sense of being completely out of my depth was wiggling into my brain. I didn't understand anything he was doing or saying. We were in a dance that I didn't know the steps to. Cerys was right. I should have spoken to Heather about orcs first instead of rushing into this. Why don't I ever think before I act?

I'd spent my whole life being told to calm down. To think. To behave more like everyone else. And yet, here I was, again. Charging in.

Orzesh leaned forward, his eyes never leaving mine. My skin tingled. The scent of earth and rain swept over me.

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