Page 31 of The Orc's Bride

It didn’t matter. If she thought he would let her go now, she was out of her mind.

And when he got his claws on her, she would give him answers. Finally. Urgan was done playing. He was done waiting.

His fury fueled him, and he shot past trees, getting nearer.

He wanted to wrap his fingers around Una’s lying throat and squeeze the truth out of her. Make her choke on all the lies she had told him.

He was close now. So close he could smell her, a faint waft of herbs and female musk over the water.

So close he could hear her stop walking…

And scream.

The world went white at the edges of Urgan’s vision. Because just as his ears registered the terrified, broken scream, his nostrils picked up another scent.

Ragghit.

Urgan ran faster, pure adrenaline fueling his body. He was in full warrior mode, uncaring about anything. Only one thought remained in his skull.

Slay his enemies.

Chapter 12

Una

Iwalked along the riverbank first, pretending I wanted to do my business or get cleaned up. No one paid me any attention when I was leaving. They were all wrapped up in the sense of security that came from knowing the ragghits weren’t chasing us.

After I’d walked far enough, I took off my shoes and stepped in the river. The current was slow and lazy, the water shallow and not too cold. I picked up the pace, worried about the pursuit. When would they realize I was gone?

But no one seemed to be after me. Excitement bubbled in my belly. I really did it! I outsmarted the orcs and was on my way to freedom! I wouldn’t have to spend my life living among the orcs as a servant – or a slave…

I focused all my attention on the excitement, doing my best to ignore the painful stab of disappointment.

I would never see Urgan again.

But it was for the best. Of course it was. As soon as I found my way back into some human company, I would shake off these bizarre feelings and desires. Of course I would.

I’d never been good at lying to myself.

My steps slowed down a bit. Why wasn’t Urgan after me? Had something happened to him? I listened hard for the sounds of pursuit, but there was only the susurration of flowing water and the wind rustling in the trees.

I clenched my fists and forced my legs to go faster. Now wasn’t the time to hesitate. If I went back, I’d never get another chance to get away. And I would end up either in a lifelong servitude to some orcs, or ripped in half, left alone to bleed out in the street. Just like my mother.

There was a crunch in the undergrowth, and I stopped, my heart beating fast. Was it Urgan…?

And that was when I realized I couldn’t hear any birds singing. The only sounds I could hear where those of the river and the wind. All living things were silent.

Eerily silent.

A creature emerged from the gloom under the trees: an elk, its body stripped of fur, its eyes gleaming red. I was rooted to the ground, my knees locked in terror. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

The beast made a step towards me, baring its teeth that were sticking out of bloody gums. The scream that I was choking on finally made it past my constricted throat.

I screamed.

The elk shook its head like it was trying to chase away a pesky fly. It made another step in my direction, its mad eyes boring into mine. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My scream ended when I ran out of air and I couldn’t draw in more.

So much for not cowering in fear, a snarky voice in my head said. I’d been pushing myself so hard to suppress fear, to hide it, to act in spite of it… And yet here I was. Rooted to the spot.

---