Page 6 of Tempted By the Orc

I froze.

Santa? My mind raced. I hadn’t expected that. How was she connected to Santa Claus and the Dark King? Two names that held significant weight, especially here in the northern territories. One a figure of joy and hope; the other a ruler whose rise to power had spread fear across the land.

My eyes narrowed as I studied her. She was hiding more than I thought, and whatever it was, it could be dangerous. Mentioning Santa and the Dark King in the same breath? That wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be.

I should wake her up. I should press her, demand to know why she was really in the forest, who she was running from, and what kind of trouble she was in. But I didn’t.

Something stopped me.

I stared at her for a long moment, torn between my need for answers and something else—a strange protectiveness I hadn’t expected. I’d been avoiding thinking about it, pushing it down, but it was getting harder to ignore. The longer she stayed here, the more I felt drawn to her. It wasn’t just her beauty, though I couldn’t deny she was breathtaking. It was something deeper. Her presence was comforting in a way Ididn’t understand, but it also stirred things inside me I wasn’t used to feeling.

I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away. I didn’t need to get involved in her problems. Whatever she was running from, it wasn’t my concern. I didn’t need trouble with the Dark King, especially not now, with Cupid missing and the clock ticking down.

The storm was brutal, and conditions outside were harsh, but I had to find the reindeer. If I didn’t, I risked losing more than my job. Azrael would notice Cupid’s absence sooner or later, and if he found out it was my fault...no, I wouldn’t let it come to that.

I stood, my decision made. I would go out again and search. I had to. Even if part of me wanted to stay here, by the fire, keeping watch over Rue. Even if her presence tugged at me in ways I couldn’t describe.

As I strapped on my gear, trying to focus on the task at hand, Rue stirred again—this time, her eyes fluttered open. They were bleary with sleep but filled with confusion, and when she saw me standing there, pulling on my boots, she sat up abruptly.

“Where are you going?” Her voice was laced with concern, and that caught me off guard.

“I told you—one of my reindeer is missing. I need to find him,” I said, keeping my voice steady. I didn’t want to explain any more than that. She didn’t need to know the details. She didn’t need to get involved.

She frowned, glancing out the window at the snow still battering the cabin. “He hasn’t returned yet on his own?

“No,” I said in a low voice, lowering my gaze. “I must get to him, and soon. You need to stay here and rest.”

She shook her head, her long chestnut locks swirling around her shoulders, already moving to throw off the blankets. “I’ll come with you.”

I turned, my brows knitting together as I stared her down. “You can barely stand, let alone walk through a snowstorm. You’re staying here.”

“I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing,” she argued, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She winced slightly, but there was an unmistakable fire in her eyes. “I’m good with animals. You shouldn’t go out alone. I can help.”

I sighed, trying to tamp down my frustration. She was too stubborn for her own good. “You don’t have a choice. Your ankle’s still healing. If you go out there, you’ll only slow me down.”

She glared at me, crossing her arms defiantly. “You don’t understand. I care about the reindeer. I don’t want anything to happen to it.”

Her words surprised me, and I felt a tug of something in my chest that I hadn’t expected. Concern for the reindeer? That wasn’t what I’d expected from her, not after all the secrecy and evasiveness. She was hiding something, I knew that, but her concern for the animal seemed genuine.

It was...endearing.

I pushed the thought away, my voice softening. “It’s too dangerous for you out there, Rue. I can’t let you come with me.”

Her gaze met mine, and for a moment, I saw something vulnerable in her expression. “I don’t want you to go alone, either.”

I swallowed hard, caught off guard by her words. No one had ever said that to me before. No one had ever worried about me in such a way. Most people feared me, avoided me. Orcsweren’t exactly the type to inspire trust or care. But she...she didn’t seem afraid of me. Not anymore. Her concern was real, and I felt a pang in my heart I didn’t know how to deal with.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, more softly this time. “But please, I need you to stay here.”

She opened her mouth to argue again, but I held up a hand. “Promise me you won’t leave the cabin. If you go out there, you won’t make it far. The storm’s getting worse.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but after a moment, she nodded. “Fine. I promise.”

I didn’t trust the way she said it, but I didn’t have time to argue. I couldn’t afford to lose any more daylight. I had to find Cupid. But as I moved toward the door, something inside me twisted painfully at the thought of leaving her behind.

What if I came back and she was gone? What if she didn’t listen and went out into the storm?

The thought unsettled me more than it should have. I wasn’t used to worrying about anyone but myself. My life had been built around solitude and duty—around the harsh realities of what it meant to be an Orc in a world that feared and rejected my kind. I had always kept to myself, never letting anyone get too close. That was the safest way.

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