Page 2 of Yuletide Orc

“There is nothing to be happy about.” He took another bounding step toward me. The only solace to be found in being inches away from Bikkar the Bonecrusher was that he had very limited space now in which to swing his battle axe. “So many have died.Toomany. And despite the agreement between my tribe and the Crown, you and yours still came here to spillmoreblood.”

I wanted it to be hard not to look at Bikkar’s axe. Or to not look him in his raging eyes. But the truth was I’d never been this close to him before without being in a fight with him.Talkingwas nearly as disorienting as my gaze, which wandered too much for a moment like this. Over his rippling muscles and tattoos, stopping briefly on the scar along his one eye. I’d given him that scar a year ago during one of our first encounters.

Bikkar was, to my sudden realization and rampant disgust, actually very handsome and breathtakingly powerful. And he was about to end my life. I was by no means the leader of my party, but my death would still send them a message.

“They’re running.”Bikkar’s words slammed into my mind, taking my breath with them.

My party didn’t need to be taught a lesson. They were already fleeing in fear.

“What are you going to do with me?” I hated how small my voice sounded. The betrayal of my party stung. Pain swept through my side, although it was less intense now. I still held one hand against my side, willing the skin to stitch and heal.

Time was running out. And my magic was running dry. I didn’t have much more left in me.

Bikkar hesitated. He covered it up by shifting his hulking form and grunting loudly, but the hesitationwasthere.

“Why waver now?” I prodded. “You finally have me caught. Well done, Bonecrusher.”

Bikkar growled so deep, the sound rumbled through me. I felt it slip down my spine with a straight shot to my core. That I found that growl even the slightest bit enticing shocked me so much, my mind cleared in an instant. “I should make an example of you.”

I could see it now, my path out of this. The window was closing, but Bikkar was distracted by his own thoughts or the weather or who the fuck knew what. “Yes, you really should. You let the others get away. Might as well kill the one frail human in your grasp.”

Bikkar’s nostrils flared. He roared and reached forward with one hand—definitely aiming to grab my throat—but I pushed it aside, already anticipating the attack. I grabbed beneath his arm and turned quick, using his momentum against him. But Bikkar was ahugebeast of an orc and my side seared with pain. I bit through it and, while not exactly throwing him to the ground, sent Bikkar teetering off-balance long enough to run.

I sprinted through the snow, taking care with every footstep not to slip, and made for the trees. It wouldn’t take Bikkar long to recover, and if he captured me a second time, I knew there’d be none of the mercy and hesitation he’d just shown me. Another roar bellowed through the forest, followed by heavy footfalls.

Fear stoked anew in my heart as it thumped against my chest. My lungs screamed, trying to keep up with the pace I wanted to maintain. All the while, my wounded side burned. I hadn’t healed it enough during the precious few moments in which Bikkar and I had exchanged words. I wouldn’t bleed out, but if I didn’t run fast enough and disappear, bleeding would be the least of my worries. There were other things in the woods just as dangerous as Bikkar the Bonecrusher.

Wolf song sounded in the distance as if to emphasize my point.

Bikkar’s heavy footfalls raged closer. I could almost hear his breath running ragged as he ran.

I jumped and grabbed a branch overhead, using it to swing myself through the air to another tree. It had better branches for climbing and a much taller trunk. And while I was more than sure Bikkar’s strength would make quick work of the tree, maybe I could buy myself a few moments to catch my breath. To think through my options. I couldn’t keep up this dashing pace forever. Caiburn, where my party’s benefactor had hired us, was still two miles away. There was nothing but Bikkar and I and trees between here and there.

I landed harshly on the second tree. Pain torched a hot path up my side so bright, I saw stars. I ground my teeth against it all and went to climb up, but just as my hand reached a higher handhold, Bikkar roared. His footfalls stopped, which was because Bikkar had leapt. His large, green hand wrapped around one of my ankles and pulled downhard. A yelp escaped my lips as he dragged me out of the tree. His free arm wrapped around me—dwarfing my body against his—and held me in place. Adrenaline sped through my veins. I struggled against him, but with my side screaming and Bikkar’s powerful hold on me, I wasn’t going anywhere.

“I didn’t consider you a coward like the others,” Bikkar snapped. “You’ve always faced me head-on. It’s not like I’m a hell-wolf or something.”

“Fuck you!”

I pushed my hands against the one arm he had wrapped around my middle. His long, strong fingers were splayed against my good side. They were warm, especially considering snow still fell around us, and I’d be lying if I said I hated it. In the heat of battle, I’d forgotten how cold it was outside. Bikkar’s whole bodywas as warm as a bonfire and, despite the danger involved in doing so, I found myself wanting to curl up against him.

Bikkar firmed up his grip around me. His fingers dug into my side as he leaned in against my ear. “Stop struggling. You’re not getting away from me again.” His breath was warm, his voice in my ear disarming. His touch around my body sent excited shivers down my spine.

Whywas I finding this very moment the perfect time to suddenly find Bikkar attractive? My stomach churned. This was insane.

But I knew. It’d been so very long since someone had held me like this—intent and context notwithstanding—and bodies were traitors like that.

“Do you want me to fight or give in?” I spat. “Make up your damn mind.”

Bikkar growled. I took the opening to kick up, slamming my feet flat against the tree trunk in front of us, and whispered as large a spell for strength as I could muster in my tired state. Which was to say, it wasn’t powerful at all. But it gave me just enough leverage to push us both backward.

Bikkar landed hard, me on top of him, but the plan hadn’t worked exactly as I’d wanted. Instead of opening a window for a potentially loosened grip around my middle, Bikkar held on tighter. I was now as pressed against him as I could be thanks to gravity.

He grunted and turned us over so my cheeks pressed against snow and the weight of him held me in place. I had no hope of escape, but there was a part of me that I couldn’t ignore thatlikedbeing captured like his.

My friends had betrayed me first. Now my body and mind.

For fuck’s sake.

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