Page 57 of Summoning the Orc

“Chief Rok?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he looked over my clothing. I was still wearing one of the suits that my female loved. “Is that you?”

Fury filled me at everything—the fact that I’d been snatched away from my mate, the damn witch for taking me in the first place, and now these males who stood inside my stronghold when I just needed to find a way to go back. I threw my head back, howling a loud battle cry and the males raised their weapons again, their eyes widening in fear.

You should be afraid you filthy thieves.

I barrelled forward, aiming for Krusk—the most pressing threat—and ducking under his raised axe with the finesse of a well-seasoned male. The notches on my tusks had almost fully covered each while these three only had notches for the hunts and battles they’d accompanied me on. I slammed into Krusk, not bothering to grab a weapon.

My bare hands would do.

We fell to the floor with a loud crash, the mess that they’d spread all over my floor cushioning the male. I pulled away and slammed my fist into his face. He grunted, his head turning with the blow, his jaw taking the brunt.

“Krusk!” the second oldest, Savla, yelled. “Brother!” He tried to pull me off, only succeeding in snagging my arm before I plowed my fist into Krusk’s face again. I used my elbow, shoving it backward into the second male’s stomach.

A wheezing breath left him as he crumpled to the floor, releasing my arm. I pulled my fist back to hit Krusk again where he was staring up at me in horror, when I felt a sharp pain to the back of my head. The blow had me slumping forward, my vision blurring for a long moment before I stood, turning to face thethreat behind me.

The youngest male—Enka—stood behind me, holding the decorative crystal my mother had gifted me, for when I found my mate, in his hands, his eyes wide with horror. “Chief Rok—” he started, accurately gauging the intent for murder in my eyes, but Krusk rose as well, hurrying to stand in front of him, slamming his fist against his chest and dropping to one knee in supplication.

Enka followed in kind and Savla staggered to his feet, his wheezing breaths loud in the quiet of the cave as he mirrored his brothers.

“Chief Rok, please forgive us,” Krusk said in a low voice. “When we arrived two weeks ago for our usual winter hunt with you, we found your cave empty and another tribe trying to take your land. We decided to stay and defend it for you.”

“And you weren’t trying to steal what’s mine?” I snarled, looking around at where my weapons and jewels were spread on my bed as if they’d dug through them.

“W-we were just looking, I swear,” Enka called, peeking up at me before ducking his gaze again. “We’re loyal to you, Chief Rok.”

My ire was dying a fast death, as I realized that while they’d made a huge mess, it didn’t seem like anything was missing. I surveyed the three males—scrubbing my palm across my mouth as a plan formed in my head.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Rok

“This is a terrible idea,” Enka hissed to Krusk, but the male shushed him.

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a large satchel, opening the carved box that I’d sealed behind my bed. The loud gasp behind me told me the males had spotted what was inside.

My horde.

Dragon gold was the most precious metal to come by, but I was the proud owner of a treasure trove of it. I filled my satchel, adding the crystal and two gold rings that my mother had left at the top of the pile for me—before turning and narrowing my eyes. I’d left a sizeable portion in the box. The three males were gathered behind me, picking through my weapons to find what would suit them.

“If you agree to join me,” I told them with narrowed eyes, “this is yours.” I gestured to the gold left in the box and their jaws dropped.

“That much?” Krusk asked, and I nodded, knowing that it was more gold than these males would earn in dozens of battles, but they needed it more than I did in this plane, and if they could help me to find the warlocks in their hidden stronghold, they would have more than earned their keep.

Savla shook his head, the usually quiet male narrowing his gaze at me. “Why is it so important that you return to wherever you came from?”

My frustration was welling, but I shoved it back, knowing I would need them on my side. They deserved an answer. “I need to return to my mate.”

Three pairs of eyes widened with surprise, their backs straightening with interest. “Your mate?” Krusk asked, leaning forward. “You’ve found her?”

I nodded, my heart aching at the thought of her alone and not knowing where I’d gone. “She summoned me to her plane, but I was sent back by a witch,” I explained, my lip curling at the wordwitch.

They all hissed as well and Enka went so far as to spit to the side, warding off dark magic. “Then why would you seek out the warlocks?” Krusk asked, shaking his head. “You can’t trust them.”

I heaved a weary breath, nodding. “I know, but I have no way back. If I give them enough gold, I’m certain they can open a portal for me to return to her,” I said, scrubbing my palm across my face. “I have no other options.”

Enka glanced at his older brothers before looking back to me. “I… I know someone who can help you,” he started and Krusk barked out a reprimand, stopping him from speaking.

I grabbed Enka by the leather straps he’d taken from my collection, tugging him closer toward me. His brothers looked on with worry, but they didn’t bother to stop me. “Who?” I demanded, but Enka looked at Krusk for permission.

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