Page 38 of Fated to the Orc

And then the alarm goes off.

A screeching wail that instantly makes my heart jump into my throat. Red lights strobe across the ceiling.

“Facility breach. Facility breach. Facility breach.”

I spring to my feet. The door to my cell remains sealed, but I hear movement in the hallway. Boots thudding. Frantic shouting.

And then a distant explosion.

My heart leaps into my throat.

Varkul!

Gods, ithasto be him.

I rush to the door of my cell, pressing my hands against the cold metal. “Come on,” I shout. “Come on — please!”

Gunfire erupts down the hall. The lights flicker. The floor shudders beneath my feet. What the hell is going on? Is a T-Rex tearing this place apart?

I glance around the room, looking for anything I can use to break down the door. A piece of my bed frame, or the steel tray from my last meal perhaps, but I have nothing that’ll do the job.

Through the small window in my cell door I see a guard, his rifle drawn.

And then — a massive green fist slams into him, sending him crumpling like a ragdoll.

I back away. The door to my cell is torn from its hinges and the figure that steps into my room is eight feet tall, has green skin streaked with ash and blood, and eyes of molten gold.

“Varkul!”

My knees nearly buckle.He came for me!

The orc is breathing hard, sweat glistening on his bare chest, blood and soot streaks across his frame, but his eyes lock onto mine and in that moment I know I am perfectly safe.

He crosses the room in a single step and pulls me into his arms. I grip him tightly, wrapping my entire body around his.

“You came!”

“I said I would.” He pulls back and touches my cheek. “Did they hurt you?”

“No,” I say. “Not physically.”

He snarls, his eyes burning. “Dr. Kelly will pay for this.”

Gunfire rattles down the hall. Varkul glances over his shoulder. “We need to move.”

The orc lifts me into his arms like I weigh nothing. “I have you now,” he says. “No one will ever take you from me again.

He carries me through the door, past the fallen guard, into smoke, fire, and chaos.

But in his arms, I don’t feel fear.

I feel free.

Varkul

The entire facilityburns.

Sparks rain from broken fixtures. Sirens wail like dying animals. The stretch of smoke, blood, and scorched metal fills the air.

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