Page 3 of Orc's Mate

Birgid slunk in last, her face wreathed with innocence.

“She killed him,” she bellowed, and the accusation was echoed by the others.

Murderer.

Fiend.

She must be punished for what she’s done to that poor, poor soul who only showed her kindness.

Fear constricted my throat, denying me the wind to utter even one word in my defense. I doubted they’d listen even if I could find the will to speak. They’d convicted me already, and soon, they’d make sure I paid the final price.

While Birgid released a subtle smile, the others stomped toward me, each face twisted with anger, their hands lifted to form claws. The walls I’d trusted to protect me were crumbling, exposing the darkness lurking inside those Zur and I had called our friends and neighbors.

I rose to my shaky feet and the knife slipped from my grip, clattering on the wooden floorboards.

Spinning, I hobbled out the door and moved as quickly as I could down the street.

The open front gate loomed not far ahead. Two women stood just inside, their families clinging to them, pleading for someone to intervene.

They’d been chosen for the Monster Mate Hunt.

While villagers screamed for my capture behind me, I somehow found the strength to outdistance them.

I rushed toward the young women, grabbing a bag from one of them as I passed. With my lungs on fire, I rushed to the open fortress door.

“I’ll take the place of one of you,” I called out as I slipped through the opening and hurried across the big open field between the fortress walls and the looming forest.

The voices grew in volume behind me but for the first time, they couldn’t do a thing to cause me harm. They might wish to capture and punish me, but no one would dare leave the village now that the sun had set.

“Run, murderess,” Birgid called out from the top of the wall. “Run fast and far, and never come back or we’ll make you pay.”

I sent her a glare, but it felt weak and useless—like me.

With my pulse thundering in my ears, I slipped among the trees.

If the shaydes didn’t get me, I’d soon be claimed as an orc’s bride.

Chapter2

Odik

Icrouched high in the trees on a thick branch, waiting for the fortress gate to open and gift two fortunate orcs with mates. Around me, other males from my Zephyr Clan and four to five males from each of the other five clans also waited.

Clutching my pendant, I sent the fates a wish.Let her be one of them.

The others talked, keeping their voices low, but they must’ve been asking the fates for the same thing.

“For five years, I’ve come to the hunt hoping to find a mate,” one whispered. “For five years, my clan’s pendant has not gifted me with the one I will adore until my dying day.”

Drabass, a male from my clan, sighed. “It’s the shaydes’ fault. If they hadn’t killed most of our precious females, we wouldn’t need to come here and essentially beg the humans to reluctantly give women to us.” A snarl ripped up his throat. “We should kill every shayde until none still survive.”

“Then we’d never be gifted by a mate,” another clansmale and my good friend, Trilden, said from beside me.

“I lost a mother. A sister. A wife,” someone else said sadly. “Killing all the shaydes won’t replace them.”

“Nothing will replace those we lost,” I said. There wasn’t one orc who hadn’t suffered after the shaydes attacked our clans at the same time five years ago.

“If the shaydes are no longer a threat, the humans won’t beg for our protection.” Trilden said. “They’ll dissolve our treaty. They’ll stop sending out two females each year for us to hunt as mates. In fact—”

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