Page 57 of Falling for the Grumpy Orc
This can’t be happening. Not after everything.
Then something shifts, the air, the energy. There's a prickle at the nape of my neck, a deep, gut-felt instinct screaming that we're not alone.
Gerralt stiffens beside me, his broad back going rigid. I see his nostrils flare, his sharp amber eyes narrowing toward the large bay window. Every muscle in his body coils tight, a predator scenting its prey.
Something's out there.
“Stay inside,” he growls, his voice so firm, so final, that I don’t even think to argue.
Before I can ask what’s wrong, he’s already moving, launching toward the door with a speed that seems impossible for a man his size. The floorboards groan under his weight as he barrels out onto the porch. I barely have time to process the sudden void where he was before his voice explodes into the night.
“HEY!” His roar shakes the air like rolling thunder.
I rush forward, my bare feet splashing through frigid water, and slam my hands against the doorframe just in time to see a shadow dart toward the tree line.
Someone was here, watching us.
And Gerralt is chasing them down.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gerralt
Thesnapoftwigsand rustle of leaves electrifies my senses. Someone's running. Fast.
I burst forward into the darkness, my boots pounding against the damp earth. The damp forest ground gives slightly beneath each step, but I barely notice as I charge ahead like a freight train. My muscles coil and release with each stride, my breath coming in controlled bursts as I scan the shadows.
The lodge's outdoor lights barely penetrate the darkness at this distance, but my eyes adjust quickly. There. Movementnear the tree line. A hunched figure sprints toward a black pickup truck parked just off the gravel drive, its outline barely visible in the moonlight.
Then I catch it. Another shadow peeling away in the opposite direction, vanishing into the dense woods that border the eastern edge of Cassidy's property.
Shit. Two of them.
My mind works fast, calculating. The one heading for the truck has a better chance of escaping. He's the one I need to catch.
I push harder, my powerful strides eating up the distance between us. My orc ancestors run through my veins with me as I sprint toward my enemy, as full of savagery now as it was in the Old days. As I get closer, I see the shape of the intruder, the reflection of tusks under the faint light. I recognize the burly frame of one of my kind.
He’s big, but I’m bigger. I’m bigger and I am fueled by my desire to protect my mate at all costs. No, not my desire. My need.
The orc reaches the driver's side door and yanks it open with frantic hands in his haste to get away from me. But he's not fast enough.
I slam into him with my full weight, crushing his body against the truck's metal frame. The impact jolts through both of us with a bone-rattling thud. A strangled grunt escapes his throat as the force rips him off his feet.
We hit the ground, hard. The next moment, we roll in a tangle of limbs through mud and loose gravel. The scent of pine needles and damp earth fills my nostrils, mingling with something else, expensive cologne and the unmistakable stink of fear.
A wild swing comes at my face. I dodge it easily, the fist connecting with my shoulder instead. His moves are desperate and predictable.The actions of a man who knows he’s up against an opponent stronger than he is.
And with more purpose. Nothing is more terrifying than an orc defending his mate.
"Get off me, you brute!" he chokes out, struggling beneath my weight.
That voice. I know that voice.
I grab his collar, the fabric bunching in my fist as I slam him onto his back. Gravel crunches beneath him with a satisfying crunch.
The wind gets knocked out of his lungs as I press my entire weight onto his chest. He’s not going anywhere.
I lean closer, squinting through the darkness. Mud cakes the intruder's face, but not enough to hide those familiarly cold, golden eyes glaring up at me.
