Page 104 of Orc's Possession
“You hid the truth about Lily from me and my people,” I persist. “You deceived everyone.” While I’m speaking, it occurs to me my father also knew Lily was alive and didn’t care that she was hiding out with an orc. He’s only using her as an excuse to get out of the treaty with the orcs in favor of his new treaty with the vints.
“This is none of your affair, female,” Atox says, showing more of his tusks.
“I’m not your property,” I say, nearly wincing as it’s what I accused him of two months ago. But it’s not true.
“You belong to me. I belong to you. The status of the treaty with the humans does not affect us.”
I want to shout that I love him and didn’t mean a word I said, but my father changes the angle of the knife, pointing the tip at my belly. A message to end this with Atox. Quickly.
“I don’t belong to you. I never have. I’m returning to my people.”
“They are not your people any longer. They sold you, Paloma.”
He used my name. He’s getting desperate.
“They sold me, and you bought me. But at least with them I’ll have human babies, not ones that are half-beast.” I feel sick saying those words, especially talking about our baby that way. The baby he doesn’t know exists.
A twist of my arm spurs me to continue shredding my bond with Atox. “You never cared about me. I was nothing more than abreeder to you. A tool to be used.” I hate the words I fling at him because they’re not true. Atox cares. I know it in my heart and see it in his eyes as he stares at me.
“I wanted you. From the start. I still want you. You mean everything to me, my little warrior.”
I’ve never heard him plead like this, not in private and definitely not in public. It is so very… unorc-like.
Eight more human men crowd the area, lending support to my father. They carry knives, iron rods, stones even. Anything that can do damage. But being outnumbered won’t stop Atox if he believes he has something to fight for.
He’s fighting for me. And I’m fighting for our baby.
Atox thinks I have the freedom to run into his arms and stand at his side. That I can and will choose him over my former colony.
I’ve already chosen him, with all of my being. But I’m not free to act on that choice or even explain it to him, not without risking our child.
“End this. Now,” my father whispers in my ear, the snarl in his words telling me he’s losing patience.
“Do you love me, Atox?” I ask an unfair question, in front of everyone, but I’m desperate. I cannot risk our child.
“You are mine,” he says, the ridges on his forehead scrunch together.
I shake my head. “That’s not the same. If you don’t love me, then you need to let me go and find someone who you truly care about.” I swallow hard, because deep down I know he loves me, even though he’s never said the word. “If you care about me, even a little, then let me go. That’s what true love is, sacrificing for the happiness of another.”
“You will be happy with me.”
“No, I won’t. I haven’t been. I can only be happy with my people, Atox. You don’t understand my ways and my needs and you never will. You know I’m speaking the truth. My place is not with you. I’ll rebel against you at every turn if you force me toreturn. Find yourself another woman to give you kids.” As I turn and walk with my father toward Owen, my mind races. There has to be a way out of this.
Owen appears on my left, trapping me between him and my father, not that he needs to. My father’s knife remains pressed against my baby, my little one who hasn’t even given me a baby bump yet.
A roar shakes the ground beneath my feet. I spin around to see Atox charging toward me.
“Mine!” he roars.
My heart sinks at the pain I hear in his voice, and yet knowing he hasn’t given up on me fills me with the purest joy. But he has to let me go, or our baby will pay the price.
“Atox—” I call out to stop him. Hehasto listen.
“Shoot!” my father yells.
I watch in horror as Owen lifts his blaster.
“No!” I shout, trying to hit Owen’s arm and destroy his aim. My father pins my arms behind me as Owen fires.
