Page 38 of Orc's Possession
Like the female he’d seen in Pen’Kesh, no doubt. No, that one had golden hair and a tiny form, no bigger than a youngling. She’d break beneath him. Vekk, I’m still not convinced my female won’t break beneath me.
A hand lightly touches my back. Paloma.
“Atox… I mean Grak, is everything okay?”
She heard everything, as I’d spoken in her tongue. I want her as well as Zendar to know she is mine and I won’t tolerate any other male touching her. After sheathing my knife, I extend a hand to help Zendar up and show him the matter is done. He’s given me his word as a warrior.
“You see, Atox, already she causes trouble,” Ossa says in Orcan.
Paloma’s body stiffens. She can’t understand Ossa’s words, but she heard the disgust in my sister’s voice.
“Do not get on my bad side, Ossa.”
Ossa huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest. “You think I’m afraid of your bad side, brother? You forget we have the same father.”
I let her walk away without another word. I swear she throws our father’s name in my face to put me in my place, but she suffered almost as much as me so I say nothing to her.
“Is she one of your past lovers?” Paloma asks beside me.
I turn swiftly to her, still raw from how Zendar’s eyes roamed her delectable body. A mate has the right to ask anything of hermale, but despite my declaration to Zendar, she is not my mate yet. Not until the risha. She will bear my younglings, there is no doubt in my mind, but be my graka, the female who will rule beside me? I cannot envision this.
Zendar and Ossa don’t see Paloma as my mate because I myself don’t see this in my future.
Paloma lays her hand on my arm. “Atox?”
“Grak, female. Do not call me Atox again without my permission. As for Ossa, she manages the inner workings of our camp. She organizes and assigns the women, children, and non-warriors for everything from hunting to cooking. My warriors are in charge of weapons, security, and training the gorjas. You will defer to what Ossa says at all times and follow her orders as you would mine.”
“Is that why she gets to call you Atox instead of Grak?” Paloma folds her arms over her chest. “Because she manages the settlement in your absence?”
“Only those who have earned it may use my personal name. Ossa and Verig are among them.”
“But not me.”
“No.”
“And yet you expectmeto sleep with you and give you children.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want a mate. You want a broodmare. I’m no animal, existing for the purpose of having babies. If that’s how you plan to treat me, I’ll never respect you. You’ll be nothing more than my captor, my abuser, and I’ll do everything to fight you. I’ll never stop fighting you, Orc.” She walks away without being dismissed. The anger rises in me too quickly this time.
This constant disrespect will end. Now.
In two strides, I catch up to her and grab her by her arm. “You continue to challenge me. This is unacceptable.”
“You’re exactly like the vints. Taking women who don’t belong to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The vints kidnapped Lily. Probably because your warrior seduced her and made her look like an easy target.”
I remember that day vividly. Four months ago, my warrior Ryko claimed a human female against my orders. It was the same day I’d seen Paloma for the first time. She worked at the humans’ produce stall in Pen’Kesh. I’d spent hours with the insufferable males from New Earth, negotiating the treaty wherein my warriors would protect the humans along the border they share with the vints and in exchange we would receive females. We were close to reaching an agreement, which is why I had given Ryko strict orders to stay away from their females.
Before we finalized the agreement, Ryko led one of their females away from the market, to mate. And then the vints attacked him and the female. I wonder how much my female knows about that day and what lies her people told her.
What lies I must tell her, to protect the treaty.
“You cannot blame us for what the vints did. They attacked. My warrior protected the female.”
