Page 46 of Orc's Possession
When we reach the abandoned campsite, I slide from Caju and let him graze while Verig searches the area for anything I might have missed my first time here. I sit on a log by the firepit, puzzling through who’s watching my people and why. With the rough bark of the log cutting into me, my thoughts return to the river yesterday and how I had raised my hand against my female’s ass. I never touched a female like that.
I like rough sex, but that was not sex, not at the start. I don’t know how to reach her, to make her understand my position as grak as well as her own vulnerability, not only as a human but as my mate. My people don’t approve of her, which means her defiance might put her life at risk.
Smacking her backside accomplished nothing. She continues to defy me and I’m becoming more like my father. Though my father’s punishments were much worse than a smack on the ass.
A very fleshy, delectable ass, that I fully enjoyed touching. Along with the rest of her.
I long to taste her again and sink into her. I will never again find my release in a vekking elimination chamber. Somehow this female got into my head and I’d fled like a spineless vint.
Vekk, this female is taking more of my focus and time than I imagined when I bargained for her. The next time she defies or disrespects me, I’ll… I have no vekking idea what I should do.
I am not like my father. I will not treat her as he treated my mother. And yet, my female continues to refuse me. This cannot go on much longer or more of my people will notice. The mighty Atox im Grak, falling to a human female…
I must find a way to control her, before she ends up controlling me.
PALOMA
I haven’t seenAtox since yesterday, when he left me tied to his bed. After freeing myself, I searched camp for him to no avail. When I asked one of his warriors when he’d return, the male refused to answer.
To some extent, I wonder if Atox is testing me. Before I can attempt an escape, I need a plan. Orc warriors guard the perimeter of their land, and we traveled nearly a full day by gorja from my colony to reach this settlement. I slept during part of the ride, and those gorjas moved faster than a horse. I could easily be a hundred miles or more from home and I have no way of knowing how far. Or the route. Going east toward Pen’Kesh would be just as risky since I’d be traversing terrain I don’t know and on foot. Kovos holds as many dangers as Earth, perhaps more because I simply don’t have the knowledge or experience here.
Riding a gorja would be safer, but that means stealing one andfiguring out how to ride it. My horseback riding on Earth was limited to horses that knew the trails so well they didn’t need a person to guide them. Gorjas are massive beasts, the perfect size for these orcs. I’m not sure I can control one.
The cart! I could hide in the back the next time it leaves to pick up supplies in Pen’Kesh.
With Atox not here, I spend most of my days walking around, exploring the settlement which is much larger than I first envisioned. I’ve ventured to the gorja pens, the cooking area, the area where animals skins are stretched on frames, and even wandered off into the woods… without anyone stopping me. But I haven’t found the cart.
And everywhere I go, I’m followed. Evve, the little girl from the tunnels, has become my shadow.
She doesn’t hide from me, but she keeps her distance. Ten feet at all times. Her expression appears strained, nervous even, not carefree as when I first met her.
I’m betting someone said something negative about me. That upsets me more than being ignored by the orcs here. Evve didn’t fear me when we met. Now, she does, and I can’t defend myself against whatever lies the orcs spread about me since I don’t speak Orcan.
At night, after a long day of hard work, the orcs gather around the firepits, eating and talking. No one offers me any food, but they don’t stop me from taking a plate and filling it with as much food as I want. Typical fare includes gamey meat with bitter purple pulp spread on top. Orcs don’t have any vegetables in their diet.
While I enjoy having the freedom to roam their settlement, I’m essentially an outcast. I have no way of communicating with them, and by their expressions it’s clear they don’t want me here.
I retreat to Atox’s sleeping chamber. When I open the door, the dark doesn’t swallow me, because I know I’m safe here. I hit the light disk and sigh. Worse than darkness is the loneliness thatgreets me. Right now, I’d take an overbearing male who doesn’t know boundaries, who doesn’t truly care about me, but who is the only ally I have in this wretched place.
As I lay in the dark, listening to the wind whistling through the tunnels, I realize how much has changed in a week. The dark still scares me, but not as much. Mostly because Atox’s scent clings to the mattress. I love the heat of having him wrapped around me, as well as the safety he provides.
Damn, I need to stop lying to myself. I miss more than his body heat or how safe I feel in his arms. There’s honor in Atox that I admire, enough that I want to see him again.
I take a deep breath and force myself to think about escaping. The goal I’ll lose sight of if I think about Atox. The longer he stays away, the better my chances are. No one is watching, except my shadow. But I can slip away from her when I’m ready.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
PALOMA
After spending the morning searching one of the storage rooms for sewing supplies and coming up empty-handed, I head outside. And promptly get lost in the maze of tunnels until an orc passes by and I follow him. He scowls at me the entire time, but he doesn’t touch me. Orcs are not the violent species as I’ve been told over and over. It makes me wonder what other lies I’ve been fed.
“Hi, Ossa,” I say when I find her in the cooking area at the base of the mountain. The orcs have an entire area set up for nothing but skinning and tanning animal hides.
She has her hands full skinning a small furry animal I’ve never seen before. This part of Kovos has more mountains and forests as compared to the plains near New Earth.
“Would you like some help?” I ask Ossa even though I’ve never skinned anything in my life besides my knee. I’m hoping she’ll pick up on my willingness to help.
She scowls at me. With that ax swinging from a loop on herbelt, it’s hard tonotthink of her as Lizzy Borden. But I need to have the right attitude if I’m going to get what I need from her. Help finding that damn cart.
