Page 71 of Orc's Possession
He finally slides out of me and sits at the end of the bed, his back to me. Despite how completely drained I am, I force myself onto my knees and wrap my arms around his neck from behind. With my head on his shoulder, I wait for him to say something, but he’s fallen silent.
“I’m not lying to you, Atox. I have no reason to. You want me to trust you and your decisions, to trust that you will be good to me and that your people will accept me. This goes both ways. You have to trust me, too. Trust that while I don’t know your history or your culture very well, I know what I see in you. Goodness.”
“You do not see the darkness in me.”
“I’ve glimpsed it, but I know you will never let that darkness conquer you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I won’t let it.”
Atox swings me into his arms, lifts me, and places me on the bed where he slides in beside me and draws the furs over us. His warm breath cascades down my neck as his mouth rests near my ear but he doesn’t speak.
Whatever he’s thinking remains a mystery, but as he wraps his arm over my middle and that familiar hardness settles between my ass cheeks my body relaxes. All is right between us and I’m safe here, lying in his arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
PALOMA
“Ifinished checking the traps like Sendra showed me,” I tell Ossa when I return to camp. Ossa had assigned Sendra to walk me through the process of setting, checking, and the gross part of clearing the traps of whatever game they caught. The orcs waste nothing. They eat whatever game they catch and use the furs and bones when possible.
For the past week, I’ve eaten a different meat each night, always praying it wouldn’t disagree with human physiology. So far, no issues, except the lack of vegetables in the orc diet.
“I need vegetables. There are a variety of herbs and roots that are safe for humans on Kovos but I haven’t found any of them growing near Mount Racha. I need to search farther out. I’ll start a garden once I procure the plants.”
“Not until Atox returns. He will send a warrior with you.”
“I don’t need a guard. I mean, you and the other women don’t have guards when you leave camp.”
Ossa draws her axe and a knife. “I know how to use these to defend myself against the animals here. Do you?”
She has a point.
“Then teach me how to defend myself.”
“No.”
“You’re as stubborn as your brother.”
She flashes those tusks which aren’t as large as a male orc’s but still quite scary if you can’t distinguish anger from amusement in an orc. The two expressions look similar, but I’ve come to know Ossa. More or less.
“And you’re a human,” she adds.
“Nope.” I sport a wide grin. “Atox says I’m orc now.”
“Ha! That only proves our grak is losing his mind!”
“Ourgrak. See? You admit it. I’m one of you now.”
Ossa hitches an eyebrow. “You are as clever as Atox says.”
“Atox says I’m clever?” I smile, pleased by the compliment. I sometimes wonder what he truly thinks of me. Oh, the sex is good, amazing, actually, but he didn’t talk much when he was last here three days ago. I fear I stirred up too many bad memories for him by asking about his father.
“He likes you, Pawloma. At least what you give him in his furs.” Ossa grins, outdoing me because of her tusks.
“I think I’ve angered him. He’s been quiet.”
“I’ve heard the noise in the tunnels. He and you, human, arenotquiet.” Ossa stares at me. “Are you ill? Your skin is turning red.”
