Page 60 of Orc's Claim
Lily’s eyes widen, but I don’t have time to tell her what my sister told me. “If someone accuses you of anything, lie through your teeth, then stick to it, no matter what anyone says, especially Owen. Sling accusations at him. Better yet, shout the truth about Owen at the top of your lungs. Expose him for the lazy asshole he is. You’ll probably have others agreeing with you.”
She doesn’t appear convinced. I can’t let her leave until she absorbs what I’m saying. Her life depends on it. I hate what I’m about to say, but if it works to save her, that’s what matters. “What would that orc?—
“Ryko,” she whispers. “His name is Ryko.”
“Fine. What would Ryko tell you if someone accused you of behavior that will get you in serious trouble?”
A slight smile emerges. “He’d tell me to be the courageous, fearless female he thinks I am and stand up for myself.”
“Youarecourageous and fearless. Which is why you’ll do exactly that. Protect yourself by beating Owen at his own game. Approach this as if you’re fighting for that orc over there.”
She nods, that smile growing stronger every second.
“Good. I’ll check on you when Garret brings the rest of us back to New Earth.”
Lily hugs me, and I can feel her relief. It’s probably because her orc is safe.
While she hugs me, I catch the older orc staring at me. His stare makes my blood run cold. A horrible thought occurs to me. Maybe the orcs brainwashed Lily.
“Lily, did the orc force you?”
“No! How could you ask that about Ryko?”
I really need to start using his name and thinking of him as a person. That’s not how anyone in New Earth thinks about the orcs. Except Lily.
“I don’t know him. I’m sorry.” I smile for her sake. She’s only twenty-three and likely scared shitless right now. Until I return to the settlement, she’ll have no one on her side. Her uncle is not the kindest of men. On that front, I can relate. My father is often distant and cold to me. Not to my sisters, just me.
I hope she figures out how to lie and make it stick because Owen will take the truth and make it sound worse than it is, if that’s even possible.
“Let’s go, Lily.” Owen draws out her first name to show he’s beingpolite, even though it comes off mocking. “Is that better,Ms. Garcia?” he addresses me, his voice dripping with condescension.
I flash him a big smile, the one that says ‘fuck you’ as I hastily pack up Lily’s gear.
“Thank you, Paloma,” Lily whispers a second before Owen grabs her hand.
As they exit our sector, I spot that huge orc staring at meagain. My eyes skitter over the impressively large, stone-chiseled muscles of his chest, past the v of his waist, and the loin cloth lower… For a split second I’m tempted to pause and take in his size, then quickly snap my eyes to his boots. Old, worn boots. Not the ones I sold him.
He made a show of paying me for the boots that day. This orc doesn’t care about money or what he got in exchange for that knife he slammed on my table. He’s all about intimidation and conquest. Even now, as he holds one hand around the throat of the last remaining vint, his eyes remain on me, as if he’s waiting for me to watch, expecting me to witness whatever horrific end he has planned for the vint.
I want to avert my eyes, but a fear I’ve never experienced locks me in place.
With a shift of the wind, dark green eyes snap to me. His nostrils flare and he fully bares those tusks in my direction as if he plans to conquer me next.
I shudder at the idea of him touching me, even getting near me again. I turn away, busying myself with packing up Lily’s sewing box. Anything to keep from facing that monster. I can’t wait to get the hell out of Pen’Kesh and return to the safety of New Earth.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ATOX IM GRAK
Vekk, I cannot stop looking at that female. She raised her voice to the blond male who threatened the other female, the one I caught Ryko watching earlier today. The spirited female pinned the human male with her glare which caused him to back off. He’s twice her size, and yet she showed no fear.
Fearless. Like a female orc.
“We did nothing,” the pathetic vint slurs, his mouth pressed against the concrete wall as I hold him with my hand around his neck. A neck I can snap quite easily.
“I’m not your enemy orc,” the wretched vint sputters.
He is. Everyone here is, except Ryko.
