Page 63 of Orc's Claim
He realizes he has time. Time before she shows, time before a youngling would be born and they’d know for sure she mated an orc. Time enough for him to take the females promised to our people per the terms of the treaty.
Atox in Grak would sacrifice my Lily in exchange for securing dozens of other females.
“I will not leave her to die.”
He halts, and slowly faces me, his hand freeing a knife from his weapons harness.
“I have no defense, Grak,” I continue, because my only hope of saving Lily from the danger I’ve put her in is my grak, who can be reasoned with. I hope. “I deserve your wrath, but this femaleisinnocent, and she is mine. I will protect her until my dying breath. Which means taking her away from those who would harm her.”
My grak stands as stiff as a tree, unyielding and unreadable.
Fear fills me. Not for the knife my grak rotates in his hand, but for my inability to sway him. I should be dead for disobeying my grak, lying to him, and now arguing with him. But I cannot leave my mate to suffer or be killed.
“I knotted her during risha. By our laws, she’s orc now, Grak.”
Black eyes narrow on me as his lower lip recedes so far I see the root of his tusks. “Do not belittle me further by reminding me of our laws, Warrior.”
“I wish to bring her to Mount Racha, where she will be safe.”
“No.”
I cannot give up, not when Lily’s in danger from her people. If any of their males overheard our conversation, they’ll punish her.
He slams the knife back into his sheath. “Find Sojek, gather the gorjas, and wait for me,” he adds in an unnervingly calm voice.
“Grak—”
“Now!” he bellows.
The humans and moxxels nearby stop moving and talking. Everyone watches us. They’ve seen what we did to the vints, not that they care about the vints. Or orcs, for that matter. But they’ve never seen one orc fight another. If they did, they’d be terrified and flee. Such a fight would be brutal… and drawn out. Not quick as with the vints.
In the distance, Lily gasps, and then an argument eruptsbetween her and the guard. “So you can fuck a beast but won’t let me touch you?” he says so loud everyone hears.
I step in her direction, intending to shred the male threatening her.
Within a second, my grak’s knife rests against my throat. “I don’t care that you’ve knotted that female. You will not go near her or any other human. You’ve interfered enough.”
“You cannot keep me from protecting my mate,” I snarl. I do not wait for my grak’s reply. I take another step toward her.
Something hits me hard on the back of my head. I strike the ground, hearing Lily’s cries in the distance as I struggle to stay conscious. Blackness surrounds me and I cannot move.
My grak bends down beside me, the tip of his knife digging into my throat…
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
LILY
Ihate this uneven road and how the cart bounces. Owen forced me to sit beside him up front instead of in the cargo bed where I usually ride with the other women. Except there are no other women on our ride home. Or men. Just Owen and me. I’d rather be in back with the scratchy hay. Anywhere other than with him.
Between the rut-filled road and the odd sideway glances Owen keeps throwing my way, I haven’t been able to focus on what I’ll say to my uncle. Owen guessed the truth, though I continue to deny it. Only Paloma knows for sure, but she’s on my side, despite how she shuddered at the idea of being with an orc. She would feel differently if she knew Ryko like I do.
I’m not in a full-blown panic. Yet. We have at least another hour before we reach home and we’ll have to stop for the horse to drink at some point.
“You can make this all go away,” Owen says as he puts his hand on my knee.
My flesh crawls from his touch. I never thought he’d be sobrazen as to make a move on me. I shove his hand aside. “Touch me again and you’ll regret it.”
He laughs. The type of arrogant laugh that makes a girl want to punch a guy. I’d do it too, except I’m in enough trouble. I’m still trying to come up with a good lie, abelievablelie, as to why I was walking with an orc, alone in the woods. Even a well-crafted lie may not be enough. Council could take Owen’s word over mine. My uncle definitely will.
