Page 49 of Orc's Promise
He presses his ear to mine. “One day, you will be mine. In every way possible.”
He’s been telling me that for weeks. But now, with his cock buried deep in me and his body draped over mine with his lips pressed to my ear, whispering words in Orcan, a language I don’t know, I fear he may be right.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
VERIG
Iwatch my warriors spar in the training area. They train, but with no heart, no purpose. Their mood shifted after Baloq’s banishment, leaving me with dozens of warriors whom I would not trust to save our people from an attack of sartogs, let alone an army of vints and humans.
If we had lost Baloq in battle, we would have a funeral pyre and a celebration of his bravery and sacrifice. With his banishment, the warriors only have questions. Mainly, why our grak would tell Baloq he could take a female and then allow her to be taken by another. Me.
The questions I first heard behind my back are now spoken openly before me. My warriors ask one another why our grak punished Baloq, and only Baloq, so severely. They wonder why I have not incurred Atox’s wrath. Then their concern turns to themselves and whether they will be allowed to keep a female, once it’s their turn to choose one.
My actions, even though within the law, have set a dangerous precedent.
Our warriors don’t understand the difficulties of command, but they know what it means to defy orders. Baloq’s exile remindedthem of the consequences of disobeying our grak. Kodex, another male who kept his female in his quarters, released her weeks ago. But he’s been watching her, as I watched Tansey. I recognize that look of determination in his eyes. He plans to take her. It’s only a question of how much patience he has, and if he’ll defy our grak’s orders not to touch the females without permission.
Kodex has chosen Phoebe, a plain and sharp-tongued female who is not nearly as quick-witted as my Tansey. When he’s not performing his duties, Kodex follows the female at a discreet distance, marking her as his. With each week, the space he leaves between them shrinks. He’s growing restless. Many of the males are.
“Vekk, Kodex,” Telin shouts as he nearly relieves Kodex of his head when the male fails to block the downward strike. It’s a simple defensive maneuver, one that Kodex could do—has done—blindfolded.
“Kodex,” I summon. He nods to Telin and jogs over to me.
“Yes, Neld?”
“I have an assignment for you. I need a second.”
He slaps a knife across his chest, a salute used to honor a grak normally, but in asking him to be my second on this mission, I’m acting as grak.
“Will you fail me?” I ask.
Kodex’s posture straightens, and his pride in being chosen is clear. “Never.”
“Normally, I would select you without hesitation, but you have been distracted lately.”
He puffs out his chest. “I will not fail our grak, you, or our people.”
Spoken like the loyal orc he is. But that does not allay my worries.
“The female, Phoebe. Have you mated her yet?”
“No,” he says with a barely contained growl.
“Why?”
He opens his mouth to speak and then shuts it. I know how he feels, even though I’ve mated Tansey several times now. These human females are complicated.
“She will accept you in time, Kodex. You must be patient. Not follow Baloq’s lead.”
“She’s with the other women. I have not touched her or forced her in any way. I would never break our laws.”
I never thought Baloq would either, but a desperate male takes extreme measures when left no choice. I’m understanding Baloq more and more lately, as I feel that desperation. I will not lose my female.
“You will not speak of this mission to anyone. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Neld.”
“Even to the female Phoebe.”
