CHAPTER11
AGONAK
Ihadn't meant to lose control like that. I hadn't meant to be so rough. But when Rosa looked up at me with those wide eyes and asked me to fill her, I couldn't help but give her everything I had.
So much for thinking with my head instead of my cock.
But gods, it'd been years -- decades -- since I'd enjoyed the feeling of a woman's body so much. I was an orc, a warrior, a king. I wasn't supposed to feel like this for someone who was supposed to be our sworn enemy.
I had no use for humans, and certainly not for a human like Rosa, who had the gall to defy me. But yet...as I cradled her in my arms that night, I couldn't help but feel a little protective.
I sneered at myself. What humans lacked in physical strength they made up for in guile. This could very well be a trap, and I’d have played right into it. What was I doing?
With a scowl, I pushed aside the furs and stood, making my way to the pile of armor and weapons I'd left by the door. I tugged on a fresh tunic and fastened the belt around my waist, then pulled on the rest of my armor. With one last look at the sleeping human, I stepped outside.
I'd lost myself to the scent of a human. And now, I was stuck with the consequences.
I had a reputation to uphold, and the last thing I needed was to be seen as weak by my own people. Or worse, sympathetic to the humans.
I stormed across the wooden platforms of the upper city, too preoccupied to enjoy the warm rays of sunlight cresting over the canopy. Below us, the tribe began to wake and start about their day, but too many thoughts kept me from joining them.
A young orc named Orto approached me, bowing his head in respect. "My king," he said. "Apologies if I've disturbed you. Might I have a word?"
I groaned inwardly. So much for getting any peace and quiet, but this was the life of a king. Sighing, I gave him a resigned look. "What is it, Orto?"
He paused for a moment, chewing at his lip. "The scouts, sir. There are strange markings near our borders. Footprints." He paused again and took a breath before continuing. "Human footprints."
All thoughts returned to the small, soft human still curled up, blissfully unaware, in my bed. A growl ripped itself from my chest. My hand twitched and reached for my blade out of instinct. So it would be like this, then.
I should have known it would be a matter of time before Rosa's people came looking for her. Or perhaps this was part of her plan all along...
"How many?" I growled, more at myself than at the scout. I'd let my guard down, and if the humans were bold enough to flaunt the treaty and draw this close to our lands, who knew what else they would do...
"A handful," he answered, quivering. "Five, by the looks of it."
Rosa had told me she was traveling alone. I snarled and clenched my fist. Either she'd lied, or the humans had picked up her trail quicker than expected.
"Where are they now?"
"The tracks lead south." He averted his gaze. "Toward the Riftlands."
I frowned. The no man's land that separated our lands from the humans'. The very anomaly that had brought us to this world in the first place. "Keep an eye on them."
"Of course. We thought it best to report to you before we investigated any further." He looked up at me, full of unspoken questions and a plea for answers. For guidance.
I sighed. Turned my back. "Very well." I started off toward the lift with a new urgency to my steps. "Tell the men to prepare for a hunt. If they get any closer, if they mean us harm..." I stopped, adrenaline rushing through my veins. "We will have to defend ourselves."
Orto gaped, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Then he regained his composure, cleared his throat, bowed his head, and scurried off.
"Dammit!" I slammed my fist against the nearest trunk as soon as he was out of earshot. Chunks of bark flew off in every direction, but the dull pain barely made a dent in my rage. Humans. How dare they encroach on our lands like this? Did they know what they were getting themselves into? Did they even care?
For decades now we had lived a fragile peace, our peoples keeping to our encampments and giving the other a wide berth. Then Rosa came and challenged everything. Whether she spoke the truth and it was an accident or not, that didn't matter. When it came to war, small details faded away in the face of life or death.
If we weren't careful, we'd have a war on our hands -- all because of this one human girl.
What was so important that they'd risk a war to track her down?
One way or another, I vowed to find out.
And it all started with the woman in my bed.