Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Zana

I step into my hotel room and my jaw drops. Holy upgrade, Batman! This place is swanky as hell. I'm talking marble floors, a couch that probably costs more than my car, and - oh my god - is that a rainfall shower?

I do a little happy dance, tossing my bag on the king size bed. Maybe this work conference won't totally suck after all. And let's be real, the eye candy alone is worth the trip. That orc in the lobby? Whew. I fan myself dramatically. Still feeling all tingly from that smoldering look he gave me.

Humming to myself, I explore the rest of my temporary palace. Caro's stuck in some management mixer, but I've got a couple glorious hours to relax before tonight's schmoozing event. I spot a huge welcome basket on the coffee table, overflowing with goodies.

"Don't mind if I do!" I grin, plopping down on the couch to examine the loot. Fuzzy robe and slippers? Yes please, I'm keeping you. The assortment of fancy mini toiletries could stock a small Sephora. But the pièce de résistance is the artisanal bath salts and essential oils.

I glance at the enormous tub in the bathroom, an idea already forming. Some quality self-care time is definitely in order. I mean, what says "treat yo self" better than a few toe-curling orgasms?

Giggling to myself, I grab the bath goodies and prance to the bathroom. Oh yeah, this is going to be a good night. I can feel it in my bones... and some other places. I bite my lip, thoughts straying back to a certain muscular orc as I start running the bath. This hotel is already exceeding my expectations.

I chuckle to myself as I sink into the steaming tub, the water swirling with shimmering oils. The heat seeps into my muscles, melting the tension away. But there's another kind of tension building low in my belly. Time to take care of that.

Grinning wickedly, I fish out my secret weapon from my toiletry bag - my absolute favorite toy, an alpha knot dildo. What can I say, a girl's gotta indulge her fantasies! I slather it generously with lube until it glistens.

Leaning back, I tease myself with the tip, shivering as it parts my folds. My mind flashes to blazing amber eyes and rock-hard green muscles. I'm not surprised when the thick shaft slides in with delicious ease, my body more than ready.

"Ohhh fuck yes," I groan, eyes fluttering shut as I work it deeper. The stretch is divine, just this side of too much. I haven't used this bad boy in a while, but it feels like the perfect way to celebrate my first night in Obsidian City.

The textured extension at the base nestles right against my clit as I bottom out. Sparks zing through my nerve endings and I gasp. Fumbling for the controls, I switch it on to the lowest setting, letting the subtle vibrations wind me up.

Slow, gentle pulses radiate from my core, teasing little flutters in my stomach. I hum in satisfaction, undulating my hips to feel the toy shift inside me. As the vibrations ramp up, I roll and tug at my nipples, the dual stimulation making me moan. Need claws its way up my spine.

My mind's eye summons that magnetic orc again, imagining him looming over me with that intense stare. I bet he'd feel even better than this, stretching and filling me so perfectly...

My fingers dance over the knot at the base of the dildo, the part designed to mimic what many Otherkin males possess. I've never been able to take it before, always chickening out. But now, with lust simmering in my veins and the phantom sensation of a certain orc's piercing gaze, I'm tempted to try.

I circle my hips, barely grazing the knot against my entrance. Even that much pressure sends a jolt straight to my core, slickness gathering between my thighs. God, I wish it was *him* I was teasing myself with right now. That gorgeous green body pinning me down, owning every inch of me...

"Yesss," I hiss through my teeth, giving the knot an experimental push. The stretch burns so good, and I have to pause, panting. I'm so full already, but I can't stop picturing his face. That dangerous glower that somehow makes me feel safe, protected, his .

In my mind, he looms over me with a predatory gleam in his amber eyes. A clawed hand wraps around my throat as he notches himself against me, not pushing in, just letting me feel how huge and hard he is. My whimper echoes obscenely in the steamy bathroom.

"Beg for it," fantasy-orc growls. He flexes his hips, a teasing thrust that makes my mouth fall open on a silent cry. "Beg me to fill this sweet little pussy. Work for it, and I might let you come on my cock."

The deep, commanding rumble of his voice in my head pushes me over the edge. I bear down hard and the knot finally pops past that vice-grip ring of muscle. A silent scream tears from my throat as I fly apart, convulsing around the thick toy stretching me wide. Light bursts behind my eyelids and I swear I can almost feel his breath on my neck, his pleased snarl vibrating against my ear.

"Good girl. "

Ripples lap gently at my oversensitive skin as I slowly come back to myself, still spasming with aftershocks. The knot tugs deliciously at my entrance with each tiny clench. Experimentally, I reach down and press on the base, gasping when the motion makes the toy feel even bigger inside me.

Drifting in a hazy sea of endorphins, I let my mind wander. What would those green, muscular thighs feel like under my hands as I rode him? All that barely leashed strength, his to command but mine to enjoy. I'd worship every inch of that powerful body with my mouth and hands until he flipped me over and showed me what that magnificent orc cock could really do.

Okay, this is getting out of hand. I'm fantasizing about a complete stranger like some kind of desperate pervert. A very sexy stranger, but still. I don't even know the guy's name!

With a sigh, I carefully ease the dildo out, whimpering a little as the widest part stretches me open again before I'm suddenly, achingly empty. I already miss the feeling of fullness. Rinsing off quickly, I step out of the bath on shaky legs, the toy still dangling obscenely from one hand.

The bed looks incredibly inviting, and I barely take the time to towel off before sprawling out on crisp sheets, boneless and sated. Staring up at the ceiling, I lazily trail the dildo over one nipple, shivering at the tacky slide of silicone on my skin. I can't believe I managed to take the whole thing.

This trip might not be so bad after all, I muse as I drift off, toy still clutched to my chest.

"Well hello there, Miss Glowing Complexion!" Caro's cheerful voice snaps me out of my post-orgasmic daze as we meet up in the hallway. "Whatever skincare routine you used clearly worked wonders."

I feel my cheeks heat. If only she knew the real reason for my ‘glow.' Time to change the subject before she gets suspicious.

"So, how was the management mixer?" I ask brightly as we make our way downstairs. "Any juicy gossip to share?"

Caro rolls her eyes. "Oh, the usual schmoozing and shop talk. But get this - apparently there's a silent auction happening tonight and we're expected to bid!"

"With what money?" I snort. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly billionaires."

"Relax, Z. It's all fake money based on our departmental budgets. Here," she says, dangling her little ID stamp. "You have one of these charms in your invitation bag. You just press it like a stamp into this hollow." She shows me how to seat the device into a small device that turns green. "See, that's how you know your bid is accepted. Anywho, it's all for charity anyway, so loosen those purse strings a little, yeah?"

She pings my work phone with my bidding limit and I shrug. Why not? It's not like it's coming out of my paycheck.

The auction lots are surprisingly varied and I find myself actually getting into the spirit, stamping my ID on offers on everything from spa packages to skydiving lessons. And then one item in particular catches my eye—An Executive Dinner.

My mind immediately flashes back to the bathroom and I bite my lip, remembering how I got off from a fantasy of an orc boss telling me what to do. Before I can chicken out, I quickly press my stamp down for a bid and move on before I can second guess myself.

"Oooh, somebody's feeling lucky," Caro sing-songs, floating over to the table as the screen turns green, accepting my bid. "If you win, I expect a full report, missy. A married mother of three has to live vicariously through her single friends!"

I just laugh, knowing my chances are slim with how popular this dinner lot seems to be. There are a few repeat stamps in particular. Still, a girl can dream. I shrug with a nonchalance I don't feel, and steer Caro away from the table. "Let's go get us more alcohol."

Caro waves at a group of lost-looking people who just wandered in through the entrance. "Hey guys! Come on let's go." She tugs at my arm and I swipe towards the nearest drink tray and down a shot for depositing that into an empty tray and picking up another one. The other group was about three trays away and by the time we were there to mingle, I was in a much better mood to mingle.

"What are you bidding on now?" Caro asks, shuffling her papers.

"I really haven't been looking," I say. Not true. My eyes keep shifting back to the dinner date auction, but I've been too nervous to check if it's gotten any more bids after mine.

"I do the same thing," Caro says. "Okay, the bidding is about to close so I think we're supposed to be over here now into our dinner." She points to yet another ballroom entrance adjacent to this one.

How many ballrooms does this place have?

I follow Caro without question. It's really nice to be able to attend an event and not have to think. Usually, I would be stressed and thinking about every last detail, considering the potential five or ten problems down the road.

Sometimes, it's just nice to be told what to do. The lack of mental labor is so freeing.

I enter the ballroom flanked by my fellow remote workers. I clock a few familiar faces from tiny contact photo thumbnails. As we shuffle into the expansive space, I'm smacked in the face by the sight of our on-site counterparts.

All of whom are Otherkin.

Servers with furry faun legs trot by with champagne flutes. Orc execs in power suits stand clustered, probably plotting corporate takeovers. There are slender dryads that look like they just stepped out of an enchanted forest, and holy hell, is that a centaur? Dude is eye-to-eye with the orcs and trolls. Whoa.

I feel something ignite inside me, seeing this wild mix of folks who are so unapologetically themselves. And I'll admit, the sheer variety of hotness in this room has me feeling some kind of way. I press my thighs together as a flash of heat races through me.

"Zana, you good?" Diego, one of the few remote peeps I actually know in real life, nudges me gently. "You're looking a little glazed."

I blink and shoot him a rueful grin. "Ha, yeah. It's just...a lot. I feel like an NPC stumbling into the wrong RPG here."

He chuckles. "For real though. But hey, we made it this far. Might as well enjoy the adventure, right?"

I nod, letting his words bolster me, and take a breath. He's right. I'm here, I'm awkward, might as well embrace it.

Caro appears at my elbow, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Z, you've gotta meet some people. Let's work the room, babe!" She loops her arm through mine and tugs me into the colorful crowd.

We navigate through the swirl of bodies, Caro pausing every few steps to make an introduction. "This is Zana, our data sorceress! She's weaving magic remotely for the Avalon Vale expansion."

I smile and wave, trying to remember names and faces. Finn, the willowy elf from marketing. Greta, a boisterous dwarf heading up construction. And so many more, a dizzying kaleidoscope of Otherkin awesomeness.

Suddenly, we're face to face with an imposing orc in a perfectly tailored suit. Power radiates from him like a palpable force. "Ah, Ser Urul!" Caro greets him warmly. "Meet Zana, the remote data dynamo I was telling you about."

"Zana, a pleasure," Urul rumbles, his handshake firm and confident. "Your work on the expansion has been invaluable." He gestures to the stunning dryad beside him. "My mate, Poppy de la Cruz. She's the EVP maestro making Avalon Vale a reality."

Poppy grins, her long silky hair flowing around her like a curtain as she leans in conspiratorially. "Zana Estrada, right? I think we have a mutual friend—Leilani Santos?"

My eyes widen. "No way! Lei's my cousin's best friend!"

"Such a small world!" Poppy laughs. "But that's the Filipino community for you. Always less than six degrees of separation!"

We're giggling and swapping stories when a presence looms behind me, heat raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I turn slowly, my breath catching. It's him . The orc god from the lobby, his eyes blazing into mine like twin suns.

Urul clears his throat. "Zana, meet Xnaurl, our senior project manager for Avalon Vale as well as our timeline menace."

Xnaurl steps closer, his gaze searing me to my core. He raises my hand to his lips, grazing a kiss across my knuckles. Electricity crackles through me, and I clench my thighs together, desire simmering in my veins.

"Charmed," he rumbles, his voice dark honey and gravel. "I hope you're enjoying the festivities?" His eyes flick over me, a hungry appreciation that weakens my knees.

"I-I am," I stammer, lost in the sheer magnitude of him. "It's…great." My mind races to find a word, any word, that could follow up with that.

A ghost of a smile quirks his lip. He leans in, his breath hot against my ear. "Have you eaten? I hear the spread is...mouthwatering."

A whimper threatens to escape me at his proximity, his innuendo. I shake my head mutely.

"Good." His fingers tighten on mine. "Let's rectify that, shall we?"

And before I can breathe, he's leading me away, cutting through the crowd like an unstoppable force. I call back a "nice to meet you all" to my new acquaintances, and share a glance with Caro, who shoots me a giddy thumbs up.