Chapter Ten

Raisa

My heart thumps furiously as I absorb the gravity of the situation. The idea of those thugs waiting just outside my apartment sends chills down my spine, but I refuse to let fear paralyze me. I’ve already pulled the pepper spray out of my purse and the pink knuckle buster from my nightstand.

“We can’t stay here,” Durga declares, his voice urgent and filled with concern. “It’s not safe.”

I bite my lip, my mind racing through the limited options. Leaving my apartment, leaving my sense of security behind, feels like an impossible choice. But deep down, I know Durga is right. Our safety must come first.

“Where can we go? Where will we be safe from them?”

“What about your mom?”

This just highlights that we spent far more time having sex than getting to know each other last night. I can’t say I regret it.

“My mom has… an addiction problem. We don’t talk.”

I feel his compassion as he cups my face and asks, “What about friends?”

“You found me alone in the park at two in the morning. If I had a good friend, I probably would have been with her.”

I head his next question off at the pass by gesturing around my very humble abode and saying, “And I don’t have the money for more than a couple of nights in a fleabag hotel.”

Durga rubs his temples, his gaze intense and determined. “What about the Zone? There are three human-orc couples who live there. It’s rare, but not unheard of.”

He spans the distance between us and softly rubs my upper arms.

“Other than the recent spate of arson fires, it just might be the safest place in L.A. We’re surrounded by barbed wire, with armed guards at the gates.”

My stomach craters at the thought of being locked in. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like for Durga to live there his whole life.

“My people are nice, Raisa. None of them will be brandishing guns or baseball bats.”

I might not have known him for long, but Durga isn’t one for exaggeration. “Guns?”

The word ricochets around the room.

“I should have mentioned it, but didn’t want to terrify you. I smelled guns.”

Guns. Plural.

My brows knit together, worry gnawing at me. “I guess we need to get out of here soon. But Durga, we’ve only known each other for a day. Moving in together? It feels too soon to make such a big decision.”

Durga reaches out and takes my hand, his touch grounding me. “I can find you another place inside the Zone. Somewhere you’ll feel safe. You don’t have to stay with me.”

I tuck myself next to him. Relief flows through me the moment he puts his warm, strong arms around me and pulls me closer. The idea of staying alone somewhere in the Zone holds no appeal. What would be so terrible about bunking with the handsome guy who makes love like a god?

“You’re wondering if staying with you is the dealbreaker? Hell, it’s the most appealing thing about the proposition.”

He bends to kiss the top of my head, then urges. “We need to move quickly. Where do you want to go? One thing is certain, you can’t stay here.”

My heart wavers, torn between the familiarity of my apartment and the need for safety. But as I tip my head and look into Durga’s eyes, I make up my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I squeeze his hand. “Okay. Let’s go to the Zone. Any ideas how to get from here to there other than in my unreliable red Ford Fiesta?”

Durga takes out his phone and dials a number, his voice calm as he explains our situation. After a brief conversation, he ends the call and turns to me. “My boss, Brokka, the Fire Chief, and his human mate, Marissa, will pick us up. He offered his complete support. And the offer still stands for you to stay somewhere else.”

It suddenly dawns on me that he might have a girlfriend. Maybe he wanted last night to be a one-night stand.

“Um. If you want me to stay somewhere else…” I offer. “I realize this is an imposition.”

He bends to nip my shoulder in the exact spot he kinda bit me last night when he came. It shuts me right the fuck up as a lightning bolt of lust sizzles through me.

His deep chuckle both arouses and infuriates me. I’m not sure what’s so funny until he breathes in through his nostrils so loudly even a deaf person couldn’t miss his meaning.

“Jerk.”

“What’s a female jerk called?” he counters.

“Queen.” I pull myself to my full five-foot height and lift my chin.

“Yes, my Queen.” He makes a laughable attempt at a bow. “As long as you treat me like a king in bed.”

Am I going to be in a constant state of arousal the whole time we live together?

I’ve turned to throw some clothes into a backpack when it strikes me. “Oh shit, Durga. Will all your friends know every time I get… aroused?”

It’s only when we hear the fire command vehicle pull up in front of the apartment, siren blaring, that he pitches his voice deep and says, “They’ll not only know when you’re aroused, they’ll be able to smell where I’ve come.”

I want to protest, to dig my heels in, or at least make an attempt to change my mind about setting foot in the Zone, but the look he gives me suggests he’ll have no qualms about picking me up and carrying me into the vehicle. It succeeds in shutting me up.

We watch six orcs and one human woman climb out of a red Chevy Suburban. They were crammed in so tightly it’s like a clown car. Its suspension must be shot to shit if they do that regularly. Though it makes a great show of force, I’m not sure Durga and I will fit even for the short ride to the Zone.

I notice they take up sentry positions by the front and rear of the car, a tall orc with a swimmers build stalks up the steps of my building and scans the street. They look relaxed but their muscles are tense and their eyes watchful.

As we’re about to leave my apartment, I snip, “Well, I promise you one thing. After today, they’ll never smell you inside me again.”

Durga’s mocking chuckle, which suggests he can outwait and outlast me, irritates me more than the thought of being locked in the Integration Zone.

Durga, clutching the bags I hastily packed, accompanies me down the steps, through the exterior door, and into the autumn sunshine. The group greets us warmly, their expressions filled with understanding and solidarity.

“Raisa, this is Fire Chief Brokka,” Durga introduces, nodding toward the orc who stands at the forefront. “And Marissa, his mate.”

I extend my hand, grateful for their support. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you for helping us.”

Brokka’s deep voice rumbles as he shakes my hand. “No need to thank us, Raisa. We’re glad to help.”

As we exchange pleasantries, the presence of the orc males increases my sense of security. The show of force is enough to put any potential threat at bay.

I’m introduced all around, taking notice of how huge every one of these males is. The biggest of them all, Thrall, gives me a suspicious once-over, then mumbles, “You’ll have to tell us how you two met.”

“Take a look at her, Thrall,” Durga drawls, “she’s a good human. Just like your mate Amelia.”

The male is built so big, even Durga needs to crane his neck to look him in the face. I watch as Thrall considers Durga’s words, then nods, in silent apology. “Yes. Sorry. Old habits die hard.”

Anger flies through me for a second, then I push it away. There isn’t an Other on Earth who doesn’t have a good reason to distrust humans.

Marissa motions us to step into the vehicle, her voice filled with warmth. “Come on, let’s get you safe and set up in the Zone. If you don’t want to stay with Durga—”

A chorus of voices sings out, “She does, Marissa,” and I blush to my roots. My face is flaming hot and I’m so embarrassed I cover my cheeks with my hands.

“It’s a different culture,” Marissa explains, sharing a look of commiseration when I finally remove my hands from my face. “I have one piece of advice. The less you blush, the sooner they’ll shut the hell up.” She’s in the front seat but turns and spears each one with a serious look. “You guys couldn’t have behaved for one minute?”

“We were just trying to ease your mind,” the one who introduced himself as Kam said. “Our orc noses tell us she’s happy to be with Durga. Happiness. That’s what we smell, right guys?”

They all nod, and I’m feeling a bit more comfortable until Kam adds, “Not one of us said a word about Durga’s scent being inside her.”

My emotions riot inside me. I flip from terror to anger to embarrassment.

Maybe it’s due to the terrifying run home last night, or from knowing there are a bunch of gangbangers loitering outside my apartment with guns waiting for me. Or maybe it’s being smashed in this Suburban with thousands of pounds of green orc flesh. Perhaps it’s that I’ve left my apartment with two small bags in order to live in a place with five thousand Others. But the worst of these emotions are probably because everyone in the vehicle knows what we did last night.

I’m on Durga’s lap, so I tuck my head against his chest and try to calm my breathing.

I’m so focused on myself, it takes me a moment to realize that none of this crew of big, laughing, joking guys is saying anything.

“Durga, help her.” Brokka’s voice is stern, commanding.

What does he think Durga can do? He can’t perform magic.

“Chief?”

“Purr for her. Can’t you smell how terrified and unhappy she is?”

Immediately, Durga’s chest vibrates, the sound calming me. He wraps his arms more tightly around me, bends to nuzzle his cheek against mine, then purrs even louder. As my muscles relax and I melt into the wall of his chest, I notice every male in the vehicle is purring for me, filling the air with acceptance and perhaps apology.

I take a deep breath and sit up straighter, feeling calmer than I’ve felt in… maybe ever.

Marissa reaches around and puts her hand on my knee. “You might not stay forever, and the Zone is a shithole to be sure, but Raisa? You’ll be safe there. These males will protect you. And Durga is one of our best.”