Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

RYKO

" I 've got to get going," Lily says when my cock brushes against her belly. "Back to work, before they miss me."

I'm hard for her. Harder than I've ever been for a female, and the way she stands up to me one moment and darts into the tree to escape me the next makes me want her more. She is a challenge, and my cock pulses at the idea of chasing and claiming her. But that would go against my grak's orders.

Atox im Grak did not earn his title because he is a soft or forgiving male, but a hardened, strategic one. While claiming this female would satisfy more than my body, my grak will bring his wrath down on me.

The crunch of leaves and branches beneath Lily's feet makes me wince, but then she slows, seeking bare ground. Though still loud, her steps lighten significantly. She listened to me earlier. Not only does she smell like sossa blooms, but she also has a beautifully expressive face and a curvy body I'm eager to explore.

"Much better!" I call out to her.

Hundreds of feet away, she stops and turns to face me. Thin rays of sunshine pierce the treetops, cascading over rich brown skin, like a sign from the gods that this female is mine.

"You never told me your name," she says.

"Correct." I do not give her my name intentionally. If my grak hears my name mentioned among the humans, he will know I've spoken to one of them.

"What do I have to do to earn your name?" my female asks.

My female?

In reflex, my lips curl back, displaying my tusks as one would to a potential mate. The idea that I could mate this female—this human female—intrigues me. Fills more than my cock with need.

I would very much like to spend more time with her. But I must do so carefully. And I must consider the repercussions of what I reveal. A single wrong move could get me killed.

Atox im Grak does not tolerate disobedience. Nor should he. He's the reason my people survived The Undoing on Orcos, and he is the reason we will survive on Kovos.

Vekk, I want this female.

In a moment of weakness, I call out, "Return tomorrow, little human. If you wish to learn my name."

Her lips pull back and up, flashing a wide set of shiny, perfectly straight—and very blunt—teeth. No tusks. And her skin is not green. As for ridges… none decorate her forehead. Perfectly smooth skin everywhere, but I cannot take my eyes from her. She is utterly beautiful.

And she is mine.

I don't know how or when, but I will mate this female.

Lily waves her hand, an odd human custom I've seen in Pen'Kesh. Another reminder that she is not orc.

No matter. Nothing will keep me from mating her. For now, I must ensure she returns to the market safely.

After I dress and secure my weapons, I wrap a hunting cloth over the yenga and hoist the beast around my neck, bearing the weight on my shoulders. Removing its organs and draining most of the blood lightened the animal, making it easier to carry.

I find Lily's trail and spot her within minutes. She's moving with less noise than earlier, but not silently enough. Time and practice, I tell myself. She's not orc, but she will learn. I will teach her all she needs to know.

Without alerting her to my presence, I follow her to Pen'Kesh. Not once does she look back to see if she's being followed. That will be my next lesson, if she returns tomorrow.

I hope she does. These humans rotate the females who sell their produce and leather wares in the market.

Ten vekking days. That's all I have left on daily escort duty to and from Pen'Kesh, but depending on the humans' schedule, I may not see her again during that period. Or ever.

Three days ago, I fought a human in the common area of Pen'Kesh. I let the male bait me. Me, a seasoned warrior. I'd been watching my beautiful Lily from a distance, when the male noticed and said I wasn't fit to rut with any human female, even one as worthless as her.

It was the last part that made me lose my temper. He spoke of her with contempt.

I did not know her name at the time, nor had I ever spoken to her, but she did not deserve his venom. That's when I struck him. And soon found myself in a fight with four humans.

As punishment, my grak assigned me to escort Sojek for the next ten supply runs. I'm still not sure if he punished me for disobeying his orders by starting a fight or because the fight ended with my enemy, four humans, bloodied and bruised, but still alive.

Either way, I made Atox look weak as a leader.

"Lily, where have you been?" a female with golden hair asks as Lily slides into a seat at a table in the human sector. The other female dumps a pile of leather in front of her and barks out orders .

My lips curl back, flashing my tusks at the female's tone. I'd never hurt a female, but I'd gladly growl at her to show her my displeasure if I didn't fear getting Lily in trouble.

Her people have rules against associating with orcs. A female may only speak with us if we approach their tables to purchase an item.

"Where have you been?" Atox demands, yanking my attention from Lily as she settles at her work table. My grak stands by the entrance to the human sector. I'm not sure why he's in Pen'Kesh.

"I hunted while Sojek made his delivery to the bantarans." I turn for him to see the size of the yenga slung over my shoulders.

"You're supposed to guard Sojek."

"In the market? You wish me to insult him?"

"Vekk," Atox swears, seeing my point. "I don't know what to do about him."

Though Sojek is young, only eighteen, he shows no capacity to be a warrior, which is why he drives the cart. A worthy task for a young male, but he is also Atox's nephew. Unless he trains and proves himself as a warrior first, Sojek will never rule our people.

"He'll get himself killed here," Atox mutters.

He means Pen'Kesh, where we must endure the hatred, ignorance, and foolishness of not one but four other species. "No one here will attack an orc in the open. Not if they value their lives."

We protect our own. If an orc such as Sojek were caught unaware, then his death would be avenged. Mercilessly.

Sojek has his knives and our reputation to ward off would-be attackers. I glance back at Lily. She's the one at risk. My female has incompetent human males assigned to guard her and the other human females, but from what I see of the males, they cause more trouble for their own females than anyone else.

When Lily spots me watching her, her cheeks rise and her lips part with a softness orc females don't exhibit. The same expression as back by the lake. She's pleased with me.

My head lifts in pride and my cock hardens instantly .

Atox backhands me against my chest. "Stay away from their females, Ryko."

"Yes, Grak."

As my grak, he can kill me without anyone objecting. Not that I have any family left after the Undoing. But no one crosses a grak and lives.