1. Evrin

Four years later…

I rub my hand over my face in a feeble attempt to banish my exhaustion. I"ve been so tired ever since I spoke to Kal. He is our clan"s animal trapper and was a fellow outcast who ended up catching a human female in one of his traps. The latest news is that she just gave birth to twin girls. I can"t help the deep-seated jealousy brewing under my thick skin. Around a hundred years ago, the female orc population started to decline. The elders desperately searched for answers but found none. Since then, it was agreed that orc males would be an outcast from the clan when they came of age and could only return if they found a female to breed and wed. Normally, this would be another orc female, but since Kal"s human wife gave birth to girls, our mating pool has widened. I want nothing more than to have a wife and kits, but I fear Kal"s situation was merely a stroke of luck. How will I ever find a human mate if they are forbidden to enter the swamp we call home?

I try my best to expel the thoughts that have eaten away at me for the past few months. I must focus on the task at hand: meeting at the rendezvous point on the edge of the swamplands with one of my regular tradesmen. Orcs and humans don"t typically trade with each other, but very little iron can be found in the swamps. As a blacksmith, that poses quite an issue. Normally, our swamp clan trades with an orc clan in the mountains. But since news of a wedded and bred human reached them, they have cut off all communications. They are foolish orcs who believe the species should remain "pure." Gah! They have lost their minds. What a blessing it is to have a mate. Why anyone would reject such a bond for the simple sake of purity is beyond me.

But their lack of cooperation has forced me to work with the humans. Something I had hopes in which I could meet a female mate but was sorely disappointed to discover every human tradesman is a male who doesn"t have the guts to meet an orc face to face. Instead, we operate solely on a drop-and-collect basis. The only reason I know they are all males is because, for the first month, I watched them from afar. They are blissfully unaware of a predator that lurks in the distance. I must say that humans have terrible survival instincts.

Just as I reach my collection point, I hear rustling in nearby bushes. I reach for one of the swords strapped to my back and ready myself. We might just be outside the swamplands, but that doesn"t stop some creatures. I round a tree, and my body stills. It is no creature.

It is a human female.

I quickly return my blade to my back and gape at her in stunned silence.

Her back faces me as she is crouched down, carefully picking berries and filling her woven basket. She has bright fire-colored hair, pale skin, and an ample bosom. My cock immediately stiffens at the sight of her. What is she doing this close to the swamplands? I'm overjoyed by her presence, but my immediate reaction is to protect her from the unknown dangers of the swamp. My question is quickly answered as I observe the small blue fruit in between her delicate fingers. They are swamp berries. They are delectable sweet fruits, but humans are generally unfamiliar with them. Understandable, as they only grow in the swamp or near the swamplands.

I"ve never seen a human female before, and I swear I forget how to breathe momentarily. Everything about her is perfect: her thick thighs, her wide hips, and rosy red cheeks.

I"ve always been an orc of action, at least until now. I, of course, want to rut her into the ground, but I also want to observe her. Get to know her. What does her voice sound like when she is moaning my name? What will she make with those berries? Does she taste as sweet as she looks? I have a million questions, but I am not brave enough to ask one. So, instead, I watch her.

She completes her work and is content with the now full basket of berries. None the wiser, this human female has no idea that an orc stalks her from a distance. My anxiety piques at her lack of spatial awareness. Many dangers lurk in this world, waiting to strike against someone as delectable as her. I desire nothing more than to drag her back to my cabin, where I can keep her safe.

I follow her down a dirt path, close enough to keep her in my line of vision but not close enough to alert her to my presence. I"ve never ventured this far into the human lands before, but I"m entranced by this seductress. The hem of her dress drags along the road, dirtying it, but she doesn"t seem to mind. By the looks of her blue tattered gown, she is used to working in this attire. Odd, why don"t human females wear something more practical?

It doesn"t take long until she arrives at a decaying cabin. Surely, this can"t be where she lives. There appear to be no other human homes in sight. Where is her clan? Is she an outcast like me?

She stops in front of the door, and it creaks open. It is practically hanging off of its hinges. I get a glance at her face before she enters her home, and although it"s stunning, there is a hint of sadness to it.

I"m completely enthralled by this woman, and the second I lose sight of her, I am desperate for more. I survey our surroundings and deem a nearby hill to be my best vantage point. I use bushes and trees to hide my presence and dance along the property line until I reach my spot.

"I guess I"m not completely useless," I whisper to myself and crouch into the position that looks directly into two windows. I gaze into what appears to be a poorly lit bedroom and a common room. Up until this point, it is like I have lost every skill I"ve learned over the last twenty-six years.

I see something move in the common room window and my body stills. I register the presence of a male. I already feel incredibly possessive over this female, and having another male nearby will turn ugly fast. I let out a growl. The second I laid eyes on her near the swamp I knew that will be my bride and the mother of my kits.

Before I grab one of the swords strapped to my back, the human male stumbles into a better view. I watch as he brings a metal container to his lips and sways around. The man is drunk and…way too old to be the human female"s mate. This must be her father, then. I breathe a sigh of relief, although I"m still not happy he is in her presence. My sweet human doesn"t seem to enjoy his company either; she looks upon him with apathy, not love.

What has happened to this poor creature to make her so sullen with her own loved ones? I would give nothing more than to have my parents back.

She places the basket of swamp berries on a table and saunters into the dark bedroom. I grunt in frustration. I can"t see a thing, and my cock is begging to get a glimpse of her beautiful round figure.

Time passes, and I grow agitated with every moment. I double-check that her father stays in the common room; I would have no qualm killing him if he dared stumble into her room. Candlelight starts flickering as my human ignites them one by one. It takes my orc eyes time to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. I see pieces of her bright hair flicker into view and flashes of pale, freckled skin. Gah! This godsforsaken window is too small!

But just as my frustration piques, my vision adjusts, and I see a floor-length mirror positioned perfectly for my viewing pleasure. She finally meanders in front of the mirror, and I have the best fucking angle of her fat ass and large breasts. She is wearing a white corset, some frilly white shorts, and stockings that taunt me. Her outfit hugs each and every one of her voluptuous curves in all the right places. By the gods, I nearly come just at the sight of her. But something in the back of my mind starts to eat away at me. Why does her appearance unnerve me? My human looks at herself in the mirror, appreciating her hand-sculpted body from the gods, and it suddenly dawns on me.

Humans wear all white to their weddings.

I feel my face pale, and rages boil my veins. No, she will not be someother's bride. She is mine!

I take no time to think through my actions before I sprint down the short hill. I will not take any chances that this human weds another. For a split second, I debate, entering through the window. But I quickly realize I won"t fit. The only opportunity to enter the cabin will be through the front door.

Without hesitation, I round the corner of the house and kick down the rotting door. I do not attempt subtly; this weak male and my sweet human are the only humans around.

"What the fuck—" the man screams and falls onto his ass. Maybe seeing an orc in his unkempt home will sober him up.

"Uncle Edmund?" My redheaded human opens the door to the bedroom but screams when she registers my presence. Ah, he is her uncle, not her father.

"Ivy!" the human named Edmund shrieks.

"Ivy..." I play with her name on my tongue. Gorgeous, just like her.

I charge past Ivy"s uncle as he struggles to his feet and barge through the bedroom door that she attempts to slam close. Ivy has both weight and height, but her strength is no match to mine.

"What do you want, you beast!" she yells.

I wince at her words. I want this sweet human to welcome me into her arms and body. At the moment, she is doing neither.

"You," I growl; I can"t help my aggression. The idea of another male marrying my bride has me frayed at the edges.

"Me?" she whispers, confused.

A sudden jolt of laughter sounds from the common room. Her uncle laughs hysterically, "You want…Ivy? You can have her!"

Although he offers me what I desire the most, I can"t help but grind my teeth together. I look back towards Ivy, and her expression tells me enough. She stares at me like wild prey who knows they are about to be eaten. Her wide-eyed expression and rapid breaths show both her fear and her sadness.

"You would give up your own niece to a beast?" I ask with my voice laced with disgust. I know I will give Ivy the best life. She will be loved, protected, and cared for by me. But this coward of a man doesn"t know that.

"That whore? I"ve been trying to get rid of her for the past four years!"

"What did you call her?" I pull a sword from the back of my sheath and charge the drunk bastard. Ivy yells something, but I can"t hear her. My ears ring, and my eyes blur with rage. Edmund, now on his feet, has found a blade of his own and does his best to match my strikes. It is clear he has had decent training yet he stands no chance against me. I block his every advance until I finally land a punch to his stomach. Edmund slouches over, and I take my opportunity to disarm him by slicing my blade through his right wrist. He won"t ever pick up a blade again.

"Fuck!!" he screams in pain. "My hand!"

"Don"t worry, your head will soon be joining it," I grit out and raise my blade again to deliver the fatal blow.

"Don"t kill him! Please!" Ivy begs as she runs towards me. My anger dims almost immediately, and I shift my focus to her.

"Please don"t kill him! I will go with you," she begs. "I promise, but just don"t kill him. I"ve killed enough people in my family."

I don"t understand what she is referring to, yet I can"t deny my beautiful bride anything.

"But he disrespected you. It is an offense that can only be remedied with a battle to the death. I am protecting your honor," I try to explain myself. She will soon come to learn orc traditions.

"Honor? I don"t have much of that these days," she murmurs.

"My fucking hand!" Edmund cries, cradling his bleeding stub.

I look down at the pathetic creature but ultimately succumb to my wife-to-be"s wishes. Why she desires to keep her uncle alive after how he treats her is beyond me. I lower my blade and hear her sigh of relief. But not me. No, I have no form of relief. I"m currently a giant mass of tension. My anger and lust have reached a boiling point.

It is time to return to the swamp.

I slide my sword back into the sheath strapped to my back.

"Thank you—" she starts, but I cut her off by wrapping my arm around her ass and throwing her over my shoulder.

"HEY! Put me down!" Ivy shrieks.

Within a few strides we are exiting the small crumbling cabin with only her uncle"s soft sobs lingering in the distance. Ivy beats on my back, calling me names, but I pay her no mind. I finally have a bride. It might take her time to accept me. But soon enough I will have a wife full of my seed and a pussy that is all mine. I will no longer be an outcast.