Chapter 1

1

T he first time Eben caught sight of the tall, stunning Skai , said Skai was laughing, and grinding bollocks-deep into another orc’s arse.

“ Ach , you like that?” the Skai said, his voice hungry and low. “ Wish for more?”

The bent-over orc — another Skai , by the scent of it — groaned and nodded, his claws dragging against the wall. And behind him, the tall orc laughed again as he drew himself out, slowly revealing a long, slick, heavily scarred prick. A prick that looked just as dangerous as the rest of him, what with his tall, muscled grey body, his long black claws, and his messy black topknot, with a gleaming steel dagger casually stabbed through it.

But he was still smiling down at the groaning orc, his dark eyes warm and approving, his claws slowly dragging down the orc’s sides — and in a sharp snap of hips, he slammed back inside. Burying himself deep in one swift, stabbing stroke, while the orc yelped and shuddered upon him.

Eben shivered too, and his grip on the bottle of tonic in his hand had slackened, enough that it nearly dropped to the floor. But he fumbled and caught it just in time, gripping it with shaky fingers, clutching it close to his wildly thudding heartbeat.

Foolish . Foolish , to notice such things. Foolish to care. He could have a good hard ploughing anytime he wished, and many of the orcs who frequented the Ka -esh dyflissa were just as commanding, just as handsome. And like most of the Ka -esh, this Skai was keeping to his own clan for his pleasures, for it was easier that way. Safer . Most of all when it came to Clan Skai .

Never trust a Skai , Eben’s father had warned him again and again, all through the years of his youth. Never let one touch you or find you alone. Instead you run as deep as you can, until you find a tunnel you can collapse behind you.

Eben had studiously heeded the warning, and all the dark tales that had whispered and festered beneath it. Skai were greedy. Lawless . Reckless . Dangerous . And even now, so many summers after his father’s passing, Eben still kept a careful distance — to the point where his boss Efterar , the mountain’s Chief Healer , had needed to prod him to bring up this tonic to Dvergr , whose room was deep in the Skai wing.

You’ll be perfectly safe , Efterar had said in his usual matter-of-fact way, giving a firm clasp of his hand to Eben’s shoulder. No Skai’s going to look twice at you.

Eben had nodded and obeyed, though the unease had kept twisting, tangling with something damnably like fear, as he’d quietly crept through the Skai wing, sniffing out Dvergr’s distant scent. Perfectly safe. No Skai’s going to look twice at you.

But now — Eben’s breath caught as the tall, lean Skai laughed again, and ground in deeper — maybe Eben wanted a Skai to look at him. Wanted this Skai to look at him, with that easy, greedy grin, those warm, approving eyes. But those eyes were still fixed on the bent-over orc, and one of those clawed hands was digging into the orc’s trembling flank, while the other hand gave a ringing little slap to his arse.

“ More , sweet thing,” the tall Skai ordered, husky but firm. “ Know you can milk me harder than this, ach?”

The orc choked and nodded, his face contorting with palpable effort, and behind him the tall orc rasped out a low groan, his head tilting back. “ Ach , that’s good,” he breathed, his hands stroking with obvious approval. “ Don’t stop.”

The scent of his pleasure was now unfurling through the air, simmering sweet and heavy in Eben’s nostrils. Strong enough to set his own prick stirring, the hunger coiling deep in his belly — and he flinched at the feel of it, jerked a hard shake of his head.

No . No . Foolish . The orc was Skai , reckless, dangerous, and openly fucking in the corridors was against the rules now, not that any Skai had ever seemed to notice. And — a sharp pang caught and twisted in Eben’s chest as he watched the orc’s stroking hands — maybe these two orcs were… mated. Maybe the tall Skai was bound to the bent-over one. For as long as Eben could remember, Skai had refused to take other orcs as mates, or even offer them fidelity — until a few moons before, when the Skai had finally come together to alter their customs and recognize such bonds. And this tall, stunning Skai could have his choice of mates, could he not? Could pick from any number of eager worshippers, willing to bend and kneel, and offer him the fealty he deserved…

Foolish , foolish , and Eben squeezed his eyes shut, and forced himself to move again. To step that way, over there, toward Dvergr’s distant scent, away…

“ Looking for something, Ka -esh?” cut in a voice, and Eben gasped and startled, whipped around to where the tall Skai was — looking at him. Looking at him, oh, his brow creasing, even as he kept grinding into the other orc’s upraised rump. “ Not lost, are you?”

Eben nearly dropped the tonic again, but he clutched it closer against his chest, and desperately fought to find his voice. “ I am seeking — Dvergr ,” he said, in a cracked, croaking whisper. “ Wish to give him — tonic. Medicine . From the sickroom.”

He winced even as he spoke, shaking his head, because curse him, from where else could the tonic have come — but the tall orc’s mouth drew into a smile again, quick and easy and approving. “ Ach , I see,” he replied, with a sideways jerk of his dagger-adorned head. “ Good of you to bring it. An ’ he’s just down that way, ach? Keep turning left, you can’t miss him.”

Right . Eben rapidly nodded, too hard and urgent, but his feet seemed frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the orc’s face. On that warm, genial smile, so stunning, so approving. And not fading even a little as Eben kept standing there staring, his face flooding with heat and shame and longing…

“ Just come back if you get lost,” the orc’s voice continued, as his clawed hands spread wider against the orc’s hips, his own hips moving more leisurely now, his fat, scarred, dripping length slipping in and out with brazen, astonishing ease. “ I can show you the way, ach?”

Oh . Oh , fuck. And the orc even winked at Eben — winked , at him! — as he kept sliding in and out of the other orc’s rump. As if he wanted Eben to look, as if he liked him looking, liked making him hot and flustered and —

And miserable. Miserable , or even despairing, because there was no way. No way something like this would ever end well. No way this Skai wouldn’t crush Eben underfoot, and leave him ruined and empty.

Never trust a Skai . Never let one touch you, or get you alone…

And with a jolt, a flinch, a frantic gulp from his throat, Eben spun around, and fled.