2. Agis

Agis

I watch the human woman Serenity as she walks away. I can't help but admire the way her hips sway when she moves, and my cock stirs restlessly. Females have become scarce in our mountains, and an orc has needs.

Turning over my hand, I stare at it then chuckle. The little human female had hit me. I could crush her with one hand, but she swatted me without a thought.

I'd been wondering why my brother Talon decided to stay among the humans, and I couldn't see anything overly exciting about any of it... but then there was this woman.

“Ser-en-ity,” I say, practicing her name. “Serenity.”

I snort. She's not like any of the females I've encountered before. She certainly doesn't have the brutish strength of an orc, and yet she is fierce in defending her food. I rub my head.

The humans I met before were so fragile and easy to break. Even the bouncers at the casinos I visited. Somehow, I don't think Serenity would be weak like them.

I drop down on the bench and it tilts, lifting one end into the air. I adjust until I am balanced in the middle. This furniture isn’t made for orcs.

Everything is strange here: the harsh unnatural lights, the white floors and walls, the benches, even the food looks different than what I'm used to.

Although, those things she called cinnamon rolls are delicious. I could eat them all. I eye the boxes. Surely she wouldn’t notice if I took a few more?

No one else knows, but I, too, have spent some time among the humans. But those places are dim and crowded and full of games, not this bright and clean. I wonder if they play poker here? I pull the chip from my pocket and turn it over in my hand. Or maybe blackjack? Those are the games I like at the casino.

A few minutes later, Talon arrives with Serenity, his brow furrowed in concern. My brother is always too serious for his own good. I slide the plastic chip back into my pocket.

He leans down to inspect my foot and the scratches there. A smile tugs at my lips because they’re hardly worth bothering over. I destroyed the bear trap that tried to hold me, crushing the metal. It won’t be hurting anything else, animal or human or orc.

But then Serenity's anxious gaze makes me pause. She's setting up some supplies to clean and bandage the wounds, and she smells so good—like the forest after a hard rain. Again my instincts stir, and I shove them down. She’s human. There’s no way she can handle my monstrous side.

"Agis," Talon says, his voice holding a bit of humor. He knows I’m not really injured. "What have you gotten yourself into now?"

Serenity takes off her coat, and lays it across the bench. Then she kneels down in front of me and starts cleaning my wounds.

"Just a little scrape,” I say, but my eyes are on Serenity’s bright yellow hair. It looks like the first golden rays of the sun in the morning. I want to lean forward and touch it.

I shake myself.

What am I doing?

I try to turn my gaze to Talon. “Good to see you, brother.”

“Been too long,” Talon says and grasps my arm in the traditional orc greeting.

“I’m going to apply some antiseptic,” Serenity says, and looks up, meeting my eyes. “Might sting a bit.”

I smirk. I am an orc. Nothing short of losing an arm ‘stings.’

“What brings you here?” Talon asks.

“I came to check on my little brother,” I murmur, lost in the golden strands of Serenity’s hair again. “How are you?”

He laughs heartily and smacks my shoulder. “I’m fine. Better than fine,” he says. “You’ll have to come and meet my mate, Jenna.”

“You found a true mate?” I ask and my jaw drops. “Here, among the humans?”

Talon nods. “And she’s pregnant.”

Serenity spins around and gapes at Talon. “She’s pregnant?”

He laughs. “We just found out ourselves.”

I find myself speechless.

Our family had started to think that we would be the last of the orcs, as our tribe dwindled, and there were fewer and fewer true mates among us.

But my brother found the answer among the humans?

Can we mate with them?

My gaze slides back over to Serenity. She is bandaging up my foot as if I’d cut it off all together, not just got a few scratches.

“That’s wonderful,” I say, falling back into our orc language. “Our clan can survive?”

“Yes,” he answers me in the same way, with a wide grin.

I blink. I’d thought my brother had lost his mind when he’d come down to live among the humans, but perhaps there was something to it.

Could I find a true mate here too?

“So, he can stay in your cabin right?” Serenity asks as she stands and cleans up the medical supplies.

My stomach clenches at the very idea. Talon and I both stare at her.

“No,” Talon says, getting a hold of himself first. “Unmated males cannot stay in the same space as a mated pair.”

I nod. “This is known.”

A furrow of confusion crosses Serenity’s brow. “But I don’t have any extra cabins right now.”

“It’s okay,” I say gruffly. “I’m used to sleeping rough.”

“Absolutely not,” she insists. “You’re injured and it's getting cold at night.”

She pulls on her ear, and I find myself looking at the long line of her neck. Her skin looks so soft that I just want to run my finger along it. Would it be soft like a doe’s?

Looking back and forth between us, she sighs then says. “You can stay in my cabin.”

My body has all sorts of reactions to that, and none that I should act on. I look down at her chest, where her shapely breasts push against her worn shirt, and I just refrain from smacking my knee. I feel like I’ve just won the jackpot, and there are no cards in sight.

“I’ll sleep in my office,” she says.

“Gruktak,” I mutter in disappointment. It’s been a while since my body has reacted to a female like this. I want to toss her over my shoulder and run for her cabin, but I don’t want to scare her.

Talon is watching me suspiciously, so I don’t say anything.

She sighs again, then nods. “Well, come on then. I’ll show you the way.”

I stand, and the bench creaks.

Serenity bites her lip and a furrow trails across her brow. “I’m going to need sturdier benches if any more relatives show up.”

“We could make some,” I say. All of our furniture at home was made by our clan. We all know how.

“The basic tools are in the shed,” Talon agrees. “And we could use some of the downed branches that we cleared last week.”

“That would work,” she says, then she looks at both of us. “Should I be expecting any more visitors?”

“Not that I know of,” I answer. Although if our siblings heard that Talon found a true mate, they’ll all be coming down here before long.

Serenity leads us out of the building and along a path that passes several log cabins.

Talon stops at one, and promises to introduce me to his mate in the morning. I can tell he’s already feeling protective because of the pregnancy.

Not looking where I’m going, I stumble a bit on an exposed root, and Serenity takes my hand. I blink in surprise. This tiny human thinks she’s going to help an orc? That her fingers interlaced with mine will keep me safe? A chuckle rumbles up in my chest, but I hold it back, not wanting her to let go.

Serenity leads me down the path to a cabin at the end of the row. The weathered structure stands apart from the others, its age showing in the rough-hewn logs and time-worn porch. A handmade blanket is draped over a well-used rocking chair and lends the place a haunting comfort.

Serenity leads me inside, and the scent of pine and leather wraps around me. A massive bed, its quilted covers thick and inviting, takes up most of the room. It's surprisingly large—almost big enough for an orc. My eyes linger on it longer than they should.

Then they move to the climbing gear that hangs on the walls like ghosts—ropes, carabiners, harnesses. My eyes catch on a frayed rope near the door, its fibers oddly discolored. Something about the damage pattern seems wrong, but I push the thought away.

"This is yours?" I ask, taking in every detail through an orc's keen eyes.

"Well, it was my parents'," she says, and lifts a framed photograph from a shelf. Two adult humans wearing climbing gear smile at the camera, ropes slung confidently over their shoulders.

"They were experienced climbers. They used to lead guided tours up the mountain." Her voice catches as her eyes drift to the damaged rope. "I can't bring myself to throw their things away. Even that rope from their last climb."

Her voice catches. "Their accident... it never should have happened."

I frown. My instinct is to offer comfort, but I hold back. The pain in her voice is still raw. Her parents' death clearly haunts her, and something about the way she describes the ‘accident’ sets off warning bells. I've spent enough time reading people at poker tables to recognize when someone's holding back crucial information.

But it's not my place to push. Not yet. For now, I simply nod to let her know I'm listening if she wants to share more.

Serenity moves to kindle a fire in the stone fireplace that anchors one wall, her practiced movements speaking of years spent in this space. When I try to help, she waves me off with a gentle smile.

I continue to wander around the cabin. The sitting area near the entrance holds two overstuffed chairs that look far too small for my frame. Bookshelves line the walls, packed with well-worn volumes about wildlife and mountain trails. Family photos dot the shelves - a young Serenity growing up alongside her smiling blond-haired parents.

A sturdy dresser stands against one wall, and a door at the back presumably leads to what humans call a bathroom. I learned about that one the hard way when the casino managers got angry with me for relieving myself in a parking lot.

The whole space feels lived-in, comfortable, yet tinged with memory. It smells of Serenity - that intoxicating mix of forest and wildflowers that makes my blood run hot.

The fire is soon warming the room, and Serenity urges me to sit in one of the small chairs. I shake my head, and settle on the bed, which is at least sturdy enough not to break under me.

“Would you like some coffee?” she asks.

I shake my head. The bitter beverage never appealed to me. “Whiskey?” I ask hopefully.

Her eyes widen, but then a slow smile spreads across her face. “I guess it has been that kind of night.”

She leans forward to open a lower cabinet, and the sight of her curves sends a jolt of need through me. My body responds instantly, cock hardening with an intensity that terrifies me. I quickly adjust and pull the blanket folded at the end of the bed over my lap, trying to deny what my instincts are screaming.

The scent of her fills my head with a clarity I've never known. Each movement draws my eye like a starving wolf watching prey. That’s when I know - this tiny human is meant for me. My true mate.

I want to roar in frustration.

She's so small, so delicate compared to my monstrous form.

Her soul is pure light while mine is stained with debts and lies. She deserves better than a gambling orc who could crush her with one careless move.

She retrieves whiskey and glasses and closes the cabinet with a swing of her hip that makes my tusks ache. I exhale slowly and fight the urge to claim what can never be mine.

The feeling that she's my destined mate - and that I'm not worthy of her - burns worse than any loss I've ever known.