4. Agis

Agis

I stumble through the woods, whiskey bottle in hand. The trees blur together in the darkness, but I don't need to see where I'm going. My orc instincts help me avoid most obstacles, though I occasionally bump into a branch.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I mutter to myself in Orcish.

The whiskey burns going down, but not as much as the need burning in my veins. Serenity offered herself to me, and I ran like a coward. But what else can I do? The moment she touched me, I knew – she’s my true mate. The one female in all the world meant for me.

And I am the worst possible match for her.

I take another long pull from the bottle. How can the universe be so cruel? To give me a mate who is not only human but also good and pure?

I'm a gambler.

I nearly got myself killed more times than I can count trying to win big at cards. She deserves better, but there would never be anyone else for me.

The sound of voices makes me pause. This deep in the woods, there shouldn't be anyone else around. I creep closer, my bare feet silent on the forest floor despite my size.

Through the trees, I see lights – not the harsh fluorescents of the wildlife center, but the warm glow of lanterns. A cabin I didn't know existed sits in a small clearing. Cards and chips clatter on a table visible through the window. My fingers itch at the familiar sound.

"Double or nothing," a gruff voice says from inside.

I edge closer, careful to stay in the shadows, and peer inside. Five men sit around a poker table, cigarette smoke clouding the air. Stacks of cash pile high between them. This is no friendly game – the stakes are serious.

"Ethan's gonna be pissed if he finds out you're running games without him," one man says.

“He’s too busy chasing what’s-her-name up at the Wildlife Center,” another responds. “Serenity, was it?”

“Yeah, twit owes him a lot of money.”

The cards smack against the table. “The boss’ll get her good,” the first man says. “She won’t know what hit her, just like her parents.”

I nearly drop the whiskey bottle. This Ethan is threatening Serenity? My mate? A growl builds in my chest.

"Shut up about Ethan," another man snaps. "He's going to own the Wildlife Center soon. The land’s worth millions to developers.”

The growl escapes before I can stop it. One of the men looks toward the window, and I duck back into the shadows.

"What was that?"

"Probably just a bear,” his buddy answered. “Deal the damn cards."

I should leave. I should go back and tell Serenity what I learned. But the familiar click of poker chips draws me in like a siren's song. I can win enough to help her save the center. One last game…

"Agis?" A whispered voice makes me spin around.

Serenity stands a few feet away, wrapped in a thick coat. Her blonde hair glows in the darkness.

"What are you doing out here?" I hiss, moving closer to block her view of the cabin.

"Looking for you, you big idiot," she says. "You're injured and it's freezing."

"You shouldn't be here." I try to guide her away, but she plants her feet.

"Neither should you. What's going on?" She peers around me at the cabin.”Why are there lights in there?”

Before I can stop her, she steps forward and a twig snaps under her foot. The voices in the cabin go quiet.

"Someone's out there," a man says. "Check it out."

I don't think – I just act. Scooping Serenity into my arms, I dash behind a massive old oak tree just as the cabin door creaks open. She starts to protest but I press her against the rough bark and cover her body with mine. Her breath catches.

"I don't see nothing," a voice calls from near the cabin.

"Keep looking. Can't risk anyone finding this place."

Serenity grips my shoulders as footsteps crunch through the underbrush. Her body is soft and warm against mine, fitting perfectly despite our size difference. The mate bond thrums between us, demanding I claim her, protect her, and never let her go. The whiskey and adrenaline make my head spin.

"Please," she whispers, though I'm not sure what she's asking for.

I lean down until my lips brush her ear. "Don't move," I breathe.

She shivers, but not from fear. Her scent changes and becomes rich with arousal. My cock hardens instantly, pressing against her stomach through my thin sweatpants. Her fingers dig into my bare shoulders.

The footsteps move closer. I should be focusing on the danger, but all I can think about is how perfectly she fits against me. How right it feels to hold her. How much I want to tear off her clothes and take her right here against this tree.

"Nothin' out here," the man finally calls out. "Probably just animals."

We stay frozen until the cabin door slams shut. Only then do I let myself look down at Serenity's flushed face.

"What is this place?" she whispers.

"Illegal gambling den," I say roughly. "Run by Ethan."

Her eyes widen. "Ethan? But..."

“Serenity…” My voice is hoarse. Her body is still tight against me, and her wildflower scent wraps around me. A red haze descends over me and my words are gone.

I press my lips to hers, wanting to taste her, wanting her.

She opens to me instantly but then stops, pulling back. “Agis, those men… the cabin.”

I growl and scoop her into my arms. The forest goes by in a blur, until we are deep in the thicket. I know I should take her somewhere warm, somewhere human, but I don’t know if I can wait that long.

The ground is cold and frozen, waiting for the coming blanket of snow. I can taste it in the air.

My gaze darts around until I find a small covered area, barely a lean to, just a rest stop for hikers. I carry her in and seat her against the back wall, out of the wind.

My hands tear at her clothes, barely registering the buttons flying or fabric ripping. My blood roars in my ears as I expose her pale skin to the night air. Her breasts fill my massive hands, nipples hardening under my rough touch. The mate bond pulses between us like a living thing, demanding I claim her.

The frenzy builds in my chest, a primal urge to mark, to possess, to make her irrevocably mine. Need slams through me, but I force myself to hold back. She doesn’t know what this means, what being an orc mate means. And I’ll hurt her.

"I'll go." The words rip from my throat as I force myself back. One step. Two. My body screams in protest at each inch of distance.

Her eyes, dark with desire, rake over me. "No."

"Ser-en-ity." Her name is a growl, a prayer, a warning. "I won't be able to stop." The frenzy clouds my vision with red need. Every muscle strains toward her, my mate, my destiny. I want to throw her down, to cover her body with mine, and rut until she carries my scent, my mark, my babies…

"I don't want you to stop." Her voice trembles.

"We'll be mated."

One last warning, though my control hangs by a thread.

When her small fingers wrap around my hard cock, the last barrier breaks. The frenzy takes me, and I surrender to the ancient orc instincts singing in my blood.