Page 2 of Captured By the Orc
A towering orc warrior, all raw power and primal rage, barrels through the gaping hole ripped in the hull. He’s a mountain of muscle and savage grace, his eyes burning with intensity.
“Back off, ugly,” I spit out, defiance flaring hot and reckless,
His only answer is a guttural snarl as he advances, the ground vibrating with each earth-shaking step. Panic claws at my throat, but I refuse to go down without a fight.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners?” I taunt, channeling my fear into bravado, even as my heart hammers a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
He halts, his dark eyes narrowing as they rake over me. For a heartbeat, something flashes in their depths — amusement? Surprise? Whatever it is, it disappears as quickly as it came.
“Human,” he growls the word.
“Orc,” I shoot back. “Heard of personal space?”
His grip doesn’t loosen. With brute force that makes me feel like a rag-doll, he snatches me up and throws me over his broad shoulder as if I weigh no more than a feather.
“Put me down, you overgrown?—!”
“Silence,” he commands in a gravelly rasp that vibrates through my body.
“Nice try, big guy,” I snap, the world tilting precariously as we weave through the carnage. Despite the terror clawing at me, there’s a spark of irrational irritation at his ease. How dare he be so… collected?
“But you’ll need more than grunts to shut me up.”
And my crew are battling the huge ship that’s attacking our shields.
“Shot! Here!” I flail, trying to get my crew’s attention, but they’re busy trying to keep our ship from being torn apart.
The orc lets out a humorless bark of a laugh, sending shivers through me. And he simply strides through the wreckage witha purposeful swagger that speaks of undeniable power and a disturbing sense of familiarity.
I scream with all my might, but when someone does hear me, the orc shoots them and they collapse with smoke sizzling from their chest.
“Oh my God, you killed him.” I hit the orc’s back as hard as I can but it doesn’t faze him. Sure the guy was a warlord who would probably do the same to me and some would say self-defense, but how can I plead for peace with dead bodies littering my vessel?
As we exit what’s left of the ship, he heads in the opposite direction of the massive warship.
“Where are you taking me?”
Instead of answering, he teleports us onto another vessel. This one is much smaller than both the warship and the diplomatic one that came with my election.
“You’re not with the warlords?” I ask, but I’ve no idea what the hell is going on. “You used their attack as a distraction.”
He shrugs.
My breath catches — this is just the beginning. Whatever twisted fate awaits me, I’m entirely at the mercy of this ruthless orc warrior until I can take him by surprise and escape.
An acrid scent of blood and burning metal fills my nostrils as he throws me into a cage that reminds me of a metal zoo enclosure. The clang of the metal door reverberates through the cavernous hall, a haunting symphony of defeat.
“Enjoy your stay,” he growls, sarcasm dripping like venom.
I scramble to stand. “Why am I here? What do you want with me?” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m a tangled mess of fear and fury.
The orc — this towering mass of muscle and barely contained violence — leans in close, his breath hot on my cheek. “You are a bargaining chip,” he snarls, his dark eyes burning into mine.
“Great, kidnapped by an orc with delusions of grandeur.” I spit back, refusing to show the fear that threatens to crack my facade.
His gaze narrows, anger radiating off him. “Watch your tongue, human,” he warns, his low timbre making me shiver in a way it shouldn’t.
“Or what? You’ll throw me in another cage?” I snap, meeting his intense stare head-on.