Orc's Unwilling Bride: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Orc Warlord Book 1) by Kayla St. James & Kraterran Kingdoms

Author:Kayla St. James & Kraterran Kingdoms [St. James, Kayla & Kingdoms, Kraterran]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-23T04:00:00+00:00

The night was dark and moonless, and a cold wind whipped across her cheeks. She was desperate to get home, but the terrain was unfamiliar.

Behind her, the pounding hoofbeats of her pursuers echoed in her ears. There were three orcs behind her, she was certain of it. Fearsome orcs who carried weapons made of antler and stolen steel and smelled like the peat bogs—they had surprised her in the woods, and would not take her warnings seriously.

Their leaders’ words repeated in her mind.

“What do we care that you’re the lady of this keep?”

“If she is, she’ll be worth more money,” one orc whispered loudly.

He was silenced by a swift punch to the mouth, but his words had been enough to make Mae dig her heels into her mare and urge her into the gallop that carried them down the dirt road that led to home.

Home. Home. Home.

The trees parted, and she smelled the salt sea on the wind. Hope flared in her chest, but as she ducked down to urge her mare faster, her mount stumbled and Mae was thrown from the saddle.

She lay there in the wet leaves and gasped for air. Her horse scrambled and ran, spooked by the approaching foes, and left her helpless. Mae forced herself to roll over onto her stomach and tried to get control of her breathing.

The ground beneath her hands shuddered with hoofbeats and she pushed herself to her feet. Her left elbow throbbed, but nothing seemed broken. She swiped her hair out of her eyes and ran headlong into the forest. Desperate for a place to hide, she pressed herself against the rough trunk of a thick pine tree and closed her eyes tightly. Maybe if she waited, they would gallop past her, and she could sneak through the forest and into the keep where Urim waited for her arrival.

The hoofbeats were loud, so loud in her ears, and she pressed her cheek against the tree. The sap was sticky against her fingers and the smell of it filled her nose.

Wait.

Wait.

The horses careened by, and Mae bit her lip to keep herself still.

Wait.

She forced herself to open her eyes, one at a time, and peered around the trunk of the tree. The woods were dark and her eyes took time to adjust, but she was alone.

Mae stepped out from behind the tree and tried to get her bearings. She turned toward the trees on the opposite side of the road and smiled briefly as she ran forward.

She cried out as a heavy hand fell upon her shoulder.

“What have we here?” a voice growled.

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