“Under my protection,” Keric says carefully. “As my mate.”
“But at the bus station you said I was your…”
“But you’re not yet, not until you choose that for yourself. I believe you are my future Bride though, but that’s a conversation we can have later.”
“What’s the security like?” I ask, changing the subject before I panic.
Kelt glances at me in the rearview mirror. “Perimeter fence, twenty-four-seven patrols, surveillance on all access points. No one gets in or out without us knowing.”
“And if someone tries?”
“They don’t succeed.” His voice is flat. Final.
I believe him. “What about the people looking for me?” I hate how small my voice sounds. “What if they track me here?”
Keric’s hand finds mine. “They won’t.”
“But if they do?—”
“They won’t,” he repeats. “And if by some miracle they manage to find this place, they’ll have to go through every orc on this commune to get to you. That’s not happening.”
“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with,” I insist. “These aren’t just random criminals. They’re powerful, connected, dangerous?—”
“So am I,” Keric says quietly.
I look at the set of his jaw and the certainty in his eyes. He believes what he’s saying. Completely. “They’ve killed before,” I whisper. “To keep me quiet. To get what I have.”
“Then they’ll die trying to get to you here.”
“Keric—”
“Enough.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “You’re safe here with me.”
Kelt catches my eye in the mirror. “He’s right, Ms. Lee. Whatever you’re running from, believe me, we’ve handledworse. Over the centuries we’ve become experts at keeping out the humans we don’t want. This is what we do here.”
I squeeze Keric’s hand in return. God, I want to believe them so badly.
After twenty minutes, the pavement turns to gravel and we pass a glinting mountain lake that takes my breath away. Then I see it—a sign that makes my stomach clench:Warning: Orcs Only Past This Point.
Kelt doesn’t slow down.
The gravel crunches under the tires as we round a curve and suddenly there’s a checkpoint ahead. Two massive orcs stand guard in front of a wooden security shack. Behind them rises the most formidable fence I’ve ever seen—thick wooden spikes topped with barbed wire, curving in both directions with no end in sight. The fence is so tall and imposing I can’t see anything beyond it.
“Wow,” I breathe. “That’s impressive.”
“Secure,” Keric says simply.
One of the guards waves us through. A thick metal gate swings open with a groan and Kelt drives us inside.
I gasp. I’d been expecting... I don’t know. Primitive? Rough? This looks like a mountain resort. Cabins are scattered among the trees, far enough apart for privacy but close enough to feel like a community. Everything appears hand-built with rough-hewn logs and stone foundations, but it’s quaint, beautiful even. In the center, I see an enormous lodge with a massive stone chimney. Smoke curls from it, carrying the scent of burning wood.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, surprised.
Keric’s hand finds mine again. “It’s home.”
We drive down a wide gravel path. Orcs walk alongside it—all sizes, all ages, going about their lives. Some stop to stare at the SUV. At me. Male orcs are everywhere, and I see a few humanwomen too, scattered among them. The women stop and wave at me, which is both nice and encouraging. The orcs watch with open curiosity.
The SUV slows as we approach the massive building in the center of an enormous open space in the center of the commune. “This is the Great Lodge,” Kelt remarks. “We’re going to park here and go inside.”
