Chapter Eight
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Francesca
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It's not that stupidheartfire thing on my arm that's going to kill me; it's them running at breakneck speed with me cradled against them, right after completely derailing every thought I've ever had about anything.
I don't even know how they manage to move so silently in complete stealth mode, considering how massive they are, yet they go undetected by anyone.
I can't believe the distance we've covered; we are now in the mountains, far, far away from my home.
And that's not all; they leap from one cliff to the next as if they are merely stepping over a puddle of water.
Oh, did I forget to mention they just toss me from one set of arms to the next as if I were a rag doll and not a human being, wearing a silk nightie under my blanket and no panties?Oh god, I'm not wearing any panties.
Because the oafs tore them off me, touched me in intimate places no man was allowed to before, made me freaking come, measured my body—whatever the hell that means—then wrapped me in a blanket and are now transporting me to hell.
This can't be my life.
How can it feel both like just a breath and yet the longest moment of time simultaneously?I physically feel us passing from one dimension to another.
It's an indescribable sensation but very real.Then suddenly, it's colder—so cold that I consciously try to crawl deeper into the warmth of the chest I'm pressed against.
I know without them saying a word that we've arrived in Kraukug.Holy crap, I'm in another realm entirely.
Caleb, the one carrying me now, doesn't set me down, but I peer over the blanket covering me up to my nose and gasp.
Before me lies only wasteland.Dark, desolate wasteland.Interspersed are round, very tall structures, which I think are probably their homes.
But then further on silvers of green—plants and flowers, and possibly fruit—catch my attention.It's just a small section where there seems to be life.
From the sky above, a tiny crescent of the sun peeks from behind a moon so white it lights up everything.
"You made it," an excited female voice reaches me.Our welcoming party, I guess.
Three orcs as big as Damien, Fenric, and Caleb, along with a human girl they're holding possessively, come into my view.She must be Jasmine.Next to them is another human girl, as utterly beautiful as Jasmine.
Jasmine is wearing a dress shaped like a tunic made of durable fabric, paired with tights underneath and sturdy boots on her feet.The other girl is dressed in the same pants as the male orcs and a thick fur coat.
"Bring her inside before she freezes."Quickly," Jasmine orders, opening a door to one of the larger structures.Except I'm not really freezing; I've soaked up their body heat like it was a buffet.Well, they offered it to me, so there's that.
Caleb carries me inside and sets me down on my feet.The place is warm, with a huge but pleasant fire in a corner, and while the furniture is sturdy and practical, there's a woman's touch here.
From the open door, I watch the six orcs and the other girl interact with each other.It's clear there's love and respect between the orcs.They entwine their arms tightly until their veins pop, then laugh and clap each other on the back.
It's also clear there's love between the orcs and the girl, as if she's their little sister who can't stop hugging them.
"Hi," the dark-haired Jasmine says after a moment.The instant the other girl enters the house, she closes the door.Jasmine then comes to me and wraps her arms around me."I'm so glad you're here.This is Cailyn," she says, gesturing to the other girl."Cailyn's lived here long before I arrived."
"Hello," Cailyn says, then tries to hug me too, but it's awkward given she's wearing a bulky coat and I'm still wrapped in my thick blanket.Her chocolate-colored hair hangs down to her back in a right mess.She's also carrying some sort of weapon on her hip that she doesn't remove.Dirt—no, wait, some sort of green paint—smudges her face, but her grey eyes sparkle with pride.
"Hi," I say."Look, I'm sorry, but—"
"Wait, let's get you some clothes first and then some tea, okay?It's just us girls now.I made sure to tell my husbands to keep your mates from you for a little while so we can talk.Will that be okay?"
I have no freaking clue why I looked at the closed door, knowing my orcs were on the other side, out of my sight, but suddenly a yearning etches itself into my heart.What the freaky fuck is wrong with me?My orcs?Yearning?Absolutely not.
