Bound to the Orc Warlord
“Shit. Shit. Shit!”
I careen into a treetop, the pine needles scraping across bare skin. The thin trunk hits me in the chest, and I wrap my arms and legs around it instinctively, holding on for dear life as it whips back and forth under the force of my impact.
Finally, it comes to a stop, and I let out a relieved sigh. I’m no longer stuck in the middle of the air.
Nope. Now I’m stuck like a cat up a tree.
The clearing’s really far below. I’m still weightless, but if I hold on to the branches, can I climb down to the ground? And then what—cling to this tree trunk for the rest of my life?
I push myself down, my front sliding along the trunk. Thank god I wore my cute low-top sneakers instead of sandals to sneak around the boss’ office. They didn’t do me any good there, but they’re sure helping now. My favorite green dress is a bit more of a problem. I love the flowy skirt that flares out when I spin, but it’s flowing a little too much right now, sliding up to my waist and flashing my butt. At least there’s no one around to see.
Before I get very far, a small black bird lands on a tuft of needles beside me, its head tilting until it pins me with one startling red eye. It opens an equally red beak and stares at me for several seconds.
I’m an animal lover, but a shiver of unease trickles down my spine.
“Stop being silly, Ashley,” I whisper and wave at the bird to scare it away.
A sharp beak peck like a needle of pain makes me yank my arm back. A drop of blood wells from the top of my hand. A matching glisten of liquid gleams on its beak. Then a thick black tongue licks at the blood.
It’s creepy as fuck.
“Nope. No. Just all the no.” I shake a fist at it, moving as fast as I can so it can’t land another hit. “Shoo! Get out of here.”
Instead of flying off, it lets out a loud croak. A chorus of answering calls comes from the sky, and a black cloud of flapping wings block out the sunlight. These birds radiate malice.
I wrap my legs more tightly around the trunk so I can let go with my arms. My torso floats out from the tree as I flap both hands wildly around my head, terrified these vicious things will attack my face. They dive in, and jabs of pain lance my arms wherever their beaks strike.
An angry shriek rings out, and an emerald-green shape arrows through the flock, scattering it in every direction. Three-foot long wings snap open with a whomp, pulling the creature to an abrupt and graceful halt. A mini-dragon hangs in the air beside me, wings spread a good five-foot wide. A crest of long, feather-like scales stands straight up on its forehead as it lets out a hiss and darts its snapping mouth toward the first bird.
The black bird leaps away with an angry squawk, wings beating wildly as it falls for a few seconds before regaining height. It circles up into the sky, croaking all the while, almost as if it hurls insults at me.
Or at the dragon, who calls after the bird, its voice a fluting series of notes that sound more pointed than song. Is it talking? Can it do that?
A bemused giggle bubbles up. Why the hell not? It’s a dragon !
Things only get wilder from there, because a black unicorn gallops into the clearing, a huge monster of a man on its back. He leans forward to swing a leg over and drop to the ground. Brown leather pants cling to muscular thighs, and his blue-green shirt matches the color of the forest’s pines.
The unicorn neighs, and the man tips his head back to yell up at me, his deep voice booming with words I can’t understand.
The movement shows his face, and I suck in a shocked breath. Rich green skin stretches over high cheekbones, and ivory tusks bracket a strong mouth. A trimmed beard covers his square jaw, as black as the long braid dangling down his back. His green ears come to sharp points at the top.
He’s huge and strange and gorgeous, and his intense gaze eats me up with a force I can feel.
Oh, god. Flames burst across my cheeks. My skirt’s hiked up around my waist, my butt and thighs hanging out there for the entire freaking world to see.
Thank god I wore my prettiest pink panties, because he’s sure getting an eyeful.
Ready to see what happens when Dravarr climbs up to save her? Grab your copy now so you don’t miss a thing!
BOUND TO THE ORC WARLORD
Want to jump right into Naomi and Wranth’s story? Want to know how Ferndale Falls wound up with a door to Faerie? Dive into Bound to the Orc Warrior , the book Brokk first appears in!
Or read on for a sneak peek at Bound to the Orc Warrior :
I peek over the edge of the stone, and the ground is way, way below me. Too far. I’m not exactly the best with heights. “God, I want to be on the ground.”
My crystal necklace warms on my chest. Blink. I’m standing on the moss-covered ground, the pillar of rock rising above me. From down here, the heavy forest blocks my view of anything but the closest pines.
“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” Did I just… what’s the word? Did I just teleport ?
I look up. As scary as it was to be so high, at least I had a better view, more of a chance to figure out where I am.
As soon as I think it, my crystal flashes. I’m there, standing on top of the pillar again.
“Shit!” My arms pinwheel as I try to catch my balance, my heart pounding like a drum in my ears. As soon as I stabilize, I stand completely still, not daring to move.
“Think, think, think, Naomi,” I mutter. “You read paranormal romance. You got this.”
I’m not turning into an animal or craving blood, so shifters and vampires are out. But all of this does feel like magic. What if I’m a witch? That would be amazing, if I knew how to be a witch. All the different books have different rules. I need a mentor or a coven or something.
Instead, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, completely alone, with nothing but a distant flock of birds in sight.
“This is not what I meant when I said I wanted to see new places.”
Instead of scaring off the birds, my voice seems to attract them. They cry out, rough caws filling the air, and wheel around to fly toward me, their movements eerily synchronized.
As they get closer, their bodies are no longer a solid shadow against the lighter sky. Inky-black feathers cover them, but their eyes, beaks, and claws are bright splashes of blood red.
Again, moving as one, they dive toward me, clawed feet extended, beaks open on terrifying screeches.
I throw up my arms to protect my face, and pain flares in my forearms. The damned things bit me!
“Oh, hell no!”
In a blink, I’m on the ground.
And I’m no longer alone.
A green elf runs out of the trees, all pointy ears and fangs that stick up from his bottom lip. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a sharply chiseled nose and cheekbones for days. Tall and muscular, he’s dressed in tight brown leather pants—major yum—and a light-blue shirt.
Then he pulls a sword—a freaking sword with a blade so sharp it glints in the sunlight—and bellows angrily.
He leaps past me, slicing a bird in two. The body parts fall, dissolving into nothing before they even touch the ground. Again and again, his sword flashes through the air, cutting the birds trying to get around him.
Trying to get to me.
He touches my arm, and a sharp snap twangs through my chest. What the hell?
“Oh, hell no. I appreciate the save, and you’re really hot, but no.” Whatever any of this is, I don’t want it.
I want to go home.
In a blink, I’m standing in the middle of a different clearing, the trees surrounding me covered in blue leaves. What the hell kind of tree has blue leaves? It’s a campsite, complete with a crackling fire and a circle of tan leather tents.
And a hell of a lot more of the green elves.
They leap to their feet, all talking at once in a language I can’t understand, and a deep voice answers from right behind me.
I whirl around.
It’s the guy from the stone pillar! He reaches for me. He’s put away his sword, but something else flashes in his hand.
“No! I want to go home!”
Another blink.
I’m standing in an open area in front of some of the strangest trees I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re huge, with wide, rounded trunks even bigger than redwoods. But unlike redwood trees, these don’t soar to the sky overhead. They only grow to about fifty-feet high, their tops sprouting multiple branches all covered in large, heart-shaped leaves.
The bottoms of the trunks might not have branches, but they do have doors and windows set into them!
They’re houses made out of trees!
More of the green elves pour out of them, all of them talking and pointing. A unicorn trots from behind one of the trees—a freaking unicorn!—their coat so white it almost gleams silver in the sunlight.
The deep voice speaks from behind me again.
I spin, already knowing who I’ll find, but my mouth drops open, because a Whirling Swings ride fills the area behind the green elf, the tall central column covered in brightly painted scenes, the swing chairs dangling on chains from the wide disk mounted to the top.
Stunned laughter bubbles up as I shake my head. “Yep, it’s official. You’ve lost your damned mind, Naomi.”
The elf says something, sounding concerned, and steps closer.
I retreat a few feet, but I can’t go far, because the other people now surround us.
I want to go home!
Blink. I’m back at the pillar of rock, the place this all started. Instinct makes me press both palms to it. When I first got here, the crystals in it lit up in time with my necklace. Maybe they can help.
The birds scream overhead, and the sound of a sword being drawn comes from behind me. The elf came with me.
I close my eyes and press my hands harder against the rock, focusing on one word and one word only.
Home. My real home!
Pressure squeezes on me from all sides. All of the past times I teleported were completely effortless. This time’s the opposite. Sweat trickles down my face, down my back, and tickles between my breasts. I strain harder, my muscles shaking, my face scrunching.
Home. Home . HOME .
HOME!
With a huge pop, something rips.
I fall to hands and knees, scraping my skin on asphalt. But I don’t even care, because it’s familiar old asphalt, turned gray with age, and my hometown’s most hated pothole sits only a couple of feet away.
Strong hands wrap around my shoulders, pulling me to my feet, and Main Street comes into view, the dusty windows of the closed ice cream parlor right in front of me.
I did it! I’m home!
I turn, ready to thank whichever of my neighbors just helped me up. Only, it’s not one of them. Shock freezes all of my muscles as I suck in a startled breath.
The green elf stares down at me, his dark eyes wide and wild. “By the goddess, what did you do?”