8. Calypso
Chapter eight
Calypso
Asense of foreboding washed over her as she watched the large orcs play their games.
She had not missed the lustful glances that roamed her body.
The intent behind their stares was clear, leaving a nauseating feeling in her gut.
She hoped that whatever reason they kidnapped her for outweighed their desires.
As the game progressed and the glances flicked more frequently in her direction, that hope dimmed.
She shifted her dread to the familiar comfort of anger.
Her gaze stayed steady as she memorized each of their faces.
The orc with the extensive red markings across his chest initiated the game, but it was the slimmer one with the short-cropped hair that disturbed her.
Whatever happened, she knew two things—she would survive, and one day, they would die.
They continued throwing the dice until the game was over. The winner stood as others grumbled and approached her. He was the one who’d shackled her back in Taybe.
Surprisingly, he was the only one who hadn’t leered at her.
That didn’t make his aura any less imposing.
His dark eyes held a coldness she couldn’t read.
The red tattoo-like markings of his orc heritage ran below the center of both eyes and over his high cheekbones like drops of blood.
His features were harsh with a heavy brow, two sharp tusks, and a slightly bent nose that was now puffy from when she’d head-butted him.
The sides of his head were shaved, emphasizing his pointed ears, while his hair was a thick black mane braided down his back. His body was a wall of muscle, broad-shouldered, and taller than the others. Wearing the magic-nullifying shackles, she stood no chance of stopping him.
He undid the chain from around the tree and tugged her up. Wordlessly, he dragged her away from the campfire and into the woods.
Foolish orc.
Separated from the group, there was a possibility of shifting things to her advantage.
He led her through the dark forest at a fast pace, causing her to stumble over branches and the uneven ground.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as her eyes darted around her surroundings, looking for a way to escape.
There was no response.
When the light of the campfire disappeared behind them, he slowed down. They stopped at a small clearing, and he turned toward her.
Moonlight shone over his stern face as he coldly assessed her, and she hated the spike of fear that went through her heart.
She took a step back instinctively but caught the edge of a tree root and tripped. With her hands shackled in front, the fall took the wind out of her lungs.
He crouched down, looming over her like a demon, but didn’t touch her. “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, little witch.”
“Let me go and I will spare you.” It was a lie. She was going to kill him once she got free.
“I cannot do that.” He had the gall to look remorseful.
“Tell me, what was the game you were playing at the fire?”
“It was a game to see who would take you tonight,” he responded, confirming her suspicions.
“And you won?”
“Yes,” he answered, his hand skimming the bottom edge of her dress. “But I’m still deciding what to do with you.”
“Well, in that case.” She reared back and slammed her boot into his face with all her strength.
He fell back, and she wasted no time scrambling up to run.
Dashing across the clearing, she was determined to put as much distance between her and that beast as she could.
The hope of escape helped to dull the pain of the stab wound in her leg.
If she could make it to the end of the clearing, she'd have better coverage.
He came out of nowhere.
There were no pounding footsteps or warm breath on the back of her neck. One moment she was running and the next she was flying, embraced by his large form.
He landed on the ground first before rolling on top of her, pinning her front into the soil. The large orc crushed her with absolutely no give, forcing her to realize truly how powerless she was in this situation.
“I told you not to run,” he growled in her ear. “Don’t you know orcs cannot resist a chase?”
His chest lifted a fraction, allowing her to take a breath.
“Get off me!” Her voice was not as steady as she would’ve wished. She blamed that on the pressure on her ribcage.
“There’s something else you must know about orcs.
We have an excellent sense of smell. We can smell prey that’s long gone.
We can also smell a woman that’s been recently mated.
More importantly, orc males will sense that and keep their distance,” he said, and she felt the pressure of his tusks at her neck. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes,” she spat out. “It’s about pride. You want the others to know what you’ve done.”
He growled, flipping her around so that she faced him. “It’s about protection. The others will stay away.”
“How lucky of me!” she spat out, continuing to struggle in his hold, and any hope she had of escape quickly died. It was clear she was going to be used to send some sort of message to the others in whatever Orcish political game was occurring.
“If you do not return smelling of me, the others will see it as a forfeit.”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do about that?!” she yelled. “I am not fucking you.”
“I don’t need to enter you for you to carry my scent. You just need my seed.”
“What are you saying?” she asked, frustrated.
“If my seed is on your skin, the others will think the deed done.” When she remained quiet, he added, “I’m trying to help you, little witch, but I won’t force you. We can return to the campsite, but know they will attempt to touch you, and I might not be there to stop them.”
She hated that he made sense. The looks she’d picked up on told her plenty about their interest. It was trouble enough trying to escape without also worrying about being assaulted.
“Fine. Do it. Rub your seed on me,” she said through gritted teeth.
He sat up, releasing the hold that was keeping her hands pinned above her head. She remained trapped between his thick thighs as his hands went to untie his trousers. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and her gaze traveled over his muscular green chest.
Now that she knew he would not force himself on her, she became curious about his naked form.
Nudity didn’t bother her, but all her past lovers had been human. Even in this unusual situation, she wondered how he would compare.
Her eyes widened slightly when he took his cock out.
He was certainly not like human males. His cock was as thick as her forearm with dark green veins and a bulbous head.
As his strong, clawed hand slowly stroked along his length, Calypso felt a surprising warmth flood her center at the erotic sight.
“Enjoying what you see?” His voice was dark and husky, and she glanced up to find him looking at her with a heated stare.
“What makes you say that?”
“Orc nose, remember.”
It took a moment for his meaning to sink in, and Calypso felt an indignant blush color her cheeks. She was not shy when it came to sex, but the realization that her captor knew of her arousal was unsettling.
This was supposed to be a pragmatic task, but she couldn’t look away from the way the muscles of his abdomen tensed with each stroke. His head was slightly tilted back, and his jaw clenched as his eyes never left her face.
Calypso felt her own breath pick up as his strokes quickened. She should be planning his murder; instead, she wanted to reach out and help him with this task. Her mouth grew dry thinking of how he would taste, what sounds he would make if she touched him.
Even as unexpected desire coursed through her, she held back, allowing herself only to watch as his breath deepened.
“Calypso,” he groaned, saying her name for the first time since they’d met, and thick white spurts of cum exploded from his cock.
She bit her lip to keep from moaning at the sight.
“Lift your skirts,” he commanded in a low voice.
She awkwardly tugged up her dress until the cool air nipped at her bare thighs. He reached down, and she felt him smear his warm and wet orc seed on her thighs. She held her breath as his fingers grazed her inner thighs, knowing if he skimmed higher he’d feel her completely soaked undergarments.
Task done, he readjusted her dress and stood up to put himself away. The arousal still throbbed at her core, and she quickly grew irritated.
He gave her a hand to stand, but she struggled on her own while glaring at him. “Am I supposed to thank you? Don’t think yourself noble. You still have me chained.”
He took his hand back, avoiding touching her, but continued to stare down with those endless dark eyes. “I never claimed to be noble. As for the kidnapping, you are not an innocent woman. You are a witch with powerful enemies.”
Her lips twisted into a sneer. “You will need to be more specific.”
“Captain Von Ahlen made a deal with our chieftain for your capture.”
That was unexpected. She didn’t think the orcs and the northern guard could be in the same room without going at each other’s throats.
“Goddamn Helios,” she muttered to herself, racking her brain about how their plan had gone wrong.
The orc’s eyes sharpened. “What about Helios?”
“It’s nothing.” She scowled and went to move past him.
He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. “Did you have something to do with Von Ahlen knowing about the raid at Helios?”
She saw him connect the dots. “Don’t look so outraged. I needed him far from Taybe, and you weren’t exactly doing good deeds at Helios.”
She braced herself for his fury, but he just let her go, his expression back to that unreadable wall.
“Considering that was news to you, it leaves the question of why he would want me?”
“Killing a district lord of the realm isn’t enough reason for you?”
“I didn’t just kill the dearly departed lord.” She stepped forward, letting the fury burn in her eyes. “I ripped his heart from his chest. That is what I do to men who have wronged me. And you best remember that next time you play your games.”
For a moment, it seemed he would ask something more, but he just bent to grab the end of the chain and turned to walk away.
“Where did you even find these?” Staring at the shackles, she willed them to unlock unsuccessfully. There were whispers of such items, but she’d never come into contact with one. Losing her power was unsettling. It left her feeling naked more than any loss of clothing would.
When the orc didn’t answer and continued to lead her back toward camp, she tugged on the chain. “You are clearly willing to be more . . . reasonable than the others. However much you’re getting paid, I can get you triple that amount of coin.”
He looked back at her, his expression even colder than before. “Don’t take my actions as a sign of negotiation or kindness. Our task is to deliver you in exchange for a peace treaty. Nothing you offer will change that.”
That gave her pause. “The captain can’t sign a peace treaty with you.”
“No. But the Crown can. You’ll be handed over to the captain outside of Sanograd, where he will take you to stand trial.”
It should come as no surprise that Hugh Davinger was behind all this. She expected to receive his ire but was surprised at how swift it was.
If the orc’s words were truthful, then she stood no hope of dissuading him. The decades-long war between the two groups had been brutal, and the chance to end it too significant. He may have prevented her from being touched by the other orcs, but he would not help her any more than that.
However, even in the face of unlikely success, she wouldn’t give up. With a spark of amusement, she changed tactics. “Am I allowed to know the name of my captor, or have you run out of kindness?”
When he didn’t respond right away, she thought he would simply ignore her. Then he answered with a rumble, “Vidorak.”
They returned to the camp, and Calypso glanced at the other orcs, who were sleeping at this point. Resting easily as if they hadn’t been playing a game to assault a woman just a couple of hours prior.
Vidorak took her to the tree and tied the leading chain around it once more. As he crouched to secure it, she leaned in and dropped her voice to a low whisper.
“Piece of advice, Vidorak. Never give your name to a witch, or else she can curse you.”
She took great satisfaction in the flash of concern that went across his face before he retreated to his furs.
It would be beneficial to get some sleep so that she was ready to escape tomorrow.
As she settled into her furs, she felt the prickling sensation of being watched.
Her eyes flicked toward one of the orcs in the distance.
His body hadn’t moved, but she was sure he was staring at her.
It was the slim orc who had leered at her throughout their game.
The heaviness of his intentions was clear, and it kept her awake longer, waiting to see what would happen.
Even with the slumber of the others, he didn’t make any moves toward her, and she relaxed.
Before sleep overtook her, despite not wanting to admit it, she found herself a little glad Vidorak had rubbed his scent on her.