Page 8 of Claimed By the Orc Lord

Fuck.

It was so huge that I was pretty sure me being eight feet up in the air was only going to make it easier for the creature to eat me. That and it was the strangest shade ofgreenI’d ever fucking seen on a cat.

Mutant cat?

Shit, were there really monsters? If there were and this was it, Rainn was going to be so disappointed when he realized they were the “eat you painfully” kind and not the “eat you until you couldn’t walk” kind.

“Uh… nice kitty?” I half cooed, half whimpered the words out. Its low, rumbling growl, and the way it fixed bright orange eyes on me told me…

It probably wasn’t actually a good kitty, was it?

“Oh, shit. Please don’t eat me?” It snarled again in response, and I had a second to wonder if I was actually antagonizing it instead of helping my situation.

Probably.

“I don’t taste good, I—”

My words cut off in a scream as it lunged at me, but the snarl that tore from its mouth cut off in a loud hiss as a blur of motion slammed into it midair and sent it flying.

I could barely process what I was seeing—the cat monster scrambled off into the trees like it knew a more dangerous predator was on the scene, and my eyes flicked to the form of something standing from a crouch.

And standing.

Andstanding.

I was met with bright violet eyes… and they were level with me.

Nearly eight feet in the air, and the monster was looking at me square on.

“Oh, shit. I swear… I really, really don’t taste good. I probably taste like energy drinks and cheap pizza,” I muttered miserably. He was looking at me like he wanted to absolutelydevourme. But…

But the thing in front of me was humanoid, and looked like a man.

If I didn’t count the green skin and the tusks spilling out of lips that curved into a wicked smile.

Why did I suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood?

“Uh, can you… cut me down?” I tried for the warm, charming voice I used when I was talking to any of the men or women I wanted something from in town. He still didn’t say anything, just searched me over with those absolutely inhuman eyes, the perusal slow and almost…

Proprietary.

Fuck. I didn’t like that. It made me feel weird. All tingly and warm, and…

“Please?”

The low rumble that poured from his chest at the word made me think he could understand me. If he could, he was obviously ignoring me, because he walked around me in a slow circle that made me feel like I was some kind of animal on display and he was deciding if he wanted to keep me for a pet or cook me over a fire.

If I had to choose, I’d choose pet.

But if there was a third option that said “let me go and help me find my friend,”I needed to figure out how to request that one.

Instead, I was forced to dangle with zero dignity while he stalked around me three more times before pulling out what looked like a way-too-fucking-big machete.

“Hey. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. I’m handy, okay? I can… well… uh… shit… I can fix anything? I can totally pick up a lot—” That probably wouldn’t help. He was like fifty fucking feet taller than me. “I’ll do whatever you want.Anything.I—”

The blade caught the sunlight that I’d almost made it to as he swung it downward. I clenched my eyes closed, hoping he’d at least have the decency to lop my head off fast.

I was halfway through trying to decide if decapitation or getting stabbed through the heart would be quicker when I realized I was being lowered to the ground. He had the rope in one hand like I weighed nothing, and when I finally smacked against the wet grass, the woven material around me fell away and left me there.

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