Page 1 of Claimed By The Orc

PROLOGUE: MAHK

I stared at the spot where the barrier between worlds had once lain. Just seconds ago, I could see my homeland, where I’d grown up, the only place I knew, and now it was merely a solid cave wall. I pressed against it, despite knowing it was futile, and felt nothing. Great. This was what I got for answering my brother’s request. Now I was stuck in this strange world full of humans, with no way of getting out.

Lovely.

I sighed and turned away. I had a job to do. I wouldn’t be going home until it was complete anyway, so I might as well focus on that.

I fiddled with the thick gold bangle on my wrist. It wasn’t mere decoration, but also a magical device that gave the illusion that I looked like the humans that inhabited this land. I should have made something less ostentatious, but it was so pretty, the humans would have to accept it.

A few seconds later, I was no longer in my orc shape, as I shrunk down into the tiny bodies the humans had. Luckily, my eyesight was still the same, and even in the dim light of the cave, I could see as my skin had morphed from its normal green colorto a light tan. My tattoos stayed at least. The bangle shrank so it fit comfortably around my new small form.

Kneeling, I dug through the bag I had brought with me, first putting on the human clothes I had purchased. Belzod, the country I was from, had species of all origins and from many different worlds. We were generally accepting and welcoming, especially after my half-brother, Axum, had become emperor. There were even humans who had accidentally wandered into our realm, found their mate, and chosen to stay. One human woman who worked as a seamstress had been kind enough to make me clothing that was suitable.

Once I was dressed and armed, I made my way out of the cave. My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this assignment would be more complicated than I imagined. Every step I took was one farther away from my home. But it was also a step closer to Koth, the cowardly scum disguised as an orc that had caused my half-brother Nash a world of problems.

I tightened my grip on my blade. I could not believe Nash had waited this long to request my help. This was what I did. I was the official assassin of the emperor. If there was a problem my brothers couldn’t handle or that had to be dealt with quietly, then I was called in. But instead, stubborn Nash had waited until the issue had festered and the spineless Koth had harmed Nash’s human mate. I hadn’t even been aware there was a problem until after Koth had run away—again—and hidden in the human realm.

I shook my head. That was okay. I’d handle it now. I only had to find him.

Soon, I was approaching the opening of the cave, and I got my first glimpse of the human world and Forest Glen.

For a while, I walked with no direction in mind, getting my bearings and trying to come up with a plan. I had never beenhere before, but I’d been given the basics. I knew Forest Glen was in a small town called Destiny. I wrinkled my nose. The name was so presumptuous. It sounded like something my other brother, Axum, would come up with.

My thoughts drifted as I took it all in. I didn’t have a specific destination in mind yet, but I knew I needed to head toward town. After—well, I’d follow my instincts until Koth’s blood dripped from my blade.

I had to admit the forest was beautiful. Different from the ones back home in Belzod, but breathtaking all the same. I could sense the wildlife all around me, but they gave me a wide berth. They knew a predator when they saw one, even if I didn’t look that way now.

I finally approached the forest’s exit and was standing on the edge of a paved road. I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing my instincts to take the forefront.

I had always been more attuned to my surroundings than most. It was why Axum, when he’d taken over as emperor, had asked me to be his assassin. Well, that and I was really good at killing. And would never have survived in court with all that formality and posturing. I was drifting.Focus, Mahk.Find your target.

I took another deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I started walking to the right. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed correct. I didn’t take long to see a small building off in the distance. I had to go there. I didn’t sense any other magic from my realm, so I didn’t think Koth was there, but it didn’t matter. I could stop my feet from walking that way if I tried.

Soon, I stood in a partially paved lot, with a human carriage, staring through the big glass windows of the building. It was a store of some kind. Shelves were lined with human snacks and drinks. Some of the people who now lived in Daz Vrokrad, the capital city of Belzod, had shared some with me. There was onein particular I was excited to have again while I was here. They were fried, crunchy tube-shaped snacks that were an unnatural orange color and left stains on your fingers when you ate them. They were quite delicious, and I found myself scanning the shelves through the window to see if I could see them . . . . There!

Smiling to myself, I walked into the store, ready to pick up one of these delicious orange treats, when everything came to a halt.

He was standing behind a high counter, talking to some human male who was holding a basket of items. The other man was irrelevant to me—I barely even noticed him. I wasn’t sure I would ever notice another person again after seeing the most perfect being I’d ever laid eyes on. Not just human, either. But orc, troll, orge, fairy, it didn’t matter. None of them would ever compare to this man.

His dark brown hair had been shorn short on the sides but was longer on the top, and it fell down in messy waves over his forehead. Pieces stuck up in disarray like he kept running his fingers through it.

He was tan, though not as dark as the skin I was currently wearing in this body. It looked more like he spent a lot of time in the sun. His nose was wide and had a slight bend to it, like it had been broken and not fixed correctly. I frowned, not liking that thought. My human should never be hurt. I found myself drifting closer. I needed to see the color of his eyes. He glanced up, beyond the male he was helping and at me. They were a deep, dark brown. I swallowed, feeling slight arousal in between my legs.

His broad shoulders barely fit in the gray top he was wearing. He was wider than I was in my human form, and likely taller too. From what I knew of humans, he seemed to be larger, and for some reason that warmed my insides. I was small for an orc, leaner, which benefited me in my profession. I was still muchlarger than all the humans I knew, but I could imagine this man’s thick arms wrapped around me, pinning me down while he . . .

“Do you have any more of that bait I like?” the other human asked. I growled, annoyed he’d interrupted my thoughts, but then my human flashed a friendly smile, two rows of white teeth, a small gap between the two middle ones, and one slightly crooked and behind the others, and I was lost.

Then my human spoke. “Yessir. Let me get that for you.”

His voice was deep and grumbly. It would sound lovely speaking my language. I wondered if he would be willing to learn. My human turned away from the other male and faced shelves that were behind the counter. I got my first look at his wide back, thick thighs, and round bottom. He was wearing breeches in a rough material I had never seen before. They were a faded blue, and there was a small hole forming by the pocket. They were tighter than orc males wore their breeches, and tighter still than the bright purple ones the seamstress had made for me. I wasn’t complaining, though, because it made it that much easier to admire his body. It had to be hard to run and fight in those, though.

My human grabbed something off the shelf and turned back to the other male. He finished the transaction, and the other male handed him a plastic card that he swiped in some kind of machine. It was all fascinating, and I had so many questions. But they all had to wait. I couldn’t do anything but stare as my human worked.

“You’re all set, Mr. Johnson. I hope you make some good catches today.”

The other male laughed. “Me too. Lord knows my wife won’t be pleased if I come home empty-handed again.”

My human chuckled, full of humor, and I had another wave of arousal. I wanted to be the one to make him laugh.

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