Page 56 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
“Why do you sound dubious.”
“They might bruise you. . .a little. Just remind them you’re pregnant. Say it loudly, more than once. If you have any doubts, drop to your knees and curl into a ball.”
“Seriously?”
“Survive, my love. I have faith in you. I just can’t help you.”
He cut the connection.
“What a jerk.”
“He is a good son. He knows his place,” the Orcess said, and flapped a hand. “Go put things on your feet. I’ll wait.”
Charlotte trotted back to the bedroom and found her ballet flats. She contemplated her appearance in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth, ran a comb through her hair and sniffed her armpits. Oh, well. If they’d wanted her to look and smell decent, they would have given her some warning.She debated taking Snowkiss, but there was no reason to disturb the Cotonese, and she was fine with the housekeeper.
“Alright,” she said, leaving the bedroom. “I’m ready for my doom.”
* * *
Brahnt’s cousin wasn’t chatty, and she drove like a blind grandma, leaning forward over the wheel and squinting at traffic as she cursed. Charlotte was torn between holding on for dear life or requesting the female pull over and let her drive.
“It’s a good thing I don’t have a job anymore,” Charlotte said loudly, watching the passing scenery become more and more rural. More loudly than necessary. “Since I’ve been kidnapped, and driven god knows where—”
“Oh, be quiet,” Milgrida snapped. “I didn’t blindfold you, and you have your tracker on.”
“Wait, tracker? What do you mean, tracker?”
Milgrida snorted.
Charlotte digested that information. “Brahnt knows exactly where I am, then.”
“And what do you think he’s gonna do about it?”
Charlotte opened her mouth, closed it.
“Exactly. The males stay in their place. They know what’s good for them.” She cast Charlotte a critical sidelong glance as she pulled off the two lane highway and down a forest path. “You’ll learn too.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous or anything.”
Milgrida cackled. “This is going to be fun.”
“Forwho?”
“Probably not you. ButI’mgoing to enjoy myself, mostly because my aunt has been frothing at the mouth for days now. I owe you for giving her someone else to focus her affection on.”
“I sense latent hostility under your gleeful tone of voice.”
“Just wait until you’re under the thumb of the circle,” was the dark reply. “‘We must uphold honor of clan, Mil’a.’” She deepened her voice to a raspy, feminine growl and added the trace of an accent Charlotte sometimes heard Orcs speak with. “‘No Orcess in six generations has becomeactress, Mil’a’. ‘You must set good example for new Human, Mil’a’.”
Charlotte made a soothing noise in her throat and refrained from rubbing her hands together. If she survived the hazing, she’d work on Milgrida. Charlotte needed allies.
“I was a social media influencer before I gave it all up for love,” Charlotte said in her most mournful voice. “That’s definitely like acting because you have to make people believe the shit you post is real. And I had an OnlyFans.” Milgrida glanced at her, open longing in her expression. “Brahnt pitched a minor hissy fit. . .you know, people keep telling me your culture is matriarchal. Brahnt doesn’t act like it’s matriarchal.”
“You let him get away with shit, that’s why. Don’t worry, once you’ve proven yourself he won’t be able to pull that anymore. The circle will bite him. He’s living it up while he can.”
She fell into brooding silence, which was fine with Charlotte, who understood the value of not laying it on too thick.
As they drove, Charlotte realized this was a private drive and not a road leading to her doom. After several minutes, the trees thinned, the road widened and a large house could be seen through the forest. Not a mansion, but like someone rich’s getaway.
