Baruk the Cursed: A Paranormal Monster Romance (Orc Mates)
BARUK THE CURSED
ORC MATES SERIES
- paranormal monster romance -
Copyright © 2021 by Cara Wylde
Cover by Alexandru Gui
All rights are reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in book reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
About the Author
Chapter One
Jenna looked ahead, keeping her eyes on the road. “Don’t look back, don’t look back...” If she did, she’d cry. She could feel her roommate’s concern for her.
Kyla was driving a little under the speed limit, maybe hoping Jenna would change her mind if it took them longer to get there. From time to time, she threw Jenna a glance from the corner of her eye. She sighed for the dozenth time that day.
“Honey, are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Kyla shook her head. “You can still change your mind, you know.”
“Just drive, please. You promised you’d help me.”
“And I am! But look, when we reach the institute and we’re right at its gates, just know you can still change your mind.”
Jenna swallowed heavily. She was silent for a minute, then she took a deep breath and forced a smile to her lips. She knew it looked bitter, and it probably scared Kyla more than reassured her, but it was all she could manage for now. Kyla... her last friend in this world. In the world of humans.
“I won’t change my mind. This is the best thing I can do right now. For myself.”
“I don’t know... I don’t think you’re doing it for yourself, honey. I think you’re doing it because of your stupid family and their stupid ideas. What even happened yesterday? You didn’t tell me.”
Jenna’s shoulders slumped at the memory of the fight she’d had with her parents the day before. She turned her back to Kyla and stared out the window, trying to hide how much she was hurting.
“What’s the point? You know the gist of it. You’ve heard it before. With your own ears, even.”
Every time Jenna visited her mom, dad, and two brothers, they ended up arguing. One time, she thought that if she brought Kyla with her, her folks would feel embarrassed and tone it down, so they could have a normal conversation. She’d been wrong. They’d called Jenna names in front of her friend and roommate, and Jenna had to leave and pull Kyla out of there before she started calling them names too.
“I’m sorry,” Kyla whispered. “I really thought things would get better. The war is over. It has been years since the last disputes between us and the orcs. Years since you were... I mean... since they...” She couldn’t say it. She threw a glance at Jenna and sighed. This subject was simply too sensitive.
“I know. I thought so, too. That’s why I kept trying, kept reaching out. It was stupid of me.”
“No! They are stupid! I can’t even believe they would do something like this to their own daughter! Their only daughter!” Kyla was starting to get worked up.
Jenna smiled and turned to her. She squeezed her shoulder gratefully. “It’s okay. I can’t change my family, I can’t change who I am to fit their vision, much less what happened to me.”
“What they caused to happen to you! They threw you to the wolves!”
“But I can change my future. My life.”
Kyla huffed. “By becoming what they keep calling you when they know you’re not?”
Jenna shook her head. “An orc whore,” she whispered. “No, not that. An orc bride.”
“Orc tribute. Honey, I don’t know... it sounds to me like you want to prove them right, for some reason.”
“No. They aren’t right, and no matter what I do, they will never be right. But don’t you see? Since I came back, there’s no place for me here.” They’d left their hometown behind an hour ago. “Everyone knows who I am. Everyone knows what happened. I should’ve never returned. And then, I should’ve never stayed when it was obvious they all wanted me gone. Not even our neighbors can look me in the eye. They all pretend like I don’t exist, like I’m still somewhere, in the mountains, kept prisoner by some monstrous beast. They wish I’d never escaped, so they could think of me like... ‘Oh, that poor girl. Do you remember her? Poor Jenna Cole, kidnapped by the orcs. Those filthy beasts.’ But I wasn’t kidnapped...”
“No, you weren’t.”
“And I came back, untouched and unscathed, and they hate that! They all hate it! I can’t live like this anymore. I just can’t, Kyla. It’s hard to find jobs, hard to save money... And they all judge me, both for what I was before and for what I am now.”
“They don’t know you. They don’t know shit about what happened. It’s not your fault. Never was.”
“Well... it is what it is, and none of that matters. The truth doesn’t matter. Not here. Not to my family, not to these people. You’re the only one who stood by me, Kyla, and I’m eternally grateful for that. You’re a true friend.”
Kyla reached out and took Jenna’s hand in hers. “I’ll always stand by you, honey. Even when I don’t fully understand or agree with your choices.”
“I’m just tired and I need something to change. They want me with the orcs? Fine. I’ll go with the orcs.”
“So, you told your folks?”
“Yeah. I mean, not really... I shouted it as I stormed out of the house. I don’t think they took me seriously.”
“Fuck them. Don’t think about them anymore. If you’re really doing this, then do it right. Sever all ties with the past.”
Jenna squeezed Kyla’s hand. “Not with you.”
“No, not with me! Call me whenever you can.”
“I will.”
They talked all the way to the institute for orc brides, which was the only one in Maine. It was far from their hometown, so at some point, Jenna had to convince Kyla to drive faster. Her decision had been made. And Kyla was right, to some extent. Not that Jenna wanted to prove her parents right, but deep down, she felt this disappointment and this anger. Why not, after all? Why not become what they’d been accusing her of being for years? An orc whore. An orc tribute. An orc bride. She mig
ht as well volunteer to become one, because this peace between the two species didn’t serve her at all. When the war was over, she’d thought it would all be better, that she’d return to her parents’ house and they would be happy to see her, to know that she was alive and well. They rejected her, instead. She couldn’t go back to her old job since the whole world was different now and no one cared about fashion, models, and influencers, and especially not about an ex curvy model who’d been involved with the orcs, so all Jenna could do was take a miserable job and move in with the only person who still saw her as a human being – Kyla.
But she couldn’t live like this anymore. She was done. The world had been too cruel to her. First, during the war, and then after. Everything she did was wrong in their eyes. So, she was done with them. Maybe she’d have better luck with the orcs. And if not, if this second experience with them proved to be just as bad as the first one, then she’d just have to escape again. But she had hope it wouldn’t come to that. Things had changed drastically since the orcs and the humans signed the peace treaty, and the humans agreed to offer them female tributes. The orcs had settled down, taken their hordes into the mountains and forests, away from civilization. They didn’t bother anyone anymore, and it was rare when they fought amongst each other. As long as there were human females who were willing to become tributes, be claimed by orcs and carry their babies, the beasts kept to themselves. The world had changed, and mountains and valleys where there had once been humans had been taken over by hordes. Where humans had abandoned towns and fields, the orcs had settled and prospered. It was only natural after a war of such proportions. All they could do was adapt.
And Jenna was ready to finally accept her situation and adapt.
They arrived at the institute, and Kyla helped her get her luggage from the trunk. They hugged, Kyla cried, then the manager of the institute urged the girls to decide who stayed and who left, because she didn’t have all day. Jenna hugged Kyla again, took her two suitcases, and walked through the wrought iron gates to immerse herself in the next chapter of her life.
Mrs. Harriet, the manager, took her into her office, made her fill out various forms, and made a copy of her ID. Jenna went through all the motions blindly and numbly. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact that she was here, at an institute for orc brides, and that she was doing this. The manager kept talking, telling her about the institute, the other girls, about the classes and what she should expect. She took her to the doctor’s office, where Janna had to go through some quick fertility tests. She answered questions about her health, her period, reassured the doctor she’d never been pregnant, never had miscarriages. The words were coming out of her mouth without effort. She didn’t need to think, just follow the process on autopilot. Then, as they waited for the test results, Mrs. Harriet showed her around.
The classrooms were cramped, but the cafeteria was large, with long tables and too many chairs around them. Apparently, the future orc brides were fed well here, since orcs liked their females strong, healthy, and curvy.
The results came in, and since they were favorable, Mrs. Harriet took Jenna upstairs.
“This will be your room.”
Jenna stepped in and noticed that even though there were four beds, the bedroom was empty of clothes and personal belongings. The beds were neatly made.
“We don’t have many girls at the institute,” the manager explained. “Doors Open Days are so stressful that we’re thinking of doing them once every two months now. Every month is too often for us. Not many tributes in Maine. It’s always messy when too many orcs show up and we only have three or four girls they can choose from.”
“I see.”
“But that means you can have the room to yourself,” Mrs. Harrier smiled. “Lucky, right?”
“I guess... I don’t mind sharing. I had a roommate... before...”
“Well.” The middle-aged woman brought her hands together in prayer, turned on her heels, and got ready to leave. “I have work to do. The toilets and showers are down the hall. They’re communal, but again... You’ll mostly just have them to yourself.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Harriet. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Let’s see how this goes.”
She was gone, and Jenna was on her own. She closed the door gently, then looked around the large, mostly empty room. It was late, and she wasn’t hungry. The manager had told her to go down to dinner, but Jenna didn’t think she could eat. In fact, she felt a bit ill. She should’ve taken a shower, but she didn’t feel strong enough to walk out of the room and, maybe, run into some of the other girls. This day had been too long. Too rough. So, she changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed. Before she knew it, she was crying.
“It’s okay. This is normal.” She tried to console herself. “I’ll feel better tomorrow.”
She could only hope. But for now, she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Two
Jenna woke up the next day anxious. She counted to ten, got out of the bed, and forced herself to go down the hall to use the bathroom and take a shower. She went down to breakfast and wasn’t surprised to see there were only four other girls at the tables. The manager had said their institute didn’t get many tributes. She went to fill her plate from the open buffet, then looked for a place to sit. A petite brunette waved at her, and she had no choice but to join her.
“Hi! I’m Mandy. I’m new here, too.”
“Jenna. How new?”
“I came two weeks ago. Still getting used to the place. Oh, I love your hair!”
Mandy reached out and curled a long blond lock around her finger.
“I wish my hair was straight like yours.” She touched her shock of dark curls. “But you know... we always seem to want what we don’t have.”
Jenna gave her a smile. She really didn’t know whether that was true or not. She’d never wanted to look like someone else. She’d always been more than fine with her generous curves, her long blond hair, blue eyes, her weight and height. Years ago, she’d made it all work by appearing in magazines and modeling for the designers in her town. There weren’t many, and they all ran small businesses, but even though she didn’t have consistent jobs, she was happy to do what she loved. Back then, her income had been based on being a bit of an online influencer more than anything.
Those times were gone. Forgotten. If she didn’t want to start crying again, then she had to focus on the present and the future.
“You’re gorgeous,” Mandy continued, beaming at her. “You’re going to be picked by an orc captain in seconds!”
“Is that a good thing? I don’t know...”
Mandy shrugged as she poked at her food. “I think it is. I, for one, don’t want to be stuck here too long. I decided to become an orc tribute, so it better happen quick, before I change my mind.”
“Oh, I’m safe. I won’t change my mind.”
They talked as they ate, and Jenna was sad to learn that none of the girls at the institute had had an easy life out there, among their own people. Choosing this life was a last resort, and Jenna though... well, she fit the profile as well.
Mandy took her to the first class of the day and told her not to worry. Because girls came and went all the time, the classes were organized in such a way that no matter when they joined, they could catch up easily. There were only two teachers, both women in their forties, who held classes by rotation.
Jenna and Mandy sat in the back and opened their notebooks. Mandy’s was filled with notes. Jenna’s was empty. The teacher started talking about the war and how it started.
“When the orcs invaded our dimension, they were confused at first. Where were they? What sort of species had they come upon? And could they go back? They couldn’t, as you all know. The portals between our dimension and theirs were opened my accident and immediately closed when our scientists realized what they’d done. They destroyed the machine, and we all know that was another mistake. We
were stuck with the green-skinned beasts, and the only thing they knew and were good at was war.”
Jenna tapped her pen impatiently. In fact, she didn’t necessarily feel impatient. More like anxious. She’d woken up with this feeling in the pit of her stomach, and then Mandy had managed to distract her for a bit. It was back now, full force. She tried to pay attention.
“The war lasted for two years. We started negotiating a sort of peace, because it was clear to us that even if we had the numbers, the monsters had magic and enchanted weapons. Killing them was almost impossible, since their mages could heal them in a matter of minutes. And going for their mages was also impossible, since they were the most protected soldiers in their ranks. The fact that the orcs accepted to discuss a peace treaty was a win for our species. Who knows where we’d be now if the orcs refused our offer to provide them with female tributes, and decided to just keep killing us, keep conquering our lands and taking what they thought they were entitled to?”
Jenna shuddered. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Maybe she’d eaten too much. The future orc brides were encouraged to eat as much as they wanted and as much as they could. When an orc chose them on Doors Open Day, they had to look healthy and like they could carry strong babies in their bellies.
She squeezed her hands into fists and struggled to focus, but she felt sicker and sicker by the minute.
“We live in the new normal now. Many of the places where people lived before have been taken over by hordes of orcs. Their kind like to live in isolation, in mountains and forests, by rivers and lakes. They like to be in nature, to hunt, gather, and even cultivate their food. Compared to what we know and are used to, they live a simple life. Most of them sleep in caves. They work with wood and manufacture tools and furniture. They also like to mine for precious metals and gems, and they sell them to us, which is...” The teacher spread her arms and shrugged slightly, as if to say that her opinion on the matter should be obvious. “I mean, it’s... a bit ridiculous, right? All those things belonged to us. And now they took over our woods and our mountains, our timber and our precious metals. And they sell them to us.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Let’s move on.”