Rogan the Gray: A Paranormal Monster Romance (Orc Mates) Read online

  “I’m not being an idiot thinking like that...”

  “No, of course not.” When Rose bit her lip, showing that she was having second thoughts now that she’d voiced her theory, Tara sighed and tried to soothe and encourage her. “We’re here now. What’s coming can’t be worse than what we’ve been through. Everything happens for a reason, and the universe has our back. Right?”

  “You believe that?”

  “I have to.”

  “Okay.” Rose cheered up. “Then I believe it, too.”

  * * *

  Six orcs came to visit the institute, each accompanied by one trusted warrior. It was easy to tell what their ranks were by observing the way they were dressed, and the number of tattoos that covered their skin. The girls had learned that in class. From what Tara could tell, they were all raiders and grunts, which was, more or less, the equivalent of knights and soldiers. They were all so big and tall that they could barely fit through the door frames. The manager, Mrs. Larson, invited them in the common room, where most of the girls who currently lived at the institute were already expecting them.

  Mrs. Larson had tried to convince Tara to skip the event, but Tara had refused. The manager had said that she’d only been here for two weeks, which wasn’t enough to prepare herself for what was to come. She needed to learn even more about the orcs and what was expected of her once she became a bride, but Tara wouldn’t have it. She couldn’t deny that she liked it here and that life was ten times easier than in prison, but that didn’t mean she could get comfortable. The sooner she got this done, the better.

  Thus, Mrs. Larson had allowed her to come to the common room and stand at the back. There weren’t many orcs this month, and she was quite disappointed that only six of her girls were going to be taken. Managing the institute and providing the tributes with everything they needed, plus copious amounts of food, was expensive, and even though the money came from donations and NGOs, the manager would’ve loved to lower her costs by sending off more girls and welcoming less.

  Tara studied the six beasts with wide eyes. Four of them were raiders, with tattoos around their necks and wrists, and two of them were grunts, with tattoos on their shoulders, necks, and faces. The shade of their skin ranged from dark green to light green. They looked so similar, yet each was profoundly unique. The orcs started walking around the room, studying the women. They pulled each of them away from the group, and asked them to walk and twirl, so they could better admire them. They checked their teeth, sniffed their hair, and pinched them to see how resistant they were to pain.

  One of the grunts set his eyes on Tara. He had mossy green skin, brown eyes, and long hair pinned on top of his big head. He sneered at her, revealing all his fangs. Naturally, orcs had protruding lower incisors that poked out of their mouths. But when they revealed their full set of teeth, they looked even scarier. Tara gulped and stepped forward. She was determined to do her best, even as her knees started to shake.

  “Step away, grunt. That one’s mine.”

  Tara’s heart skipped a beat. The voice was low, rough, and commanding, and it came from the door. She lifted herself on her toes to look over the grunt’s shoulder, but that didn’t help. Only when the beast stepped aside, respecting the orc that seemed to be his superior, could Tara identify the one who’d spoken. A shiver ran up her spine. The orc who’d verbally claimed her was bigger than all the others in the room, and the tattoos on his arms, running from the backs of his hands to his shoulders, showed he was a captain. Tara knew his entire back would also be covered in tats. But something was different about him. His skin was gray, not green. She gulped, not understanding why he was of a different color than his species.

  “Turn around, woman. Let me see you.”

  He stood before her now, and she had to crane her neck to look into his dark brown eyes. His hair was raven black, and fell in long, thick dreads over his back and shoulders, and he had piercings in his ears, both corners of his lips, and both eyebrows.

  “Turn around, I said. I don’t like repeating myself.” His voice was thickly accented.

  Tara dragged a deep breath in and released it slowly as she obeyed him. Once he studied her backside and grunted in approval, he grabbed her by the arm and turned her back around. As she faced him, she did her best to hold his gaze. She didn’t want to look weak. She knew that orcs wanted their human females obedient and submissive, but she was also aware that back in their world, they would mate with females of their species, and those must’ve been anything but submissive. She didn’t know how female orcs were, but she assumed they were stronger than her kind. She could appreciate that.

  “Open up.”

  He grabbed her jaw and forced her to show him her teeth. She did so, and even went as far as to stick her tongue out. He cocked an eyebrow. His protruding incisors were so close to her face that Tara felt the sudden urge to reach up and touch them, see for herself if they were as sharp and deadly as they looked.

  “How old are you?”

  “Aren’t you going to ask me about my name first?” She couldn’t believe she’d found the courage to be feisty with him.

  “I don’t care what your name is. I might as well give you a new one.”

  “My name is Tara.” When he growled in disapproval, she thought it in her best interest to answer his initial question. “I’m twenty-five.”

  “Any children?”

  “No.”

  “Are you fertile?”

  “I suppose I am. They do tests before they allow us to volunteer as tributes.”

  He grunted. He turned her around a bit more, admiring her round hips and heavy breasts.

  “You’re tiny compared to my species, but tall for yours. You’ll do just fine.” He threw a glance at the manager, who immediately handed him Tara’s file. He looked over the papers briefly. As he read about her past, about the murder of her sister and the death sentence, his expression didn’t change. He closed the file, tucked it in the back of his pants, and started toward the door. “Follow me. I’m taking you to your new home.”

  Tara didn’t even have time to say goodbye. She looked over her shoulder and caught Rose’s gaze for a short moment. The blonde gave her a smile and a nod. Tara had to hurry after the gray orc and catch up with him. His legs were long, and his steps were at least three times bigger than hers.

  “That’s it?” she asked, already out of breath.

  “Yes. You’re my property now.”

  “Can I at least learn your name?”

  “Rogan. Rogan the Gray.”

  “Why... Why are you...?” But then she thought better of it and sealed her lips shut. She’d ask some other time. For now, all she had to do was follow him.

  Chapter Three

  Orcs were too big for cars, but they did need adequate means of transportation if they were to adapt to this world. Thus, they had invented a sort of hybrid between a car and a carriage. This odd vehicle had a high suspension, huge wheels, one seat in the front for the driver, and two seats in the back. It had no roof, since some orcs were taller and bigger than others, but it was comfortable enough. For Tara, the space was more than aplenty. She used one of the back wheels for leverage to climb in, and then sank in the soft cushions. She wondered whether the cushions were there for her, or whether that was the way orcs decorated their vehicles.

  The driver was the orc Rogan had taken with him – one of his trusted raiders. His skin was dark green, and he had long black hair that hung in a low ponytail on his back. Tara would soon learn that all orcs liked to keep their hair long and wild, styling it minimally. To her surprise, as Rogan settled next to her and patted his raider on the back to start the vehicle, Tara noticed that they didn’t smell, and that despite their monstrous appearance, they seemed to keep themselves very clean. That calmed her down, though she wasn’t sure why. It was the little things that mattered, she guessed.

  “This is Nakk,” Rogan grunted in a low tone. “Nakk the Dark, my trusted raider and adviser.”

  Tara didn’t know what she was supposed to do. Say hello? Introduce herself? Acknowledge him? As she’d been doing for the past few months, she opted for staying silent. So far, it had served her well.

  The vehicle that Tara decided she was just going to call an orc car started moving, and they were soon on the way to Rogan’s lair.

  “Where are you taking me?” she dared to ask. She had absolutely no information on what was going to happen from now on.

  “The Blue Ridge Mountains. We built our home down in the caves.”

  Tara nodded. She’d learned at the institute and seen on TV that orcs liked to live inside the mountains, much like Tolkien’s dwarves. Their caves were probably less mighty and luxurious, though. Orcs liked to be close to nature, they ate what they hunted, and were well versed in recognizing the plants and fruit that were good for consumption. They’d been in this world for four years, and that had been plenty of time for them to adapt, even if the plants that grew here were very different from the ones in their home dimension.

  “It said in your file that you killed someone.”

  A knot formed in Tara’s throat. She’d genuinely hoped they’d never have this conversation.

  “Your sister,” he added when she didn’t answer.

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you do it?”

  She ran a hand through her hair. She’d washed and brushed it this morning, and it danced wildly in the wind as the orc car drove at a steady speed. She looked away, not wanting to meet Rogan’s gaze.

  “She was sleeping with my ex-fiancé.” That wasn’t a lie. But the fact that she’d killed her own sister was.

  “Such unnecessary drama,” Rogan grunted, seemingly unimpressed.

  “Why do you say that?” His reaction made her curious, and she turned to him.

  “Where I come from, males and females are allowed to sleep with whomever they like.”

  “That’s...” She wanted to say savage, but she changed her mind. “Interesting. But you’re taking human brides, which makes me guess that back in your world, you’re taking orcs brides.”

  “We do. But that doesn’t mean we take their freedom, too.”

  “Then what’s the point of marriage? I mean… mating.”

  “Political, economical, and obviously, the production of strong heirs.”

  “How do you know a baby is yours, then?”

  Rogan smirked ever so subtly. “Magic.”

  “Oh.” Yes, Tara had forgotten orcs had magic. They were silent for a while, then she gathered her courage and asked him: “The fact that... I killed someone... Will that make you change your mind?”

  “About what?”

  “About taking me as... your bride.”

  “No.” His answer was firm and definitive. “I can appreciate a strong female who makes her own justice.”

  She bit the inside of her lip, trying to suppress a smile. It was probably wrong that she felt seen by this ugly, scary beast, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t made her own justice yet, but now she felt encouraged. At least someone agreed with her. But what did the fact that she, a normal human being, was on the same page with an orc who only knew war and pain said about her? She sighed, suddenly feeling out of place. Like she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. How had her life changed so much in a matter of months? Just last year, she was happily engaged to be married, working for a small business, hitting the gym three times a week, and cooking dinner every evening, dreaming about her wedding and her honeymoon in Hawaii. Yes, weddings and honeymoons still happened, and even though the world had been ravaged by the war with the orcs, things were getting back to normal. Now, she was on her way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, to live in a cave with Rogan the Gray, her monstrous mate, and his horde of dangerous beasts.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she said out of the blue.

  He turned to her, cocking a thick, dark brow.

  She took his gesture as a challenge. “I mean it. I’m here because they offered me a chance to live, and I took it. But I wasn’t afraid of death, either.” She looked straight into his brown eyes. Deep down, her very soul was shaking. She couldn’t believe she was saying these words to this huge, gray beast that was staring down at her. But at the same time, she felt like she had to make some things clear from the start. “If you think you can control me, you are wrong.”

  His jaw clenched. “You are a tribute. You offered yourself willingly, and now you are my mate. I will claim you, and I will control you, if that’s what I want.”

  “You can try. I will resist you.”

  A small grin pulled at the corner of his lips. “Resist me. See what happens.”

  “All right. We’ll both see what happens.”

  They were silent the rest of the way, and Tara turned her back to him completely. She heard him huff behind her but paid him no mind. The closer they got to Rogan’s lair, the more the situation she was in was starting to sink in. Her heart beat in her throat, and her mind started racing, trying to divine the future. But she knew that couldn’t possibly help her. All these rushing thoughts managed to do was to make her worry and panic. She had to take this one step at a time. She had to face the here and the now, and not think about tomorrow.

  Her fate was in God’s hands. But Tara had never quite believed in God.

  Chapter Four

  The orcs’ lair was a sight to behold. The main entrance to the caves was up in the mountains, and at some point, they had to leave the car and climb on foot. It was a good thing that Tara had some hiking and climbing experience. They reached a rocky road, and from there, they entered the dense forest and walked some more. It was far away from civilization, and the first thing that struck her was the peace and quiet. The air was fresh and crisp, and the only sounds were those of the forest, of small creatures rustling through the leaves, and birds singing in the trees. They reached a clearing, and there, Tara saw the cave. Rogan and Nakk were walking ahead, and she dragged a deep breath in and forced herself to follow them, when in truth, all she wanted to do was to turn around and make a run for it.

  She stopped in her tracks when she heard a strange noise coming from up ahead. It was something between mooing and neighing, and it chilled her to the bone. Goosebumps rose on her arms, and her feet refused to move any further. The sound filled the air again, but this time, it ended in a growl.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  Rogan turned to her. His brows were furrowed, showing that he was becoming impatient. He just wanted to get her inside the caves, show her where she was going to sleep from now on, and then see to his business.

  Tara yelped when the sounds intensified, making her think of two or more creatures fighting over something.

  Nakk, Rogan’s raider, laughed out loud. “It’s the krags. She’s afraid of the krags.” And then laughed some more.

  Rogan grunted in disapproval. He didn’t find any of this funny. Not Tara’s ridiculous fear, nor Nakk’s stupid amusement.

  “What’s a krag?” she asked, not sure that she wanted to find out.

  “I’ll show you. But you have to move, woman. I don’t have all day.” He was already frustrated that he’d wasted the entire morning and also missed lunch over this bride business.

  “I... I don’t know...”

  “What don’t you know?”

  His voice was getting harsher and rougher, and Tara had to swallow heavily and follow him when he crossed the clearing, ignored the cave mouth, and disappeared back into the forest. Nakk simply shook his head and left them be. She rushed to match Rogan’s big steps. After walking for a minute, they came upon another clearing, which was larger and more open than the one in front of the cave, and Tara saw the beasts that were mooing, neighing, and growling. Indeed, they were fighting over leaves and juicy patches of grass. They were bigger than any horse or cow she’d ever seen, and they didn’t look like either of the two animals. It was hard for Tara to say what they looked like exactly. The best way to describe them was some sort of hybrid between a bunch of four-legged creatures that roamed the earth. They had the strong bodies and quick legs of predators, they were covered in short fur that was either black, brown, or gray, and around their necks, they had a mane that reminded Tara of lions. However, they were clearly herbivores. As for how big and tall they were... Well, if the orcs were huge, these creatures were even more so. When Rogan approached one and ran his hand through its mane, Tara noticed that the beast was twice his size.

  “These are our krags. We were riding them when we landed into your world. They’re great companions in times of war, carrying us, fighting alongside us, and keeping us well-fed and strong with the milk they give.”

  “You... drink their milk?”

  Rogan squinted at her, displeased. “Don’t you drink the milk of various animals?”

  “We do, but... They’re not... I mean...” What did she mean, though? That their cows, sheep, and goats weren’t humongous and ugly? She pursed her lips and shook her head, as if to let him know that he should ignore her. She was simply in shock.

  “Anyway, they won’t hurt you if you don’t provoke them.” Rogan patted the beast on the back, then walked past Tara and headed back to the caves. “Prove to me that you’re a good bride, and I might teach you how to ride a krag one day. Or milk it.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Suit yourself.” And with that, their conversation was over.

  Finally, they stepped inside the caves, which the orcs had dug deep inside the mountain. Galleries upon galleries that led into small caverns and large caverns, into hidden nooks and crannies, and into holes that the orcs used as storage places for food, water, milk, and other things Tara couldn’t identify at one glance. First, Rogan stopped in the middle of a large cavern that was illuminated by candles. They were scattered everywhere, and it was clear that someone made sure they burned bright at all times.