Vorgak the Cruel: A Paranormal Monster Romance (Orc Mates) Page 2

  “That you made a mistake by coming here.”

  “I’m sorry. Yes.”

  The manager sighed. “When it comes to orcs, luck is everything, really. Some of them can be brutes, but I’ve heard there are many who, despite being rough, care for their human brides. After all, the only reason they need human mates is because when they were pulled through the portals into our world, most of their females remained in their world. No one knows if they’ll ever be able to return, so they have to think about a future among humans. They need women to give them heirs. Our scientists, the very same who built the machine and accidentally opened the portals all over the world, are working on a solution tirelessly.”

  “They destroyed the machine when the war started.”

  “There are rumors the orcs destroyed it, not us. I mean, not our people.”

  “Why would they do that? I’m thinking all they want is to return home, to their dimension. They might be beasts, but they have souls and feelings, just like us.”

  Mrs. Roberts smiled. “Yes. I believe you might be right.”

  “I hope I’m right,” Candace whispered mostly to herself. “Otherwise, it doesn’t help much that Chris didn’t get a chance to kill me. Not if the orc who chooses me is just as violent as he was.”

  “Hush now. Don’t think about that. The next Doors Open Day is next month, so you have plenty of time to get it together, learn what you need to learn, and prepare for a better future. No one will hurt you, Candace. We’ll get that divorce for you, and if it’s in any way in my power, I’ll make sure the orc who chooses you is a decent... err... person.”

  Candace smiled. “Person.”

  “I couldn’t find another word.” She stood up and walked Candace to the door. “Now, go along. Lunch has probably been already served in the cafeteria, then you should join one of the classes.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Roberts. You saved my life.”

  “For now. I’ll keep doing my best, I promise.”

  * * *

  There were two classrooms, and classes were from early morning until lunch, then from after lunch until around eight o’clock. The teachers weren’t necessarily well organized, and the subjects were discussed in such a way that if a new tribute came to the institute, she could pop in at any time and not feel like she missed anything. Candace joined a class that seemed to have less students and sat in the back with a notebook and a pen before her. The institute provided the young women who came to live there with the bare minimum.

  Candace looked around her as the teacher talked about the geography of the orc world, which was, in fact, a dimension parallel to the humans’. There were only six other girls in class, and from the way they looked, she knew that they too were at the institute because they didn’t have anywhere else to go. Sometimes, the tributes were women who’d committed crimes and were offered this way out, so they wouldn’t rot in jail or end up in the chair. But other times, the tributes were women just like her, women who were running from abusive partners or parents, orphan girls who were tired of living on the streets, or even sex workers or former substance abusers who thought this might just be their last chance at a normal life. Those in power didn’t care who these women were, as long as they offered themselves willingly and did their part in keeping the peace with the orcs. And the beasts, as far as Candace knew, didn’t care who they were, either, as long as they were fertile. They didn’t want virgins, and they didn’t necessarily want educated, innocent ladies. They themselves were murderous brutes who’d killed men, women, and children in the war. In fact, Candace had a feeling that one thing they didn’t respect was innocence and righteousness. It was a win-win situation. The orcs got brides to keep them happy, and the government had less inmates in jail and poor people on the streets.

  “We know that the orc world only has one continent that is surrounded by an ocean larger than we could ever imagine. This continent is divided into two empires that are ruled by enemy war chiefs, who could be consider their emperors. War, violence, and conquest is in the orcs’ blood. Day and night, they fight over land, for either war chief Sogar, or war chief Hagan. The hordes are loyal to the side they were born to, and they will fight to the death. Their war is never ending, as both sides are equally powerful. Not all their hordes ended up in our world when they were swept through the dimensional tunnels, but the ones that did first fought amongst themselves. Soon, though, they realized that they didn’t know what they were even fighting over, so their turned on us, humans. They thought they could kill us, enslave us, take what’s ours. We stood our ground, even when it was impossible to fight their magic. This is why this peace both sides agreed on after two years of war is so important. They have magic. We don’t. It’s true that we have the numbers, but orcs are almost impossible to kill, while we humans fall like flies on the battlefield. No matter what anyone says, what you’re doing as tributes saves lives. As long as there are brave women like you who willingly step up and offer themselves to these vicious brutes, our people are safe, our world can slowly go back to normal, and our children can look toward a peaceful future.”

  A tear fell down Candace’s cheek. She didn’t feel brave. On the contrary. She’d run away, hoping that if she hid well enough, hoping that if she surrounded herself with powerful people and then with an entire horde of orcs, her husband wouldn’t find her. And if he did find her, because of course he had the means, he wouldn’t dare come after her. No, she didn’t feel brave at all. She felt weak, helpless, and like a burden to anyone who cared even a little bit about her. What was the use of her, anyway? But maybe...

  Maybe, if she could contribute to the world peace by mating with an orc and carrying his green-skin babies... Maybe one day she could say she’d earned the bare safety that she needed to survive.

  Chapter Three

  A month passed, and Candace felt like she’d learned everything she could about orcs. It wasn’t like her kind had that much information on them, anyway. She paid attention in class, read the dozen books the institute had in its library, then the rest of the research she did online, on forums, groups, and clubs that were dedicated to the green-skinned beasts. The lawyer the institute had hired had gotten her the divorce, and luckily, she’d only had to see Chris once. He’d tried to talk to her, tried to pull her aside, but she’d hidden behind her lawyer like the brave woman that she wasn’t, causing Chris to grind his teeth in frustration. He’d lost his toy. He’d have to get over it.

  Candace now knew the ranks the orcs held within a horde and how to recognize them. The highest ranks in their world were the war chief and the slayer, but fortunately, neither of those had been pulled through the portals. In the human world, there were only captains, raiders – who could be considered the equivalent of knights, – grunts, – soldiers, – and mages. They could be identified by their tattoos. While all orcs had skin in different shades of green, dark eyes, and dark hair, their tattoos and piercings spoke of their position on the food chain. The captain of a horde would have his entire back and arms covered in tattoos, while the raiders had tats only around their necks, wrists, ankles, and middle, and the grunts would only have their necks and faces tattooed. No tattoos for mages, who weren’t warriors, but guardians of wisdom, alchemy, and the most ancient and secret practices. Candace learned these details eagerly and committed them to memory. All orcs could get brides, not only the ones who had high ranks. By her calculation, she should be safe if a captain or a raider chose her. As the grunts were required to do all the work, the captains and the raiders would have more time to stick around and actually spend time with their mates. And that was what Candace hoped for – a strong, powerful orc who would keep her close, keep her around, so her ex-husband would have no chance of finding her and snatching her away. Chris knew that she’d offered herself as tribute and that soon enough, she’d be mated to an orc. He’d shown pure disgust when he found out. Such disgust, that now Candace was sure he would try to find her just to put an end to her life.

  Doors Open Day was an event that was organized on a schedule. Once a month, the institute was open for orcs who wanted to visit it and see the brides it had to offer. Not all orcs took someone the first time. While they didn’t care about the women’s past, they did have preferences when it came to looks and personality. For one, they liked their women curvy and plump. Even so, they were so big that they could crush them, but if the human females had some meat on their bones, the chances of an orc accidentally breaking his mate were slimmer. So, most of the funds the institutes got from donations went into the tributes’ food, which had to be plenty, but also healthy and nutritious. They couldn’t possibly feed them burgers and fries when the whole point was for them to one day bear healthy orc babies.

  Candace wanted to be chosen. So, she woke up early, took a long shower, washed her hair and styled it, then applied makeup she borrowed from her roommates. She put on a short dress, but then remembered that if she was chosen today, her orc mate would take her deep in the mountains somewhere, so a dress wouldn’t exactly be appropriate. She changed into a pair of high-waist jeans, and a shirt that showed off her generous cleavage. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled when she saw that her long, blond hair fell smoothly down her back, framing her round face, and the winged eyeliner she’d applied on her lids made her deep blue eyes pop. She added a bit of blush to her cheeks, and red to her lips.

  “Today is the day,” she told herself in the mirror. “Please, I need this to work.” She’d even packed her suitcase, leaving most of the things she’d taken from her old house behind. It was time to cut all emotional ties.

  Downstairs, in the common room, the girls were lined up against the wall, waiting for the orcs to come in through the main door. When they did, steppi
ng in one by one, barely fitting through the door frame, gasps and whispers filled the air. Candace straightened her back and kept silent. Mrs. Roberts cleared her throat, reminding them that they needed to be quiet and submissive, otherwise they’d have to wait at the institute for another month. What few of the young women knew was that if they were presented to the orcs three times, and three times they weren’t chosen, the institute would kindly kick them out.

  There were six orcs – two captains, three raiders, and one grunt. Candace immediately set her eyes on the two captains, having recognized them by the lack of tattoos on their necks. They were both dressed in leather garments from head to toe, and over their huge chests, they wore some sort of light armor. They had daggers attached to their belts, as no one could ever make an orc part with his beloved weapons. Candace knew that they were enchanted. Their mages put spells on all their weapons, and that was why the war had been ravaging for the human kind even though they’d had the numbers.

  Candace made eye contact with one of the orc captains, but he averted his gaze at some point and showed interest in another girl. She swallowed heavily and tried to stay calm. She tried to make eye contact with the other captain, who was as tall as a mountain, and wider than any man she had ever seen. He didn’t look at her, though. Not at first. He walked to the other end of the line and studied each young woman for a minute. He moved from one girl to the next, until he finally reached Candace. She pushed her chest forward and placed one hand on her hip, hoping to God she looked seductive and not pathetic.

  He had dark green skin, long, black hair that he wore in a low ponytail, and black eyes, almost like a demon’s. She had to crane her neck to look at his face, which was wide, yet handsome in a way Candace couldn’t have described if her life depended on it. It was almost impossible to find an orc attractive, but here she was, thinking this one wasn’t half bad. It helped that he was so big and mighty that he could probably protect her from an army of ex-husbands.

  To her utter despair, he looked at her for a minute, his eyes lingering on her face, neck, chest, and hips, then shook his head and turned away. Candace couldn’t believe this was happening. He was walking away, toward the door, clearly intent on leaving the institute without a bride. She shot the other orcs a glance, and when she saw that they all seemed to be interested in this girl or that girl, she realized that the dark green captain was her only chance to get out of there this month. Without thinking twice, she ran after him and blocked his way with her body, which was incredibly tiny and non-threatening compared to his.

  “I’m Candace. What’s your name?” she blurted out.

  His thick, dark brows furrowed. He grunted instead of giving her an answer.

  “I see you’ve not been... err... charmed by any of us. If you could tell me, maybe... I mean... If it pleases you...” What the hell was wrong with her?! She didn’t even know how to talk anymore. “What are you looking for?” she tried again. “Yes, that. If you could tell me, I... Candace... could maybe... I don’t know...” Her voice was dying, which was probably for the best, since she was spilling out nonsense.

  “Vorgak.”

  “Sorry?”

  “My name. Vorgak the Cruel.”

  “The C-... Okay.” She wasn’t that sure this was a good idea anymore. “So, what are you looking for, Vorgak the C-cruel?”

  He cocked an eyebrow, slightly interested in the human female now. “A willing one.”

  “A willing... b-bride?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t seem to speak English that well. Orcs had their own language, which sounded rough and chaotic, but since they’d accidentally invaded the human world, most of them had learned English.

  “I am willing,” she said quickly. “I am a willing bride. I could be... your... err... bride. If you’ll have me.”

  “And why are you so willing, Can-dy?”

  “C-candy. That’s not my... But you know what?” She gave him a bright smile. “You can call me that. Candy. I like it.” He growled deep in his chest, and she mentally slapped herself. Now that she’d managed to stop him and convince him to talk to her, she couldn’t lose him. “I am willing because... I want to get away.”

  “Get away from what?”

  “Mmm... Life. L-life in the big city.” She couldn’t possibly tell him that she was trying to hide from her ex-husband, who’d probably made a vow to kill her.

  “Buy a farm, then.”

  He looked like he was going to push her aside, so she acted on instinct and placed a small hand on his big chest. She felt the cold armor under her fingertips, and a chill traveled up her spine.

  “Please. Take me with you. I’m the most willing bride you’ll ever find.”

  “Hm.” He thought for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine. If you want to come, come.”

  Candace’s eyes lit up. “I’ll get my things. It won’t take a minute.”

  She ran up the stairs, and when she came back with her bag, she saw that Mrs. Roberts had handed Vorgak the Cruel her file. She said goodbye to her and her roommates, then ran after the orc captain, who was already outside, heading toward the car he’d come in.

  Car was... probably not the right word. Orcs were too big to fit into normal cars, so they’d invented something between a car and a carriage. The vehicle had no roof, but it was comfortable enough. The driver was one of his raiders. Without a word, Vorgak took her luggage, then helped her up. The whole way to his home in the Santa Lucia Mountains, he didn’t speak. Candace tried to start a conversation a few times, but when she was met with complete silence and disinterest, she gave up and admired the landscape instead.

  She hadn’t seen much of California since she’d been married to Chris. He didn’t like to travel, and she’d known better than to insist. The place Vorgak was taking her to was divine. They used the car to get as close to the caves as they could, but the caves were intentionally isolated, away from prying eyes, with difficult access from the road. They left the car, and Vorgak’s raider took her luggage and walked ahead. He carried it on his shoulder like it was nothing.

  “This is beautiful.” She took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh mountain air. She could hear the waves in the distance, and she could smell the salty breeze of the Pacific Ocean. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

  “Hm.”

  She sighed. All she could hope was that soon enough, he’d become more open. For now, he was acting like he’d done her a favor because she’d asked nicely, but he didn’t truly care whether she was there or not. They arrived at the mouth of the cave. Candace stopped in her tracks, but Vorgak made a left toward the trees. She made to go after him.

  “Stay,” he grunted.

  “What?”

  “Go inside.”

  “I’m not going in there alone.”

  “Then wait. Someone will come for you.”

  “Who?”

  She was growing frustrated, but he couldn’t have cared less. He disappeared between the trees, and Candace didn’t have the courage to follow him when he’d ordered her to not do it. In her experience, it was never a good idea to defy a man. Much less a beast.

  Chapter Four

  Candace bit the inside of her lip. Vorgak had disappeared completely, and she was alone at the entrance of the cave. His raider had disappeared inside with her bag, so what was she supposed to do now? She could enter on her own, or she could wait, like the orc captain had suggested. Someone would come for her, right? His horde knew he’d gone to bring a bride. But then again... how many times had he visited the institute and come back empty handed?

  “Are you going to just stand there, or come inside?”

  Candace steeled herself, though the voice sounded feminine. Two women emerged from the dark cave and stepped before her. One was older, with ashy green skin, dark eyes, and dark hair with streaks of gray in it, and the other one was young, with light green skin, brown hair, and green eyes. They were both taller than her, but not as tall and bulky as the male orcs. Candace let out a breath of relief and tried to give them a genuine smile. She was grateful there were females in Vorgak’s horde. If she was lucky, maybe they wanted to be friends with her.