Fighting is all I’ve ever known.

War and bloodshed were my meat and drink.

Until the human Wendy came to dinner…

On the eve of the war with the Dark Elves, I believed I would die before finding my mate.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

Wendy is the leader of the human forces.

She brings fire. Charm. Spirit.

And curves that make my blood boil.

I can smell her scent and it awakens my need.

Hardens my desire.

First, I will claim this warrior woman as my mate.

Then, she and I will wield our weapons together to defeat our enemies.

Once we have achieved victory together…

Then, like a good wife, she will polish my sword.

And put it away.

Where it belongs.

Chapter 1

Dhog

There is a stillness in the air today, the only sounds I can hear being the birds in the trees and the heavy breathing of Aqidah the Wise of the Golden Arrow Clan and Old Malik of the Burning Sun Clan. The former is the one who convinced me to join the initial group to welcome the humans, and the latter, being a former chieftain himself before stepping aside to leave his clan to his son, would have dragged me here if I had declined.

I stand alongside them as we wait for the human delegation. Today is the day that we hope to make new alliances that can make our already growing numbers even stronger.

As chieftain of the Beheader Clan, this was not something that I ever envisaged, though I was more than aware that my kind has been working alongside and even mating and breeding with humans for some time now. Indeed, it seems to be spreading amongst the clans as chieftains especially choose humans for their mates.

None more than Aqidah have made quite such a success in this union of the species. He has become a leader that many of us have learned from, despite his young age. As such I have developed close ties with the Golden Arrows, especially as they have been focusing on developing healing skills and medicines that both humans and orcs can benefit from.

With the dying of our magic, we have little choice to advance our skills and knowledge in these areas, and Aqidah’s mate has been crucial in developing and delivering on this. Shamans are now able to learn from humans in this way, meaning that many lives have been saved without the need for magical intervention.

As a leader, I am willing to do whatever is needed in the best interest of my clan. That includes working together with other clans that  wish to stop the endless fighting over territory, honor, and resources to make this life more bearable. 

All of us, humans and orcs, have had our fill of hardship and savagery, of plundering this world of its people and resources as well as now having to come to terms with the dying of our magic.

Orcs have been through more than enough as it is, and now, just when we believed ourselves to be free of our mortal enemies, the Dark Elves, we have all been shocked to our cores to discover that they have followed us to Earth.

This is why it is imperative that our clans join forces not only with each other but with humans, too. Harok and Aqidah were right when they came to me, insisting that we needed help from the natives of this planet, especially when it comes to weapons.

Dark elves are a threat to us all. They have already driven us from our own planet, Protheka, and somehow they have managed to find us. For a while it seems they have managed to keep their presence hidden, but they are not a race to be kept underground and have since declared a frontal attack, determined to exterminate our race.

And so, we wait for the human delegation, hoping that we can negotiate some form of cooperation as we once again come under threat from the dark elves of Protheka, wondering if we can ever be free of them. My fists clench and my jaw tightens as I think of them, their greed and their cruelty knowing no bounds. They have driven us from our home, and yet still they are not satisfied.

Silently, the humans emerge from the forest and I heave out a breath. I watch as they appear, all wearing the same attire—dark green pants and shirts that do well at keeping them camouflaged. In their hands they carry large knives and also spears which I suspect to be mithril, the only metal that can kill orcs.

It’s clear they don’t trust us, so we can only hope that Lisa, Aqidah’s human mate, has laid the ground well for this meeting, explaining to them the recent happenings and stating how humans have little choice but to start to join forces with us in greater numbers.

For so long humans have believed us to be their worst enemy and of course they would have cause to. As a species we have decimated this planet over the decades and taken life as they knew it away from them. But things have changed over the years as orcs and humans have begun to co-exist, and now orcs aren’t the only enemy.

Not content with setting their sights on orcs, the dark elves have also targeted humans—undertaking killing sprees, harvesting humans and taking them for whatever lurid reasons they have. Orcs and humans now have a common enemy, and if anything can bring us together, this may be it.

The humans stand before us, clearly tense, but try to avoid showing signs of it. I can smell their fear a mile off. The person who steps forward and speaks is a woman, and it surprises me. Humans are not always known for their equal treatment when it comes to their women, let alone placing one in a position of leadership.

There is nothing about her that says she is nervous, and this leads me to suspect that she is from a human settlement that is more progressive in its ways. Not all humans are animals, in the same way that not all orcs are beasts.

This woman is not fragile, quite the opposite in fact. She observes us, her eyes clear and confident and I can’t help but admire her strength, as though she has the spirit of a warrior. It’s something that I recognize, as a warrior myself, and I am drawn to her in a way I would not expect, having never been interested in human women before.

Though she is smaller than an orc of course, her demeanor exudes nothing but power and determination, almost as though she is an equal—a thought that shocks me as it enters my mind. But humans have surprised me recently, showing themselves to be much more capable than their puny bodies would suggest.

I rake my eyes up and down her, trying to be discreet about it and hoping that I am succeeding. She is fairly tall for a human female, though much smaller than an orc and her body is young, lean and athletic looking, obviously used to training and being active. Her golden hair rests just below her chin, framing a face that is strikingly beautiful.

Old Malik steps forward to greet her, ensuring that he is unarmed to demonstrate that we are no threat and can be trusted. He introduces himself, shaking hands to show that we have some knowledge and respect for human customs.

The woman introduces herself in return as she also extends her greetings to Aqidah the Wise who is, as ever, the diplomat. He speaks in a way that seems to put the rest of her people at ease, a gift indeed, and one that we will rely on in the future as we make more alliances.

Finally she holds out her hand to me, and I am obliged to return the gesture, almost gasping when the touch of her skin results in a rush of electricity that shoots up my arm, spreads across my chest and settles when it reaches my head.

What is that?

She pulls her hand away and steps back. “I am leading this delegation,” she says, confidently.

“And you are most welcome here,” replies Malik. He stretches out his hand, gesturing to the buildings in the near distance. “Please, we have a space at our base in which we can sit, eat, and discuss some important matters.”

The woman smiles and nods her head. “Thank you.”

We walk the short distance to the stronghold and I can’t help but look at her, my eyes finding their way back to her each time I try to avert them. Any tension I held in my body has now left, and all I can feel is the remnants of the sparks that coursed through me when she took my hand.

Who is she and what is happening to me?