Enthralling the Orc (The Perished Woods Book 2) Read online

  Enthralling the Orc

  Tracy Lauren

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Tracy Lauren

  © 2019 Tracy Lauren

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by U.S. copyright law.

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  Chapter 1

  Ash

  It’s late in the night and the bundle slung over my shoulder weighs heavily on me. I should have set camp hours ago, but I press onward instead. I’m so damned close to my destination and all I want is for this to be over—to deliver this parcel to the city of Pontheugh and get on to my next job. My next paying job, that is. For this bundle I carry, this deed…it will no doubt go unrewarded.

  I’m a damn generous fool.

  Above me, moonlight pierces the canopy, but it’s not enough to brighten my path, and in the darkness and my fatigue, I stumble over a thick root hidden beneath the leaves blanketing the forest floor. I catch myself, of course, stilling my forward motion. But the damage is done. To my endless dismay, my bundle shifts.

  Gods, just give me one break.

  Unfortunately, my silent prayer goes unanswered and the woman I have slung over my shoulder begins to fight and flail against me. I let out an unhappy groan that’s drowned out by her muffled curses. Could this journey become any more miserable?

  “Calm yourself, we’re nearly at Pontheugh,” I grit out. My words only make the woman fight harder, as if I need for her to be an even less gainly burden than she already is…

  Desperate to be rid of her, I quicken my pace. I can smell the great lake on the breeze and feel the crisp bite the water gives to the air. Pushing my way through the dense branches, I get my first view of the city lights.

  I stare in awe for a moment, curious as to what a city like this has to offer. I wouldn’t know. My kind isn’t welcome here. Or at least half of me isn’t. Unfortunately for me, nobody ever seems to notice the human half—all they see is the orc. And even though a monster like me could never walk within the city walls, I still have a hard time looking away. I imagine all the people, the taverns, the jobs, and all the trouble I could get into. I’m almost wistful, but the woman on my shoulder breaks the spell this place has over me—piercing the night with a scream.

  “Not this again,” I complain. She’s worked her gag free. I toss her down onto the ground, not half as gingerly as I used to be.

  “Take me back to the goblin inn!” She all but snarls her demand at me.

  This woman… I swear, she’s the spawn of devils. I don’t even bother trying to reason with her anymore. I’ve already tried to explain that she doesn’t want what those beasts have to offer. Yet still, she disagrees. So instead, I kneel and begin retying the gag that has slipped down around her neck. After everything I’ve been through, dragging this woman out of the Perished Woods, you’d think I’d have learned by now to not get within biting distance. But alas… Viciously, she clamps down on my hand.

  “Agh! For fuck’s sake, you evil wench!” I hiss, pulling away and shaking out my hand where she’s bit down on it. She’s drawn blood—again.

  The woman mutters angrily against her re-tied gag and tries to kick at me with her bound feet, but I’m able to dodge the attack. “Listen to me, woman, you want trouble. I can relate to that. But do yourself a favor and find it here in this city. What those goblins offer is a curse. Besides, they didn’t want you anyway. They already have an enthrall.”

  She lets out a venomous scream, muffled by the gag. At the sound of it, my frustration boils. I caught this woman poking around the goblin inn, looking to become an enthrall of the little beasts who live there. They ran her off, and in my infinite magnanimity, I went after her. When I told her I was going to get her out of the Perished Woods I’d hoped she’d be grateful. But the woman ran from me. For days now, I’ve tried to get through to her, but there’s just no reasoning with such a foolish creature. I’ve come to believe this one is incapable of understanding the error of her ways. Her mind is already poisoned—as is the fate of any enthrall. And a worse fate I cannot imagine. It is how I lost my own mother and I’ve vowed to never allow the same to happen to me. And if I can help it, I won’t let it happen to anyone else either.

  Exasperated, I huff out a sigh. Sometimes, I don’t even know why I bother. Especially when I meet an awful creature like this one. Is hers truly a life worth saving? If she cares not for her fate, why should I? It all makes me so frustrated that I growl at her, trying to instill a healthy level of fear.

  “You’re a stupid thing if you want to be in the Perished Woods! It offers nothing to anyone beyond short life and a cursed death,” I warn again, regardless of the fact that she does not seem to listen.

  Talking to her is like talking to a stone. She gives nothing in return. Tired and ready to move on, I lean down to heft her back over my shoulder but the awful woman flails her body in a way that reminds me of a fish on a riverbank, flopping and fighting for its life. The irony here is that I’m trying to save her. I squat beside her fighting frame, pinching the bridge of my nose and waiting for her to tire herself out. That’s when a voice surprises me from behind.

  “Step away from the woman.”

  I’m shocked at the nearness of it. When I travel alone, I’m all stealth. I ambush travelers, not the other way around. And despite the unwanted presence of this interloper, I can’t help but be impressed with the man who was able to get the drop on me. Judging by the sound of him, he’s human and he’s cocky too. Perhaps not as cocky as me, but cocky nonetheless. I can hear it in his steady tone. There is a calmness there, fearless and firm—despite the fact that he’s challenging a monster. I might have to play this one a little more carefully than I’m used to.

  “I’m impressed,” I admit, trying first for the flattery angle. “There aren’t many men who can sneak up on me.”

  I turn to face him, keepi
ng my hands raised. He’s human, just as I thought. His clothes tell me he works for the king’s guard and that he’s high ranking in it too. Still, the man is young. I’d think he was handed his position if it weren’t for his obvious ability.

  He holds his sword at the ready. “Back away from the woman, beast.”

  There was a time in my life I used to cringe when humans would call me names such as beast. Now, I embrace it, giving the man my most disarming smile. “You misunderstand the situation. This woman was wandering unaccompanied in the depths of the wood. I was returning her to her people. And you, sir, look exactly like her kind of people. I am happy to leave her in your care.” I give the armored man a deep bow and I even tip my chin to the girl. “Stay out of trouble,” I tell her as I begin to back away. But the man gives a short whistle and half a dozen more of his kind step out from the shadows.

  “Consider me doubly impressed,” I say, casually eyeing the heavily armed guardsmen. I didn’t even hear them approach. For a brief moment I wonder if I’m losing my touch, but the thought only makes me smile. Impossible.

  “I’ll give it to you,” I concede. “You and your men have bested me this time. I won’t even point out my obvious disadvantage.” I incline my head toward the banshee of a woman lying tense at the base of a tree. “I commend you all for your stealth. Now, I really must be going. I’ve got places to be—”

  I hear the subtle clank of swords unsheathing and let out a long sigh. “That really isn’t necessary,” I assure them.

  Their leader nods to the would-be goblin enthrall and one of his men moves to free her from her bindings. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warn.

  He answers, looking at me with calculated distaste. “We aren’t in the business of leaving helpless women tied up.”

  I try not to scoff over his description. “Helpless she is not. Now, tell me your name. Seems introductions are in order if we’re going to smooth out this misunderstanding.”

  “There are no misunderstandings here, orc.”

  I let a chuckle escape me. Charm isn’t going to get me out of this one.

  “Nash, tie him up,” the leader orders.

  “For what? Bringing this woman out of the woods unharmed?” This is an annoying theme; one I encounter far too often when near the outskirts of the Perished Woods. Humans are quick to judge. If a creature doesn’t look just like them, then they must be evil. Interestingly enough, I find there are plenty of evil men, often just as dangerous as the cursed wood itself.

  “Looks more like you were stealing her away,” one of the others points out.

  “I assure you I was not. Spend five minutes with her and you’ll believe me,” I grumble.

  The leader cuts in. “Too many of your kind have been flushing themselves out of the Perished Woods the past few weeks—ever since the raids began. You’re getting too close to our city. We can’t let that happen, especially considering your predilections.” He motions toward the woman again, whose legs have been freed. The guardsman works to cut her wrists loose as well. I inch away from them, not wanting to be close once she’s freed.

  “Luckily, I was just leaving.”

  “I don’t think you were. Nash—” the leader calls and his man moves toward me, rope in hand.

  “Ah, ah, ah. I can’t let you do that,” I warn, my hands going to my knives. But, ironically enough, it’s the would-be goblin enthrall that comes to my rescue. Not that that’s her intent, of course. Just a happy side effect. A shout rings out and I spin in time to see her stealing a soldier’s blade.

  “I warned you about this one, didn’t I?” I say, unable to bite back my laughter. I’ve been days with this woman; it feels good to finally see her wrath directed at someone else.

  But her wrath is malicious and she wields the sword wildly, swinging at anyone within reach and sadly, she slices into the man who cut her bindings. He stumbles on his feet, shocked by the blood spilling from the wound across his chest. Everyone else seems too stunned to move. “For fuck’s sake,” I complain, diving forward to pull him away from her. That’s the problem with humans. They think only their men have strength. But in the Perished Woods, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Even those with the slightest of frame can prove to be a powerful foe, for nothing is ever as it appears to be.

  I grab the man and wrench him back, tossing him to his friends. “Put the sword down!” I command, but her eyes are wild and she’s muttering curses under her breath.

  “A witch!” someone exclaims. I roll my eyes.

  “She’s no witch.” Not yet at least. Left in these woods for long enough however…

  “Restrain her!” the leader of the guardsmen yells to his men, his sword still pointed at me. But his men are wary of the way she spits curses and while they encircle her, they don’t leap forward to subdue her.

  “You!” She spears me with hate-filled eyes and pushes away from her place beside the tree, eager to claim vengeance upon me. But I side-step her thrust and spin around behind her. Before she even has the chance to find me in the darkness I wrap my arms around her and knock the sword from her grip, pushing her in the direction of the head of the guardsmen. He’s forced to lower his weapon as he grabs for her.

  “I did warn you,” I remind him, but I was ignored and now there’s a man down, his friends working frantically to stop the bleeding.

  Now without a blade, the woman has only her rage to defend herself and the others step forward to re-bind her wrists. But their earlier efficiency is on the wane and she wrenches free from the hands restraining her. Darting into the shadows, she aims for the cursed wood rather than the safety of the city across the great lake. I groan in dismay.

  “It took me four days to get her out of the woods and you lose her in an instant!” I complain.

  “After her!” the leader shouts at his men, but they hesitate.

  “Her curses, Sir…” one of them frets.

  “Are nothing more than a sour tongue,” I cut in, hands on my hips.

  I’ll be damned if I’m going to go after her, I think to myself. I got her this far already. She’s the problem of men now. Looking bitterly after her trail, I suddenly remember I was to be these men’s prisoner.

  Time to go.

  “Good work, men!” I say with a clap of my hands. “We’ll get her next time, I’m sure of it!” I start to back away from the now disheveled group, but angry eyes shoot to me. They think the woman is a witch. No one in their right mind would go after a curse. But an orc? I’m just a simple monster in their eyes. I turn to make a break for it, but when I do, I come face to face with the head guardsman. I barely manage a winsome smile before he cracks me over the head with the hilt of his sword. Dazed, I lose my footing and fall to my knees. A second blow lands to my temple. Even as everything fades to black, a humorous thought strikes me.

  All this time I was thinking this deed would go unrewarded. I should have hoped it went unpunished.

  When I wake, it’s still dark out and I find myself in a cage. I jump to my feet, making my head spin in the process. Gripping the bars I assess the scene around me. There are a dozen cages or more, all of them filled with beasts from the wood. Some of them are no more than animals, but many…many aren’t so different from me.

  But there is one thing we all have in common. We’re angry.

  All around there are soldiers, filling more cages and loading us into caravans. I watch the scene silently, learning all that I can. They didn’t search me—or strip me of the sparse yet useful belongings I carry. Hell, they seem half-terrified. Still, they have a job to do, and for whatever reason, that job seems to be collecting beasts.

  Not long after the last cage is filled, canvases are thrown over the bars, blocking our view of the outside world. I wonder for a moment if they plan to drive us into the lake and be done with it. But not long after, the carts are drawn from the dirt trails of the forest floor and we’re hobbling over a cobblestone road.

  We’re on the bridge to Pont
heugh. Not so bad, I suppose. My curiosity had been piqued by the world beyond the city walls. Now my only complaint is that they’ve blocked my view of this foreign place. No matter. I’m sure I’ll see plenty of it on my way out. I sigh, supposing I should start plotting my escape. I can’t say I have much of a desire to find out what it is they plan to do with a caravan of beasts in a city that has no love for them.

  Chapter 2

  Ellyn

  My morning began as any other. One would have hardly thought it’d be a life changing day. I rose before dawn, dressed and brushed out my blonde hair, and threw a shawl over my shoulders. As always, I took the service stairs down through the kitchen to where Matilda was preparing the meals for the day. Soon the inn and tavern would be open for business and it would be up to the two of us to ensure everything ran smoothly. Well, us and Matilde’s daughters. In recent years, the girls have finally gotten old enough to lend a helping hand.

  Long before I came around, Matilde’s husband owned The Copper Coin. From what Matilde has shared with me however, he was a very poor businessman and their family could barely scrape by. But his untimely death left the business to Matilde and a job opening for someone to manage the place. Matilde had always been the cook and though she’s got a much better mind for business than her late husband ever did, her heart is in the kitchen.