Chapter 10: Sleep.
Her reaction was swift and instinctive. Mona's hand shot up, slapping his thick fingers away with a crack that echoed in the confined space. "Keep your hands to yourself." she snapped, her voice low and venomous, her golden eyes blazing with a fire that could have scorched stone. "Or I'll cut them off and feed them to the wolves."
Gorzod's hand froze midair, his smirk faltering for a heartbeat before he recovered, his expression hardening into a scowl. "Feisty, aren't you?" he muttered, his voice dripping with mockery. "You can keep acting like you're different from the others but we all know the truth."
"None of you females can stand to live without us."
Mona didn't dignify that with a response. She turned, her braid swinging against her back, and strode toward the cave's mouth.
But as she reached the caves entrance, Gorzod's voice chased after her, low and vicious. "Stuck-up bitch." he spat, just loud enough for her to hear. "Think you're too good for me?"
She paused, just for a moment, her head turning slightly to fix him with a glare so cold it could have frozen the blood in his veins.
Her eyes, sharp and unyielding, pinned him in place, and she saw the way his broad shoulders stiffened, the way his gaze darted to the side, unable to hold hers.
She couldn't help stealing a glance at the human at the end of the cave, feeling that he was far more pleasing to the eye than this walking lard of flesh.
Satisfied, she continued out into the night, her boots crunching on the rocky path as she disappeared into the shadows.
Inside the cave, Gorzod's scowl deepened, his fists clenching at his sides. "Damn her!" he growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the stone.
He swung his fist, slamming it against the cave wall with a dull thud that sent a shower of dust cascading to the ground.
Lucian at the end of the cave frowned with his eyes still closed.
Pain flared in Gorzods knuckles, but he welcomed it, letting it fuel the anger simmering in his chest. "How dare she?" he muttered, pacing now, his heavy steps and infuriated roars echoing in the confined space loud enough that Lucian's closed eyes opened a silver, his gaze locked on Gorzod.
"Blasted female dares to talk back to me?!. Useless female!."
"They're all the same! acting high and mighty, but the moment they're begging to be mated, they turn into horny beasts, every last one of them!"
He spat on the ground, his tusks glinting as he bared them in a snarl. "And what am I even doing here?" he continued, his voice rising, though there was no one to hear but the unconscious human and the flickering torch. "Stuck in this gods-forsaken cave, guarding some useless human who's probably half-dead already. Waste of my time. I should be out there, proving myself, not babysitting—"
He spun around, his words cutting off as his eyes landed on Lucian. The human was no longer slumped against the wall. But only a feet away, his bound hands gripping a jagged rock the size of a skull. Lucian's face was grim, his dark eyes hollow but burning with a quiet, dangerous intensity. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his body tense, coiled like a spring despite the exhaustion etched into every line of his frame.
" You beasts may be ingrains but even a mad dog doesn't bark this much!"
" How dare you interrupt my slumber!" Lucian's eyes glared at him with a never before seen viscous light.
Gorzod's mouth opened, a curse forming on his tongue, but before he could utter a sound, Lucian moved. With a speed that belied his human body, he swung the rock down, aiming for Gorzod's temple.
The orc's reflexes, dulled by his anger and arrogance, failed him.
" Urrk!" The rock connected with a sickening crunch, and Gorzod's eyes rolled back, his massive body crumpling to the cave floor like a felled tree.
Dust billowed around him, settling in the crevices of his scarred skin as he lay still, a trickle of blood seeping from the gash above his brow.
Lucian stood over him for a moment, his chest heaving, the rock still clutched in his bound hands. His eyes, dark and unreadable, lingered on the orc's unconscious form, as if weighing whether to strike again.
But then, with a faint exhale, he tossed the rock aside. It clattered against the stone floor, the sound sharp and final in the heavy silence.
Lucian eyed the Orcs body before completely stripping Gorzod bare. He then struggled but still managed to put on his beast skinned clothes.
" It's smells foul but it should keep the cold away for tonight."
Lucian then shuffled back to the far end of the cave, his movements slow, deliberate, as if the burst of energy had drained what little strength he had left. He sank down against the wall, his back pressing into the cold, uneven stone, and let his head tip back, his eyes drifting shut.
The torch flickered, casting long shadows that danced across the cave walls, as if mocking the stillness that had settled over the scene.
Lucian's breathing slowed, steadying into the rhythm of sleep, while Gorzod lay sprawled on the ground, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven gasps. The cave, for now, was quiet, but the air thrummed with the promise of what was to come, retribution, escape, or something darker still. All remained unknown for now.
Meanwhile...
Somewhere within the village, Hilga layed atop her bed, squirming from left to right, her restlessness evident in her sleep.
In her dreams, Lucian's words kept replaying over and ever again. The scene were his handsome face stared at her while he caressed her cheek, eyes filled with possessiveness.
" Out of all you ignorant beasts, I happen to find your face the prettiest so that makes it mine."
" Your pretty face belongs to me and me alone..."
" Your mine..."
Each time, she felt her heart rate accelerating at any moment she recalled his words.