Page 2 of The Orc Protector's Secret Baby

My body is screaming for me to stop. It doesn’t want to take me much farther. And somehow, I have to find a way to make it.

Tears stream down my face, no matter how hard I try to hold them back. They’re from frustration, not sadness. Tears of anger.

No human deserves this. Not a single one of us. And yet, we can’t escape it.

All my life, I’ve wondered if there was a place out there where humans live in harmony, with no one torturing them or using them. It’s our weakness, in comparison to the orcs, that makes us an easy target, putting us in this position.

But there has to be a place where we aren’t treated like this. I have to believe that, otherwise what’s the point?

I run to the left, then straight, then to the left again, trying to lose them. At some point, it starts to work. They aren’t behind me anymore, and I can’t hear them.

I make the split-second decision to hide, instead of continuing to run. With my sobs, and my loud footsteps snapping twigs every two seconds, they’ll hear me soon enough and find me. If I hide, maybe I can wait them out and then start running again later.

I duck behind a large tree, crouching in between two bushes that sit at the foot of it. My eyes are wide, and my jaw is clenched as I hold my breath, listening for them.

A moment later, I hear a rustling sound, like people running. It’s followed by a laugh so evil it raises goosebumps on the back of my neck.

“Come out, you useless whore! You can’t hide forever, we’ll find you!”

“I can already smell her,” a different orc says.

“Come on, be a good little girl and come out! If you cooperate, we’ll show you mercy!”

I clasp a hand over my mouth. They sound so close.

This was a horrible idea. I should’ve just kept running. Now there’s no way I’ll be able to outrun them.

I stand up and dart out from between the bushes, taking off again. As soon as I do, I hear their laughs. Their feet on the ground.

One look behind me is enough to give me another burst of energy. The sight of them all barreling towards me, some with arrows trained in my direction, gives me renewed focus.

I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.

I chant this over and over in my mind, like a mantra. The fire in me grows. I refuse to give those monsters the satisfaction of taking my life. I refuse to let them steal my hope.

This time when I hear the arrow sound, I know there are multiple. I duck down and to the right, before standing back to full height and running straight forward. A second later, I’m forced to tuck and roll along the ground, getting nicked in my attempt to avoid an arrow.

Thankfully, it isn’t a very bad cut. I’m able to spring back to my feet and keep running.

“You smell fucking delicious,” an orc growls close by. “You’re leaving a trail all over these woods.”

I hate the way he says it. Like I’m food, and he can’t wait to eat me.

“Just give up now, sweetheart! It’s pointless!”

“You’re only making this more exciting for us by running!”

I block out the pain, the voices, everything. None of it matters.

I dodge arrows and trees expertly, the feeling of the wind against my face the only thing keeping me calm. I focus on that. The soft feeling of a breeze against my skin, and the way it makes me feel so alive.

I’d give anything to feel that tomorrow.

The trees start to thin, making it easier to run around them, but also easier for the orcs to hit me. I manage not to get hit or even nicked, but it slows me down, the constant dodging and ducking.

Eventually, the trees disappear altogether. I run into a clearing at full speed, but halfway through it I come to a complete halt.

My heart sinks, and I feel my fate being sealed at this moment. Up ahead, there’s a cliff. Which means I now only have two options.