Page 6 of The Orc Protector's Secret Baby

I know this about him, and yet I still let his actions get to me.

Maybe because his actions keep getting more and more out of hand.

Lately, I haven’t been able to keep my mouth shut anymore. My sister Sharog’s arranged marriage is one thing, but everything else on top of that? I’m done staying quiet.

And Chieftain Malamute is about to find that out.

I look forward to the day that I inherit his place and become the new Chieftain. I’ve dreamed of it my entire life, and the urge only gets stronger each year.

Unfortunately, my father holds all the power. It doesn’t matter what I say or do, he has the final decision. My opinions, my effort, it’s all useless.

I end up in the training area, approaching the nearest wooden practice dummy. Adjusting my stance, I begin, without even grabbing protection for my hands.

I want to feel every hit. Every scratch and splinter.

The first punch feels good, but the ones that follow feel amazing. Over and over, I hit it, my mind going completely blank. Not a single thought goes through my head other than where I’m going to hit next.

By the time the dummy lies smashed to pieces at my feet, my hands are bloody, and I feel numb.

This isn’t how my life was supposed to go. I can’t keep going on like this. We can’t.

I picture the last time my father came to me and asked for my opinion. The way he acted after I gave it to him.

My father stares at me, the blank look on his face turning to one of disgust. More than disgust. Hatred. Disappointment.

I prepare myself for what I already know is coming.

“This is why you are not in my place, Cagan. This is why no one comes to you to solve things, why no one takes you seriously.”

I don’t answer him, refusing to give him the reaction he wants. At the end of the day, he doesn’t need to say any of this. If he doesn’t like my opinion, he has that right.

But he wants to say this stuff. It was his goal to spit these words at me the minute he asked. I’m not an idiot, I know that.

Every time, he lectures me as if he’s surprised at how inadequate my opinions supposedly are. You would think he’d just stop asking by now. He’s going to do what he wants either way, so it’s pointless.

“You’re not going to say anything?” he asks.

I stare at his ugly face, debating whether or not I should punch him.

“I apologize for wasting your time,” I finally say.

He bursts out laughing as if I just told the funniest joke. I hate that laugh.

“Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with you as my son. Truly, you couldn’t be more opposite than me.”

And thank the gods for that.

He continues, and I practically have this part of the speech memorized by now.

“You’re not good enough to be Swordstone’s Chieftain. It’s a damn shame that you’re the only option.”

I take a deep, shaky breath, trying to keep my cool.

“I guess we’ll see,” I say.

He shakes his head. “For Swordstone’s sake, let’s hope that isn’t for a very, very long time.”

I spit on the ground, remembering the disgusting look on his face when he said it.