Kaius the Fierce by Cara Wylde

Chapter One

Grace Adams had no idea what she was doing. All she knew was that she was doing it and then, later, in a few hours, she’d allow herself to pray and hope for the best. She didn’t have time to think now. She’d thought about it already, considered all the options, and it was time to act. She had to trust her gut. Had to trust her own logic.

“Except I can’t say I have a track record of good choices,”she thought bitterly.

No. She was hesitating again. She’d tried everything, and all of it had been wrong. Every choice she’d made until now had landed her on the streets. It had to be different this time. Because the choice she was making now was a drastic one. No looking back. So, it only made sense that it should bring drastic results. Good drastic results, hopefully.

The taxi stopped before her, and she climbed in, giving the driver the address.

“This is it. Done.”

Well, not exactly done. The drive to the nearest institute was a little over an hour, and that was plenty of time to change her mind. She shifted in her seat, tried to focus on the city beyond the window. When the hustle and bustle of people living their lives in invisible bubbles of their own making was replaced by picturesque landscapes of mountains and valleys, Grace lost focus. She rummaged through her bag, and when she couldn’t find what she was looking for, panic started to rise in her chest, then in her throat, choking her. Her hand came in contact with the small photo album, its flimsy covers made of fake leather, and she let out a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before she opened it. As she looked at the pictures for the dozenth time in the past few days, she covered her mouth with her hand and struggled to keep her tears at bay.

“What am I doing?”she thought. “Who am I sacrificing? Myself, or...” A sob escaped her.

The taxi driver shot her a concerned look, slightly turning to look at her over his shoulder.

“Are you okay back there, ma’am?”

“Y-yes...”

“Look, if you want me to drop you off somewhere else...”

“No, no. Keep going.”

He shook his head. “If you change your mind, ma’am, you let me know.”

She nodded, her voice too choked to say anything.

The driver knew where she was going. He knew what awaited her at the address she’d given him. He seemed to be a kind, decent man, and Grace was grateful for his care and concern. Usually, women like her, women who chose to go to these institutes, weren’t seen well in society. Then again, maybe the taxi driver would change his mind the second the gates of the institute closed behind her. Right now, she still belonged to his world. She was like him. But once she renounced her freedom and pledged to become the bride of an orc, the bride of a green-skinned monster covered in tattoos and scars, her own species would reject her, look down on her like she was less than dirt. There were some people who understood the implications of an orc bride’s sacrifice, but they were few. The institutes for orc brides that were spread all over the world were pretty much the only thing that ensured the peace between orcs and humans. And the human women who volunteered to go to these institutes were the ones that kept the system alive and working.

Grace closed the photo album, kissed it, then returned it to her oversized bag.

“I’ll come back for you,”she thought. “The love of my life... I’ll never abandon you. I just need some time to figure it all out, to secure a better life for the both of us. I hope you’ll forgive me one day. Wait for me, baby. I’ll come back for you.”

With that, she wiped her eyes dry, straightened her back, and stared ahead. No more hesitating, no more doubting herself. She’d thought this through. Yes, she was only twenty-six years old, but she’d seen enough. She’d screwed up enough that the screw-ups were out of her system. This was the right thing to do. No man, no human male wanted her and the baggage she came with. But an orc? She’d heard orcs didn’t give a damn where their human brides came from and who they were, as long as they were fertile and willing to give them orc babies. As long as they went to live in their mountains and in their caves, with their hordes, of their own accord.

And orc mate wouldn’t judge Grace. Not like all the men in her life, who’d judged her day in and day out, until she was forced to swear off men. But then again... What did she know about orcs? Nothing. Common sense said that just as there were good men and bad men, there surely were good orcs and bad orcs. No one could promise her that she, Grace, the woman who’d never come across a good man, would be so blessed this time and find a good orc. But she could hope. She could pray. She was about to enter a different world with different rules. Maybe this time she’d understand how it all worked and adapt. If not for her, then for the sake of the one she loved most.

* * *

The Arizona institute for orc brides was nothing but an old building that had seen better days. The institutes were supported by NGOs and by generous donations that came from those who believed in the system. Though, judging by the paint peeling off the walls and the dirty windows, Grace could tell those donations weren’t exactly generous, nor frequent. Most of the money probably went to the guards outside, who were patrolling the grounds twenty-four seven to make sure the future orc brides were safe.

Why were guards even needed? Grace had heard stories. When the war was over, the peace treaty was signed, and the institutes were created, there had been zealots who’d attacked a few institutes and kidnapped and straight-up hurt the women living there awaiting to start their second lives as orc brides. There hadn’t been another attack since then, but it was obvious the brides needed protection before they were taken in by a horde.

And then, there were those cases when the guards were needed to keep the women in. Not everyone went to an institute willingly. Sometimes, women who’d committed grave felonies were given the option of becoming orc brides instead of spending the rest of their lives in prison. The guards were there to keep them from escaping. Once an ex-felon was chosen by an orc, she was his problem.

Grace dragged a breath in, paid the driver, grabbed her suitcase from the trunk, and stepped through the wrought iron gates. The manager was waiting for her on the porch. They shook hands, and she introduced herself as Mrs. Kirby. In her office, she made sure that Grace understood what she was doing, asked her prying questions to which Grace gave half-honest answers, then made her sign a bunch of papers. Mrs. Kirby then took her to the doctor’s office, where she was tested and prodded, and while they waited for the test results that would confirm that Grace was fertile, the manager showed her around the institute.

“You can join the classes this evening, if you feel up to it.”

Grace shook her head.

“Or rest, that’s also an option. This is the cafeteria.”

They walked into a large hall filled with long tables and wooden chairs. Grace shuddered. It was empty except for the staff that was cleaning and preparing the place for dinner, and it made her think of a prison cafeteria. The furniture was all old and worn-out.

“Don’t judge it by its appearance,” Mrs. Kirby said, sensing Grace’s disappointment. “We serve the best food here. Delicious, albeit a bit basic. It’s healthy, for sure. I urge you to not skip a single meal. Feel free to come in for snacks, too, as the cooks always have something ready.”

Grace cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”

The manager smiled. “Orcs like their women with meat on their bones. It’s a good thing you’re already there.” She looked her up and down. “So, okay... you may skip the snacks if you don’t want them.”

Grace blinked. Well, this was new. No one had ever told her before that being curvy and on the heavy side was an advantage. She was petite, with an hourglass figure, generous breasts, and wide hips. She’d always been that way, and she’d given up diets and trying to change her body a long time ago. Naturally, she was brown-haired, but she’d been dyeing her hair red for years, and she’d made sure to refresh the color before she came to the institute. Her eyes were of a deep, chocolate brown, and her skin was naturally tan.

“So, you think...” It was hard for her to say the words. It was hard to talk about it, and every time she said the word “orc”, a knot formed in her throat, and she had to swallow past it. “You think I won’t have problems being chosen by an orc?”

“We don’t get many visitors on Doors Open Day, which happens every month. Sometimes my girls spend three, four months at the institute simply because few orcs show up to claim brides.”

“But why? Don’t they want to be mated and have babies? Isn’t that... I don’t know... the whole reason why they accepted to make peace with us?”

Mrs. Kirby shrugged. “It’s more complicated than that. You’ll find out more once you start attending our classes. Many of the orcs who landed into our world four years ago have families in their home world. Children, wives, concubines... or whatever they call the females they take outside their mating agreements.”

That piece of information stung Grace unpleasantly. So, orcs weren’t monogamous?

The manager either didn’t notice her discomfort or chose to ignore it. “Not all of them want human brides. Most of them accept to take one because they need heirs, and because they don’t know how long they will be stuck in our world.”

“Our scientists are working on the machine that opened the portals between our worlds.”

“Yes. Tirelessly, as I hear. But who knows if and when they’ll be able to rebuild it after it was so thoroughly destroyed.” Grace didn’t sense a lot of hope or confidence in the woman’s words. “It’s not our job to think about that. Our job is to do our part to ensure the peace between orcs and humans, and prepare you, the orc brides, to better face your future.” She checked her old-fashioned watch. “Now, I believe your test results are waiting on my desk.”

Grace knew that she was healthy and fertile, and the tests agreed. She did sigh in relief when she saw that they raised no questions about her past addictions. The manager had asked her if she drank or smoked presently, and she’d denied. She’d been honest, too. Grace had been sober for a little over six years. Not a drop of alcohol, not one cigarette, and certainly no drugs. She’d been down that road, it had destroyed her, and she’d been strong enough to get clean. Too bad it had been too late, after she’d already lost her chance to ever finish school, get a good job, and be able to pay her rent consistently. But all that was a long story. A story for another time. For now, Mrs. Kirby seemed to be satisfied and offered to finally take her to her room. Grace grabbed her suitcase and followed the manager up the stairs to the second floor.

“You’ll share with Carol and Fiona.”

“Oh.”

The rooms were not what Grace had expected. They each held four beds and two small desks the girls had to share. The bathrooms and the showers were communal, but that was okay. Grace could get used to it, and after the life she’d had, she certainly wasn’t fussy. The sheets and the towels were clean, though, and for that she was grateful.

“I’ll leave you to it,” the manager said. “Dinner is between six and eight, so come down when you feel ready.”

Mrs. Kirby left, and Carol and Fiona were all over Grace in seconds. They bombarded her with questions and let her pick a bed from the two that were empty.

Grace had no power left in her to answer their questions, nor to push them away. She dropped her suitcase and her bag, slumped on the bed, and hid her face in her hands. Softly, she started crying.

“Oh, don’t... Please, don’t cry.” Carol sat next to her. She was tall, curvy, with black hair and dark eyes. “Come here.”

Fiona, who was one of the prettiest girls Grace had ever seen, knelt before her and took her hands in hers.

“Listen, this isn’t all so bad. They treat us well here. A roof over our heads, a soft bed to sleep in... The food is great, and the classes aren’t that hard.”

Grace shook her head. “I don’t know anything about orcs. What was I thinking?”

“You’ll learn in no time,” Fiona encouraged her. “Hey, look at me...”

Grace shook her head once more and kept sobbing pathetically.

“Hey, everything is going to be okay. You know... last week, the other girl we shared the room with, Rochelle, called. She left with her orc mate a month ago. She said she’s happy. She said she’d never go back to her old life. She has everything she’s ever wanted.”

Grace sniffed and wiped her tears gently. She finally looked at Fiona. “For real?”

“Yes.”

“Okay...”

“It will be fine, I promise.”

She doubted it was up to Fiona to promise anything like that, but for now, her words soothed her.