Chapter 3
While Wayne was busy outside, Euphoria sat in the hut taking inventory of her gear
Her backpack contained the essentials of a survivalist: two tear gas canisters, a sharp military dagger, a flashlight, two lighters, a basic medical kit, some emergency rations, and a bottle of water. It wasn't much for a new world, but it was a start
Outside, Wayne didn't enter the house. Instead, he gathered wood and built a fire in the clearing, carefully roasting the game he had caught
Soon, the rich, savory aroma of cooking meat drifted through the stone walls. Euphoria followed her nose out of the hut, her stomach growling in anticipation
"Wow, that smells incredible!" She leaned in, the scent making her mouth water
Wayne, completely focused on his task, looked up and froze
Even though she was a seasoned special forces soldier, Euphoria's skin remained fair and smooth, and years of rigorous training had carved out a lean, athletic physique. Standing there in her new knee-length animal skin skirt—even with the stubborn green camouflage paint still streaking her face—she looked strikingly elegant and fierce
Euphoria didn't notice his staring at first; her eyes were locked onto the meat. However, after a minute, she realized the spit hadn't moved. The bottom of the roast was beginning to char
"Hey, it's burning!" she cried out. Looking up, she caught him staring at her with wide, mesmerized eyes. She huffed, "Stupid lion!
Wayne snapped out of his trance and immediately buried his face in his work, not daring to look back at her. His heart was hammering; his "female" was far too beautiful. He was terrified that if he kept looking, he wouldn't be able to control his instincts until her "heat" arrived
Euphoria settled onto a nearby rock, watching the flames. "Is it ready yet?" she asked after a few more minutes of agonizing waiting
Charmed by her eager expression, Wayne smiled. He carved off a dark, crispy piece of meat, placed it in a hand-carved stone bowl, and offered it to her
Euphoria dug in immediately, only to let out a series of frantic huffs and puffs, fanning her mouth with her hand as the hot juice burned her tongue
Wayne watched her with pure, doting affection. "Easy now. There's plenty more coming.
She gave a muffled grunt of agreement, and as soon as the meat was cool enough, she inhaled the rest of the bowl. Licking her lips, she held the bowl back out to him. "More.
With a happy chuckle, he tore off several more choice cuts for her
By the time she finished, Euphoria felt a wave of rare relaxation wash over her. Night had fallen, and the distant, haunting roars of jungle predators echoed through the trees. Usually, she would be on high alert, but glancing at Wayne—who was currently devouring the leftovers like a hungry wolf—she felt an unexpected sense of security. He was a bit eccentric, sure, but he felt safe
Once the fire was dead and the scraps cleared, the forest went pitch black
Wayne stretched his powerful frame and yawned. "Time for sleep.
Exhaustion from the last 48 hours finally hit Euphoria. She nodded and followed him back into the dark stone house
"Wait," she paused in the doorway. "Where exactly am I sleeping?
"With me, obviously," Wayne replied from the shadows. His tone was so matter-of-fact that she didn't even argue. The nest of grass was plenty big enough for two
Navigating by memory, she reached the soft bedding. She remembered that lions and tigers had excellent night vision; it seemed beastmen inherited that trait as well. Wayne spread a thick, luxurious hide over the grass. "Sleep," he said lazily
Euphoria sat down and ran her hand over the fur. It was incredibly soft—certainly an upgrade from the dirt floors she was used to. Wayne lay down, sighing contentedly as he rubbed against the hide. Euphoria lay as far to the edge as possible and was out within seconds
For Wayne, however, sleep was the last thing on his mind. It was his first time sharing a bed with a female. The faint, sweet scent of her was driving him crazy. He was so happy he wanted to roll around and roar, but he didn't want to wake her
Once her breathing became deep and steady, he began to inch closer. He shifted a few inches. No reaction. He shifted again
Finally, he was right against her, his arm brushing her cool, delicate skin. He nearly let out a yelp of pure joy. She feels so soft..
Captivated by the sensation, he reached out a hand and gently stroked her cheek. He had seen other females in the tribe, but their skin was rough and weathered. Euphoria felt like silk
His heart thudding, he leaned in, his lips drawing closer to her face for a kiss
The second his lips touched her skin, the world flipped
Before he could register what was happening, his vision spun. Suddenly, a weight was pinning him down. Euphoria had vaulted up in the dark, straddling his waist and pinning his wrists above his head in a expert lock
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. Even in the dark, her voice was cold enough to freeze blood
Wayne was stunned. She's so fast
But more than that, the sensation of her straddling him was causing a very noticeable physical reaction
Gulp
The sound of Wayne swallowing was deafeningly loud in the silent room
Euphoria's eyes narrowed. She started to move away, but Wayne used the momentum to flip the positions, pinning her beneath him instead
"I want to have babies with you!" Wayne declared, his voice thick with earnest determination
Euphoria couldn't see his face, but she could imagine the look of desperate longing. She could also feel exactly what was pressing against her leg. She wasn't an innocent girl; she knew exactly what that was
This horny cat
Her response was a brutal, well-aimed knee to his gut
"Oof!" Wayne groaned, but stayed pinned to her, unwilling to lose the contact
"Get off me right now if you ever want to use those 'tools' again," she threatened coldly
Cradling his aching stomach, Wayne whispered, "What's a... tools?
Euphoria sneered. "It means I'll make sure you can never mate again. Ever.
Wayne's eyes went wide. To a male orc, that was a fate worse than death. He didn't want to force her—what if she hated him forever? Dejectedly, he rolled off her and lay on the far side of the nest, though he couldn't stop sneaking glances at her in the dark
"Behave," she warned, turning her back to him. "Next time, I won't be aiming for your stomach.
"Ugh," Wayne grunted, sounding properly chastened
Satisfied, Euphoria drifted back to sleep. This time, Wayne stayed on his side, though he eventually scooted just close enough to rest his face against the back of her shoulder before finally falling asleep himself
The next morning, Euphoria woke up feeling warm and cocooned. She sat up abruptly, startling the large golden lion sleeping soundly beside her
She took a long drink from her water bottle, trying to clear the cobwebs from her head. Seeing a literal lion in her bed was still a shock, but her body had been so drained that she'd slept right through it
Wayne shifted back into his human form, rubbing his eyes. "So early? You could have slept more.
Euphoria gathered her dirty clothes from the day before. "I'm going to wash these.
Wayne's laziness vanished. He jumped up to follow her. He had intended to just bring her water, but he realized she couldn't stay hidden forever. He led her down to the riverbank just as the sun was beginning to peek over the trees
The forest was peaceful, the morning light dancing off dewdrops. A few other orcs came to the river to drink, and the moment they saw Euphoria, their eyes turned hungry—just like Wayne's had
But Wayne was ready. He sat behind her with a blade of grass in his mouth, glaring with such feral intensity that the other males quickly scurried away
Euphoria noticed. Wayne seemed to command a lot of respect—or fear. "Wayne," she said, turning to him. "I have a question.
Wayne immediately spat out the grass, his scary face melting into a goofy smile. "Anything!
"Are females... rare here?
Wayne looked surprised. "In any tribe, there are always more males. A group with a hundred females is considered a massive empire. Our tribe only has twenty-three females... for nearly three hundred males.
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