She wouldn’t want me to kill innocent beings, and neither do I want to.
A tall man in a red uniform stepped forward with a three pronged weapon facing in his direction. “Halt, or face trial, beast,” the man threatened with a shaky voice.
Skarde narrowed his eyes. Three more similar dressed men arrived, all with the same weapon and shaking of their wrists. It was clear to him that all of them were terrified of him, yet, still thought they had a chance.
“Don’t move,” another threatened as Skarde moved to pull his spear from his back while the others inched forward trying to form a circle around him.
“Where is Delilah? You tell me and I may let you live,” he snarled, stepping forward. He wasn’t afraid of a few humans. They were weak in comparison. Even if their whole army greeted him, he would fight them without fear. It would be an easy victory, but he needed answers.
“We aren’t telling you shit foul creature,” one spat in front of him.
Skarde slid forward, snatched the spear from his hands and knocked the male upside his head. When he fell to the ground groaning in pain, he turned to face the other males. “Where is she?” His demand for answers came out as a snarl.
“We aren’t telling you anything!” another shouted, pointing his weapon at Skarde’s face.
His hands gripped the wooden weapon and snapped it in half then whacked the human with it until he too, crumpled to the ground in terror.
“Only two of you left, and I need answers.”
The first one gulped and ran off like a coward. If he had the time he would have taken great pleasure in chasing him down. The second male stood there with uncertainty filling his eyes. This one had yet to call out a demeaning insult, or make threats.
“Tell me what I want to know, and you may live.”
There was a look of understanding in his brown eyes. It appeared this male knew where to draw the line and that bode well for him. If he provided him with the answers he wanted, Skarde planned on staying true to his word. As much as he hated humans, his mate was the most important thing on his mind. There was no time to level an entire village. He needed to find her quickly and destroy those who thought they could steal her from him.
The male nodded his head slightly, but then whispered beneath his breath, presumably so no one else could hear. “If I don’t try to fight you, I will look like a coward, so if I tell you where she is can you let me strike you at least once. We both know I wouldn’t stand a chance against you, but I have a family to protect. I can’t lose this job,” the male pleaded.
Skarde couldn’t help but feel amused by the male’s request and nodded his head in agreement. He could smell the human’s fear dissipate the moment he understood that the two of them had an agreement.
“Rumor is, she’s at the relief house. A big red bricked building, three streets over to the west and up the hill. There’s several guards posted,” the male pointed his finger in the direction in the most obscure way possible to avoid suspicion. “Can I strike now?”
Skarde nodded his head again.
The male rushed forward with his wood weapon and tapped him across his chest. Holding in his laughter at the weak attempt, he roared again to put on a show for this human for the sake of his family and job. “Vile human, you dare threaten me?”
Then he grasped the weapon from his hands, like he did the previous guards, and in his generosity, as gentle as he could, pushed the male to the ground.
Maybe the occasional human male is an exception as well...
Now that he had the information he needed, he stalked his way over to the bricked building. Fortunately enough, no one else got in his way. Either this town had a horrifying lack of defenses, or everyone else was too afraid to confront him.
How did the wars of old last so long? This is pitiful.
It had a large yard, with plenty of shrubs and trees to hide behind, giving him the perfect cover so he could observe the place. The first thing he noticed was how busy it was. Human males coming and going. Some were yelling and shouting, while others appeared as if they just had the best day in their life with their wicked grins and relaxed postures.
Enough of this nonsense. There’s only a handful of them.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Delilah
“Push,” Cynthia ordered as she mimicked deep breaths in and out. "That's it, keep pushing.”
"I am pushing," Delilah cried out in agony.
This was the most painful thing she’d ever felt in her entire life. Her body felt like it was splitting in half. It also didn't help that she had no medicinal herbs to ease the birthing, which had been going on for hours. She knew Marie and Cynthia were starting to get worried, sharing the occasional frown when they thought she couldn’t see. Delilah wasn’t too concerned, she just wanted her child safe and healthy. She had been preparing for a hard pregnancy for a while now.
“You got this,” Marie cooed, squeezing her hand tightly.
Grateful her friend was there with her, Delilah squeezed her friend's hand back. After not being able to see her for a while, she missed her dearly, going stir crazy without anyone to talk to. Of course, she knew Cynthia too, but not as well as Marie who was there for the beginning of it all, who helped her through her whippings and was also the one who first realized Delilah was pregnant.
A loud crash above had all three women distracted as they both glanced upward at the lot intrusion. Yelling ensued a moment later and then something was obviously thrown because there was a second crash.
What is going on up there?
"Ahhhh." Another gripping contraction rippled through her lower half, and it took everything she had to fight the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Any moment now her babe would be delivered, and it terrified her. The second her contractions began, one of the guards sent word for Mr. Hackley who had been visiting her once a week to check on her status, ensuring she was in good health. Yet, he refused to allow her to see a healer. What kind of sense did that make?
Cynthia dipped her head underneath her dress. "Delilah honey, you need to push more. I can barely see anything yet,” Cynthia explained then turned to face the door and yelled. "Can't we get a damn doctor in here or some supplies. One stinking pillow and a rug won't cut it. How about some damn water you monsters!"
A shiver ran down her spine, at the word monster. She had yet to explain that her mate was a troll, not quite knowing where to begin with that one. Would Cynthia and Marie think that of her baby too? Would they look at her in disgust when they find out that they’ve been helping her deliver a half human half troll?
“Everything’s going to be just fine. You and the baby, you’ll see.” Marie continued to offer her support.
It most certainly wasn’t going to be fine and Marie knew that. As soon as she finished delivering this baby, it would be snatched from her arms or worse, slaughtered. There was no way that it would be allowed to live.
Grunting loudly, her heart leapt in her chest when the door burst open and two women were shoved inside, despite her initial reaction to the mistreatment of the others, she was relieved to see her friends Diana and Cathy holding a pitcher of water and some more cloth.
“What’s going on out there?” Marie asked as Cathy laid the fresh pile of cloth down on the floor next to her.
Diana was white as a ghost, looking as if she was ready to pass out compared to her normal flustered red skin and red hair. “Lots of commotion upstairs, not sure what it’s about. Rosa’s pregnant too,” she whispered.
Rosa was the smallest and most quiet out of the group. If she knew she was with child then the men would know soon enough too.
“We’re going to make it through this. It should be almost spring by now, it has to be. My mates are coming for me soon,” Delilah screamed, contorting her back when a wave of agony hit her like a tidal wave.
Hands were immediately on her body feeling for her.
“No more talking. Push,” Cynthia ordered.
She was pushing with everything she had, regretting never asking Skarde how large a troll was when they were born. Not that she knew to ask because she didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was kidnapped. She had questions that only he could answer. For all she knew, her child could be larger than what her body could naturally handle. Given the sheer size of her mate, it wasn’t a far off assumption.
Bang.
A loud thump upstairs pulled her out of her thoughts. Footsteps ran back and forth across the floor. Then came the yelling.
“Geeze what the hell is going on out there?” Cynthia complained.
Someone squeezed her thigh, it was Cathy.
Delilah gave her a questioning look, as Marie wiped the sweat from her face. It was getting hard to do her labor breathing like she’d practiced with all the commotion. Whatever was going on upstairs certainly was an unwelcome distraction that needed to end.
Footsteps ran down the hall to her cell door, which opened a moment later. “You have fifteen minutes to bring that child into the world or you can deliver on your way to your father’s estate,” Dave ordered while panting out of breath.
“Are you kidding me? The baby comes when it comes,” both Marie and Cynthia shouted at the guard.
Diane and Cathy looked away from the guard, afraid, but Delilah wasn’t afraid. “What is going on? I’m not going anywhere near that estate ever again,” she threatened and then pushed as hard as she could.
“That’s it. Keep going honey. You’re doing great,” someone said, but Delilah was too focused glaring at the guard to know who.
“You just make sure that child is healthy. We are—”
Screams tore out from upstairs. Guardsman Dave visibly paled then slammed her cell door shut. Then a moment later ran up the stairs.
“What the hell was that?” Cynthia asked, distracted with her eyes set on the ceiling while the other women just looked unsure of what to do.
“Something’s happening, and it's big enough the guards aren’t even watching us anymore,” Cathy muttered and held herself in comfort.
Crash!
Everyone flinched, including Delilah. It sounded like the entire house had caved in on itself. Hope bloomed in her chest. Yelling, loud noises, people running around scared. Mr. Hackley wanting her to deliver soon, and people leaving? She knew spring was upon them
Could it be?”
“Where is my mate?” An angry roar ripped through the air.
“Skarde, down here!” Delilah responded with relief, knowing that amid all that commotion he could still hear her down here. Then she turned to the other women, with a smile plastered against her face. “I have something to tell you guys.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Skarde
Just as he suspected, it was no work at all making his way inside. After the humans were finished yelling and screaming profanities at him, Skarde barrelled his way inside. Most ran away in fear, a few lay on the ground, crumpled at his feet and only one was left remaining.
“Where. Is. My. Mate?” he roared, irritated that no one else was willing to give up the answers he sought. He didn’t care if he had to slaughter them all to get it.
“Skarde, down here,” a familiar voice replied back.
The remaining guard stood in his way, shaking as he pointed his weapon at him.
“When will you humans learn that I am far superior. That your blasted weapons are nothing but branches and will not hold me back? Move or I will behead you like the others.” he yelled in exasperation.
“You will not get away with this,” the human replied with a pale face, then dropped his hands to hold his stomach, turned and wretched on the floor.
Skarde made his way past him and down a flight of stairs. As soon as his foot hit the bottom, he wanted to wretch too. The vile stench permeating the air was putrefying. Skarde growled. It smelled of sex, excrement and unwashed bodies.
If someone has put a hand on my mate I will rip them to shreds, even if they’re already dead.
Skarde followed the sounds of females speaking in hushed tones until he reached a bolted door. He stepped back, then kicked the door until the bolts popped out and the door fell, revealing a small group of women on the ground.
“You’ve come for me,” his mate whimpered before she cried as if her body was in agonizing pain.
He dashed forward, weaving between the women and then wrapped his arms around his mate as fear tore its way into his heart. “Don’t leave me when I only just arrived.”
“Are they all dead?” one female asked.
“Sure he hell sounds like it,” another replied.
Skarde ignored their words. Watching as the females continued to tend to his mate. “Who cares if they are dead. What is wrong with my mate?” Skarde barked.
A hand reached up and caressed his face. “I need you to rela….Aghhhhh” Her words turned into another painful scream.
“You need to get out of the way,” the blonde demanded angrily.
Skarde growled. “I will do no such thing.”
“She’s having a baby for heaven’s sake. You had a chance to hold her. Now move!”
Shock and bewilderment whipped through him as he glanced down at his mate who nodded her head with a gentle smile. Now it all made sense. The sweat on her brow, the disheveled hair. The woman working between her legs. Skarde felt like a fool for not seeing it earlier.
“We’re having a child, love.” Her body contoured unnaturally as she grimaced through the pain.
“Almost there, I can see the baby now. A few more pushes Delilah.”
Skarde unwrapped his arms, but stayed close enough to offer her support. “Is there anything I can do,” he asked softly.
“Just stay with me, and then help me get all these women out of here. They kidnapped us. They haven’t touched me, but they have been raping them for months now. We need to save them.”
All sound drowned out and it took everything Skarde had to stay put and support his mate and their unborn youngling. When he took Delilah as a mate, he never thought he’d be a father. Before the wars species mated, but he didn’t know if those pairing ever bore any youngling. He glanced down at Delilah, and kissed her forehead again.
She looked to be in so much pain, but she was so strong, determined and full of strength he saw in no one else but her.
She will make a fine mother and will bear me the strongest younglings.
The women continued to speak words of encouragement and praise until a tiny squeal rippled in the air.
“He’s here!” one of the females called out, then cleaned the youngling and wrapped him in soft fabric, and handed him over to Delilah.
“Look how adorable he is.”
“Skarde love, he looks like both of us,” Delilah said with both exhaustion and awe.
The youngling was pale green, and had the tiniest tusks protruding from his lower lip and brown curly hair. She was right. Their child did look like a mixture of both of them, and he couldn’t wait to see if he bore the bright eye color of his kind or that of his mother’s.
“You honor me, Delilah,” Skarde spoke low and pressed a kiss to his son's head just before he latched on to his mate’s nipple to feed.
“I know you just gave birth, but we need to get out of here before more men arrive,” someone said.
“You’re right. We can’t stay here. Skarde, we have to help the other woman. We can’t go back to our cave. It’s been compromised,” Delilah started with a saddened look on her face.
“No one is going anywhere,” a male’s voice boomed from the doorway. “That child is mine!”
Skarde stood to his full height. “And who do you think you are to be claiming my child?”
The man stepped forward with Skarde’s spear in his hand. “Not so tough now without your weapon. I’m not leaving without my grandson. Hand him over.”
The only thing he could feel was confusion until realization dawned upon him. Skarde glanced at Delilah wh
o nodded her head.
A tremor started in his stomach until his whole body shuddered with anger. “You are the father who beat my mate? Who Whipped her until she bled? She failed to protect her from rapists? You are the reason why people chased after her? Tried to kill her? Tried to rape her again? You are the reason for all her pain and suffering?”
Bloodlust raged from within as Skarde stepped forward.
“You are not in charge here,” he protested with wide, fearful eyes.
Where is that bravado you had a moment ago old man?
“And neither are you,” he replied.
The male yelped as Skarde tore his spear from his hands, grasped his hands around the males head and snapped his neck so hard, the males head was torn straight off his body.
Silence filled the air. A soft hand touched his arm as Delilah, who held their youngling, nudged against him. His presence dissipated the bloodlust he felt, little by little.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Epilogue
Delilah
“Come here Vanesh,” she cooed at her son who was now crawling across the floor to get to her.
She still couldn’t believe it had been just over three months since she, her mate and seven other human women escaped to safety. It still saddened her they were unable to return to their old cave because it had been compromised, so they went somewhere new. Instead of heading to the mountain that was surrounded by Bethania, Devonware and Aurelia, they travelled in the opposite direction. Thankfully, Skarde carried her most of the way because she was still on the mend. But despite it being a long and difficult journey, she couldn’t complain. It couldn’t have been a better choice.
After three nights barely surviving in a cave, something completely unexpected happened, they were caught by a small group of trolls travelling back to their tribe. Even now, she could remember their shocked faces to see a human up close for their first time.
Apparently the cave they were hiding in, turned out to be one of the hibernation dens belonging to a tribe of trolls, several of whom were a little late waking up. Delilah believed that the trolls would have killed them had Skarde not shown up and pleaded their case, but it wasn’t up to them, it was up to the tribe leader Gardal.
The Lonely Troll Page 20