Fennix slowly eked open her bedroom door and peeked out into the waning firelight of the living room. She could see the large form of the orc in front of the hearth, chest rising and falling rhythmically in sleep. Could she make it past him to the door without waking him? She had to try. Despite all his protests the sprite still believed deep down that he meant her harm of one sort or another. He was an orc, a killer. Gods only knew how many of her kind he'd slaughtered in cold blood. While Fennix didn't fancy the solitary life she lived, she loved life enough to not give herself willingly to the wolf.

Very carefully she eased herself through the doorway, taking slow and deliberate steps on bare feet. The room felt much smaller with Grimm around and she had to get much closer than she would have liked because he took up so much space. She tiptoed past the orc, pausing briefly when his breathing became uneven, holding her own breath until it was safe to move on. When she felt it was safe Fennix turned her back, bee lining for the door, until suddenly something wrapped around her ankle. She screamed and spun around but with his fist clasped so tightly the momentum tripped her up and she stumbled and fell on her rump. Grimm was on her in a heartbeat, straddling her body and pinning her wrists to the cold wood floor.

"Get off of me!" Fennix squeaked, kicking her legs fiercely.

The orc clenched his knees together to keep her legs still but that didn't stop her struggles. She wasn't going to surrender like some weakling and invite death.

"What are you even doing up?" she hissed angrily.

"How am I supposed to sleep with your pushing whatever you put in front of your door out of the way?"

Fennix silently cursed herself for having been so foolish. As quiet as she thought she'd been the orc was used to sleeping and hunting in the wilds and would accustomed to being roused at the slightest of noises.

"Oh get off me." she bucked her body against him trying to free herself.

"If you keep wiggling like that," Grimm growled, "I'll be forced to do something about it."

She could feel his desire as he lowered himself a bit, pressing his chest against her breasts. Fennix drew in a sharp breath as her body stiffened before going completely limp.

"You wouldn't dare."

Though her words sounded fierce she was not at all convinced of this when their eyes met. The orcs smile chilled her to the bone and a shudder washed over her body like a wave.

"You're right little bird, I wouldn't dare." Fennix's breath caught in her chest, yet again surprised by his conviction. "I would never harm you."

But it doesn't mean I wasn't dreaming of taking you on that lily pad with the sun warming my back as I warmed you with my cock, he thought.

"Let me go." came her weak demand.

"Are you going to stop this foolishness?"

"Is it so foolish to flee a killer?" the sprite retorted, wriggling her wrists free and putting her hands to his chest to give herself some breathing room.

Grimm had known it would take some time for her to trust him but still it was disheartening. How was he going to protect his sprite while having to chase her down?

"No but in these strange times you must reevaluate who you thought your enemy was."

Since the day of her birth the orcs and goblins had been her demons. The overlord, a hideous goblin, had risen to power and made it his life's work to wipe them off the earth. And after what had happened to her mother how was she supposed to believe that this orc had suddenly changed his ways?

"My enemy was predetermined when an orc attack killed my mother, with me still in her womb." Fennix whispered unintentionally. "The only reason I'm alive is because of my ability to heal. Get. Off. Me." her words ended in a growl.

Grimm was admittedly taken aback by the revelation, not only that it had happened but that she'd actually told him. She could have told him to go to hell, could have said anything but she hadn't, Fennix had told him her story. Whether she knew it or not she had begun their bond. Humbled, the orc relented and helped her to her feet as he stood.

"Go push your dresser in front of the door and get some rest, we leave at first light."

Grimm gave his beautiful sprite a little wink as she stormed off. In reply she scowled and slammed the door behind herself. What was she going to do? As tumultuous as life had been for her people Fennix had never really had a chance to form real relationships. Sprites disappeared all the time never to be heard from again. She'd learned to care for herself early on and to trust only herself and her instincts. There had been close calls before, one escape by the skin of her teeth, but this was unprecedented. Was this orc to be trusted and if so, was she capable of it?