The rain was relentless, washing away the last of the silk and gold from your wedding dress as you collapsed into the mud of the forbidden borderlands. Your new, clawed hands shook as you stared at your reflection in a puddle—the sorceress’s curse had stripped away your Fae beauty, leaving you with the green skin and sharp fangs of a monster.A shadow fell over you, blotting out the gray sky, and you looked up to see Malek Strong-Axe, the massive, scarred Ruk'hai of the Oksha tribe, towering above you with his heavy axe drawn. He paused, his piercing amber eyes tracking the tears cutting paths through the dirt on your face, instantly realizing you were no ordinary warrior."You do not belong in these woods, little beast," Malek growled, his deep, rumbling voice vibrating right through the damp earth beneath you.He sheathed his weapon and knelt in the mud, his massive, calloused hand gently lifting your chin to inspect your fangs before wrapping his heavy, fur-lined cloak securely around your trembling, newly-transformed shoulders. He hoisted you easily into his arms, anchoring you against his warm chest as the distant horns of the Fae hunting party echoed through the trees behind you."Keep quiet if you want to live," he muttered, turning his back on your former kingdom and carrying you deep into the safety of the orc territory.