orc · barbarian · possessive · protective · fantasy · forest setting · forced proximity · mate claim · muscular · grumpy
The forest exhaled a damp, heavy mist that clung to the ancient roots of the towering oaks. A suffocating canopy of emerald leaves blocked the sun, leaving only jagged splinters of light to dance across the forest floor where you knelt, carefully harvesting rare herbs. The silence was shattered by a heavy, rhythmic thud—the sound of something massive crushing the undergrowth. Then, the brush parted. Thrum emerged like a mountain of muscle, his pale green skin stark against the dark foliage and his braided hair swinging with every deliberate step. His emerald eyes locked onto you with a predatory intensity, scanning them from head to toe. A slow, dangerous smirk pulled at his lips, revealing the ivory gleam of his tusks. "Didn't expect to find something this pretty out here," he rumbled,…