Page 7 of His Orc Warrior

It had been misting in the morning, and he was not a fan of rain, but it had cleared up now. And even if it hadn’t, he still needed to go.

“We can just go in the backyard if you want.”

I grabbed the leash and put it on him. At that point, he realized he was going, like it or not, and stood up with a stretch.

We went out back and as he walked around, I saw Mr. Stevens. I gave him a wave, not calling his name, not wanting to bring attention to the man for fear that Bolg would stop his business midway to go back inside.

It’d be nice if he wasn’t so terrified of tall people.

But then again, that wasn’t something within either of our control. He had a life before he came into mine and there was no undoing any of that.

I grabbed Bolg a couple of snacks, put a new blankie on his pillow, and then headed downtown. It was finally go time.

With each block I passed, each mile I drove, each minute closer I got to the meet and greet start, the nerves began building up again.

Like a first date.

A first date with someone I had a crush on.

A first date with someone who had finally asked me out.

A first date with someone I hoped would spend the night.

So maybe I was reading too many romance novels. It might be time for some nonfiction learning if I couldn’t even go to a silly day out without picturing my happy ever after, complete with tusks, green skin, and a peen far too large and yet exactly the right size.

Chapter Six

Thrain

Everything was set up for the meet and greet. I had a table with snacks and water bottles. I had a printer plugged in and connected to my phone in case anyone wanted a signed photo. A permanent marker to sign said picture.

There was still hope. People could show up last minute or come over, not willing to pay the entrance fee. I would let them in, of course. There was a chance, no matter how small, that my fated mate would come today, led by some kind of sixth sense or gut instinct.

Fate could push him here.

“What if he shows up, and I scare him to death? I’m a far cry from those romanticized versions of orcs in the media,” I fussed, wishing I’d never set the whole thing up.

“None of that will matter to someone who has a good heart. Don’t be nervous. Oh, look. There he comes,” Saka said.

I turned around to see a male come into the shop. The bell above the door rang, and a demented chime rang out from some speaker in the back. This place used to be a comic book store that had Dungeons & Dragons nights and cosplay contests. I’d often thought of coming here to meet humans, but showing up like this and claiming it was cosplay was cheating.

The human looked around, a faint smile on his face. His thick brown hair was cut short on the sides, longer at the top. His gaze curious. A bit too thin, if I had my say, but humans were built differently. They thought about body image and strength in a way that was strange to my kind.

“Is this the meet and greet?” His voice made my chest buzz with anticipation.

“It is,” I said after Saka elbowed me in the side. The human had stupefied me, leaving me void of any thought but him.

“Oh. I expected a long line and tons of people. Oh golly, am I early? I didn’t get the time wrong, did I?” He checked his watch and then pulled the sleeve of his sweater up to tap on the side of his phone.

“No.” I wanted to ease his anxiety even though I currently had zero control over my own. “You’re right on time.”

He had on a light striped sweater with jeans and a cute backpack on his shoulder. He was maybe the most gorgeous human I’d ever laid eyes on.

I sucked in a breath as he walked over and, to my surprise, reached out and placed his palm on my biceps.

“I, uh, am going to get some coffee. You two have fun.” With a wink, Saka left us there. Alone.

The man pulled his hand back and looked at it. Perhaps he thought my coloring would come off. Humans had some strange ideas about all things monster. Mostly from their stories and books and movies.

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