Page 23 of Marked By the Broken Orc
Kavin sits heavily in the chair across from me, his hands clasped between his knees. “She got pregnant immediately, which is the way it works with our species. My father was madly in love with her and considered her his mate for life. He thought she understood what their joining meant, that they were mated for life, that she was his bride. But she was just experimenting. Having an adventure.”
“Kavin…”
“She moved in with him and stayed long enough in our commune to give birth and recover. Then one morning, my father woke up and she was gone. No note, no explanation. Just…gone.” His voice cracks slightly on the last word. “She went back to her real life like we never existed. I doubt she ever told anyone that she had an orc son. I was simply an embarrassment to her, a mistake.”
I can picture it so clearly, a tiny green baby and his heartbroken father, abandoned by the woman they both needed.
“My father never recovered. He started drinking heavily, couldn’t hold down jobs. The other orcs in our commune tried to help, but he was destroyed. He committed suicide when I was eight.”
“Oh, Kavin.” Tears prick my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“So you see why I can’t do this casually.” He meets my gaze, and the pain there hurts my chest. “Orcs don’t date, Mia. We don’t do relationships or trial runs. When we mate, it’s forever. And I can’t…won’t risk putting a child through what I went through.”
“Is that why you’ve been pushing me away?”
“Yes. I’d vowed to never take a mate, until I met you and started to think differently.” He leans forward, his expression intense. “But there’s more you need to understand. If we do this, you’ll be pregnant immediately. Human birth control doesn’t work on orcs. One time with me and you’ll be carrying my orc son.”
The certainty in his voice should terrify me. Instead, it sends a thrill through my body. I’m so ready to start a family with Kavin Irontree I have to cross my legs to bring relief to the heat growing exponentially between my thighs.
“And there’s no such thing as divorce in orc biology,” he continues. “We mate for life. If you choose me, you’re choosing forever. No take-backs, no changing your mind when things get difficult.”
“You think I’d change my mind?”
“Maybe you don’t fully understand what you’d be getting into.” He stands and starts pacing again. “I’m not an easy male to live with, Mia. I’m possessive and territorial. And because I’m an orc I might drive away some of your family and friends just byexisting. Our offspring will only be sons—orc sons who look like me. You’ll never have daughters. Can you handle that?”
I watch him pace, this powerful male laying out all the reasons why I should run from him. But instead of fear, I feel something else building in my chest. “Are you done?” I ask quietly.
He stops and looks at me. “What?”
“Are you done listing all the reasons why I should be terrified of you?” I stand up, closing the distance between us. “Because now it’s my turn.”
“Your turn for what?”
“To tell you what you’d be getting into with me.” I cross my arms and meet his gaze directly. “You want to know the real reason why I didn’t get that firefighter job? It wasn’t because you were more qualified, though you were. It was because Chief Jackson is scared of me.”
His brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“Most people in this town think I’m difficult to work with. Aggressive. Too intense. I have what people politely call ‘anger management issues.’” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “You caught a glimpse of how I behaved at that coffee shop. That wasn’t unusual behavior for me. And that was me on a good day.”
“Mia—”
“I’m not done.” I step closer, not letting him interrupt. “You think you’re possessive and territorial? I once punched a guy for looking at my sister the wrong way. I got kicked out of a restaurant for getting into a screaming match with a server who was rude to my friend. I’ve been written up at work multiple times for ‘inappropriate responses to conflict.’”
Surprise flickers in his eyes, but I push on.
“And here’s the thing…I’m not going to change. I’m not going to become some sweet, accommodating wife who smiles andnods and lets people walk all over her. If you’re with me, you’re getting all of this.” I gesture to myself. “The good, the bad, and the occasionally terrifying.”
“You think that scares me?”
“I think you should know what you’re signing up for. Because I’ll defend you like I did at that coffee shop, but I’ll also probably start fights you don’t want to be in. I’ll embarrass you at work functions. I’ll make enemies of people you need to get along with.” I lift my chin. “So there you have it. Are you sure you want forever withme? You’re getting a woman most people are afraid of, who will probably make your life more complicated in ways you can’t even imagine yet.”
He stares at me for a long moment, and I hold my breath, wondering if I’ve just convinced him to leave.
Then, to my surprise, he smiles. Not a polite social smile, but a real one that transforms his entire face. “You punched someone for looking at your sister wrong?”
“A guy I’d briefly dated. And yes.”
“What did he do?”
