Page 25 of Marked By the Broken Orc
He takes my hand and guides me toward the front door of his apartment. “Tomorrow is my day off. We are both off work tomorrow.”
“Okay...”
“Meet me at Heat & Ink at four am.”
I blink. “Four in the morning? Well, all right.”
He kisses me again, deeper this time, and I think I have a mini orgasm from the feel of that enormous erection again pressing against my stomach. When he pulls back, his eyes are blazing with heat and possession. “Mine,” he says quietly as he opens the door for me.
“Yours,” I agree as I step outside.
Then the door shuts softly behind me and the waiting begins.
Chapter 8
Kavin
Itold Mia to meet me at Heat & Ink at four in the morning, but of course I’m here already, an hour before her, so I can set up.
The shop feels different in the pre-dawn darkness. Without the usual buzz of tattoo guns and conversation, the space holds an almost sacred quiet. Only the emergency lighting is on, casting long shadows across the exposed brick walls and gleaming wooden floors. Each step I take echoes softly, the familiar creak of the old planks beneath my boots a comforting sound.
Talon gave me his own chair to use to mark my mate, and he’s left me alone in Heat & Ink after hours. The trust he’s shown me by allowing this sacred moment in his space isn’t lost on me. I run my hand along the worn leather of his chair, feeling the smooth spots where countless orcs have rested while receiving their tribal markings.
The scent of the shop surrounds me; traditional inks mixed with leather from the chairs. I breathe it in, letting the familiar scents calm my nerves. I move to the small furnace in the corner, the one we use for heating the traditional brands. My hands are steady as I build the fire, watching the flames catch and grow. The metalwork station holds an array of tools, some modernand some ancient, all meticulously maintained and organized. I select the “K” brand I forged myself weeks ago, back when I was still pretending I didn’t want Mia as my mate. Even then, my body knew what my mind refused to accept.
As I place the brand in the fire to heat, memories surface of the years I spent at the commune learning alongside Talon. We’d started as young orcs, both apprenticed to Elder Glint to learn the traditional marking arts. While I struggled with the finer details of tribal designs, Talon’s natural artistry shone through immediately. His hands seemed to know instinctively how to create beauty from ink and flame.
Eventually, I realized I wasn’t meant for this work, not permanently. My calling lay elsewhere, in serving a community rather than decorating skin. But Talon…Talon was born for this. His gift with traditional markings became legendary, even among the elders.
That’s why this moment means so much. Talon understands the significance of what I’m about to do. He knows this isn’t just about claiming a mate, it’s also about honoring our traditions while building a bridge to my new life amongst the humans.
I check my phone. Three forty-five. My cock has been aching since I arrived, ready to mate with my bride, and now it’s straining against my jeans with anticipation. My tusks have elongated slightly, the way I’ve learned they do when my body prepares for mating. Everything about tonight feels monumental. Never in my life have I been enflamed for a female. She will be my first and last.
The brand glows red-hot in the flames. Perfect temperature. I remove it carefully, examining the clean lines of the “K” and the swirls around it I’ll soon burn into Mia’s skin. This mark will declare to every orc who sees it that she belongs to me. But more than that, it will bind us together in a way that transcends human understanding of relationships.
I set the brand aside to maintain its heat and prepare the chair, adjusting the height and angle for optimal positioning.
The shop door opens with its distinctive chime, and my entire body goes on alert. She’s here.
Mia steps inside, and even in the dim lighting, she takes my breath away. My female has a perfectly rounded ass and an athletic build I want to touch and lick all over. She’s dressed simply, in jeans and a fitted black T-shirt, but there’s a determined set to her shoulders that tells me she’s ready for this. Her long brown hair is pulled back in a practical ponytail, and when her blue eyes meet mine across the shop, I see no fear. Only want.
“You’re early,” I say.
“So are you.” She steps forward, closes the door to Talon’s room behind her and locks it. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
“No.”
Mia walks toward me, her gaze taking in the prepared chair, the tools, the glowing brand waiting in the fire. “So this is really happening.”
“Only if you’re certain.” I need to hear it one more time. “Once I mark you, there’s no going back. You’ll be mine forever.”
She stops directly in front of me, close enough that I can smell her shampoo mixed with the faint scent of arousal. Her hands land on my bare chest. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
The conviction in her voice breaks the last of my restraint. “Then let’s make you officially mine. Lower your jeans and underwear. The mark goes on your ass.”
Mia chuckles. “Sounds perfect.” Her voice remains steady, but I catch the slight tremor beneath it. Not fear, but anticipation.
She unzips her jeans and pulls them down. The sight of her sexy black underwear and bare ass makes my mouth go dry. Shepositions herself the way I direct her. The worn leather creaks softly under her weight. Mia faces away from me, and I can see the tension in her neck and shoulders.
