“Maybe.” She giggles as she lifts her head. “From what I understand, their autumns are pretty chilly, but I bet you have plenty of great outfits that will work!” Kassie grabs my hand and drags me over toward my closet.
An hour later, I have clothes scattered everywhere and a suitcase packed with a weeks’ worth of seasonal outfits, plush sweaters, and slacks, and even a couple of wool skirts thrown into the mix, as well as the itinerary for our portal departure in hand.
Three days until we leave. Although I’m anxious about getting my cousin, Carolyn, to mind the café, I know that she will at least be eager to do it. Like me, she spent her weekends earning spending money at my mother’s café and has a lot of the same sentimental attachments to the place. She’s offered to buy me out before, albeit at a below-market price. For the first time, I find myself considering the idea of doing just that if I find what I’m looking for across the portal.
Chapter 2
Lynn
My cheeks are chapped and almost icy from crossing the portal. I had never imagined that a quick trip through would be so cold. At my side, Kassie seems unaffected despite the fact that she rubs her gloved hands together, her cheeks bright pink as she looks expectantly at the orc who is greeting us.
Although I’ve seen a couple of orcs on the news quite a few years ago, they don’t spend much time in our world for casual encounters with them to be common. For my first in-person orc experience, I can’t decide if I’m impressed or terrified. The male in front of us is absolutely huge, a dull stone-gray color with sharp green eyes. He doesn’t necessarily look friendly, his smile revealing far too many sharp teeth and a pair of wicked tusks, but when he speaks it is a manner that’s surprisingly warm.
“Welcome to Obrul-tarin!” he bellows cheerfully. “I’m Kavar.” He thumps his chest with a fist hard enough to make me jump the tiniest bit. “And I’ll be assisting you in getting settled as guests of the Obrul clan. The harvest festival is a great celebration among our people, and we are delighted to have visitors for the occasion. While you’re here, you will have the opportunity to enjoy time with our clan as well as the company of our visitors. Any questions before we begin?”
A teenager at the front of the group pops her hand into the air, catching his attention. He raises an eyebrow in inquiry.
“Are there going to be any elves around here?” she asks excitedly.
His expression sours, his lips puckering around his tusks in a manner that normally have suggested he just bit into a lemon. I hold back a laugh at his obvious distaste.
“No,” he replies curtly. The girl’s expression falls as her parents at either side of her pat her shoulder and back and whisper to her consolingly.
“Any other questions?”
A young man with a woman snuggled up beside him lifts a hand. “If not elves, what sort of visitors do you normally have? My girl and I really want the full experience.”
The orc scratches his jaw and turns his head slightly as if thinking. It’s only because of how close Kassie and I are standing that I can see his expressions clearly enough and hear his muttered observations.
“Orcs are not enough for the full experience of an orc festival in an orc village. Of course not,” he mutters, and I find myself biting my tongue, my eyes watering with tears of mirth at his noticeable dismay.
I empathize with him. I can recall a number of times while I was paraded around at various functions and parties as nothing more than my husband’s wife over the years that I was asked the most pointless drivel. Every time, it made me seriously question how intelligent they were or how little they actually valued my time and insights. I smile when he quickly manages to catch himself—a good save isn’t always easy to pull off—and straightens as he looks over and grins at the couple. Naturally, they don’t seem to notice that the expression is somewhat forced.
“As it happens, you will be happy to know that we do tend to get traders to our festival. Trolls and centaurs are common enough, a few local satyrs can sometimes be seen, and the occasional nymph. It varies from year to year. It’s hard to say who will make the trip out to visit.”
He shrugs apologetically. His eyes scan our group.
“Anything else before we move on? I’m sure you’re eager to see where you’ll be staying,” he says, as he slaps his large hands against his cloth covered thighs.
I cast a hopeful look around, praying that no hands go up. I’m cold and a bit tired from the hectic morning as we rushed to the departure zone for the portal. If possible, the act of traveling between worlds has exhausted me. I don’t know about anyone else, but I want to see where we’ll be staying and maybe catch a nap. I’m pretty certain that Kassie could use the same, even if she’s currently hopping in place like the Energizer Bunny. I just know that crash is coming right around the corner for her.
A man to my left shifts a bit in place and looks like he might be considering asking a question as he squints around. Oh no. Not a chance. He can save his question until after I’m settled under a cozy quilt—or whatever passes for the like here.
“I think we’re good,” I call out before anyone else can summon up another ridiculous question, giving the orc my most winning smile. “Lead on!”
A few of my fellow tourists shoot me a dark look, probably because they had been busy thinking up some doozy of a question, but I ignore them. I imagine the majority is thanking me even if they don’t so much as look my way or acknowledge my suggestion as they huddle together in little clusters.
That’s fine. I can take being glowered at for the team.
Our guide looks relieved and shoots me a grateful smile. The smile turns appreciative when his eyes linger on my wool and leather-clad figure. Moss green eyes glint as if he only now just realized I am there and glide over me in an appreciative manner that probably would have been an issue if he had kept at it any longer. There’s a fine line between appreciating and ogling, and it’s nice to see that there are males here who understand that when so many human men fail at it spectacularly. He gives me a nod and a wink before striding forward, his hand gesturing ahead of him.
“All right then. Come along. We’ve got visitor cottages ready near the square. It will be just a short walk to everything you might fancy. In each cottage, there will be an itinerary of events and activities that will be ongoing for the next week. Naturally, you’re free to come and go through the village as you like. As you’re our guests, you will find that our clan is a friendly sort.”
“I wonder just how friendly,” someone nearby mumbles with a snicker.
I don’t catch who said it, but I’m pretty sure our guide heard them from the way his smile tightens. He confirms it when he replies over his shoulder.
“Friendly, but not to be toyed with for your amusement,” he elaborates without looking over his shoulder.
I wish I knew who’d spoken just so I could get a look at their face now. I hold in a sigh and follow after, Kassie’s arm tucked in mine as she attempts to look everywhere at once.
“This place is fantastic,” she whispers, and I mumble an agreement.
The cottages are simple but clean, with a sort of natural elegance that you would expect to see touring the grounds of some historical estate. Even the keep rising over the village looks like a place I once visited when Andrew and I went to Europe on business. There’s a sedate peace to everything that makes it very easy to see myself here, curled up in a chair with my cat, Casper, passing my evenings with a good book.
This whole thing is starting to look up, especially when we’re dropped off at our cottage and I step inside to see the most inviting scene. Heavy quilts, though of a more utilitarian style than anything my grandmother ever made, are thrown over plush chairs, and a cheerful fire has been started up in the hearth awaiting our arrival. The decor is sparse, the stone walls clean and I believe even whitewashed to given it a lighter air. It’s perfectly cozy.
Setting my suitcases on the floor, I stretch, my eyes following Kassi
e as she stares enthusiastically at our surroundings. She stretches her arms out, as if marveling at the sheer size of the space that is clearly built for orcs considerably larger than our species. Turning to me, her face lights up with a wide smile and she waves her hands toward herself.
“Come on, give it to me. Tell me what I want to hear. Say, ‘Kassie, you were right, this place is perfect!’”
My laughter spills out of me. “Okay, you’ve got me. I have to give you major kudos on this one. This place really is great.”
“This calls for cocoa!” she shouts, as she starts to hightail it over to the obviously designated cooking area at the rear of the cottage.
I make a face as I follow after her. “Cocoa is for winter,” I object. “What about spiked hot cider?” I suggest, pointing to a large jug on the counter.
Her lips purse with curiosity. “Cider sounds pretty good too,” she agrees as she uncorks it and takes a whiff. She smiles and glances back over at me.
“How did you know that this is a jug of cider?”
I shrug. “Lucky guess? It’s a harvest festival, after all,” I tease. “The apple harvest season probably just wound down in some parts.”
Her eyebrows lift. “I didn’t know you were interested in that sort of thing.”
I wrinkle my nose as I join her and give the contents of the jug a sniff. A smile is surprised out of me by the rich, sweet aroma.
“I don’t, really. But Andrew has a close friend who owns a piece of property in Vermont. He insisted we visit for several days every time the apple harvest came around. I’ve drunk more cider, eaten more apple butter, pies, and bread than I’d like to even think about. Sometimes I think I’m almost appled-out for this lifetime, but I do still enjoy a good cider,” I say as I reach into a nearby cupboard and root out a large kiln-fired mug.
I set it on the counter beside me and pull another mug down for Kassie as she pours a bit of cider into a pot. It takes both of us working it to figure out how to operate the woodstove, but once we have it going and the burner open to heat the contents, I return to foraging.
A bottle of amber liquid sits on the top shelf of the cupboard, and I pull it down too. Some investigation reveals it to be a strong whiskey that makes my eyes water as I cough a bit.
“Looks like we’re in luck,” I say happily.
“You mean you are,” she corrects, her hand rubbing over her belly. “Regular cider is good enough for me. I’ll live vicariously through your experimentation with fae liquor.” She grins impishly, clearly eager to see me play the guinea pig.
I salute her with the bottle before setting it down beside the mugs. “Can’t be as bad as some of the stuff we got into back in the day.”
She breaks out into peals of laughter, her pregnant belly jiggling within the clutch of her arms from the force of it.
“Don’t make me laugh! You’re going to make me wet myself,” she gasps, wiping the streaming tears from her cheek as she snaps a hand towel at me with her opposite hand.
I dance out of the way, remaining at a safe distance until she pours the heated amber liquid into the mugs. She picks up one and carries it back to the main room, leaving me to doctor my cider how I see fit.
Some experimentations in our wild youth with moonshine had taught me to be cautious with unknown liquor, so I pour just a splash of the whiskey into the mug and give it a good stir before following behind her. Easing into a chair, I drag a quilt over me and take a long, sweet sip of my drink. The ripe, crisp, sweet, and tart flavors of the cider wash over my tongue, followed by the pleasant burn of the alcohol.
“Ahhh,” I sigh. “Now this is perfect.” I glance around casually. “All I’m missing is a smutty read and Casper curled on my lap.”
Kassie raises her mug to me. “To the perfect life, then.” She sighs contently, her eyes drifting over the cottage. “I can totally see you living someplace like this… but in the village, not shoved into a visitor’s cottage,” she chuckles. “All it would take is a trip back to pack your things and fetch Casper from Mom, and you’ll have everything you need. This place is totally you.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Remind me that I need to do something really nice to thank your mom for being willing to take Casper on in addition to your kids.”
“Pfft.” She waves a hand at me. “My mom loves animals of the small human and furred variety. I know she’s having a good time cuddling with all of them. Anything you do, she’s bound to love.”
I hum thoughtfully as I take another sip and turn to set my mug on the table beside me. There, I see the itinerary printed out in blocky English letters. As we were warned that few things in Ov’Gorg—as they call their world—would be legible to us since orcs spoke and wrote a different language, it’s clear that someone human had a hand in this.
I caress the thick paper between my fingers, feeling the slightly gritty texture of real parchment before reading over the carefully crafted list.
“Oh, look, there is a lunch trip out to the orchards,” I observe, pulling Kassie’s attention to it.
“What about hayrides? I haven’t done one of those since we were kids.”
I look over the list and shake my head. “No, but there is a pie eating contest. An evening fair. Music contests. Ax-throwing competitions, along with a bunch of other fighting and feats of strength, it looks like. A delfass race, whatever that is. And a bunch of other things I can’t really make out what they’re supposed to be. Something orcish, I guess.”
Kassie shrugs good-humoredly. “We’ll just do them all then. It will be an adventure.”
I raise my eyebrows. “All? Who exactly are you planning on entering into the pie eating contest?”
She grins. “Both of us, silly. It’s just for fun. Nothing says we have to win, and we get some tasty pie out of it.” She rubs her hand over her belly, and I’m pretty sure I see her salivate a little.
“Eh, why not?” I mutter, setting the list back down. “This is our vacation. We’ll do it all.”
I take another deep sip and thoughtfully eye my spare suitcase laden with coffee supplies. Hopefully, the coffee will be a success. If so, it will be the cherry on top of what’s turning out to be a perfectly relaxing vacation.
Chapter 3
Bodi
I watch the tourists from the window of the keep’s library, my nose twitching. I’m still not sure how I feel about opening our lands to human visitors. Sammi is convinced that it will be good for our community, and what’s more, Orgath agrees with her. Since I trust my cousin and chieftain, there is little protest I can give against that.
It’s not that I don’t like humans. I find them delightful, especially the females. They all smell good and are so soft. Unfortunately, not one of them has called to me as a potential bloodbond, and I’m stingy enough to want to wait for the sort of mating that Orgath and Sammi have. A female may sigh with want over me, but if I can’t give her a sniff and know that she’s the one, then fate will simply have to be a cruel mistress.
Oh, I know it’s not that simple. Although scent does tell us quite a bit about whether we are drawn to a potential mate. It’s the whole package upon meeting. It’s something I haven’t been able to define, but I will know it when I experience it, even if it is taking a frustratingly long time. Even if I’m growing weary of this self-imposed chastity.
But it worked for Orgath, with him hidden away in his distant cottage far from our clan lands. He kept far from females and anyone at all when he found his bloodbond mate. After several years of carefree living hoping that I too might find my one, recent years have made me determined to follow his example if there is a chance that it proves to the gods I am worthy of a mate.
After five years dry, I’m just hoping that it ends up being sooner than later.
I know that an influx of humans, especially unmated ones, is good for our people. It gives more orcs an opportunity to find their bloodbond, since none of us are comfortable venturing into Ov’Ge.
Still… tou
rism? The concept is strange inside my head.
“I’m surprised to see you in here. I was certain that I would see you down there mingling among the humans.”
My head turns to look over at Orgath standing just inside the room, his head cocked as a curious yellow gaze pierces me.
I snort. “And why is that?”
My cousin joins my side, his expression thoughtful. “You were down there almost every day when we opened the portal to the humans for the first time during the last harvest. And before that, any time there was a human near our territory, you were eager for word or to meet them yourself. What has changed?”
I lift a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “They will be here for a week. I’m sure they will be underfoot enough that I will eventually come across most of them.”
“Bodi…” he rumbles, demanding a more honest answer.
I exhale loudly and grimace. “I don’t wish to be disappointed again,” I mutter. “Two males in our guard found their bloodbond mates last harvest, but I was not among them. Being charming and attentive to the humans did nothing to find my mate. It just made it more difficult to bear when the others found their females.”
Orgath’s eyebrow rises. “It seemed that you were enjoying attention from many females. It couldn’t have been too disappointing.”
“They were fun to tease,” I admit. “But it is not the same as finding the one.”
“No,” my cousin sighs in agreement, and he rests a heavy hand on my shoulder. “It is not the same. But you will not find your female if you wallow in the keep, staring wistfully at the females who come through the portal gates.”
“Are you asking me to entertain the humans?”
He shakes his head. “I’m only asking that you not spend the entire harvest festival holed up in this keep or your cottage, sulking because we have guests. Nothing is expected of you outside of your usual duties as the captain of the guard, but I hope that you will at least enjoy the festival.”
How to Claim a Human Mate (Monstery Yours #6) Page 2