Page 10 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast (Sweet Monster Treats)

CHAPTER TEN

V arek’s heart nearly stopped when Posy’s foot slid on a patch of black ice. His arm automatically shot out, catching her before she could fall. The warmth of her body pressed against his side, her small hand clutching his shirt.

“Thank you.” Her breath came out in a white puff in the cold night air.

He should step away from her as he’d done when they first emerged onto the street, determined to keep his distance. But the need to protect her overrode his usual caution.

“The sidewalks are treacherous this time of year.” He put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his side. “For safety,” he muttered, waiting for her to pull away.

Instead, she curved into him, fitting perfectly against his much larger body. Her face tilted up, brown eyes sparkling in the glow of the street lamps. “My hero.”

The teasing note in her voice sparked something warm in his chest. His thumb traced small circles on her shoulder through her coat before he caught himself.

If only he could be her hero. But at least he could play the role tonight. He smiled down at her and tucked her closer against him. The night was cold, the air crisp and clear, but the heat of her body chased away the winter chill. He’d never walked with a female like this, and the rightness of it shook him to the core. As if she were made for him.

Stop .

It couldn’t happen. Wouldn’t happen. But he’d have tonight to remember. He just prayed it didn’t go horribly wrong. He knew visiting the cafe was a risk, but he owed it to her. She’d made him a gift. And tried to make dinner, despite the results.

His chest tightened again at the memory of the candle. He’d noticed the rather ragged herbs in her apartment but assumed they were for cooking. But no - she’d actually made a candle, just for him. No one had ever given him something so personal before. Not since he was a child, long before his father died.

The streets of Fairhaven Falls were quiet tonight, most businesses already closed for the night. A few lights shone in the windows of the surrounding houses, and the street lamps cast a warm glow on the sidewalk. Despite the cold it was a beautiful evening, made even more beautiful by the woman beside him.

A small group of people walked up the sidewalk on the other side of the street, their eyes widening at the sight of him with his arm around Posy. One woman whispered something to her companion and he tensed.

He started to withdraw his arm, but Posy put her hand over his, keeping it in place.

“Thank you for keeping me upright.” She pitched her voice so it could carry to the passing group. “These sidewalks are so slippery tonight.”

His arm tightened fractionally around her shoulders as they continued toward the lights of the cafe. Her presence made it easier to ignore the curious looks thrown their way. A couple hurried across the street to avoid them. Old Mrs. Garcia gaped from her shop window. The hardware store owner dropped his keys.

His jaw clenched, the urge to retreat back to his cabin growing with each step.

But her warmth against his side anchored him. Her hand still rested on his, keeping his arm in place, as if she sensed his internal struggle.

The bell above the cafe door chimed as they entered, and the buzz of conversation died. Forks clattered against plates. Every head turned toward them. The cafe wasn’t as busy as it was during the day but it seemed full of staring faces.

The familiar weight of dozens of stares pressed down on him - some hostile, others merely shocked. He couldn’t move. The last time he’d been in here…

His grip on Posy’s shoulder loosened. He needed to leave. Get out. Before-

“Table for two?” Rona’s cheerful voice cut through the silence. The waitress who’d run the cafe for as long as he could remember appeared in front of them, acting as if nothing was unusual about his presence.

His throat closed up. He couldn’t form words. Couldn’t move as Rona waited patiently for his response, her smile still firmly in place. Posy came to the rescue.

“Yes, please.”

“Great. We’ve got a cozy booth right here.” Rona gestured to an empty spot near the window. “Or there’s a table out back on the patio by the fireplace, right next to the river.”

He hadn’t realized how cold the evening was until they’d walked from Posy’s apartment. Even with the outdoor fireplace, she’d freeze out there. He opened his mouth to choose the booth, but Posy beat him to it.

“The patio sounds perfect. I love watching the river at night,” she added, smiling up at him.

His protest died on his lips. The patio would mean fewer people, more privacy. And the way she looked at him, like his comfort mattered more than the cold…

“Right this way then.” Rona led them through the cafe.

The weight of the stares lessened with each step toward the back door, and his shoulders slowly lowered from around his ears. The riverside patio was almost empty except for the crackling fireplace and the twinkling strings of lights overhead. The sound of rushing water mixed with the snap of burning wood.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Rona said after she showed them to the cozy table next to the fire. The wooden benches on either side were topped with deep cushions and there was a blanket at each place.

The door clicked shut behind Rona and they were finally alone. He could breathe again. The river’s constant flow soothed his jangled nerves, and there were no judgmental stares, just Posy’s warm presence across the table, her pretty face glowing in the firelight.

“Why’d you pick outside?” he asked gruffly.

She shrugged, tracing the grain on the worn wooden table.

“It’s such a beautiful night. I can’t believe how many stars you can see, even in town.” She lifted her face to the sky, then met his gaze. “And I noticed how tense you were in there.”

The tips of his ears burned but the heat had nothing to do with the fire. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine, but he didn’t want to talk about it. Unfortunately, she kept going.

“I also noticed that everyone looked at you, just as they did at the auction. Why do they do that?”

“Because they’re afraid of me,” he said bitterly, the truth escaping before he could call it back.

“Why?”

There was no judgement in those big brown eyes, just curiosity and something that looked like concern. It made his chest tight, but he owed her the truth, even if she rejected him afterwards.

“I had a reputation when I was a teenager - not a very good one.” He’d never been as bad as he was painted, but he hadn’t exactly been a saint either. “But then there was a terrible… incident. Ten years ago.”

“What happened?”

The memory of that night still burned in his mind - the screams, the accusations, the way the town had turned on him.

“I tried to help someone. It went wrong.”

“Wrong how?”

“A group of teenagers were harassing a girl, and I stepped in. I wasn’t as mindful of my strength as I should have been.” His fingers curled into fists under the table. “One of the teenagers claimed that I’d hurt him. Badly.”

The fire crackled, sending sparks into the night air. He watched them fade rather than meet her gaze.

“Did you? Hurt him?”

“All I did was pull him away from her, but when he tried to get away from me, he tripped and fell. He landed badly and broke his leg, plus his head was bleeding because he hit it when he fell. When other people showed up, he claimed that I’d beaten him and broken his leg,” The words came out as a growl, and he forced his voice level. “His little gang backed up his story and everyone believed him. It didn’t help that his family had a lot of influence in the town. Easier to blame the angry orc kid with a record of getting in trouble. And of course the story spread, making me more of a monster each time.”

“That’s awful. The girl didn’t even speak up for you?”

“She was too afraid of them to say anything. I can’t blame her for that. She might have changed her mind as she got older, but her family left town not long afterwards.” He shrugged, as if he didn’t care. “Anyway, the kid recovered, but I was permanently branded as the orc who attacked a defenseless teenager. I’ve done my best to avoid causing problems since then, which isn’t too hard when I keep to myself.”

“How old were you?” Her voice was soft, filled with an empathy that made him want to run.

“Seventeen.”

He shifted in his seat as the memories of that time crashed over him like an icy wave - the sneers, the whispers, the way mothers pulled their children close when he passed. The familiar combination of anger and shame filled his chest, but then a small, warm hand squeezed his, jolting him back to the present. When he snuck a quick peek at her, expecting disgust or even fear but instead her expression blazed with righteous anger.

“That’s completely unfair. They just assumed you were guilty without any proof? And they’re still treating you like this years later?”

He blinked, thrown by her reaction. He’d expected her to make excuses to leave, not defend him. “It’s what people do.”

“Well, it’s wrong.” Color flushed her cheeks as she leaned forward. “You were trying to help someone. They should have stood by you, not pushed you away.”

The fierce protectiveness in her voice made his heart stutter. No one except Flora had ever taken his side like this. He stared at their joined hands, at how perfectly her smaller one fit in his.

“You’re not…” He cleared his throat. “You’re not worried about being seen with me now that you know?”

“The only thing I’m worried about is how badly this town treated you.” She gave his hand another squeeze. “And I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

The warmth of her touch spread through his body, melting something that had been frozen for a long time. He wanted to believe her, wanted to trust that she meant what she said. But years of isolation made hope feel dangerous.

Pushing it aside to consider later, he turned the tables.

“Why did you come to Fairhaven Falls?”