Page 2 of Horn in My Side

With a determined grunt, she fished out a nail from her pocket and positioned it as high as she could on the painted wooden letter, about halfway up the vertical stem of the T . Pulling the hammer back, she swung it forward to ensure she got enough momentum—then felt the cement block slip.

Jasmine shrieked, bracing herself for the pain when she hit the solid pavement. However, that didn’t happen. Her body hit something solid, but it wasn’t concrete. Rather, she was pressed up against something rock-hard, and warm, and breathing .

Uh-oh.

A loud grunt made her wince. Slowly, she lifted her head and gazed up into luminous purple eyes.

Oh, Mother Goddess!

“I . . . I . . .”

Her entire mouth had gone dry and she could only stare open-mouthed at the tall, green-skinned stranger holding her in his arms. An orc, she guessed, though there wasn’t really much doubt, as the sharp lower tusks peeking from between his lips and the elongated ears were dead giveaways.

A mane of shaggy hair as dark as a raven’s wing fell over his forehead and between his dark purple eyes, which stared right back at her.

“Do you mind?” His low, gruff voice sent a shiver down the backs of her knees.

“Mind? What?”

His eyes darted down to her hands, which were planted—no, gripping—the prominent pectoral muscles under his shirt. As if she hadn’t embarrassed herself enough, her fingers involuntarily squeezed them.

They’re so . . . hard.

And she wondered if he was hard everywhere.

Also, was he green all over?

Warmth crept up her neck, just thinking about what his skin was like underneath those—

He cleared his throat.

Oh, Mother—

“Sorry!” She pulled her hands away, then began to wiggle in an attempt to free herself of his arms, flailing like a fish caught in a bear’s mouth.

“Yeow!” he shouted as her hand smacked against the side of his head. The arm cradling her legs whipped out from under her and she landed on her feet.

“Oh shi—sorry!” She reached up to check where she had hit him, but that was a useless gesture as even on her tiptoes her hand barely touched his chin. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” he grunted, rubbing at his face.

“I’m really sorry. I, uh, just panicked. Are you sure you’re all right?” Thankfully, she hadn’t poked his eyes. “Do you want me to look at it? Do you need a doctor, a healer, or a medicine man?” She couldn’t quite recall what type of healthcare professional orcs went to.

“It’s fine. What in Vorlak’s name were you doing?” He glanced over the step stool, which was now on its side, the cement block broken in two beside it. “Don’t you know how dangerous and foolish that was?”

She flinched but quickly recovered.

Who the heck did he think he was, anyway?

“Well, if you’re fine ,” she began as she picked up the stool, “have a good day, then.” And I’ll see you never.

He snorted. “I came here to see the pet shop.”

She froze midway as she reached for the broken cement block.

He was a customer?

Deciding the cement block was not salvageable, she stood up straight and faced him, craning up to get a good look. About seven feet tall, he blocked most of the sun from her view, his massive shoulders and arms like boulders covered in red-and-black-checked flannel.

“You’re looking for a pet? For yourself or perhaps your offspring?” She cringed inwardly, thinking of how she had groped him.

He could be married. With kids.

But he didn’t seem that old, perhaps a few years older than herself, but certainly mature-looking enough to have a child or two running around.

“No.”

She ignored that tiny yelp of victory from her brain—and other parts of her body.

He could still be married.

Besides, he had been rude to her just two seconds ago, calling her foolish.

Silence stretched between them as she waited for him to follow up and tell her why he was here. Was she supposed to read his mind and figure out what he wanted?

Shrugging, she continued. “Well, sir, if you’re not in the market for a pet, perhaps you’re at the wrong place.

” She pursed her lips and used them to point up at the sign, where, sadly, the T once again swung down from its fixing.

“We’re a pet shop, specializing in all creatures scaled, fanged, feathered, furred, and everything in between. ”

“I am at the right place and I don’t want a pet.”

“You don’t? Then why—” An alarming thought popped into her brain. “Sir,” she began, her voice firm, but professional, “I don’t know what kind of place you think this is, but we strictly offer creatures as pets. And not for other purposes. ”

“I know and—” His dark brows furrowed. “Wait, do you think I want to eat them?”

“Or use them in spell-casting or experiments.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You wouldn’t be the first to try.” She’d seen Vrig deal with such nefarious would-be customers, and while she probably couldn’t toss this orc out on his ass, she could scream really loud.

“I’m not here to—” He raked his clawed hands through his messy mane. “I’m Mal.”

“And?” Was she supposed to know who he was by name?

“Of the Urduk Horde.”

Now that sounded familiar. “Urduk . . . as in—”

“Vrig’s horde. I’m his nephew.”

A heartbeat passed as she processed the information.

This orc was Vrig’s nephew. His relative.

Heat flooded her cheeks. “I . . . I . . .” Her tongue refused to follow what her brain wanted her to say.

He let out a huff. “And you’re Jasmine, right? If I promise not to eat any of the creatures, will you let me inside so we can talk?”

Oh, Mother Goddess, she not only fell into his arms and molested him, but also implied he was a savage creature who devoured adorable pets.

If you can hear me , she pleaded to her ancestor spirits, please strike me with a thunderbolt right now and erase my existence from this world.

“Well?”

Unfortunately, she remained earthbound.

Great help you are, ancestors.

“Uh, yeah, okay,” she mumbled, managing to gather her wits. “Please, come inside.”

She led him into the shop, gesturing for him to go first, watching him to gauge his reaction.

Most people who first entered Fantastic Tails were often taken by surprise by its interior.

While the facade looked like any of the other shops of Main Street, the inside had been magically renovated into a space that was four times its size.

Half the store was dedicated to the various pet supplies—food, toys, beds, cages, leashes, and the like—as they accounted for most of the store’s profits.

The other half was where they kept the creatures, two levels of spacious cages, pens, and habitats holding the different pets they had for sale.

The lower level had all the landbound and flying creatures, while the second floor was wall-to-wall aquariums filled with all kinds of water and amphibious animals.

Vrig had said he’d built the entire thing himself, including casting some of the spells to expand the space.

It was truly a sight to behold, but the gigantic orc simply glanced around and let out a grunt, seemingly unimpressed.

Jasmine pursed her lips, waiting for any other reaction. When none came, she went to the register, as if the massive counter was a shield protecting her.

“Uhm, Mr. Mal, I’m sorry for what—”

“It’s fine,” he said, tone dismissive as he waved a massive hand. “And it’s just Mal. I’m here to settle Vrig’s affairs.”

And where have you been all this time? she wanted to say, but she bit her lip before the words tumbled out of her mouth. “Oh, I see.”

“I travel a lot,” he began. “Took the administrator a while to get a hold of me.”

“He didn’t leave a will or anything. And they said they couldn’t find any contact information of relatives in his home or belongings.”

“Vrig didn’t have any close relatives, only me. He was my father’s older half-brother.”

“Did you know him before he retired?” Before Vrig came to Dewberry Falls to open the shop, he had been in the Orc Division of the Army Corps of Engineers.

“Not really. Met him a few times when I was a kid before my dad died.”

“Uhm, still, I’m sorry for your loss.”

He shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“He went peacefully.” Her chest tightened as she recalled the events.

“The night before he died, he’d seemed normal, though he mentioned that his arthritis had been acting up so I told him to go home early.

The next day, when he didn’t show up at all, I went over to his house with some soup.

He didn’t answer and the locking spell prevented me from going inside, so I called emergency services.

The EMT s said he’d passed away in his sleep the night before. ”

“It was his time.”

That’s what many of their neighbors had said when they came to offer their condolences. Still, guilt filled her. If she had checked up on him that evening, maybe she could have done something. At the very least, if she had stayed with Vrig, he wouldn’t have died alone.

An awkward silence passed between them before she managed to swallow the lump in her throat. “Do you want anything to drink? I have coffee and tea.”

He shook his head. “No, thank you. I just want to settle things and get going.”

“Of course,” she said through gritted teeth. Calm down , she told herself. He didn’t really know his half-uncle, so she couldn’t expect him to grieve a near-stranger.

“The administrator mentioned you’ve been keeping things running around here while they were looking for me, even though you didn’t have to.”

She gestured to the wall of cages and glass cases. “I can’t exactly just lock up the doors and walk away.”

“I get that,” he said gruffly. “And don’t worry. I don’t plan to inconvenience you further. Please don’t feel that you have to stay.”

She’d known this day was coming. Had run the scenarios in her head, about what she would do once Vrig’s kin were found, where she would go, her next steps. But to actually have to face it head on now was a punch to the gut.

“Of course,” she managed to say, despite all the air leaving her lungs.