Page 4 of Marked by the Wild Orc (Heat & Ink)

Chapter 4

Talon

T wo months later….

I’ve been living in the midst of a hellscape wherein I am becoming attracted to a human female I cannot claim. Each day that passes makes it worse.

I wasn’t attracted at first, simply intrigued at this beautiful female that Kavin had charged me to take care of for him. I needed a new employee and she’s proven good at her job.

Then, on that second morning, I inhaled her attraction for me and grew fascinated. This female, who cannot get pregnant, is my best friend’s sister, and who claimed at first to dislike my plain orc speak, was attracted to me? And she never, ever acts upon it. I wouldn’t know of her attraction except for the fact that I am an orc and can scent her arousal for me.

Doril and Oreg can also scent her arousal, which is why neither of them, while both being unmated, have tried to take her as their own. They know that she wants only me, therefore my claim has been marked. If I want her, the way is clear.

But I didn’t want her that way, at first.

Six weeks later, things began to change.

Spending all workdays with this female and all my dinner breaks too, has caused me to get to know her very well. In fact, I’ve somehow become friends with this small, sometimes very annoying, female. I didn’t think I’d have anything in common with Kavin’s sister, but I suppose since I am his best friend, this female who is biologically linked to him is someone I would get along with too. It makes sense.

I’ve never told Kavin that his sister is attracted to me, because I’m trying to protect Krissy. Her attraction for me shames her because she thinks she cannot become pregnant and therefore I am not a male who would want to mate with her.

I believe she wants children in her future, because I overheard her speaking this way to a customer one day. An orc was here to receive a tattoo honoring the birth of his son and he and his bride brought the infant with them. Krissy was charmed and said to the mother that she was hoping one day to have a child of her own.

She thinks she will need a human male who already has offspring so she can be a mother, or one who wants adoption. I’ve also heard of something called surrogacy amongst humans.

That was the first day I began to envision Krissy as my bride, carrying my orc son.

How is it possible for my body to be growing steadily attracted towards a female who cannot carry my orc son? This is supposed to be an impossibility within my species. Kavin placed his sister with three unmated males at Heat we found each other through the orc ancestry database. And I feel blessed to have him, because I have no one in this town, and at least now that Grandma’s gone, there’s someone.”

“You have me.”

Her beautiful hazel eyes grow watery and her voice thickens. “I do?”

And then I scoop up all three cats in my arms and shout on my way out, “Lock this door behind me.”