Page 19

Vera

I’m not sure what I expected an orc village to be like, but what we find when we arrive is the strangest mix of things.

I think I was expecting stone cottages or caves or something rustic. Instead it’s more like a station or ranch with pristine prefabricated buildings in rows in a central grid and enormous netted structures that must be ten stories high stretching out as far as I can see into the distance.

We’re about three hours outside the city limits on open plains that sit in a valley between two small mountains. Erik pulls into a driveway by a house in the center of the grid and switches off the engine of the rental car. “Just let me know if anyone gets a little too... enthusiastic,” he tells me with a wince. “And I’ll have a word with them.”

With that foreboding introduction, we climb out and I stretch tired limbs and look around. Snickers leaps from the car and begins sniffing around the bushes in the front yard, wagging her little tail frantically .

A piercing shriek makes me jump, and I pivot to see an enormous reptilian bird plow into the side of the netting, sharp talons extended and beak stretched wide. Snickers growls from my ankles where she’s taken cover.

“Don’t mind the wyverns,” says Erik cheerfully. “They get a little excitable when new people arrive, but they’ll settle.”

I gape at him. “Those are pets?”

He laughs. “More like livestock. Since monsters came out, my clan started farming them. We used to hunt wild wyverns, but this is much more efficient.”

He looks like he’s about to say more when the front door of the house flies open and a large, burly orc woman with a pink floral apron, green skin, and the longest braid I’ve ever seen trailing over one shoulder strides onto the porch. Her voice booms in the quiet of the village. “Erik! Let’s take a look at this woman of yours then.”

Erik picks up all our bags and slings them over one shoulder, then gently puts an arm around my waist, giving me a sideways look as if to ask if it’s OK. “Hi, Ma. Good to see you. This is Inessa.”

I try to smile. I’m not sure if orcs have the same customs as humans in this country but it can’t hurt to try. She waits on the porch as we climb the three steps, which still only puts me head height with her shoulder. I stand stiffly while she looks me over.

“Hmph. Good hips at least. For a human. Come on. You must be hungry.”

She turns and leads us into the house, and Erik makes an apologetic face at me behind her back .

I wave him off. I’m sure if he had met my grandmother, that comment would pale in comparison to the things she would say about my monster fiancé.

Inside, the house is spotless. The kitchen is large and open plan, with bright white subway tiles on the backsplash and shelves of glassware and tiny dragon figurines on display. When I look a little closer, I see that they are actually wyverns like the creatures in the giant net cages outside, with no legs and large membranous wings and a face like a dinosaur.

On one side of the counter there are several enormous wheels of cheese. One of them is on the kitchen island, cut open with a large knife wedged into the wax. Some of the crumbly pale cheese is cut in small chunks and stacked on a platter beside slices of pickled vegetables, crusty brown bread, and thick slices of ham and salami.

My mouth waters.

I haven’t seen a spread like this since I left Russia.

Erik drops the bags and snatches up a plate, piling it high with food. “Mmm, Ma, you spoil me.”

She pinches his cheek. “Just a little snack. There’s a pot roast for dinner. I can tell you haven’t been eating enough. And don’t even get me started on this girl of yours.” She hands me a plate loaded with food, and I accept it gratefully.

I have to climb onto the tall stool at the kitchen island, but when I manage it and take my first mouthful of bread and cheese and pickle, I let out a satisfied moan.

It’s delicious.

The cheese is sharp and bitey, and the bread is still warm from the oven .

Erik’s mother plants her hands on her hips, watching me. “Good. Eat up, girl. You’ll need your strength for birthing lots of orc sons.”

I cough around a second bite of bread and cheese and hurry to regain my composure. I hadn’t really let myself think about whether or not orcs and humans can actually reproduce, but the idea of carrying and birthing babies of Erik’s is intimidating to say the least.

“Ma! You’ll scare her. We haven’t even talked about babies yet.” He stands and fetches me a glass of water.

Erik’s mother had turned to pull the lid off the pot on the stove, but she turns back with the spoon in her hand and a scowl on her face. “What? You’re going to marry her and not talk about the important things? Erik!”

Erik pulls himself to his full height, which is a head taller than his imposing mother. “Inessa is the important thing, Ma. She’s what matters. We’ll talk about it when she’s ready.”

There’s a horrible pause where I watch her take this in. I have no idea how she’ll react, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Erik be so assertive.

Yes, it’s adorable that it’s over me. Yes, I am swooning a little that he jumped to my defense, but I also don’t want his mother’s nose put out of joint. And that surprises me.

I guess my mind has changed on this issue. I’m no longer viewing this as temporary even inside my own head.

I have to admit to myself that I want to be here for good. Forever.

Erik’s mother purses her lips, but she tops up my water glass and serves me more snacks until I feel like I’ve had a full meal .

She talks exclusively to Erik for the next thirty minutes, updating him on things on the property and in the village as if I’m not there at all.

“Go relax,” she says finally, dismissing us with a wave of her hand. “Dinner will be in one hour.”

My stomach gives a tired grumble of protest but I smile and thank her. Erik takes our bags and leads me through a corridor to a bedroom at the end of the hall with a sturdy wooden bed and an empty closet. “This is us.”

The walls are covered with sporting trophies and medals and pictures of Erik as a younger orc. I can’t help being curious. “What are all these?”

Erik blushes. “Aw, just stuff from years ago, when I was a kid.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

He laughs awkwardly. “It’s hardly an achievement to win a few races with three contestants,” he says. “The village is small.”

Always so modest. I study the awards and see that he must have won several trophies for every year he was in school. Athletics, football, a sport called Airball which I’m not familiar with.

“You were the best.”

“I had to be good at something and make up for my very average grades in school. We homeschooled, but I was always the slowest in the class, including my younger siblings!”

“I bet that’s not true, but you are too modest. At least I bet you were the most obedient.”

Erik is standing by the bed, watching me, his cheeks colored an adorable deep green .

I can’t help the fact that my mind strays to the cage he has hidden beneath his well fitted jeans and the tingle of awareness I feel at the thought of it.

I take a step toward him, bringing me close enough to place a hand on his broad chest. My heartbeat speeds up just at the firm warmth of his body, the hint of strength beneath my palm.

“I...”

As he starts to speak, I trail my hand down his chest and abs, across the button of his jeans, and down to cup him as I look up into his eyes. “So obedient, aren’t you?”

His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. “Yes, Inessa.”

“Do you know how wet that makes me?”

His mouth drops open for a long moment and despite the cage, I feel his package twitch under my palm. “No, but I’d really, really like to find out.”