Chapter 12

Jess

I tookKarnak out to dinner to celebrate such a successful meeting. And—let's be honest—I wanted to show him off since he looked so fine.

Of course, logistically, I had to wait a few hours until the end of the workday, but to my delight, he showed up back at my office in the suit again. His hair was wet, so I assumed he went for a swim in between, but the fact he put the suit back on—dressed for me—had me feeling all giddy inside.

I wanted to tell him that I loved him. I loved how thoughtful he was, I loved how he always thought of others first, even to the point of hiding away for a decade.

But as we sat and enjoyed the wine on the patio of the Italian restaurant in town, the moment just didn't seem right.

I wanted to be alone with him when I told him. And naked.

Yeah.

Besides, he seemed distracted too. We talked about the meeting, and how he'd charmed the council, but the few times I tried to bring up Geoffrey—to thank Karnak for rescuing me—he changed the subject.

He seemed…unsettled, somehow. Tense. His gaze kept sweeping the park—where we had half a picnic weeks ago on our first date—and his shoulders tightened.

Perhaps the swim he'd taken this afternoon had likely been to release some of the tension he'd felt at the meeting.

When he'd stalked over to me as I was trying to figure out how to get away from Geoffrey, I could feel his anger. I could feel how much he wanted to hurt Geoffrey, and how hard he was fighting that instinct.

But he'd known he couldn't allow that part of himself free rein, so he'd controlled it. And I swear, I would've kissed him right then and there, in front of everyone, if I hadn't thought it would sabotage the way the council felt about him.

Instead, I had to settle for beaming proudly at him, and squeezing his hand, and then bragging about him to every person in that room.

Except Geoffrey, who'd snuck out.

On our walk back to our street, Karnak tucked me up against him, and I felt…safe. Protected. Incredibly content.

As if I was where I was meant to be.

Forever.

But…he hadn't mentioned any sort of forever. Sure, he treated me like a—a queen. But did he want to continue doing that? Did he want to be with me?

Forever?

I needed to ask him. No, I needed to tell him how I felt. I didn't expect him to immediately blurt "I love you!" in return, but maybe if he knew how I felt, he'd be more willing to…I dunno, consider a future with me?

Tonight.

I'd do it tonight. Now. I'd invite him in for coffee, and tell him. I took a deep breath.

"Karnak?" We turned down our street. "Do you want to come inside and have a coffee?"

"No," he rumbled. "I don't like coffee. Too bitter."

I grabbed my chest in mock affront. "Gasp! So you're not perfect, after all!"

He sent me a strange sort of look, as if he couldn't decide if I was being truthful. So I nudged him with my hip.

"In all the romcoms, when the woman invites the man in for a drink, it's code. Code for sex."

He hummed, stopping in front of my house. "Should I be concerned that both of us seemed to have acquired our knowledge of dating relationships from romantic comedies?"

"Well, at least we know we're going to laugh." I took a step toward my front porch, but he didn't move.

"No laughing during sex. Very distracting." He sounded preoccupied, as he glanced at his house.

"Right." He wasn't showing any particular interest in joining me. Or coffee. Or sex.

I was beginning to panic.

Taking a deep breath, I began, "Uh—" at the same time he said, "Actually—"

We both stopped, and I managed to say first, "You go."

He was still looking at me strangely, as if he wasn't quite certain what to make of me. Or maybe he was constipated, I dunno. Did orcs get digestive distress?

"Would you mind if I got out of this suit?" he asked, taking a step toward his own house without releasing my hand.

I felt like an idiot. "Of course!" I blurted. "You must be miserable, huh? I'm so sorry, Karnak, of course—go make yourself comfortable."

"I was thinking about going for a swim too."

Oh hell. Why hadn't I seen how uncomfortable he was? In the years I'd lived next door to him, I knew Karnak swam twice daily. He hadn't been doing that as often lately, and I hated to think I was the reason he'd screwed up his routine. But…

"I guess if there's any day you need to blow off some steam, it's today, huh?"

His nod was brisk, and he wasn't looking at me.

Fuck.

His free hand tugged at his tie. "You don't mind? I could—um…I could have that coffee later?"

But he didn't like coff—ooooh. The code! "Sure!" I blurted. But I also didn't want him to do anything he wasn't comfortable doing, if he'd prefer to be alone tonight. "I'll—uh…" I tried to smile seductively, but I suspected it came out looking wrong, judging by his wince. "I'll be here," I finished weakly.

He squeezed my hand once, then dropped it.

And I stood on my front steps, watching him walk away.

Karnak

The swim hadn't helped.

I was beginning to think nothing would help.

My Kteer was being an asshole, and vigorous exercise-slash-tempting-the-elements-slash-battling-sharks wasn't going to fix it.

I needed to tell Jess how I felt. Felt? No, this was more than feelings. This was…

This was biology.

My Kteer knew Jess was mine, knew she belonged to me. But this was Eastshore Isle, for fuck's sake, not my homeworld. She had choices and agency, and she wasn't going to take it well if a caveman marched up to her and grunted, "Me orc, you my Mate now" and clubbed her over the head.

Like a fucking monster.

Actually, Jess doesn't seem to mind you being a monster.

Yeah, and that was another part of the problem, wasn't it?

Growling, I shook my head, spraying water as I trudged up the sand, breathing hard.

Jess seemed to like the fact I was a monster, as the humans called us. She'd said that the first time I'd taken her on the kitchen counter. Today, she'd seemed so damn proud of me, proud of the way I could dress up and act nearly human.

But I wasn't.

I curled my hands into fists and began to run, my suit and skin drying in the spring night air, the moon providing more than enough light for me to see where I was going when I turned down Seahorse Lane.

I wasn't human, and I didn't want to be.

Did Jess want me to be? Or was she with me because I was a monster?

Or is she only with you because you're a monster?

Another growl, and I picked up my pace, my bare feet slapping against the pavement.

I hadn't felt this frustrated since before I'd made Jess mine.

But she's not really yours, is she?

Fucking Kteer.

I was nearly to Mrs. McGee's house when I realized there was someone on my front lawn, and I slowed my steps. Gods, I really had been distracted, hadn't I?

"Orc!" the person bellowed, weaving slightly as he shook a bottle at my house. "Monster! Come out here and fight me!"

It was Geoffrey.

And every single piece of my being yearned to oblige him.

"What are you doing here?" I growled, stalking closer.

The asshole whirled around, spinning too far in the opposite direction and having to overcorrect. That's when I realized he was drunk.

That, and the stench of beer coming off him. Small clues.

"Fight me!" he slurred, both fists rising in front of him.

He didn't seem to realize one hand was still clutching the glass bottle. The beer sloshed out.

My Kteer exalted. I felt my claws growing, and my tusks popped free of my lip. Yes. Yes, make him pay for the fear your Mate felt today!

But Geoffrey was swaying and it was clear, from the way he peered into the darkness, his night vision wasn't as good as mine. He had no real idea where I was.

That will make it easier to crush him. To tear his throat out. To taste his blood.

I was already stepping forward when I realized what my Kteer was doing.

No!

No. I pulled back, trying to rein in my instincts.

This asshole was a foot shorter than me, and probably had conquered every machine in his gym to make him think he could take me.

So I exhaled, willing my Kteer under control. "Go home, Geoffrey," I growled. "You're drunk."

"Well?" he snorted, swinging his fists back to me. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, monster. About coming into my town and thinking you're as good as me. Then I'm going to march over to Jess's and show her what a real man can give her."

"The hell you are!" Fuck my control—the claws sprung free again and I curled my fingers, reaching for him.

The other man stumbled forward, chuckling drunkenly, as if he'd already won.

"I see you," he slurred, that beer bottle waving. "You can't control your animal instincts, can you? That's what you are, an animal."

I realized I was backing away, leading him away from Jess's house, from my house. My bare feet were stable as I slid them across the lawn, knowing I would soon feel Mrs. McGee's crabgrass beneath my toes.

And you know what?

I was proud of myself. Proud I'd managed to rein in the impulse to smash Geoffrey's face.

"Why don't we do this tomorrow?" I tried soothingly, my hands still braced to knock aside an attack. "When you're feeling better?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he snorted, stumbling toward me. "You could get your monster friends together and attack me, huh?"

"Monster friends?"

It wasn't until he snorted again that I realized I'd said that out loud.

"The other orc, the mechanic. The one who used to hang around the docks. And the ones you're trying to bring to Eastshore."

I continued to inch backward, trying to draw him away from Jess.

"Jess's plan is a good one," I offered. "It will save this town." I couldn't decide if Geoffrey was racist, or jealous of Jess, or just angry his plan hadn't been chosen.

"Monsters! She wants to bring monsters! You people are like animals!"

Before I could figure out how to reply to that—before I could decide if he was right, and if others felt that way—Geoffrey swung at me.

With his fist.

Honestly? It was adorable in a Muffin-the-pregnant-cat-trying-to-act-like-a-ferocious-beast kinda way.

My brows rose as I twitched out of the way of his swing.

He was a lot smaller than me, and whatever fighting instincts he might have had were shot to shit by the beer. He was slow and clumsy and had zero chance against me, if I allowed my Kteer to do what it wanted.

But I didn't.

Because I wasn't an animal.

When he swung again, I shifted out of the way. "Man, stop this. You're too drunk."

"Scared, monster?"

This time I twisted away from his strike, closer to Mrs. McGee's house. He still hadn't touched me. "I'm not scared. I just don't want to fight you like this." Or at all.

My Kteer might think we were fighting for Jess, but I suspected Geoffrey was fighting for his own inflated ego…and anger at losing out on the hotel contract.

"Then why are you running?" the other man slurred, shuffling closer with another swing. "You're backing up like you're scared."

Let's be honest, I should've just kept backing up.

But I didn't.

I stopped, planted my feet, and raised a brow at Geoffrey.

This time, he swung the fist holding the bottle.

This time, I didn't duck.

His fist connected with my jaw, the blow strong enough to make me wince.

Strong enough to shatter the glass bottle he still held in his hand.

The shards rained down onto his arm and wrist, slicing through the suit coat he wore and cascading across my chest. Before he jerked back, bellowing, I saw one slice open his cheek.

And then the sharp pain registered, as I received a dozen tiny cuts across my chest.

But nothing compared to what Geoffrey was experiencing.

"God damn it!" he screamed, stumbling backward, clutching his hand. "You fucker!"

That's when I realized he had a fistful of broken glass.

My own discomfort forgotten, I allowed myself to grin. "Want a handshake, Geoffrey?" I could wrap my hand around his fist and squeeze.

But I didn't.

I mean, I didn't hate the thought, but the asshole had done this to himself and despite the ache in my jaw, I was content to let him wallow.

He was whimpering now, and I wondered if the beer would help muddle the pain at all.

I shook my head, suddenly exhausted. "Get off my lawn, asshole."

As I watched him stumble away, muttering angrily, I glanced at Jess's house.

She said she'd be waiting for me, but right now…

I should probably go inside and treat these tiny cuts and put some ice on my jaw.

But right now, I just wanted a shower. And sleep. And some time to figure out what the hell my Kteer was going to do.