Chapter 14

14

MARIAH

M y hands tremble at my side as I stand amidst the taproom's din. The confrontation with Krag and Mor'ghan still echoes in my mind—their biting words, the sheer disdain in their eyes as they looked at me.

At the human who, as far as they knew, dared to love their son.

Bile rises in my throat and I swallow it down. The whole interaction ripped some old wounds open, spilling memories of cruel taunts and jeering laughter.

Coming from him.

I sneak a glance at Thorak, tall and imposing beside me. The orc who tormented me mercilessly as a teen, who shoved me and mocked me. The orc who just defended me so fiercely, eyes blazing as he put his own parents in their place.

I feel split in two, past and present colliding in a way I can't begin to process. But I force the turmoil down. I can't think about that now.

Everything with Kingsley seems like it's about to fall apart. And I can't let that happen. Regardless of my complicated emotions toward Thorak, I need him to come through with the rest of my payment so I can save the inn.

Which means it's time to channel my best loving fiancée act.

Thorak leads Kingsley and I to a quiet corner booth of the taproom, away from the raucous crowd. Curious gazes follow us, whispers rising in our wake.

We slide into the polished seats, the air heavy with tension. Kingsley leans forward, elbows on the table as he pins us with a hard stare.

"What was that?" he demands. "Your parents seriously don't know you're engaged?"

I exchange a glance with Thorak. He gives an almost imperceptible nod, letting me take the lead.

I clear my throat and turn to Kingsley with an easy smile.

"It's all happened so fast," I explain, lacing my fingers with Thorak's thick ones. His green skin is warm against mine. "We've only been together for six weeks, but we both just knew it was right."

I gaze up at Thorak with an attempt at adoration. He returns the look with an intensity that makes my breath catch.

"We wanted to tell Thorak's parents in person," I tell Kingsley. "But we knew they might have some...prejudices. Against humans. We've been trying to figure out the best way to break the news."

Kingsley leans back, eyebrows raised. "Interesting strategy, doing it here. Tonight." His tone drips with sarcasm.

I force a tinkling laugh. "Definitely not the plan! We're so sorry you had to witness that awkwardness."

Under the table, I nudge Thorak's knee with mine, passing the baton to him. He nudges back, and a shiver runs through me at the contact.

"I lost my temper," Thorak rumbles, holding Kingsley's gaze. "But I won't let anyone, not even my own family, disrespect the woman I love. Mariah means everything to me."

Kingsley studies us for a long moment, eyes flicking between our faces.

Finally, he leans back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief. "I just can't believe anyone could be prejudiced against humans ," he says, sounding almost na?ve in his surprise. He turns to me, his expression softening slightly. "Have you ever had something like that happen before?"

Genuine curiosity colors his voice, but Thorak's fingers tighten against mine. We both know that prejudice is a two-way street, and that Kingsley's ignorance is a luxury afforded to him by his human privilege.

I take a moment to gather my thoughts, considering how much to reveal.

With a soft sigh, I begin to speak, my voice gentle but firm. "Growing up as a human in a magical town wasn't always easy, Robert. I stood out here. There are other humans in Elderberry Falls, of course, but not a ton. I was the only one in my grade growing up and the bullying I endured was relentless."

Thorak tenses beside me, a flicker of remorse crossing his face. A silent apology for his part in my pain. I have a flash empathy for him, understanding now the prejudices he must have been carrying from his parents.

"But kids are stupid and cruel everywhere," I continue. "It's been different for me as an adult. This town is largely very welcoming. And interspecies relationships like Thorak's and mine are common."

Thorak clears his throat. "I don't want to create excuses for my parents, because there is no excuse. But to put some context to it, they carry a lot of pain. My grandparents on both sides were driven out of the human lands when they were just children during the Great Exile."

Kingsley winces. The Great Exile was a dark part of history, a period of time when monsters and other magical beings were forcefully and violently relocated. Many folks in Elderberry Falls have stories like this.

I didn't know Thorak's personal history and my heart aches for his family.

"They watched as their homes were burned to the ground, their belongings stolen or destroyed," Thorak continues. "They fled for their lives, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and sought refuge here in Elderberry Falls. Along with other displaced magical beings, my grandparents' families built this town from scratch. A safe haven where they could rebuild their lives and preserve their culture."

I realize that Krag and Mor'ghan's hostility towards me is rooted in this deep, generational wound. They've spent their entire lives fighting to protect what their parents and grandparents had sacrificed so much to build.

The thought of their only son marrying a human must seem like a betrayal of everything they stand for.

Almost instinctively, I lean my head onto Thorak's shoulder, wanting to offer him any small comfort. Just like this history doesn't excuse Krag and Mor'ghan's behavior, it does not excuse the way Thorak treated me. But the context adds a different color to our past.

"When you love someone," I say softly, looking up toward Thorak, "that love has the power to overcome any history, to heal any wound."

Even as I speak the words, there's a flicker of doubt inside me. I can no longer deny my growing feelings for this man. But can they really be enough to bridge the gap between our two worlds?

Thorak looks down at me with intensity, his eyes blazing with a heat that works to undo me, and I push the thought aside.

He nods in agreement, his grip tightening on my hand as he turns back to Robert. "That's why this brewery is so important to me," he says, his voice low and fervent. "It's not just about the beer, or the money. It's about building something that brings our two communities together. If I can get distribution into the human lands, I can extend a figurative olive branch into that world. Use it as a way to help craft a better future, for all of us."

Admiration swells inside of me. I'd started to accept that Thorak is not the asshole orc I knew years ago, but these words from him pull down the last of the walls that I'd built between us.

He has a beautiful, compelling vision for his business. And gods, listening to him speak, I desperately want to be a part of the future he imagines.

The thought makes me dizzy and confused.

Kingsley sits back in his chair, his expression thoughtful as he takes in everything we've said. He nods slowly, his gaze distant. "You've given me a lot to think about," he says finally, his voice measured and careful. "I'll be in touch."

With that, he stands and makes his way out of the taproom, leaving Thorak and me alone amidst the dwindling crowd.

As the door swings shut behind Robert, Thorak loosens a deep sigh.

"Well, we did what we could to salvage that," he says. "Thank you."

Right, the deal. That's what this is about. Not about my extremely inconvenient, growing, and all-too-real feelings for this surprisingly noble orc.

I lick my lips and look away from him. "Just holding up my end of the bargain," I say, my voice coming out more clipped than I intend. "You still owe me the rest of the payment for the extermination. It's not my fault if things with Robert don't work out."

Thorak huffs out a dark laugh at my side. "Of course, Mariah."

We leave the booth but around us, the party starts to wind down. Patrons trickle out in twos and threes, their laughter and chatter fading into the night. Soon, it's just Thorak and me left in the cavernous space, the clinking of glasses and the hum of the brewing equipment the only sounds.

I could probably leave too, but there's something burbling in the back of my mind that I need to deal with. I stand and start gathering empty steins from the tables, needing something to occupy my restless hands.

Thorak joins me silently, and we work in tandem, a strange sense of domesticity settling over us.

As I reach for a toppled stein, my hand brushes against his and a jolt of electricity zings through me. I jerk back as if burned.

When I glance up at Thorak, he's studying me.

The words I've been carrying tumble out. "Why me, Thorak?" I ask softly. "What did I do back then that made me a target? Was it really just because I'm human? Or was there something else?"

My voice cracks on the last word and I look away, exposed and vulnerable. In the heavy silence that follows, the weight of Thorak's gaze lingers on me, the air between us thick.

Slowly, I force myself to meet his eyes, my heart in my throat as I wait for him to answer the question I've always been too afraid to ask.