8. Kavin
Kavin
I told Mia to meet me at Heat traditional inks mixed with leather from the chairs.
I breathe it in, letting the familiar scents calm my nerves.
I move to the small furnace in the corner, the one we use for heating the traditional brands.
My hands are steady as I build the fire, watching the flames catch and grow.
The metalwork station holds an array of tools, some modern and some ancient, all meticulously maintained and organized.
I select the “K” brand I forged myself weeks ago, back when I was still pretending I didn’t want Mia as my mate.
Even then, my body knew what my mind refused to accept.
As I place the brand in the fire to heat, memories surface of the years I spent at the commune learning alongside Talon.
We’d started as young orcs, both apprenticed to Elder Glint to learn the traditional marking arts.
While I struggled with the finer details of tribal designs, Talon’s natural artistry shone through immediately.
His hands seemed to know instinctively how to create beauty from ink and flame.
Eventually, I realized I wasn’t meant for this work, not permanently. My calling lay elsewhere, in serving a community rather than decorating skin. But Talon…Talon was born for this. His gift with traditional markings became legendary, even among the elders.
That’s why this moment means so much. Talon understands the significance of what I’m about to do. He knows this isn’t just about claiming a mate, it’s also about honoring our traditions while building a bridge to my new life amongst the humans.
I check my phone. Three forty-five. My cock has been aching since I arrived, ready to mate with my bride, and now it’s straining against my jeans with anticipation.
My tusks have elongated slightly, the way I’ve learned they do when my body prepares for mating.
Everything about tonight feels monumental.
Never in my life have I been enflamed for a female. She will be my first and last.
The brand glows red-hot in the flames. Perfect temperature.
I remove it carefully, examining the clean lines of the “K” and the swirls around it I’ll soon burn into Mia’s skin.
This mark will declare to every orc who sees it that she belongs to me.
But more than that, it will bind us together in a way that transcends human understanding of relationships.
I set the brand aside to maintain its heat and prepare the chair, adjusting the height and angle for optimal positioning.
The shop door opens with its distinctive chime, and my entire body goes on alert. She’s here.
Mia steps inside, and even in the dim lighting, she takes my breath away.
My female has a perfectly rounded ass and an athletic build I want to touch and lick all over.
She’s dressed simply, in jeans and a fitted black T-shirt, but there’s a determined set to her shoulders that tells me she’s ready for this.
Her long brown hair is pulled back in a practical ponytail, and when her blue eyes meet mine across the shop, I see no fear. Only want.
“You’re early,” I say.
“So are you.” She steps forward, closes the door to Talon’s room behind her and locks it. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
“No.”
Mia walks toward me, her gaze taking in the prepared chair, the tools, the glowing brand waiting in the fire. “So this is really happening.”
“Only if you’re certain.” I need to hear it one more time. “Once I mark you, there’s no going back. You’ll be mine forever.”
She stops directly in front of me, close enough that I can smell her shampoo mixed with the faint scent of arousal. Her hands land on my bare chest. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
The conviction in her voice breaks the last of my restraint. “Then let’s make you officially mine. Lower your jeans and underwear. The mark goes on your ass.”
Mia chuckles. “Sounds perfect.” Her voice remains steady, but I catch the slight tremor beneath it. Not fear, but anticipation.
She unzips her jeans and pulls them down. The sight of her sexy black underwear and bare ass makes my mouth go dry. She positions herself the way I direct her. The worn leather creaks softly under her weight. Mia faces away from me, and I can see the tension in her neck and shoulders.
“This will hurt,” I warn, retrieving the brand from the fire. The metal glows a perfect cherry-red in the dim light.
“I can take it,” she comments, and there’s that fierce edge to her voice that made me want her in the first place.
I clean the area where the mark will go, my touch gentle on her smooth skin. She shivers slightly but doesn’t pull away. The brand feels heavy in my hand, weighted with significance. “Ready?”
“Do it.”
I press the hot metal to her skin.
She lets out a muffled grunt, her hands gripping the arms of the chair until her knuckles go white. But she doesn’t cry out, doesn’t beg me to stop. My fierce mate takes the pain like the warrior she is.
“Almost done,” I murmur, holding the brand steady for the precise amount of time needed to create a permanent mark.
When I lift it away, a perfect “K” branded into her skin, surrounded by the traditional thorns pattern. The smell of burned flesh should be unpleasant, but instead it makes my cock throb with possessive satisfaction.
I don’t hesitate. I lean down and run my tongue over the fresh burn. The healing properties in my mating saliva activate immediately. The angry red of the burn fades to a deep black mark, already fully healed.
Mia gasps at the sensation, her body relaxing as the pain disappears entirely. “Oh wow,” she breathes. “That’s…that’s incredible.”
I help her sit up so she can see the mark in the mirror I’ve positioned nearby. The “K” stands out bold and unmistakable against her skin, a declaration of ownership that will never fade. “You’re mine now,” I say, unable to keep the possessive growl from my voice. “Officially and permanently mine.”
She reaches back to touch the mark, running her fingers over the raised skin. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.” I’m rock-hard, watching her examine my claim on her body. “And I need to taste more of you.”
Her eyes meet mine in the mirror. “Yes.” And then my bride pushes down her jeans and that sexy underwear the rest of the way, kicking them both aside and allowing me to see the glory of her hips, her hairy mound and those shapely legs entirely naked.
How did I get so lucky?
I guide her so she can lay back on the chair, positioning her so I have access to what I need. The scent of her arousal fills my nostrils as I kneel between her spread thighs, and I have to grip the chair arms to steady myself.
This is my first time seeing a human female this intimately, and the sight before me is more erotic than anything I could have imagined.
She’s soaking wet, her pink folds glistening in the low light.
The neat triangle of dark hair between her legs makes me want to bury my face there and never resurface.
“You’re perfect,” I growl, running my hands up her tight, muscular thighs.
I lean forward and inhale deeply, letting her intoxicating scent flood my senses.
My shaft leaks in my jeans as I place my first tentative lick along her slit.
She tastes even better than she smells.
“Oh, Kavin,” my female moans, moving her hips closer to my face. Her hands immediately tangle in my hair, her breathing already becoming ragged. “I’ve wanted this since the moment we met.”
I smile at her admission, and then I lick her again, taking my time to make sure this is good for my bride.
I’ve never done this before in my life, but I’ve studied so I would be ready to pleasure a female.
Even though I vowed I’d never take a mate, a part of me must’ve known I was lying to myself.
I explore with my tongue, learning how my new home feels.
I find the swollen nub at the top of her folds and concentrate my attention there, using the tip of my tongue in small, precise circles, making sure to lick and suck just as I learn she likes.
Soon, her hips buck against my mouth, and she lets out another moan that makes my tusks throb.
“Right there,” she gasps. “Don’t stop.” Her hands wrap around both of my horns, holding on tight, pulling me closer.
I don’t stop. I lick and suck at her clit faster, in that spot she said was perfect for her, occasionally dipping lower to taste her juices directly from the source. She grows wetter under my attention, her thighs trembling on either side of my head.
“Kavin,” she pants. “I’m going to—” Mia comes with a strangled cry, her body arching off the chair as waves of pleasure crash through her. I keep licking, drawing out every last tremor until she finally goes limp. “Oh wow,” she breathes. “That was incredible.”
I sit back on my heels, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My cock remains painfully hard, straining against my zipper, but seeing her come apart under my tongue was worth the discomfort.
She sits up, slides down and starts to reach for my belt buckle. “Your turn.”
I catch her hands. “Not here.”
“Why not?” Her voice is still husky from her orgasm.
“Because I’m a virgin,” I remind her. “When we make love for the first time, I want it to be somewhere special. Not in Talon’s shop.”
Her eyes soften. “Where then?”
I stand and help her to her feet, handing her clothes back to her. “Home.”
She dresses quickly while I clean up the chair and workspace and extinguish the fire, leaving Talon’s shop exactly as I found it. The brand goes into a special case. It’s served its purpose and will now become a treasured reminder of this night.
“Ready?” I ask when everything is secured.
Mia nods, touching the spot where her mark lies hidden beneath her jeans. “Ready.”
We drive through the empty streets in comfortable silence, both of us processing what just happened. Mia sits beside me in my truck, occasionally shifting in her seat as she adjusts to the feeling of her new mark.
“Where exactly are we going?” she asks as I turn onto a street that definitely doesn’t lead to either of our apartments.
“You’ll see,” I say, my hands tightening on the steering wheel.
She sits up straight and studies the familiar neighborhood as we pass through Riverside. “Hold on, Kavin, this is…you didn’t. Oh wow.”
A grin spreads across my face.
I pull into the driveway of the house she fell in love with during our house hunting expedition.
The For Sale sign is long gone. The wraparound porch and mature oak trees look welcoming even in the pre-dawn darkness.
I was here, before I went to set up at Heat & Ink and left the porch light and a few lights on inside so it would be more welcoming and identifiable when I brought my bride to see our home for the first time.
“This is the house I wanted,” she says slowly.
I put the truck in park but leave the engine running. “I bought it for us.”
She stares at the house, then at me, then back at the house. “You…you bought it?”
“Last week, after you showed me the listing.” I turn to face her fully. “You said if you were to pick a home for yourself, you’d pick this one. So I bought it. For us.”
“Kavin…” Her voice cracks slightly.
I take her hand in mine. “It’s our home, Mia. Yours and mine. The place where we’ll raise our sons and build our life together.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, and I start to worry that maybe I’ve overstepped. Maybe buying a house without consulting her was too presumptuous, even for an orc claiming his mate.
Then she reaches over and grabs my shirt and pulls me toward her for a fierce kiss. “I can’t believe you did this,” she whispers against my lips.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she exclaims and pulls back to look at me, her eyes shining in the dashboard light. “Take me inside. Show me our home.”