Chapter 2
Bjorn
F irst day on the job , and I got to scale an icy mountain to rescue my dream girl—feisty, curvy as hell, and brave. It was the perfect first day. Now though, I have to do the boring part of the job. And let her go. I am a professional. Why did I have to decide to turn over a new leaf now?
“Bjorn, make sure she fills out the paperwork, especially the refusal to go to the hospital. Once she leaves here, she’s out of our care.” Brann, my captain, slaps me on the back like he’s my father or mentor before stomping to his office. There’s a weird twinge inside me—Brann trusts me to do my job correctly, and on the first day—when no one has trusted me to do anything right in a long time.
After I’ve fully inspected August’s ankle and shapely calf and bandaged it, I watch as she fills out the SAR paperwork. A light sweat glistens on her brow as she writes. Infection? Nerves? Possibly both. Maybe our monster presence makes her uncomfortable? My co-workers ignore us, but that doesn’t mean she ignored them—minotaur and kraken. I didn’t notice a scent of fear on the walk or car ride here. Needing to keep busy, I make her a cup of cocoa and bring it to her.
“Thank you. This is really sweet of you,” she says, her smile a delight to my senses. She seems to have improved her mood sitting in a heated room, snacking on beef jerky, and now drinking hot cocoa. Did she really just call me sweet? No one, not even my own mother, has ever called me sweet.
“So, August. How’d you end up with a name like that?” Deep, growly voice, I’m trying to reclaim my typical bad boy persona.
“One guess,” she says, her sly smile exposes her right dimple. How is she not put off by me? How is she so beautiful and adorable?
“Your mom loved late summer peaches.” I wink.
“I’m sure she does, but no. And how is that your one guess?” She laughs at my stupidity. I shrug.
“Beats the obvious birth month, right?” I don’t say that I smell peaches when I’m close to you. Summer sunshine and dripping ripe fruit.
“I’ll give you that. And it isn’t my birth month. October is.” She goes back to filling out forms and drinking her drink. She has a tiny chocolate moustache on her top lip.
“Funny. Then, I don’t know. Tell me?” I bat my eyes at her, then remember myself and cross my arms, leaning against the table where she’s sitting. She laughs again, and this time it isn’t at my stupidity. It’s a laugh of bliss and enjoyment. Two things I want to give her more of. Or, possibly, she’s hallucinating from cold exposure? Tough call.
“My grandpa’s name. He died the day I was born.”
Crickets. I don’t know how to lighten that topic, so I nod and scratch the back of my head, searching for a way to change the subject. Respect blooms inside me at the way she just dropped that bomb in my lap. Kudos, August.
Something clanks inside of the captain’s office. It jolts me back to reality. I’m supposed to be working, not warring within myself about flirting with her.
“Do you have someone to call who can pick you up?” She shifts uncomfortably and wrinkles her nose as she thinks. She does not make eye contact with me. Hmm, curious. Stepping away from her, I busy myself hanging gear and organizing supplies.
Like all the good things in my life, I’ve killed any chance we had now.
“Okay, I think everything is filled out. Thanks again.” August stands, wobbly on her injured ankle and fatigued legs. Then she hobbles toward the big red door that separates us from the icy wind outside.
“We were lucky getting off the mountain when we did. It sounds miserable outside,” I say conversationally as I flip through her paperwork on the clipboard. She’s signed the release. No phone number. No address.
“I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll see you around.” With a weak smile, she flips her dark brown hair over her shoulder and limps outside. Huh.
“You going to let her go?” Brann’s deep voice sounds incredulous. He’s peeking out from his office.
Groaning, I ask, “How much did you hear?” I’m not sure I really want the answer to my question.
“I’ll tell you this. It’s obvious you like her. And she didn’t give me the light of day. I think you should go after her. Besides, this weather is only turning worse.”
“You don’t think it’s unprofessional? This was a training day. She was my mission.” Brann’s lips curl into what I think is a smile. I hope that’s not the smile he gives to women—it’s terrifying.
“I wouldn’t be telling you to go after her if I thought it was unprofessional. She signed the release. She’s out of our care. Now, go, you idiot.” With that, he turns back into his office and shuts the door. Behind the door, a phone rings.
Whelp, I guess I should follow orders. Somehow, my heart is pounding with the strength of my grandpa, who supported his family by bare-handedly hunting bears that harassed folks in town.
“Fine,” I mumble to myself. Not bothering with a coat, because I am, in fact, an idiot orc, I walk outside to find millions of tiny balls of ice whipping around the air as the wind howls. A reminder for us that spring is really just a figment of our imagination. It hurts.
Squinting into the dark left and right, there’s no sign of her. She can’t have got far with a bum ankle. No footprints are visible in the slippery layer of ice on the sidewalk. The wind rips through my flannel shirt to my skin. Her delicious scent is gone. Growling, I pick a direction and start walking.
When I get to Stone Barrel Brewery, my older brother Koru’s place, I pause and sigh. Through the big window I can see it’s lively inside. I hate how successful Koru is. Stupid domestic god in orc form. I hope she’s inside—the roaring fire in the stone hearth calls to everyone.
“Little brother! Here to drown your woes?” Koru’s snide remark isn’t lost on me, but I’m turning over a new leaf. I unclench my fists and paste a toothy grin on my face.
“I’ll be here to celebrate my first day's success soon. But first, have you seen a woman—” Before I can finish my question, Koru snorts at me and gestures with his meaty hands in a ‘look around’ gesture. I do not flip him the bird, but instead continue, “—wearing a big, white, puffy coat, and limping? Her name is August. She would have come in only a few minutes ago.”
Koru sets a metal pint in front of me with what I’m sure is his latest delicious brew, and shakes his head no. I don’t take the pint. I need to find her before she freezes in this storm.
“You know, little brother, when you said you were moving back to town to join Search and Rescue, I had my doubts. I still do, but I’m impressed you survived the first day.”
Koru’s brewery is the only bar in town I’m allowed in, due to the indiscretions of my youth. I’d hate to get kicked out of here, as well. Instead of throwing the beer at him, I turn away from his ugly green face and broken tusk to look at the crowd of humans and monsters eating and laughing together.
There, out the window, across the street framed by what is now a blizzard, I see a white puffy coat pause. She limps past. Staring at her, I will her to feel my gaze, stop and look. It’s probably for the best, but I can’t let her wander outside in the middle of a blizzard.
Cursing under my breath, I stomp out after her. “August! Wait!” She jumps a little at the sound of my voice over the howling wind, then turns slowly to me. Her cheeks are bright red from the cold and tears stream down her cheeks. I suck in a frozen breath at the sight of her looking so miserable.
Before I can say anything or move, she launches herself at me, arms wrapping tight around me as her body heaves with frantic tears. She looks up at me and steals my breath with her vulnerability and beauty. Slowly, I wrap my arms around her—she’s so cold, despite her snow pants and coat.
I run my hand down the side of her cheek, wiping away her tears. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.” She nods into my chest.
“Get a room, you two,” a familiar voice bellows at us from across the street. Koru. I flip him the bird behind my back. He snorts in response. As much as it pains me to admit, he’s right. We can’t just stand here kissing as the wind whips around us and sleet falls from the heavens.
Besides, this is just rescuer syndrome, right? Or the after-effects of her being scared and almost hypothermic? This isn’t real. No one like her would possibly want me; I’m too tarnished for her.
“Let’s get you something warm,” I whisper. August nods and shivers. Wrapping her arm over my shoulder, my arm holding her close to me, I help her to the next shop, Moonlit Grounds Café and Bakery.