Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
OTIS.
There’s a female human lying splayed out on my office floor, eyes like saucers in her heart-shaped face.
In a flash my brain registers that she’s tiny and… curvy. I mean, how could I ignore the fact? Because holy fuck, she’s wearing… almost nothing.
Just two scraps of spotted pink and white material held together with pink string, barely covering her small bouncy tits. And another triangle barely covering her pussy.
“P-please d-don’t bite me,” she stutters finally.
“Why would I bite you?” I growl, unable to stem my offense at such a remark.
Her little hand waves in the direction of my tusks.
“Those—things.”
I hear Jax call, “Cut the histrionics, Clem. Otis won’t bite you.”
She snaps her mouth shut, swivels and glares at Jax, who is sprawled on the floor near my desk. “What d’you expect me to think? You just dump me here with a guy who’s big and—”
I stare at her, brows raised, waiting. She gulps and looks like she’s hastily trying to reframe her words. “Grumpy looking,” she finishes lamely.
“Imagine what it’s like for me, both of you landing in my office while I’m trying to work,” I respond tersely.
“You knew I was planning to bring Clem down here,” Jax says, righting himself and then gripping his head with another groan.
The portal cape lies next to him, giving off little sprays of light that spark around the room as its magic fizzles out.
“Yeah, but not like this. How the fuck did you get hold of the cape?”
“A bit of persuasion,” Jax mutters.
I thin my lips. That cape was locked up. Brody the bear shifter who guards it obviously ignored my instructions—yet again. Gods, I can’t trust any of these bastards.
Jax pulls a face, which I guess is all I’ll get as far as an apology goes. “It was the only way I could get Clem out quickly. Seems I was just in time. She was about to hook up with a guy who’s spying for the human authorities.”
“No I wasn’t, he was a complete jerk.” She glares harder at Jax. Even like this, a prickle ball of indignation, she’s gorgeous, with her full, soft pink mouth, a geometric bob of dark hair capping her head and green eyes framed by thick black lashes.
Shit. There’s something stirring below my belt. I gulp hard and look away.
“You’re a liability,” Jax snaps.
“Oh, and you’re not?” she shoots right back at him. “I saved your sorry ass the night you nearly died, remember?”
“Yeah, and then almost let on I’d been attacked by monsters.”
“I was scared shitless, you ungrateful bastard.”
I spread my large hands in front of me. “Enough, you guys. Stop, just stop arguing, okay?”
There’s a long moment of silence.
Finally, Jax gets up, then offers Clem his hand and hauls her up. She stumbles, moaning softly, and I grab a chair and put it next to her. She slumps onto it, and Jax leans against the wall next to her, gropes in his jeans pocket and brings out his vape.
He puts it to his lips and inhales deeply. Clem slumps forward, elbows on her knees, holding her head in her hands, and in so doing, gifts me an eyeful of her perfect tits as they squeeze between her elbows.
Now my cock definitely twitches. Gods below, this cannot be happening. It’s seen so little action since I split with Leanna two years ago, I’d swear my appendage was atrophying, but now, what the hell…
I stride back to my messy desk and stand behind the pile of cords and computer screens, willing the bulge in my pants to subside. “Perhaps, Jax, you could formally introduce us, so your sister knows I don’t bite,” I grit out.
Jax waves his vape between us.
“Otis, meet Clem—Clem, meet Otis.”
She doesn’t respond, just stares at me.
“Otis is the sheriff here,” Jax explains.
Her jaw slackens. Then, grudgingly, she mutters, “Hi—erm, Otis.”
“Hi, Clem.” I wonder if I should add something like, pleased to meet you, or nice of you to drop by.
Trouble is, I’m out of practice when it comes to chatting to women, and she’s still staring at me like I’m her least favorite person in the world.
I don’t have tickets on myself, but the way her gaze fixates on my tusks is definitely not full of admiration.
“You were supposed to ask her if she wanted the job, not force her into it,” I grumble.
“I did ask.”
“Ask!” Clem’s cheeks are pink. “Some ask! You just kidnapped me, no warning.”
“Yeah, well, if I’d stopped to ask nicely, you’d have been dragged off for questioning. And that would dump us all in the shit,” Jax mutters.
She grunts, her mouth pouty.
And now my brain is imagining what it would be like to kiss those pillowy lips, how I’d navigate my tusks around them.
Shit man, you are out of order.
Suddenly Clem starts shivering.
“It’s okay,” I reassure her quickly. “Just a side effect of portal travel. Right, Jax?”
“Sure, yeah.” He’s looking somewhat the worse for wear himself. And he’s used to this shit. He portals daily in the huge elevators that move between our world and Sparkle. But the portal cape shakes you up a lot more, so I’ve heard. I’ve never tried it; I stay firmly below ground.
Acting fast, I grab my sheriff’s jacket off the back of my chair and throw it around Clem’s shoulders, registering her sweet human scent with a zing of pleasure. “Would you like a hot drink? Tea? Coffee?”
“T-tea please, milk, two sugars.” Her lips are blue and her teeth chatter so loudly I can hear them clunking.
“I’ll have one too, thanks, mate,” Jax calls out. “You know how I like it.”
I’m tempted to raise my middle finger in a salute, but for Clem’s sake I resist the urge. My mom brought me up to have good manners. And being sheriff means I have standards to uphold.
I stride out of the room, along the narrow corridor and into the kitchen. I put on the kettle, grab the teabags, cups and sugar, and the milk from the fridge, my mind buzzing with what’s just eventuated.
Not long ago, Jax and I discussed bringing Clem to the Labyrinth to help me organize my life.
I’d agreed to the idea, partly because we knew Clem would be a person of interest to the human authorities now Sammy has escaped their clutches, and partly because I can’t keep doing everything without some help.
But I didn’t expect her to be so gods-damn pretty.
So fucking sexy. When my cock decides—yet again—to agree by tightening the front of my pants, I grit my teeth and focus on making tea.
And bringing out my newly baked batch of cookies.
When I get back to my study, tray in hand, Jax has brought a chair close to Clem’s and has his arm around her, and my cynical orc heart melts a little.
I wish my family were more like this, but since Dad died, my younger twin brothers and my sister have taken off to far-flung corners of the Labyrinth.
Leaving me to support our mom, who’s in a care home.
I do my best, but I could sure do with some help.
You could do with a hug.
I brush the thought away.
Two pairs of almost identical emerald eyes look up as I enter.
Except Clem is a hell of a lot prettier than bloody Jax.
I plonk down the tray, hand them the mugs of tea, then pass around the cookies. “Made them myself,” I mutter. “Butter cookies.”
Clem looks at me, her eyes appraising, like she’s trying to work me out.
Well, good luck with that, sunshine, I think to myself.
I can’t work myself out, so how she would, I have no idea.
A huge orc sheriff, who prefers to spend his days working on mathematical equations and baking cookies than breaking up brawls.
Yeah, I’m an anomaly. But I’m also trying to stop humans from destroying the Labyrinth and all the monsters in it—you know, a minor task.
Frankly, baking takes my mind off the stress.
Of course, this is not the moment to explain all that to her.
And yet… I don’t know why, but I want Clem to see me in a good light.
Not just as some ugly orc with huge tusks who might take a bite out of her.
It’s almost laughable, because orcs don’t bite.
We gore occasionally, when we’re cornered or defending our own.
But that’s very rare. We’re not a warrior species, especially not compared to some of the other monsters in the Labyrinth.
Sure, we’ll defend to the death. But we rarely ever start a fight.
Clem grabs a cookie. Jax grabs two.
Her eyes widen as she takes a nibble. “Y-you baked these?”
“Yes. Be careful when you BITE into them.” The dig is out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
Her lips quirk, and it really is a sight for sore eyes.
“I guess I deserved that.” She’s fully smiling now, two dimples appearing on either side of her mouth. “While you were gone, Jax filled me in on how much you do around here.” She stops, takes a bigger bite of the cookie and closes her eyes.
“Mmmmmmmmm…” She lets out a long moan and her eyelids flutter. “Oh my, this is the best cookie I’ve ever tasted.”
I let out an embarrassed grunt. “My mom’s old recipe. Easy as.”
“It's so… so… melt in the mouth.” She lets out another soft moan, and the sound rumbles unnervingly to my nether regions.
Jax is also tucking in now, stuffing a cookie into his mouth. I take my cup of tea off the tray and lean my backside on my desk. I don’t indulge in a cookie, I’m trying to avoid the extra pounds around the midriff we orcs are prone to.
Jax mumbles through a mouthful of cookie, “I’ve explained to Clem about helping you get your workload under control.”
“Are you okay with that?” I raise a brow in her direction.
“Apart from the fact I knew nothing about this job ten minutes ago, and I’ve only got a bikini to wear—sure, I’m fine with that. Got to be better than being tracked by the Sparkle authorities, I guess.” She turns to Jax. “Are you going to tell me what was going on back there?”
“You are being monitored as a person of interest because you’re Sammy’s friend,” Jax tells her.
“That guy is a spy for the authorities. He’s been sniffing around the Periphery, so I planted a bug on his jacket and we’ve been tracking his movements.
When he followed you to your vacation spot, I thought it best to get you out of Sparkle fast. Plus, our good sheriff here needs some assistance, and I know you’re a whiz with organizing things. ”
Her lip curls. “Wow, did you just pay me a compliment?”
“Yeah, I think I did. That felt weird.” Jax smirks.
“Smart-ass. You could get me some clothes, at least.”
“You can talk to Sammy about that.”
Her face brightens. “When can I see her?”
Jax grins. “Shortly. She’s got some cool news to share with you.”
“Are she and Arlo getting married?” Clem asks excitedly.
Jax grins. “My lips are sealed.”
I suppress a smile. I know what he’s talking about, but it’s not my place to say anything.
Jax gets up and ambles over to the door. “I’ll go and fetch Sammy. Meanwhile, can you find my sis a room in this rabbit warren, Sheriff?”
My jaw slackens, and Clem squeaks, “I’m staying here?”
“The sheriff’s house will be the safest place. And Otis has loads of spare rooms.” Jax’s brows raise in my direction. “Don’t you, Otis?”
I feel heat swirling through my body. The thought of this cute human in the spare room opposite mine, having to share the bathroom, bumping into her all sleepy-eyed every morning, is disconcerting. Especially considering the way my cock has been reacting to her presence.
Heck, there’s no choice really. She could stay at Arlo and Sammy’s house, I suppose, but they’re pretty much the loved-up couple. Besides they may have to move to a lower level if things get worse suddenly.
And Jax is right, this is a safe house. Any human spy would think twice about coming here. The sheriff’s house is the best place for an escaped human.
Clem cocks her head at me, and I’m pleased to see she doesn’t look majorly alarmed. “Would that be okay?” she asks.
“Um, well yeah, sure,” I mutter.
“Cool. Sorted. I’ll be back soon.” Jax strides out the door.
Leaving me alone with Clem.
Fuccccckkk.