Chapter 9
Mr. Brightside
“Are you sure this is what she likes?” I held up what was essentially a cup of apple-scented sugar with a dash of coffee to Sunny, the owner of Stevie and Briar’s favorite cat café.
Sunny didn’t respond, opting to grab some cat treats to toss around and lure in the roaming felines, but I felt the don’t-question-me-asshole energy she was giving in my direction.
There weren’t many folks in the café at this hour, but a couple townies had already started their day with a cup of coffee, a book, and an open lap ripe for cat cuddles.
I was normally at the gym by now, but I’d be rearranging my schedule going forward to spend the maximum amount of time with Stevie.
Even though her lack of response to my texts led me to assume she was pissed at me.
Or disappointed.
Either way, I was going to have to put the charm on to get us back on track.
I thought back to my conversation with Lyle in his garage and knew I’d messed up by not taking things further after my mate literally grabbed my dick. But I also knew I’d do the same thing again to protect her from my orc impulses.
“You clearly need to watch some rom-coms or read some fucking books, dude. No chick wants you to deny her request to slob on the knob, you know?” Lyle was cocky and had this effortless confidence I’d always been jealous of.
I’d heard other mutual friends call him a ‘himbo’ in passing and after my old ass had to look it up, the description fit my friend well.
“Don’t say chick when talking about my mate. And don’t say slob on the knob, either. What are you, twelve?”
“Didn’t know you were such a prude, T. What else should I call it that’s more respectful? Polish the dome? Get some lipstick on the dipstick? Gobble the goop? Lick it like a lolli—”
“Enough,” I snarled, still feeling too many emotions begging me to find Stevie and rut into her until she begged for my bite.
“For real though,” Lyle continued in a more serious tone.
“I know you don’t date, or get around all that much, so maybe you truly are this ignorant.
But if she offered to put her mouth on your dick in any capacity, and then you said ‘No thanks, I’m good’ it probably fucked with her confidence or made her think you didn’t want her or some shit. ”
I sighed knowing he was right. I’d seen that in her face as she walked away from me.
“I didn’t want to scare her, or worse, bite—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lyle waved his hands, dismissing me before taking a swig of his beer.
“You know you were protecting her from your brutish orc ways. I know you were protecting her, and that if you—one of the most controlled friends I know—thought you were going to endanger her that she was better off feeling whatever rejection she felt. But what does she know? Do you know if she knows about orc mating practices? She doesn’t even know that she’s your mate, dude.
We’re used to weird courting things around here, since every fucking monster in this town has a different way to dance around claiming their mate, but Stevie’s probably used to humans.
Bland, boring humans with their lame flowers and boxes of chocolates. ”
“I got her flowers,” I muttered.
“Of course you did, simp.” He slapped me on the shoulder while shaking his head. “I’m just saying you need to have some patience but also need to explain your shit to her so she doesn’t run away before knowing you’re not being a creep intentionally.”
“So, I just need to explain myself. I can do that.” I nodded. Yes, I could that.
“Yes, why don’t you go tell the human that when you smelled her for the first time as she was cussing your ass out that you knew she was destined to be yours forever and that you’d like to bite her neck as a claim so no one else will look at her.” He huffed a laugh. “That’ll convince her.”
I narrowed my eyes at his harsh words and humorless laugh. “You’re being kind of a dick tonight, Lyle. And not in a good-natured way like normal.” I looked around, taking in the piles of beer cans smashed in the corner and noticed the bags under his eyes for the first time. “You good?”
He shrugged, dismissing my concern, chugging the rest of his beer before crushing the can in his grip and throwing it across into the growing pile.
I left his place knowing I would have to explain things to Stevie, also that I needed to keep an eye on my friend because he wasn’t acting like his usual self, which I might have noticed if I weren’t pre-occupied with everything else going on.
The witch’s bells sounded at Sunny’s entry door.
Briar entered the café looking extra disheveled.
Her normally mid-length perfectly straight black hair was wavy in some areas and frizzy in others.
She wore the same clothes (a pair of plaid pajama pants and ratty old Steely Dan T-shirt) that I’d seen her in at Stevie’s the night before.
She also had circles under her eyes and smelled like fruity alcohol despite it being first thing in the morning.
As she neared the register she only looked me up and down, shaking her head, instead of her usual quip about one thing or another.
I huffed a small laugh at the sight. “What was that for?” I asked.
“You know why, Thrakh. Don’t mess with my girl again like you did last night, and maybe I’ll give you more than a shake of the head.”
“I didn’t—” I stopped myself because she was right. I sighed. “I need to talk to her, Briar. I got her apple soy coffee monstrosity here. I was going to bring it to her so I could explain—”
“Isn’t that sweet of you,” Briar said before snatching the to-go cup out of my hand after taking her own drink that Sunny’d already made off the counter.
“I’ll make sure she knows it’s from you.
I know how you orcs are about courting. I’m also pretty sure everyone is aware of why you’re acting this way except for the one person who should actually know. ”
I sighed again, hating how right Briar was.
“You know it’s complicated with humans. I don’t want to scare her off and I’m already on edge, barely hanging on to normalcy when I’m near her; I can’t afford to scare her away, Briar.
I can’t.” I hoped my sincerity and desperation was evident in my eyes because it was nothing but the truth.
“Do you know Stevie’s sister? The same sister that married a vamp, Thrakh.
Stevie’s visited this town for years and she isn’t some rando human with no exposure to our ways.
I think you’ll be all right if you explain that you smelled her coochie and knew she was yours.
” She shrugged as if it were that simple.
“Oh, and obviously that you need to bite her and claim her and never let her go and that she’ll probably have to carry your giant orc spawn—okay I guess I can see how that might be a lot, but Stevie can handle it.
” She paused. “Probably. Like, most grown women, especially in this town, have read enough monster smut to know the deal.”
“Amen to that, sister,” a familiar voice added. One of the older ladies in the corner lifted her mug toward Briar.
“That’s right, Miss Frieda, you get it!”
I shook my head.
“I have some planning to do.” A plan began forming in my head at how to properly court Stevie without scaring her off, lying to her, or going feral anytime she went near my dick. “I promise I’m in it for real and not messing with her. I’ll tell her when I think it won’t scare her off.”
“Sure thing, coach.” Briar added a little disdain to the title, reminding me of where I stood with her.
“Don’t overthink it, baby.” I felt Miss Frieda’s bony hand pat my shoulder. She’d been around since I was dropped off in town as an orphan and always had an open ear for me while I was growing up. “If she’s yours then you’ll figure it out.”
“She is mine,” I said, trying to keep the snarl out of my tone.
Miss Frieda winked before making her way toward the exit.
“Then go get her, coach.”