Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Eric
I was so fucked. So epically, royally fucked.
I leaned my head against the clean white tiles of the bathroom shower stall and tried to ignore the giant gargoyle who was there to catch me if I took a nosedive into the drain.
If only I were that lucky. If there was any justice in the world, I’d slide down through the drain and into the gutter where I so obviously belonged. I felt awful, but not as terrible as I had felt earlier in the week when I thought I was slowly dying.
But what could I do? Go to my neighbor and say, “Hi, could you just give me a quick snuggle so I don’t choke on my own vomit and asphyxiate to death?” I banged my head against the tiles repeatedly.
“I don’t particularly want to hose your shattered skull from the shower cubicle, so take it easy,” the growly voice from outside the curtain warned. The huge gargoyle seemed unimpressed, and I could only assume it was because they’d all deduced the truth.
I’d bonded a human. It hadn’t been intentional, obviously. The last thing I’d purposely do was drag Hailey into the shitshow of my life, but it had happened anyway. She was too sweet, open, and empathetic, and I was a piece of shit.
Sighing, I rested my head on the tiles again. “I’m sorry.”
The rumbling voice came through the curtain once more. “I’m probably not the one you should be saying sorry to right now.”
I moaned pathetically. If I opened my mouth and let the shower water pour in, surely I’d eventually drown, right? Unfortunately, swallowing was reflexive.
I grew balls and finally shut off the water, grabbing the towel over the shower curtain rail.
The door opened. “I left you some clothes on the vanity. I’ll be in the bedroom. Shout if you feel like you’re going to faceplant into the toilet bowl.”
If only oblivion was an option.
I met Hailey when I was at the lowest part of my life.
Excommunicated from my clan—happily, despite the problems it would eventually raise—my soul was reaching out for someone to cling to.
Anyone really. I’d met her at a back alley behind the diner where she worked, and I’d been instantly enamored.
Then, I realized she was walking home by herself at night, catching a bus in an area with barely any streetlights, and going home to an apartment building that was filled with drug dealers and desperate people.
So I did what any sane person would do. I moved into that shithole building too.
I moved my schedule so I went to work and arrived home at the same time as she did.
I watched for her, and when sketchy looking humans started sniffing around her door, I chased them off.
I was weak for an orc, but I was still strong enough to rip the head off a human, which I told them graphically.
Somewhere in there, despite the fact that we’d never had a real conversation, my instincts started to think of her as mine and that shitty little apartment building as our den. When I tried to break the bond and deny myself any contact with her, I nearly died.
I pulled on a pair of sweats that smelled a little like wolf and a shirt that smelled like brimstone.
My hackles raised, and I pushed down the instincts to get Hailey and take her away from the threat of a demon and so many unknown creatures.
I fought through the instincts, breathing through my nose and out through my mouth. I was better than this.
Straightening my shoulders, I walked through the door and followed the sound of voices.
Like a punch to the stomach, I saw Hailey sitting at the table surrounded by creatures I didn’t know.
A growl crawled up my throat, but I swallowed it down.
While she seemed slightly uncomfortable, she wasn’t scared.
She was out of her depth, but she was holding it together better than me, even though I was sure her human psyche would be screaming for her to leave.
“Sleeping beauty awakens,” the happy werewolf nearly shouted, and I winced.
His scent seemed familiar, and I wondered if perhaps he’d lain with me at some point.
Hailey’s head whipped toward me, and I could feel my cheeks turn pink.
Her eyes ran over my body, either looking for injury or answers, neither of which she’d find on my physical self.
The were hustled over, guiding me to a seat. I hated how weak I felt. My thighs somehow felt like Jello and cement at the same time, and when I sat down in the chair, it was a relief. All I wanted to do was reach over to Hailey, gather her onto my lap, and bury my face in her nape, but I didn’t.
The big minotaur wasn’t in his creature form, and I wondered if they were trying not to scare Hailey.
I could respect that. Orcs preferred to be in their creature form all the time, until most of the younger generation didn’t even know how to switch between forms. I couldn’t change forms to something human even if I wanted to.
My father said I was a disgrace to orc kind, and I guess he was right. If he could see me now, he’d bury me six feet down out of shame.
As if she could sense how much I needed the contact, Hailey reached out and put her fingers on my forearm. Just the smallest touch made me feel like I’d been given an elixir.
The big minotaur looked at me. “I didn’t get to introduce myself, but I am Otis Talor, team lead here at the Creature Crisis Center.
As I said, Hailey called us because she was worried, rightfully so.
Just so everything is out in the open, I need to ask.
Have you initiated a mate bond with Miss Swoon? ”
I winced, dropping my eyes to the table. “Yes.” I looked up, glancing back and forth between Otis and Hailey. “It was unintentional. I’m clanless, and familiarity somehow kickstarted the mate bond. I would never do it on purpose.”
She frowned, and there was a flash of hurt in her eyes. Did I just insult her?
“Not that you aren’t beautiful and any creature or human would be lucky to have you. It was the unintentional part that was the problem. In other circumstances, I definitely would have intentionally, I mean, with your permission—”
“For hell’s sake, stop. I’m already full, and if you keep embarrassing yourself like this, I might actually explode,” the demon groused. “We get it. You had no clan, and your beast clung to the first human who showed you kindness.”
I clenched my jaw. “Ah, kind of. Basically.”
“You understand why this is a problem, right?” the wolf murmured softly. “Louis, by the way. I snuggled you.”
Flushing red, I flashed him a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Louis grinned, and I had a feeling he meant it. Werewolves were pack animals, and if anyone understood my predicament, it would be Louis.
“I know why it’s a problem. I’m a creature rights lawyer,” I said, resisting the urge to drop my head to the table. “I know in great detail why this is a problem. As I said, it was entirely unintentional.”
“Eesh,” Louis replied. “Yeah, that’s going to be rough.”
“Can someone explain it to me?” Hailey asked, her voice a little sterner than I’d ever heard it.
I turned my body toward hers. This was my fuck up, so I should explain it.
“The Creatures Freedoms and Relations Act protects our rights, but it also has protections for humans. We aren’t allowed to feed off you, unless there is express consent in writing.
We aren’t allowed to infringe on any of your rights, and we aren’t allowed to forcibly mate with you, especially against your will.
A lot of creatures, uh, abducted human women a long time ago.
” I let out a shaky breath. My body was exhausted.
“What I did, while unintentional, directly defies those protections. You’re well within your rights to have me arrested.
” I cleared my throat. “I was trying to break the beginning of the bond. It’s why I ended up in this state.
I wouldn’t ever intentionally try to create a bond without your permission. ”
“So you said.” Her eyes snagged on mine and held them. “What I don’t understand is why a lawyer was living in my shitty apartment building on a bad side of town unless they had some ulterior motive.”
Well, fuck.
“She has you there,” the big gargoyle, Ilyas, rumbled. “I think we’d all like to know the reason for that.”
I chewed my lip. She deserved to know. I just hoped she wouldn’t hate me afterwards. “To answer, I’m going to have to go back nearly a year ago.”