Page 7 of Charmed By the Orc
“Yeah,” she motioned with animated movements, flapping her arms, “like thunder and lightning from every angle. It messed up our game, big time.”
“You mentioned a game before.” I waved at the doorway, hoping to get the story of where she was from and how she ended up on my farm. “Would you tell me about it over breakfast?”
Sammy tugged on her hair, a telltale nervous tactic if I ever saw one. “Umm…”
I truly hoped she wasn’t planning on lying to me. It would make it a lot harder to convince the sheriff’s officer of her innocence.If she is innocent,I thought, waiting for her to answer. I didn’t want to think ill of her, but I had to protect Inara at all costs. I needed to remain impartial and clearheaded, no matter how beautiful this little human was—or how she affected me.
“Are you not hungry?” I prompted, giving her an easy answer for her reluctance.
Worrying her lip, her teeth nibbled on the bottom. It gave me a clear view of her tiny pink tongue.
I groaned at the sight.Impartial, clearheaded. One thing to say, another to do.
“It’s not that.” She squirmed in place, shuffling from foot to foot. “It’s just… well…” Her deep exhale, reverberated through me as if touching my soul. “Oh this is silly. Do you have a bathroom?”
“Oh!” The guilt about suspecting her clogged my throat. I managed to point at the oaken door to the right of the bed, and croaked, “Over there.”
“Thanks.” She shot me that beautiful, radiant smile that I didn’t deserve.
As she disappeared through the bathroom door, I clenched my jaw. I was the alicorn’s protector, Ihadto keep on guard aroundthis human. She was a stranger with unknown intentions. Even if she was the most beguiling being I’d yet to encounter.
I shook my head at my foolishness and headed down the short hall. I’d built my home for utility, not aesthetic. My grandmother, the matriarch of the family, often grumbled over my lack of design and my place “needing a female’s touch”. She did not, however, complain about one area—the kitchen.
The countertops, polished pine that had seen years of use, housed a bowl of fresh strawberries from my garden. A deep-set sink rested below the window that framed the trees outside and allowed morning light from its eastern direction. To its left, my old cast-iron stove sat at the ready. It had been a gift from my grandfather, passed down through generations of orc males that had cooked countless meals for their mates. “A male’s love is shown in his actions, my boy,” my grandfather had said upon gifting it to me. “Never forget that providing requires more than strength. It is finesse and care too.”
I smiled, remembering his sage advice and appreciating the well-worn iron burners.
Above the stove, a simple range hood helped keep the air fresh, while pots and pans hung within easy reach. Cooking wasn’t quite an innate ability of mine, but I did enjoy trying my hand at different recipes. Sometimes I burned or undercooked a meal. Other times, I produced a half decent result, if my mother’s opinion was to be trusted. She tended to be a bit bias regarding her only son at times.
Still, breakfast I could handle, and the chance to provide for this little human set my senses tingling. “What would a human eat?” The villagers had a variety of different species living together in harmony, but humans were rare. I racked my memory. “Let’ssee…” Elves preferred mild fair while orcs enjoyed hardy, robust food. Dragons, like my friend Thad, loved spicy flavors while fae preferred sweets and gargoyles favored savory. Sifting through my ice chest and cupboard of spices, I debated on the matter. “Her blunt teeth means nothing too chewy.”
I snapped my fingers, locating the eggs I’d garnered in town and the loaf of bread, Baxter, the village’s most excellent minotaur baker and cafe owner, had baked fresh just yesterday. “Now, all I need is…” I pilfered the bacon at the back of the ice chest. “Perfect!”
Skillet in hand, bowl at the ready, I got to cracking and cooking. The scent of the bacon filled the air with its rich smokiness. While the bread warmed, I whipped the eggs, adding a touch of cream to create a fluffy texture. Once the bacon crisped, I set it aside and used the flavorful fat to scramble the eggs. I sprinkled a pinch of salt and crushed herbs over them for added flavor.
Once everything was ready, I piled the crispy bacon and sunny yellow eggs onto two plates. To finish, I toasted thick slices of the warmed rustic bread over the flames, slathering them with homemade butter just as they turned golden.
With the breakfast set, I arranged a plate in front of the stool across from me. I hadn’t bothered with a table when I didn’t often entertain and took my meals at the counter. Pouring a glass of water and another of juice, produced from the apple trees opposite my field, I began to boil water for tea. I wanted Sammy to have as many options as possible and debated on chopping a fresh salad as well, when her footsteps halted my fussing.
The morning sunlight streaming from the window bathed her in a golden light. She’d tied her hair up, allowing the pink strandsof her undercut to be seen along with the darker hues on top. Her skin glowed like one of the fae after a long flight, alight with vibrancy. Her brown eyes sparkled with a warmth that felt like home. In those eyes, I saw a world of unspoken stories. I wanted nothing more than to unravel the mystery of this little human and understand the silent bond that even now drew me to her.
Walking around the counter to where she stood, I pulled out the stool for her and placed a hand at the small of her back to help her up. “Please, sit and eat.”
The way she looked at the plate of food set before her and then up at me, as if I had presented her with a sacred gift instead of simply breakfast, undid me.
“Ah…” Her eyes sparkled, filling with unshed tears. “Thank you.”
Before I did something insane, like kiss her until those tears turned to moans of pleasure, I tucked in her stool and escaped to the opposite side of the counter.
Although we shared breakfast, my hunger had nothing to do with food. And I knew in that instant, I was utterly and truly cooked.
5
Sammy
Despite gettingthe best sleep I’d had in forever, I was a wreck inside. Being transported to a fantasy land might do that to a person, but it wasn’t the wholeother worldthing. It wasn’t even the horrible pain that had incapacitated me yesterday. Although, that was scary as hell. Luckily, I’d felt no trace of the pain this morning.
No, it was the orc. And not in the running for my life variety. Nope. This orc was very much the opposite.