Page 19 of The Orc and the Innkeeper

I trail off, unable to admit the truth that’s been gnawing at me ever since that kiss. That despite everything, despite thepainful memories and the years of resentment, I’m starting to feel something for Thorak.

Something that terrifies me and thrills me in equal measure.

Laurelle reaches out, her slender hand resting gently on my knee. “Mariah, listen to me. The past is the past. People change. And from what I’ve seen, Thorak is not the same orc he was as a teenager.”

I nod, my throat tight with emotion. “I know. But it’s not just that. It’s...it’s this whole arrangement. It’s supposed to be purely contractual, Laurelle. I can’t afford to catch feelings. Not now. Not with everything else that’s going on.”

Laurelle opens her mouth to respond, but before she can speak, a loud crash echoes from upstairs, followed by a string of colorful curses. I jump to my feet and race up the stairs, Laurelle hot on my heels.

The scene that greets us is one of utter chaos.

Brorik is standing amidst a sea of glittering debris, his face twisted in a scowl. The walls are streaked with shimmering residue, and the air is thick with the cloying scent of pixie dust.

“What happened?” I demand, my voice sharp with worry.

Brorik turns to face me, his expression grim.

“We hit a snag,” he grunts, gesturing to the mess around him. “Turns out these little buggers are a lot more resilient than we thought. We’re gonna need some specialized equipment to get rid of ‘em for good.”

My stomach drops, a sense of dread settling over me like a heavy blanket. “Specialized equipment? How much is that going to cost?”

Brorik shrugs, his eyes darting away from mine. “Hard to say. Could be a couple thousand extra, could be more. Depends on how deep the infestation goes.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm the rising panic in my chest.

“No,” I say, my voice firm despite the tremor running through me. “Absolutely not. You gave me a quote, and that’s what I’m paying. I can’t afford any more than that.”

I can’t afford to askThorakfor any more. Not when things are already getting more complicated than I’d ever imagined.

The dwarf opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off with a sharp glare. “Make it work,” I snap, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “I don’t care how you do it, but you better stick to that original quote. Do you understand me?”

He nods, his expression sullen as he turns back to the task at hand. I watch him for a moment, regretting my sharp tone.

Between the unexpected turn of events with Thorak and the mounting costs of the pixie dust mite extermination, I feel like I’m drowning, the weight of it all threatening to pull me under. But I can’t afford to fall apart. Not now.

Not when everything I’ve worked for is on the line.

The Moonflower is more than just a business to me. It’s my home. It’s what saved my family when my parents both got laid off from their jobs in the human lands and we needed somewhere to go. When Ida died and passed this place along to me, my parents urged me to sell it and join them back in the city where I was born. But I couldn’t.

Elderberry Falls is an extraordinary, otherworldly, extremely special place. And the Moonflower allows me to be a part of the magic, too.

I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I turn back to Laurelle. “I need a drink,” I mutter, my voice rough with exhaustion. “A strong one.”

9

THORAK

The press of Mariah’s lips against mine still lingers as I make my way back to Orc’s Anvil, a phantom sensation that I can’t shake. I replay the moment over and over in my mind, still not quite believing it happened.

That she kissed me first.

After all this time, all the ways I wronged her in the past, she willingly pressed her soft human mouth to mine. And gods, the way her body pressed against me, so small and delicate compared to my large frame...I’m half-hard just thinking about it now.

I’ve fantasized about kissing Mariah more times than I can count over the years, but the reality blew my imagination out of the water.

In my dreams, there’s a chance this fake engagement could bloom into something real between us. That Mariah might be able to forgive me for how I treated her and see the orc I’ve grown into. The one who wants nothing more than to worship her, body and soul.

I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I almost miss the figure perched on a barstool as I enter the taproom. Recognition hits me a second later. Finnian. Of course my faerie best friend would show up unannounced today of all days.

---