Page 5 of Marked By the Wild Orc

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing. Like I said, she’ll be great.”

Heat churns in my chest. “She’d better be because I’m not hiring some stupid, useless human girl who’s never been around a tattoo shop in her life.” And then I hear a squeak in the hallway past my open office door. “Who is there?” I growl, pounding my fist against the desk.

“If you ever call my sister ‘stupid’ again,” Kavin snarls, “I’m going to beat you first then toss you in the fire pit.”

I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I hang up. Then I throw open the office door and see a female rushing away from me. I march down the hall and catch up with her as she’s halfway through the front door, ready to exit the shop.

“Stop!” I bellow.

She pauses and looks back at me.

I’m transfixed for a moment by her radiant beauty. “Come inside and talk with me,” I order.

A muscle ticks in her jaw. Her long, brown hair whips in the wind and her hazel eyes narrow. When have I ever witnessed a more extraordinary female? How did an orc as ugly as Kavin become half sibling with this graceful human?

“You said you would never work with a stupid human,” she challenges. “Therefore, I’m leaving.”

“Heh. Does this mean you are admitting you are stupid?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I’m not stupid. But it’s terrible of you to assume I’m of lower intelligence ahead of time before even meeting me.”

I soften my voice. “You are Kavin’s sister. I would like to talk with you about a job.”

She blows out a breath and rubs a hand against her forehead. “Job. Yes. I need to talk to you about a job.”

“Let’s go to my office and talk.”

“Okay.” The female quietly closes the door behind her and follows me back inside.

All three cats march alongside us.

I sit behind my desk and the female takes one of the two chairs on the other side. Now that we are in an enclosed space, her pheromones reach my lungs and I inhale, confirming that she is not compatible. I’m find myself mildly disappointed. “My name is Talon Overtree,” I greet.

“I am Krissy Thompkins.”

I lean back in my chair. “I might say things to you that will be difficult for a delicate human to process.”

“I heard.”

My lips twitch. “I will not apologize for speaking like an orc. This is who I am. I always say what I want,” I warn her. “I refuse to be different for anyone and I can't have an employee who's so delicate that they cannot handle orc talk.”

She tilts her head. “But my brother doesn't talk like that to anyone.”

“He is being different for you.”

“I’ve never heard him talk in a rude manner towards Mia either…”

A growl rumbles in my chest.

She puts up a palm. “I understand, you expect me to roll with the punches while I work here. I can do that.”

“There will be no punches. You will be safe in all your interactions with me.”

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