Page 38 of Vexing the Grumpy Orc

Vanin looked up from behind the bar, his eyebrows shooting toward his hairline. “Well, shit.” He set down the glass he’d been polishing. “Did someone drag you here by force?”

“Not planning on making it a habit,” I grunted, but there was no real heat behind it. “The clan’s standards are slipping enough as it is.”

Vanin snorted, sliding pints toward us without asking for our orders. “Go on, they’ve claimed the back tables. You break anything, you buy it.”

I ignored the warning, taking a long pull from my beer. The rich, malty flavor hit my tongue—Vanin’s special reserve, not the watered-down shit he served to tourists. The gesture wasn’t lost on me.

“Galan!” Torain’s voice boomed across the room. “Over here!”

I turned to see my cousin waving from a large tablein the corner, surrounded by other clan members. These post-market gatherings used to feel like obligations I avoided at all costs.

Now, with Hannah beside me, the room seemed less hostile. Less like a trap.

We threaded through the crowded bar, Hannah’s hand still firmly in mine. Torain was the first to reach us, clapping me on the shoulder with a grin that split his face.

“Finally decided to grace us with your presence!” He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering on my side where he knew the wound lay beneath my shirt. “How’re you feeling?”

“Fine,” I said flatly, shifting away from his scrutiny. I hadn’t come for their pity.

“Good to see you up and about,” Zral said, sliding over to make room. His eyes flicked to Hannah’s neck, then to our joined hands, but he said nothing. “Thought you’d be dead by now.”

I settled onto the bench, Hannah beside me, and raised my glass. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“So,” Carissa leaned forward, excitement brightening her face. “I was just telling everyone about the next Paint-and-Sip night at the bookstore next weekend. You two should come!”

I took another swig of beer. “No.”

“It’ll be fun,” she pressed, undeterred. “We’ve got a local artist coming in to teach?—”

“Not interested.”

“You don’t have to be good at it,” Carissa continued, as if I hadn’t spoken. “That’s what the ‘sip’ part is for.”

“I don’t paint.”

Hannah nudged me with her elbow. “Come on, it could be fun. Who knows mountains better than you?”

I shot her a betrayed look. “That’s very different, and you know it.”

“I’ll be Hannah’s date,” Miranda chimed in and winked. “We can make it a girls’ night.”

Hannah laughed, the sound warming something in my chest despite my scowl. “Settled. I’m ditching the orc for my one true love of alcohol and bad influences.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from twitching upward. The conversation flowed around us, Hannah’s laughter mingling with Miranda’s as they plotted their artistic adventure. Something settled in me as I watched Hannah slip so easily into conversation with my clan. With my family.

She belonged here as much as I did—maybe more. She leaned in to discuss wine options with Carissa, her hands animated as she spoke. The two of them had their heads together now, Carissa pulling up pictures on her phone while Hannah nodded appreciatively. Zral lifted his head from his phone long enough to waggle his eyebrows and offer inappropriate suggestions that made Hannah snort with laughter.

“I need another drink,” I announced, pushing back from the table.

Osen approached the bar a moment later, Torainclose behind. “Heard the news,” my cousin said, his voice pitched low. “About the ranger position.”

So that’s what had them circling like vultures. I sighed, accepting the fresh beer Vanin slid across the bar. “It makes sense. I know the territory better than anyone. And the borders between clan land and the park have always been... flexible.”

“It’s perfect,” Osen said, clapping me on the shoulder. “You’ve always been more comfortable in the woods than in Grimstone anyway.”

“The elders approved it unanimously,” Torain added, fighting—and failing—to keep his grin contained. “Though I suspect that’s partly because they want you out of their hair.”

“My father would have hated it.” I turned the glass in my hands, watching the amber liquid catch the light.

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