Page 3 of One Night with Her Untamed Orc
“No.”
I pull back as if I’ve been slapped. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“I mean what I said. No. I don’t like the idea of you catching the eels. They’re endangered,you know.”
Now I’m nodding along. “Yes, I know.” I explain that the eels won’t be harmed and will be released. The deep furrow of his brow seems to relax just a smidge at that knowledge.
Mr. Tarik Stormfell sighs. It’s an exasperated sound and gesture. The way his chest heaves, the muscles in his neck tense as he inhales then exhales is more than exasperating to me. But then he looks straight into my eyes and says, “You’re my mate. I knew as soon as I smelled you. And my mate isn’t going to sleep on the ground and eat substandard meals out of a pouch.”
“Excuse me?” The squeak in my voice is unavoidable. Did he just say what I think he just said?
Chapter 3
Emma
We stand there, me with my bowl of curry. Him with the biggest muscles and growliest frown I’ve ever seen. “Here, let me show you the trap,” I say, needing something to do so I can think about that bombshell. I set my bowl down and wade out into the water, not waiting to see if he follows. He splashes, loudly, and I look back to see if he fell in.
No, he didn’t fall in. But he is tip-toeing in the water, raising his foot up high with each step. It’s comical, this grumpy, giant orc who looks like he could single-handedly win a rugby or football match, seemingly cautious of the water. Dare I say, afraid?
“There’s nothing poisonous in the water here, not this shallow. Just some bivalves on the rocks, and Stone Moon Crabs,” I say over my shoulder, trying to put him at ease. But then I bite my tongue. Why? This orc thinks we’re mates. I should be running home. Except this is my life’s work. My research. This is the end of the eel’s migratory season. The shorter days will trigger them to swim south,just like birds. If I don’t get this data now, I’ll have to wait until next year.
He jumps at those words. His frown looking more worried as he scans the water before setting his foot down again. I turn my laugh into a sigh and pull in my trap. As it gets closer, I can see something wriggling inside it. The squeal of delight is unavoidable.
“What? What is it? Are you okay?” He rushes toward me, splashing me as he attempts to what? Rescue me?
“I’m fine. I’m excited there’s an eel! Look at her. She’s a beaut.” I set the wire trap between us, underwater. I don’t want to stress the eel by pulling it out into the air where it can’t breathe. “What a pretty eel you are. Don’t worry, you’ll be free soon. Just need a small sample of blood; it won’t hurt, promise.” The eel is a muddy brownish color with a large iridescent fin or ridge down the top of its back. Not all eels have this; it’s unique to this species. I’m itching with excitement to get a photo and blood sample. Slow down, I tell myself. I need to get on Tarik’s good side if I’m going to get permission to camp here.
Tarik growls, his lip rising in disgust. “It looks like a snake with a deformed mouth.”
“Well, snakes are reptiles that don’t have fins and require oxygen to breathe. Eels are part of the Anguilliformes order, have gills, and can only survive in water. And you’re right; they are endangered. I’llcollect a blood sample, along with water temperature and mineral content and salinity. I’m looking for patterns in their breeding.”
With that, he huffs out a breath, and stomps back through the water to shore. I shove the trap out toward deeper water. I’ll be back after I get this sorted, I think.
Tarik looks disgruntled. He shakes out each leg; he hadn’t bothered to roll his pants legs up, so they’re soaked to his knees. I grab my now lukewarm bowl of dinner and shovel more food into my mouth. I want to get this eel sorted before it gets too dark. The late afternoon sun will linger, but I’d prefer to do it while I still have light to clean up and get my tent set-up.
“What did you think? Excited that I’ve seen my first one today! It’s a good omen,” I say, smiling.
“Do you have a chair? A rain shade?” His question takes me back, especially considering he just said I couldn’t stay here. He is the king of non-sequiturs.
“No, I spent all my money on supplies for the eels. My funding grant came in a bit light. Budget cuts and all that. I’ll be fine; I’ve been camping before.” I shrug, keeping my smile glued to my face. Only with my dad, and he did all the work. But that isn’t part of this story. This is my story. The one where I make the rules and make people respect me, finally. And apparently, I need to start with Mr. Stormfell.
Stay professional. Be competent. My mantra from school runs through my mind. My whole life has been an uphill battle, trying to prove my worth—to my father, to my professors, to my old boyfriends. I’m tired of it. This moment feels like my moment of truth.
He keeps shifting his gaze from my gear, to me, to up the hill, where I assume his cabin is. “Look, I won’t be a bother. I’ll be quiet. Won’t leave a mess. I need three days to collect my samples and data. That’s it.” His eyes narrow at that.
“Your stuff will be fine here overnight. The wolves won’t bother it; they’re up in the mountains this time of year.” O-kay, this sounds promising, right?
“But you stay with me.”
“I think we have some misunderstanding here. I am not staying with you. I don’t know you!”
“I understand that. But fate knows. You’re my mate. And I refuse to let my mate sleep on the rocky ground with no protection. You stay with me.”
“Or what? You are going to kick your mate off her research project?” I raise both my eyebrows, cross my arms, and stand my ground.
“Yes. You will pack up your boat and go back to Moonfang. You can spend the day doing your research, then go back every evening.”
“That will eat up so much of my time. And I’ll have to pay extra for the fuel.” I bite my lip, thinking, trying not to panic. This will not work.
