Trick or Orc Read online

  Trick or Orc

  A Monsterly Yours Romance

  S.J. Sanders

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Other Works by S.J. Sanders

  About the Author

  ©2021 by Samantha Sanders

  All rights reserved.

  Editor: LY Publishing

  Cover Art: Abby Tackett (limited edition cover) and Sam Griffin

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission granted in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction intended for adult audiences only.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter 1

  Kassie

  “Don’t tell me that you still haven’t heard from that deadbeat,” Lynn snaps, glowering from the other side of the two-way magical mirror.

  Teeth sinking into my bottom lip, I look off to the side in embarrassment, not wanting to admit, “No, I have such rotten taste in men that I chose one who was never home when we were married and then completely disappeared after our divorce.” Well, as much as a man can disappear in the same small town where our kids have to watch him with his pregnant second wife and their little toddler hand in hand, buying Halloween decorations for our house he got in the divorce settlement.

  Truth be told, I never even put up a fight. A stay-at-home mom for so many years, I knew there was no way I could afford the mortgage on the place. I know this whole situation isn’t my failing, but I still hate to feel like I’m not moving on while he just gets to act like an ass.

  I’m not bitter much. Three years has done a lot to cool my murderous impulse when it comes to my ex. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to choke something when I see him with his new family. She’s fifteen years his junior, has the perfect figure even after giving birth to one child and with another on the way, is a partner at his firm, and comes from old family money. She’s no forty-two-year-old mom with a fat ass and nothing to her name but a high school diploma because she dropped out freshman year of college due to getting pregnant and buckling under the pressure of school and the increasing demands of a high maintenance and ambitious spouse.

  Not bitter, I swear.

  I groan and rub my temple, unable to not notice Lynn’s face softening with concern the moment I do. Damn it. I love my bestie, but she’s hated him from the day we started dating. Every time he comes up in conversation, it feels like a big “I told you so” moment. She never shoves it in my face, but I can’t help feeling that way because in the end I saw all the warning signs of just how self-involved he was. He had been charming, cultured, and sweet. Seven years my senior, he was a far cry from the sort I ran into in the neighborhood I grew up in. I guess the joke’s on me that I didn’t realize how replaceable I was once I no longer fit in with his plans.

  Looking back, I’m surprised he stuck it out as long as he did. Jason never exhibited any interest in children. I had foolishly thought that it would change with his own children, especially with how excited he had initially been about playing daddy—when it wasn’t work.

  The shine unfortunately wore off quickly, especially as Chris got older and started getting in trouble at school. Smarter than a lot of kids his age, at fifteen, our son hates everything school and tends to enjoy a good practical joke more than he should. At thirteen, when Jason left, he was already showing those tendencies, which resulted in constant parent-teacher conferences and calls. Then Jason found more and more reasons to work late. It was left to me to not only sort out the messes Chris got himself into but also fly as solo caregiver of our other two children, then seven-year-old Nora and one-year-old Matty.

  Matty doesn’t even remember his father—which is a blessing in some ways. The youngest was the result of a getaway to “recapture the magic” in our marriage and so had been too young to remember his father when Jason decided that “this” wasn’t working for him anymore. Chris pretends like he doesn’t care, but I know he’s hurting. My little Nora, however, wears everything on her sleeve. Despite Jason’s lack of time for her, she idolized her father and was devastated when he became too busy to stop by or call anymore.

  Worse is this little town with its wagging tongues. Maybe I should take a page out of Lynn’s book and just start over. But now that I’ve called her, surprise, surprise, I’m losing my nerve. What if she’s already hired a cook? I’m a bundle of nerves anyway, but all it took was Jason’s name and now I’m completely derailed.

  This conversation would have been so much easier if we were talking the old-fashioned way—like over the phone where I could enjoy the benefit of not showing my face. Nora isn’t the only one who’s an open book.

  Unfortunately, since Lynn is now living happily ever after in the fae world, a place where all technology goes to die, that’s impossible. Hence the two-way magic mirror. It didn’t take long for us to figure out that no matter how much we tried to tweak our tech, some things just didn’t work around high concentrations of fae magic. For many humans, buying magic mirrors for the house has become a norm for keeping track of family and friends immigrating across the barrier, and even for communicating with fae beings now sharing our world. In many ways, it’s better than a phone. There are fewer dropped calls and the connection far more reliable, but it just has the downside of literally being a conference call no matter what you’re doing.

  No more walking around nude or sitting on the toilet as you chat unless you’re that comfortable with the other person on the other end of the connection.

  And this means that my best friend can see me waffling on what to tell her about my current situation as if she were sitting here right in front of me.

  “Kassie?” Lynn prods. “Is everything okay?”

  I take a deep breath and let it out.

  “Not really. Jason still hasn’t called or come around. It’s been over a year since the last time he even called to wish one of the kids a happy birthday. The only contact we have is through our bank accounts.”

  “Oh, bravo for him for managing to provide six hundred dollars a month to help with his three children,” Lynn snorts. “He should be giving you a hell of a lot more than he is with the sort of money he’s making.”

  I shrug because she’s right. My kids eat through twice that amount in a month, and then there’s Matty’s diapers. But I can’t afford a lawyer, much less a court battle, now any more than I could have afforded one during our divorce. His high-priced lawyers knew exactly how to pressure me into accepting everything that they offered.

  “I think what’s worse is how everyone talks. It’s worse than losing the comforts we had before. The kids know exactly how little he cares because everyone around here just clucks their tongues over it. And then seeing him out together with his new family…”

  I swallow, my throat tightening.

  “Hey, I get it. I grew up there too. I know exactly how that place is. Some of the nicest people live there, but there’s no way to escape shit. Hell, I barely coped getting over my own divorce living in a city an hour away.” Lynn shakes her head and takes a deep breath. “I really think you should come…”

  “I accept,” I
blurt out, my eyes squeezing shut with gratitude. So glad that I didn’t have to actually swallow my pride and ask after foolishly refusing the offer she made last year. But I had been stupid, still in shock despite all the red flags that I had chosen to ignore. I had just returned home from our girl’s trip to a harvest festival hosted by Clan Obrul and found out that not only had my husband been cheating on me for nearly two years, but that this other woman was also pregnant, and he was leaving me for her.

  Naturally, when Lynn found out she was furious and insisted that I move across realms to Ov’Gorg to work for her. I had refused, spending weeks in denial followed by months of hoping that he would come back or at least be active in his children’s lives. I hadn’t wanted them to miss out on an opportunity to know their father. Besides, the idea of uprooting my family and moving to another realm scared me. Especially one inhabited by beings like orcs, for fuck’s sake. Not that I’m afraid of them or anything, but I’m still not sure if that’s the kind of influence that Chris really needs.

  Funny that it only took me a year to realize I had been stupid to let the opportunity pass by, waiting on something from him that never came. A year of long-distance calls through the magic mirror. I saw how happy she was and heard just how well she was getting along in her new home, and then I started to kick myself.

  On the other side of the mirror, Lynn’s face lights up with a huge smile and she brushes her hand back through the shaggy mop of short blonde hair. She doesn’t even look like the same woman who decided to stay behind and mate with an Obrul orc. She went from a woman who was always so carefully and meticulously groomed—thanks to her ex, who expected a perfect society wife—to the girl I remember in our youth. Seeing her as she is now, it’s like going back in time before all of this shit happened in our lives.

  “Oh, gods, I’m so glad!” Lynn laughs. “I was just worrying that I was going to have to bribe someone to work for me. I swear I scare off potential staff.”

  I snicker, my body relaxing for the first time all day as I watch my friend take a huge gulp of the coffee in her hand. For a woman who owns a coffee shop, she’s her own best client. Never have I seen a person who needed that morning pick-me-up like my BFF.

  “Don’t exaggerate. We both know you’re fine once you have those first couple of cups in your system,” I tease.

  “Ah, but it’s getting them to stick around that long,” she says with a sigh, and then her lips quirk. “Actually, I’m glad this came up because I’ve been needing to hire someone. The team is great, and Garval is a godssend in the kitchen, but I need more help.”

  “Garval ,” I echo, my stomach sinking.

  She waves a hand dramatically. “Nothing like that. I mean he can cook just fine, but he complains whenever I drag him away from what he would rather be doing. He’s my baker, confectioner, and maker of sublime pastries that I swear have made me gain ten pounds this month alone.”

  I think she’s pulling my leg, or just making some shit up so that I don’t know she already has someone and is making room for me. I mean, the only dishes I ever saw when we visited the orcs were hocks of meat, various savory pies, gravy-laden stews, and thick sauces.

  “I didn’t know orcs did that,” I reply carefully.

  Lynn grins. “Oh, this one does, and he was a lucky find! I almost thought I was going to have to send some of his relatives off to find and kidnap a baker for me. Of course, now he says he’s being wasted whenever I ask him to roast a ham or fry eggs… and truthfully, he’s right.”

  “Admitting a male is right…” I hum, remembering some of her epic arguments with her own hard-headed orc mate even as I practically vibrate with excitement.

  This is it. My dream being realized.

  Lynn, in her typical fashion, gives me a dirty look and the bird, and I bust out laughing. It feels so good to laugh—a deep tummy giggling laugh that makes my eyes tear just a little. If I want to cry just because it’s been that long since I’ve felt good—not since our visit to the autumn fair last year—well, then that would be understandable and completely expected.

  Wiping a tear from my eye, I grin at her.

  “Okay, so tell me then why it’s such a godssend, and not just to get your baker orc off your back.”

  Lynn’s grin widens. “I’m going to need someone with a firm head on her shoulders there to run things when I go on maternity leave in the winter.”

  My draw drops, and I gape at her for two whole seconds before an excited squeal escapes me. Out in the next room, I can hear Matty stop banging his toys together, no doubt surprised by the sound. I hear his little footsteps coming my way and know that I won’t have much time left for this call as soon as he starts demanding my attention.

  “You sly devil,” I laugh. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She shrugs, still beaming. “We were keeping it between us… you know, just in case. I’m not exactly twenty…”

  “As if women in their forties aren’t having babies,” I scoff.

  “Well, just one for us. I’ve been cleared in good health by the healers here, but I think that will be perfect.”

  “I’m really happy for you,” I say sincerely.

  She blinks her eyes a bit to keep the tears at bay, and her smile widens. “Anyway, enough about the monster growing under my belt. When are you coming?”

  I consider her question. Everything we own is crammed into a small apartment. I can only think of a few things that would even be worth taking, and we would need to weed through the toys. Chris would likely have a fit about his gadgets, but we could find something else to entertain him.

  “Probably a couple of weeks,” I say optimistically.

  When the mirror goes dark at the end of our conversation, I drag out a sheet of paper and a pencil, preparing to make a list. But first, I’m going to have to make a phone call.

  I am surprised that Jason picks on the second ring, even if his voice is impatient when he answers with a sharp “yes?”

  “Hey. I just want to tell you that I’ve been offered an opportunity…”

  “So why are you calling me?” he interrupts, his tone bored. “Look, Kassie. I’ve told you before, I’m not coming back. I have a family now.”

  My face heats. “You already had a family, but that didn’t stop you from leaving,” I snap. When I hear his sigh, I know he’s about to hang up the phone. “I just thought you might want to stop by to say goodbye to the kids since we’re going cross-portal. Maybe even take my magic mirror details in case you want to get in touch…”

  He sighs again, this time far louder in my ear than the last.

  “Kassie, I don’t know if I’ll have time. We’re getting ready to go out of town ourselves for an important meeting. Just leave your portal information with your mother. If I need to get ahold of you, I’ll know where to get it.”

  “I see,” I manage through clenched teeth.

  “Don’t get like this,” he replies angrily. “You know I hate it when you try and manipulate me. I said I can’t come. I can’t just drop my responsibilities at your whim, Kassie. You should have thought of that before you made your plans. I have my own life now. I’m not responsible for yours.”

  “I’m not asking for anything from you, but Jason, you haven’t seen the kids or called them in a year. I just thought you might like to…”

  “Bye, Kassie. Don’t call again.”

  The phone clicks, and there is nothing but silence. It takes me a moment to process the fact that he actually just hung up on me before I slowly lower it and disconnect. Lips thinning, I turn toward the kitchen, aware that Matty is now standing beside me, his little brown eyes watching me solemnly. I ruffle his hair and give him a smile.

  “Hey, kiddo. How about a new adventure?”

  He grins. At least someone was all-in. The other two were going to freak.

  Chapter 2

  Garval

  My brow furrows as I look down and eye my partner skeptically. “You’ve hired who?”


  Lynn barely spares me a glance as she rushes around. I’ve been here for hours already with the morning baking, so I lean leisurely against the wall, my arms crossing over my chest as I observe her frantic daily routine while she downs a cup of coffee.

  “Kassie. You might remember her. The redhead I came to the harvest festival with last year. She needs a fresh start and knows her way around the kitchen. I’ll just need to give her a crash course on how to run this equipment and she’ll be good to go.”

  Of course I remember her, but I have no intention of telling Lynn that. Instead, I drag in a deep breath, my loins tightening with interest as my mind conjures an image of a beautiful woman with long curling hair and a freckled face. I wanted her the moment I saw her, and my heart was soon afterward crushed by the news that she already had a mate and offspring. The latter was no obstacle because I enjoy younglings, and orcs generally enjoy having a large brood, even adopted younglings, but it had pained me to know that she belonged to another male. And Lynn hired her.

  I bite back a groan.

  How am I going to survive being in the same space every day with the one female who has really drawn my interest but who I can’t have? It will be torture. Did Bodi know? My brother is well aware of my infatuation with the little female. Surely, he would have discouraged his mate if he had known. I hope he would, anyway. My brother’s sense of humor is at times questionable, but he has never been what I would call cruel.

  I scrape my short claws against the coarse skin of my jaw, the light stubble rasping beneath them.