THE BARISTA
Every week,there was something else going wrong. Tonight had been one of the first nights in awhile that had felt normal— and of course my green orcish friend had barged in.
I wasn’t angry about it. I’d finally come to terms with what was coming towards me.
I wasn’t going to fucking stop.
Jasper raised a brow, crossing his bulky arms. We both stood in the cooler and I wished, once again, that my friend would wear pants. Instead, I was faced with his bulge behind a furred kilt— one that even I couldn’t ignore.
“My eyes are up here,” he grumbled, although he smirked.
“It’s hard to ignore,” I chuckled.
“Been too long, huh?”
“Jasper,” I sighed, annoyed. “I know what you want. Based on the way you barraged into my cafe without even a text first. I thought you were on your hunting trip.”
“I was and then I caught a scent.”
“A scent?” I asked, my eyes narrowing.
Jasper leaned against the cooler door, his head bobbing.
“Go on,” I growled.
“It was his scent.”
“His as in whom, Jasper?” I said, drumming my fingers on my arm.
“Give me a second, I’m building the atmosphere.”
“Jasper, you’ve helped me out with some difficult situations but I will end you.”
He barked out a laugh, his eyes gleaming for a moment.
Everyone thought Jasper was an idiot but he was far, far from it. He only helped Al and me when I needed someone that could relieve tension, gather information, and fight a fucking good fight. He was a business-orc at the end of the day, owning several hunting lodges around the nation.
He was a friend, an old one.
“Lucifer’s almost back, my friend. I can smell the hellfire. The scent I caught in the forest was from a circle that was drawn by a witch. She’s dead now. Slaughtered. Blood drained. Not by one of our vampires, though,” he said. “By him.”
I felt my blood turn cold, my stomach clenching. “He doesn’t take offerings anymore.”
“It looked like he did, B. The signs were there.”
“He hates me, he hates humans, he doesn’t hate creatures,” I said firmly.
I didn’t want to believe that he would have done that, even if he was still trying to gather back his powers.
Jasper scowled for a moment. “I know it’s hard. I know you loved him.”
“We’re not discussing my feelings right now.”
Jasper shrugged. “You need to with someone.”
“Not right now,” I growled. “So you came to tell me?”
“Yes. Also, I want my bloody mate. I’m about to be in a rut and it’s time. I can feel it in my balls.”