1LODGE INVITE
Alex
The sun had sunk below the trees by the time I parked my car at the cafe. I checked myself in the mirror for a moment, running my fingers through my short blonde hair.
I looked like I belonged on the beaches of California, not in the forests here. Even in a nice shirt and slacks, I couldn’t shake the golden boy vibes I had somehow retained as a grown man.
Monsters.
I sat in the car for a moment longer, considering leaving. Considering not walking in to meet a creature that would want me.
I’d be lying if I acted like I wasn’t scared.
I could have been like every other human in the world if I wouldn’t have been nearly drowned by three sirens years ago. That was how I’d learned about what went bump in the night— that creatures with claws and fangs did exist, not only in nightmares but in the real world too.
Fuck, sometimes I was convinced my boss was one.
I was going to do this.
I drew in a deep breath and then got out, heading towards the front doors of the cafe. I pushed them open, stepping inside to a very calming, but eclectic atmosphere.
“Is that my boy?” a very gruff voice echoed through the cafe.
I froze for a moment, my heart skipping a beat. Everyone that was sitting at tables carried on except for one— a massive green orc with rippling muscles and a dark braid down his back. Tusks jutted from his lower lip, and even from across the room, I felt the pull.
The draw.
The need.
I blushed heavily as I crossed the cafe towards him, joining a small table beneath a very sexual painting that had me pausing for a moment.
“It’s an entertaining piece. I’m Jasper,” he said, leaning back in his chair to study me.
“I’m Alex,” I said, holding out my hand.
Jasper raised a dark eyebrow, cocking his head. “Is that how you greet your new mate, boy?”
Both of my brows shot up. “We— we aren’t mated yet,” I said, shocked.
Jasper grinned and took my hand, his so much bigger than mine that I actually gulped. He gave it a firm shake, let me go, and I found myself immediately taking a seat across from him.
I’d seen plenty of monsters in my life, but I hadn’t met many orcs. I didn’t know anything about them either, except that they were known to be primal, brusque, firm.
“We will be if you accept me,” Jasper said, smiling again.
Every time he smiled, his tusks moved a little— giving him a monstrous smirk.
“This is a first date,” I said, still thrown off.
“Indeed,” he said, nodding. “That it is. So tell me about yourself, Alex.”
“Well,” I stammered, finally relaxing in my seat some. “It’s been a long time since someone has thrown me off like this, so give me a second.”
Jasper’s grin grew broader. “I can be a little blunt. A little wild.”
I could see that just by the glint in his eyes.
“I think Quinn or Trixie will bring us some coffee, unless you’d rather something else,” he said, raising a dark brow.