My Orc Pen Pal

Look, I love a primitive, obsessed book hero as much as the next gal, but when my long-time pen pal shows up and insists I’m his Mate? That’s a bit too far.

When I joined MonsterSmash (purely for research, obviously), I started exchanging emails with a sweet, smart, and ridiculously charming orc. Our messages became the highlight of my day—deep conversations, flirty banter, even a little…okay, a lot of the best kind of tension. But that was all supposed to stay online.
Then he waltzes into my small town, all muscles, tusks, and devastating confidence, ready for our first real date, surprising the heck out of me (third-grade teachers use words like heck, so sue me). And I won’t lie—the date was a smashing (heh, pun intended) success. So was what came after. (Spoiler: me.)
But then he drops the bombshell: he’s claiming me as his Mate.
Excuse me? What is this, the Stone Age? I don’t have to be claimed by some primal, possessive beast…right? But he’s, um…very persuasive, and I agree to give him three dates to prove me wrong.

Just three dates. What’s the worst that could happen?