Vexing the Grumpy Orc

Territory lines weren’t made to keep out fate.

Hannah
Saving my petrified familiar requires rare mountain mushrooms and sacred ritual grounds. Unfortunately, both sit squarely in one extremely hot and incredibly grumpy orc’s territory. One defiant step across my ritual circle unleashes magic far more dangerous than any gorgon’s curse—the kind that burns between bodies instead of bones.
But with Digby’s stone form growing colder by the day, failure isn’t an option—even if success means trusting the orc who ruins my spells with a single touch.

Galan
Witches destroy everything they touch. My father’s exile taught me that lesson well.
But this witch stalks my woods with a sharp tongue and even sharper magic. Her fierce loyalty and forbidden rituals set my blood burning and instincts snarling for more.
My chief shatters my solitude and commands me to keep her safe while my father orders me to march her off a cliff. Blood should win over heart, but she makes me question every truth I thought I knew.
Fate branded Hannah into my soul, and I won’t rest until I claim her as mine.