Page 25 of My Orc Has Big Tusks
Laina hadcurtsied.
My throat tightened until it hurt.
The vellicharm stood and approached the crate door.
Laina waited.
“May I examine you?” she asked.
The creature dipped her head once. Permission granted.
Laina opened the crate slowly, her movements matching the creature’s pace. The vellicharm stepped out into the room and sat, her posture perfect.
I’d worked with a vellicharm once. It had scratched me before I’d finished the intake assessment.
Laina ran her hands over the creature’s shoulders, checking for injuries or abnormalities. The vellicharm allowed it, watching her with luminous green eyes.
She moved through the exam in a steady, thorough way, paying attention to everything. When the creature’s claws flexed, she adjusted her grip without flinching.
The vellicharm relaxed under her hands.
“Thank you,” Laina said softly. To me or the creature; I wasn’t sure.
She finished the exam and stepped back. “You’re in excellent health, Duchess. We’ll find you a good home.”
The vellicharm stood, dipped her head, and returned to the crate.
Krem wheeled her out, grinning. “That went much better than expected.”
Laina leaned against the counter beside me, swiping hair out of her eyes. “Has one ever scratched you?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do wrong?”
“I didn’t bow first.”
She laughed.
I froze, wanting to hear it again.
CHAPTER SIX
BROVISH
Laina’s laughter faded, though her eyes still gleamed. “What should I do next? Who’s in need of a veterinarian?”
“Could you examine Abagail? She’s a snugglethorn, and I feel like there’s something wrong.”
“Lead the way.”
We walked outside.
“Abagail arrived a few months ago from the orc kingdom,” I said as I led her along the enclosures to one near the end. “She was found beside a road, and no one came forward to claim her. But it was clear she’d been someone’s pet. We couldn’t release her into the wild. Something is wrong with her.”
“Let’s see if we can figure it out.”
Abagail lay in her enclosure, her body pressed against the far wall.
