Page 65 of That’s My Orc, Tusk Off

“You’re right. We need to fix this. We’re not letting Rue go anywhere without Fern.”

We.

Like it was obvious. As if there was never a question that we’d do this together.

The ache climbed my throat.

I was falling for someone who said we like it was the simplest thing in the world.

We approached the family together.

“We need to talk about something we’ve just confirmed,” Traig said.

Tom and Lisa turned, giving each other confused looks.

Mandy joined us, keeping one hand on Rue’s neck.

“Is something wrong?” Lisa asked.

“We believe Rue and the other bloomback, Fern, are bonded,” I said. “It’s not just friendship or herd behavior. They need each other.”

Traig pulled up his tablet and showed them the data. “When we separated them for a medical examination weeks ago, Fern stopped eating for two days. Her flower color changed. She wouldn’t graze.”

He gestured toward the enclosure.

“Today, when Rue left with Mandy, Fern’s flowers turned gray. We’ve never seen that before. It indicates severe distress.”

Mandy’s face fell. She glanced between Fern and Rue before turning to her parents.

“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I didn’t know I was hurting her.”

Lisa put an arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

“You weren’t,” I said gently. “You couldn’t have known. We didn’t know until today.”

Mandy wiped her eyes. “But now we do.”

“It’s new information,” Traig said. “We’ll include it in both their files.”

“We’d like to offer you two options,” I said. “You can adopt both bloombacks as a bonded pair, or your application can stay on file if the situation changes.”

Mandy looked at her parents. “Mom, Dad, we have the space. Please.”

Tom ran a hand through his hair. “We’d need to check our budget. Make sure we can handle two.”

“Of course,” I said. “Take your time. There’s no pressure.”

Lisa’s gaze moved between Rue and Fern. “They really need each other?”

“Yes,” Traig said.

“I don’t want to hurt Fern,” Mandy said, turning to her parents. “If they love each other, they’re already a family, like us.”

Tom pulled out his phone, typing. “We'll talk it over. Check the set-up and budget. Can we let you know in a day or two?”

“Of course,” I said.

Mandy kissed Rue’s forehead before leading her back to the gate.