Page 80 of The Billionaire Orc

“Tor… am I…” Her eyes were suddenly round with apprehension. “Am I still me?”

“You are still you, my pet—beautiful, alive, human, soft, angelic, stunning and…” He stopped abruptly.

“What were you about to say?” she asked softly.

“Mine,” he said, then looked down, biting his lip sheepishly. “And that was a fucking tactless way to put it after what you’ve been through. I didn’t mean I want to possess you. I mean I want… to be your mate. To love and cherish you.”

“I know what you meant, Tor. I want that too, more than anything.” She winced again. “Once this headache goes away.”

After Tor had carried her out to the hovercopter, he sat and kissed her hair, his arm around her, and she nuzzled into his chest as they took flight toward Motham.

“I am yours… if you’ll have me. I want to be with you, Shona, to explore this magic between us. I’ve missed you like I missed a part of me.”

She struggled up and nuzzled against his chest. “Oh Tor, he tried to turn me against you with some awful documentary about orcs. All I could think was how much I want to be around orc kind.”

He winced. He’d heard about that awful lying documentary, but he’d never seen it.

“But Tor, it didn’t work. Because nothing could turn me off orcs, not after meeting you.”

“Oh, babe.” He kissed her lips gently.

When she pulled away, she looked worried. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I didn’t get to thank Zoe.”

“Zoe?”

“The goblin girl who relayed the message to my parents.”

“Don’t worry babe, we’ll make sure she gets the message.”

And I need to get her a place at Motham college to learn to read and?—”

“Yes, all of that will be taken care of, don’t worry. And we’ve let your parents know you’re safe. They’re on the way to Motham now.”

Her face brightened. “Oh Tor, you’ll meet my mom and dad. I wonder if you’ll remember each other from all those years ago.”

“I would never forget them, but I doubt they’ll recognize me. I was just another monster escaping servitude.”

“I promise you they’ll remember someone as special as you.”

He growled, blushing green.

“I mean it. You are an amazing guy, Tor Arquin.” She sighed as she laid her head back on his chest.

Tor could only kiss the crown of her head, too choked up with gratitude to answer.

Chapter

Twenty

Waldo was waiting at Dove Realty when they touched down. Tor carried Shona into the apartment and laid her on the sofa, then Waldo took blood and mixed it with a green liquid in a small vial. The color turned purple. “That’s good, it means the Bloodrose has worn off with no major ill effects,” Waldo said with a relieved smile. “You’re in the clear, Shona. We won’t have to use the antidote.”

Shona lay back on the cushions, relieved. She felt weak… but happy. So happy.

“We’ll make sure Matteus also gets charged for using an illegal substance,” Waldo said.

By now Grayson had arrived, accompanied by gnarly old Tom, both of them squeezing their gargoyle wings through the door. The apartment was practically bursting at the seams.

---