Page 35 of Lost to the Orcs

I drop my head down, chin to chest, a humourless laugh escapes my constricting throat. Fuck. Just absolutely fuck fuck fuck. I’ve been so good. Mates escorting me everywhere as I mentally documented all the turns for two months. And I still get lost. They are going to be so disappointed. Not that I don’t remember the way but that I decided to go off on my own.

Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.

I feel the darkness spilling inside of me. Spreading like a poison in my brain down my spine and into my extremities. I’m paralyzed. I can’t…

“-key?”

My head jerks, smacking into the wall. A pained sound spills from me but I look towards the voice. “Are you lost?”

“Nu.” It’s a child. Not Ys’ari, as the voices are quite different.

“I’m lost.” My voice catches in the darkness.

“Halp yuu?” I hum like my mates, in agreement.

“Please?”

A soft giggle fills the air around us. It really is the cutest sound I think I’ve heard in a while. Even cuter than Ys’ari’s. A small hand grasps a few of my fingers. “ ‘um-on.” The little voice encourages, tugging. I stand up as I sniffle and let the little… Orcling, I surmise as the claw tipped fingers indicate, leads me through the dark.

“Do you live here?” He makes a chuffed sound almost like a cough. “Do you have a name?” Another chuff. I snort. He giggles. “What isyour name?”

“Ar deh an.” Ardehan? Odd. But Orcs seem to have odd names.

“Who do you live with? Your dad?”

“Aye there.” He tries to enunciate. I shake my head. That sounded suspiciously like ‘Aithír’. I shake my head.

“Oh yeah? Is that your daddy’s name?” I can almost feel him shaking his head. I hum. The boy hums back. My lips quirk at the corners. “Oh!” I gasp when we turn a corner and are instantly standing in the light. “How in the world did I miss this?” It is definitely a grumble and the little boy giggles again. He’s such a happy baby.

I look down at the little Orcling in front of me with his black hair with brownish tinge, his grey green skin. He looks over his shoulder at me and I trip. Worry sparks flecks of green in his golden eyes.

What?

~~~~~

We are sitting in my rooms. My and my mates’ rooms. My mates and our son’s room.

I look down at my son. For that is exactly what he is. When he is very very obviously my mates’ child. A child I was not informed about. A child that happened upon me in the darkness of the mountain.

Secrets. I inwardly scoff. U’snar mentioned he had secrets. That everyone had secrets. And boy did he!

“Arawn, do your Aithír’s have toys for you to play with?”

He shrugs his tiny shoulders. As if he doesn’t know. How doesn’t he know?

My simmering anger must have finally found its way down the bond because for a long time now, that tether has felt hot and strained and only now do I feel apprehension and concern that is not my own.

When my mates arrive, it is to my foot tapping on the floor in order to rid myself of this excess embitterment and our son looking quite nervous. If this were in a show, I’m pretty sure my mates would be thinking the boy got in trouble. But no. The baby isn’t in trouble. It is them.Theyare in trouble.

With narrowed eyes I watch the shocked males freeze in the entryway. “Hello,” I greet with a strained smile, my eyes spitting. “Would you look at who I stumbled across in the darkness of the mountain!” I gesture to the child before me. “He’s so cute, with hisgoldeneyes and his beautifulblackhair. And would youlookat his complexion?” I do give the boy a genuine wide smile because he truly is a gorgeous child. I stand up and pet the boys hair, as he smiles and leans into the action. I look at my mates with mock surprise. “I mean, he almost looks like my darling mates to perfection! It’s such a wonder.”

U’snar swallows. His expression strained. The bond a tightrope tether. Jaedason is also looking at U’snar. But with an expression of disbelief.

I shake my head when neither male says anything. “Dramatics aside, I want to know why I was kept in the dark.” My anger dissipates like a cloud of noxious fumes into the windy air. Leaving me barren and confused.

“Ach, why?” Jaedason murmurs, arching a brow at his brother.

U’snar’s hands reach up to his face and he rubs it fiercely with a moan. “We discuss this after Arawn goes t’ nursery?”

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