Page 24 of Guarded By the Orc

She appreciated even the smallest thing, so I was going to show her the world. There was never going to be anything that she ever wanted for. As long as I could provide it, I would.

“That’s it,” she gasped, gripping my arm tight, pointing with excitement toward the big Tudor-style home on the corner. I frowned as I noticed cars parked in the yard, neatly lined in front of the home.

“You said that the house might be empty?” I asked her, and she froze before nodding.

“I saidmight,” she whispered, her grip on my arm tightening. “But it could be our coven. They lived here, too. I just thought they might leave after… I was taken,” she admitted.

“Wait here,” I told her, running my hand over her curls before I crossed the street. I peeked back at my female and she was standing there, her palms glowing with a purple light that told me she was prepared to protect me. I grinned at that, feeling for the gun pressed securely against my thigh in the holster that I wore.

I could protect myself. I had enough training that I was certain I could handle a few warlocks, but I loved that this female wanted to fight for me too.

I made my way to the door, my hand on my holster, ready to pull my gun at the slightest hint of a threat, pressing the bell. The cheerful sound of the gong inside the house was followed by thesound of many voices inside.

My sensitive ears twitched and I cocked my head, confused.

Females?

Without warning, the door swung open and a little girl with braids stared up at me, her eyes wide in her face. Before I could say anything, she opened her mouth and released the most high pitched scream I had ever heard in my life. I slapped my hands over my ears, wondering if they were bleeding.

The little girl ran up to me, punting me in the leg and then screamed even louder, turning and running back into the house, leaving the door wide open.

What the actual—

“Did you try to take Gabbi?” a female gasped, standing in the doorway, her fingers glowing with the same light that Zara’s had.

“What?” I asked, shaking my head, holding my hands out in a placating gesture. “No, I—”

“Yousicko,” she gasped, raising her hands and blasting me with magick. I staggered back, grateful that it wasn’t a powerful blow, but as three other females crowded into the entryway, their own hands glowing, I backed away from the door.

“No, wait!” I started again, “I didn’t—”

“He’s some kind of pervert,” one of the other females said. “He tried to take Gabbi!”

“No I didn’t,” I insisted, but they lifted their hands, ready to unleash their wrath on me anyway.

That was when the scent of my mate filled my nose. I grabbed her, trying to pull her behind me, but the females all froze when they spotted her. A grin spread across my mate’s face.

“You guys!” she squealed, running up toward them. I reached out, snagging her back into my arms, trying to keep her away from the psychotic hoard of females, but she wasn’t having it.

“They’re my mom’s coven,” she insisted, elbowing me in the stomach. With a grunt, I lowered her to the floor, and she rantoward them.

What happened next was a cacophony of sound and noise, the likes of which I’d never heard in my life. I slapped my hands over my ears again, when the decibel level got so loud I didn’t think I would survive it.

All four of them were hopping around, squeezing Zara in hugs and passing her around, excitement and joy filling their faces. I held my hand out towards her, wondering if they were hurting her, but they turned glares and raised glowing palms my way, warning me off.

This doesn’t bode well for me.

It wasn’t long before the group settled and allowed Zara to explain where she’d been and what had happened.

“When you disappeared,” one female gasped, reaching out to take Zara’s hand in hers, “I thought the worst.”

“Me too,” another sobbed, hugging my mate close.

“Did you bring me anything?” the little girl asked, blinking up at Zara with owlish eyes.

“I did,” she laughed, leaning down to give her a tight hug. “I just didn’t bring it this time. When I come back—”

“What do you mean when you come back?” the female I recognized as Tasia asked, frowning as she turned to eye me with suspicion. “You’ll be staying. This was your home. We might be a little behind on the payments…” she trailed off, staring hard at me and I realized that she didn’t want to finish her sentence while I was there.

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