Page 29 of Guarded By the Orc

“Thank you for this,” she whispered, and I nodded, tucking her curls behind her ear before closing her door and looking at the others.

Tasia was struggling to get Gabbi buckled into her car seat, but the girl was too busy trying to escape, her gaze locked on me. “Mama,no. I want to ride withhim.”

“Gabbi, I swear to the Goddess Mother,” Tasia hissed, attempting to wrestle the little girl into submission. “If you don’t staystill.”

I made my way over toward her and Gabbi’s eyes widened with glee. She held her hands out toward me as if I was there to save her and my heart melted for the tiny female.

“You’re going to protect us,” Gabbi announced with a firm nod, but Tasia was able to get the belt buckled when she went still.

“I will,” I told her, crouching next to her. “And you have to promise to stay safe until then. That means staying in your car seat. Alright?”

She looked up at me, nodding with a seriousness that told me she was listening to every word. “Alright,” she repeated, holding both thumbs up to me.

I looked over at Tasia who heaved out a sigh, swiping the back of her palm over her forehead. I was beginning to realize why the female had taken on the job of hunting Rok. She didn’t seem vindictive.

It was looking more and more like she’d done it to take care of this little one. I couldn’t fault her for that. Still, I wasn’t willing to give out my full trust until I knew more.

“You can follow me if you’d like, or you can put the address in the GPS. It’ll take you to the building and there’s underground parking,” I explained, making sure that the others could hear me.

“Thank you,” Tasia breathed, not looking at me. “For doing this for us. After… everything.”

I gave a small grunt, letting her know that all wasnotforgiven, and I turned to head back to the SUV.

CHAPTER 15

Rudgar

Iparked next to the elevator, texting Dristan to come down to meet me, as I exited the SUV.

“Stay here,” I told Zara and Tabitha with a smile. “I’ll get the others all set with the parking and then we’ll head up.”

They nodded—my female looking at me with stars in her eyes that I hoped would never go away—and I exited the car. I pointed out the empty spaces that they could park in for now, until I got them set up with their own designated spots and turned as I scented my brother coming out of the elevator.

He frowned at me, his eyebrows high as he saw the other cars. “What the fuck?” he asked.

“So,” I started, my most charming smile on my face and then he held up a hand, cutting me off.

“Are you moving more people into the building?” he asked with an aggrieved voice.

“Yes,” I told him, holding a finger up. “But it’s a good cause.”

“It’salwaysa good cause with you,” he muttered, rolling hiseyes, narrowing his gaze on where Tasia was sitting in her car. “Is that the witch who sent Rok back?”

I nodded, moving closer to him to make sure that no one heard. “I think there’s more to that story than we know. But for now, Zara’s taken over the coven as the new High Priestess and they have nowhere to stay.”

He huffed out a breath, throwing his hands up. “Do I have any say in this?” he demanded.

“Of course you do,” I said, slapping him across the shoulder. “You’re going to have to welcome them, since you’re the Chief of the clan.”

“Chief of the clan my ass,” he muttered, sneering as he watched the females exit the cars. When Tasia unbuckled Gabbi, he stiffened next to me. “A youngling?” he hissed, looking from me to the tiny girl. “I can’t be responsible for a youngling! I have my own on the way and—” The panic in his voice made me grin and I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, relieved that I wasn’t in charge of the clan the way he was.

“Well you are now,” I crowed, heading toward my SUV to open the doors for Tabitha and my female. They stepped out, and Zara’s smile was glowing as she took in the coven. She hugged me around my arm, snuggling her luscious breasts against my arm and sweat beaded on my upper lip.

Fuck. Holding back an erection is harder than I thought.

“I can’t believe I have a coven,” she squealed, shimmying against me and making me recite the ridiculous Orcish tongue-twisters my mother taught Dristan and I when we were younger. “This is going to be the best.”

I nodded, running my palm up her arm, the skin soft and supple under my hand.

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