Page 54 of Guarded By the Orc

Dristan had found his way eventually, and I’d been able to help him. Now I needed to focus on my mate. No, I didn’t need to protect her.

Wewere capable of protecting every member of our clan—including her coven—and I just needed to show her that she was ready for the challenge.

I eyed my brother where he was looking at me with the quiet strength that he’d grown into. I leaned forward, bracing my arms on my desk.

“This is payback for when I messed with your mating, isn’t it?” I asked him, narrowing my eyes.

“Yep,” he said, popping the p and standing, giving a loud harrumph. “And the next time you want to become asgrumpy as I am,” he continued, giving the last few words in the falsetto he used to sound like his mate, “then make sure Pen doesn’t hear about it, so I’m not forced to leave our bed at this ridiculous hour.” He turned on his heel, striding toward the door of my office.

“It’s eight in the morning,” I called to him. “You used to get in earlier than this.”

“I used to not have a life,” he challenged, sending a middle-fingered salute toward me, over his shoulder. “Now get your shit together and stop moping.” He paused for a moment, sending a smirk over his shoulder. “And nice beard, by the way. Following in my footsteps.”

“I love you,” I shouted at him and he grunted in response.

Watching my brother leave, I stiffened my shoulders, standing from my desk and grabbing what I needed before I headed home. It was time that I talked to my mate about everything that was going on.

I’m going to have to get used to this.

Walking into a coven was something of a disaster. No matter what was going on, I was certain that I could never anticipate what would happen.

I’d knocked on the door of the main apartment they were staying in, knowing my female would be there, consulting on what needed to be done for her wand.

“Come in!” someone shouted from the other side, so I swung the door open, stepping inside andimmediatelystepping on a book that was spread on the floor. I jerked backward, off of it, but it was too late.

A small missile launched itself at me, burying its teeth into my leg. While I didn’t feel anything—since orc skin was tough to penetrate or hurt—it was disconcerting to say the least.

“Gabbi, no,” Tasia gasped, reaching for the little female, but she clung to me, her teeth buried as deep as she could get them as she looked up at me with a plea in her eyes.

“Leave her,” I said with a sigh, making a happy squeal leave the little girl. “I’m fine.”

“Oh but she’s biting—” Tasia tried to say, but I waved her off.

“It’s nothing. Orc-skin is tough.”

She looked at me with suspicion for a second before attempting to pry on Gabbi, but the little girl held on tighter, refusing to release me. With a sigh and a glance at my face to determine how genuine I was being, Tasia nodded, sending me a grateful smile before she moved back to the sofa she had been sitting on.

Every female of the coven had a few books in front of them, going through the pages and sending a half-hearted wave my way. Gabbi had lain her own picture books out in front of thedoor. That was what I’d stepped on when I’d entered.

“Zara?” I asked, looking around and Tabitha pointed toward a bedroom when Gabbi got bored with my lack of reaction and toddled back to her books. I moved over toward it, my mate’s scent filling my lungs and calming the raging emotions inside of me.

“Gul-ar,” I said in a low voice as I stepped inside. She looked up from where she’d covered the bed with books, open pages surrounding her.

“Hey,” she said with a smile, scuttling off the bed to meet me at the door. My chest ached as she did.

I knew how busy she was. She was searching for a way to focus her powers, but she’d dropped that for me without a second thought. I swept her up in my arms as soon as she was close enough, crushing her against my chest.

“Oof,” she gasped, running her hands over my back, tucking her legs around me to steady herself. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, but I wanted to talk to you,” I told her, moving so I was sitting on an empty space on the bed, settling her on my lap and ensuring she was looking at me. “And it’s serious.”

“Well if it’s serious, then you shouldn’t be tempting me with your orc meat,” she sniffed, rolling her hips and making my eyes cross.

“Behave,” I growled, giving her ass a firm squeeze.

“Behaveyourself,” she said with a grin, running her fingers through my beard and then down my chest. “You’re the one who came in here looking scrumptious when I’m stressed out. We’re looking for anything else we need to know before we try to cast a protection spell on the wood that Savla’s going to make my wand from.”

Her words settled some of the lust that was pumping through my veins and I ran a gentle hand down her back. “I can help you look,” I said in a low voice and the sweet shock and joy that filledher face at my words made me want to smack myself across the head.

---