Page 129 of Valpar

My female swallowed and grabbed my hand. Her thumb ran over the scrapes of my knuckles. “I’m so sorry, but… Karma said I wouldn’t see Simon again if you came with me. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t risk it.”

I would never understand her relationship with this goat, but she needed to try. “If I lost you, my little fairy, do you know what it would have done to me?” I pleaded with her. “I would have left this world to be with you. I cannot breathe without you. You are everything to me. My heart beats for you alone.”

I could feel my female trembling as I held her. She was still struggling to understand my love for her. With a deep breath, I cupped her face between my hands and gazed into her eyes, trying to convey the intensity of these feelings.

“Calliope, listen to me. I would do anything, risk everything, for you. You are my everything, my reason for living. Next time—tell me what’s happening. We figure things outtogether. You are not alone. I promised you I would find Simon and I meant it. I would have beaten, tortured, killed those two until they told me where Simon was to make you happy.”

She bit on her bottom lip. “I didn’t think about that.”

I sighed heavily and pulled her to my chest. “Please don’t go willingly, ever again. You fight, you scream. I will always rescue you, and Simon. Nothing will ever happen to my family.”

Simon bleated and nudged my side.

“And Simon will save you.” Calliope gazed up at me and beamed.

I rolled my eyes again. “I was fine, female. He just helped.”

She hummed, unconvinced and petted Simon between the ears. “Who is a good baby goat, huh? Who is my good baby goat?”

Simon groaned and stretched out his neck. My little fairy continued to scratch, so I narrowed my eyes and pulled her hand away from him to put it in on my head. “I deserve scratches too,” I told her.

She grinned and used both of her hands to give us equal head scratches.

I’m not jealous of a goat, I’m not.

Fuck, I am.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her close, then made her explain in detail what happened to her. From Ivy flying her here, to the bottle she had in her lap and the witch.

I was disappointed I wouldn’t be killing the fairy, but I still had Karma I got to destroy. How both idiots came up with the idea of contacting a witch took far more effort I thought they would ever go to. Their brains were the size of peas, and they hated the sweetness of my mate so much they wanted to ruin her life?

I kept forgetting that some souls are just more evil that others. They just want to see others suffer for their own enjoyment. I’d never seen it until I knew the world of Bergarian. Perhaps that is why orcs stayed to themselves. The world was too messy to get involved with others—all we needed was our females.

I could not wait to get hold of Karma.

I could pluck out his wings and have him fermented in some orc ale. I’d drink the dissolved, glittery piece of shit he was straight down. I scrunched my nose up at that thought. He might make the ale too sweet.

A groan came from behind us, and I paused my little fairy’s scratching. I stood, ready to finish the witch, but Creed’s silent footsteps, despite his size, marked him already dragging the witch deeper into the wood. She groaned again. Creed’s nose let out a billow of smoke and when he retreated further into the brush, I knew exactly what he was going to do.

“Valpar?” My sweet female began as I pulled her to standing.

I shook my head and pulled her into my arms so that I may carry her away. I did not need her to hear the witch’s screams if she awoke while Creed finished her. Dragons love to eat witches. They absorb their power, even if that one was still young and not as powerful as the ones we had fought in the war.

I carried my miresa through the wood, and she pointed to where Ivy and Karma first took her, and I could see the white petals where Ivy was destroyed. I huffed in annoyance.

Ivy was dead and I was angry I did not get to torture her.

So far, I had killed none of her enemies.

Annoying.

Wings buzzed overhead and we both looked up into the branches. My little fairy’s parents had arrived, as well as King Osirus, his mate and soldiers.

Her mother screamed and cried, peppering kisses over Calliope’s face while she was still in my arms. It took Birch several minutes to pull her away.

I debriefed them about what happened. My little fairy stayed silent while I told them the story, keeping her face plastered to my chest. King Osirus’ wings instantly darkened and his eyes glowed golden with fury. He began to give orders to go in search of the witch, but I held out my hand to stop them.

“I didn’t even know Prinna had a daughter.” King Osirus said. “As a child, I’m glad she survived the war, but am sad she still had the same beliefs as her mother, however.”

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