Page 61 of Valpar

Yup, he was definitely a lumber snack!

Pixies screamed again. The females were all swooning and fanning themselves while the males look a little ticked.

They got interrupted playing the hokey-pokey!

The tree Valpar picked wasn’t a homing tree for pixies, it didn’t have any ribbons in the low-lying branches as a warning. The male pixies were just mad because they were interrupted.

I giggled, watching the females flutter around Valpar. He waved his hand to push them away and looked at me.

I beamed at him. Both, that he would wave the pixies away, and that he had that much strength. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shifter push over a tree. I’d never asked Creed to do it, maybe I’ll ask him next time I see him.

Valpar let out a roar, his muscles rippling under his skin as he went for another tree. His face had turned grumpy and determined, and my eyes lit up when he wrapped his arms around the trunk and squeezed.

Oh, his butt muscles are just so nice.

Just wanna bite them.

Chomp, chomp.

The wind blew, so I got a good look at his right cheek and my mouth dropped.

“What the hell is that orc doing!?” I heard Karma’s voice come from my right, and I groaned. “He’s gonna wreck the whole forest!”

Burgers and fries, it’s mynemisisis.

Yes,nemisisis. He needs extraisbecause he is so evil.

I waved my hand like he was a fly. “Ugh, why are you here? Why don't you fly back down to the bowels of the Underworld and go buzz around one of Hades’ trees? Maybe he’ll set you on fire for me,” I whispered.

Karma let out a strangled noise.

“Besides, isn’t it your and the nymphs’ jobs to fix broken trees when the elves aren’t around? He’s just giving you work to do, so you aren’t lazy and eating people’s cupcakes.”

Simon let out a long bleat and tried to bite his wings. “I will tell the king about this, Calliope. He will be disappointed in you, in…that thing!” He pointed to Valpar, who was really amping up his movements, pounding into random trees.

It was…really hot!

I crossed my legs and made sure I tied the top of his dress tunic, so nothing showed. My hair was finally drying but between my legs was another story.

Karma’s nose turned up. “Don’t tell me you are becoming a whore, too, now, huh? You are really falling for that thing? For your babysitter?”

I snapped my head to Karma. “I’ll have you know he is my mate. You are just a jealous flying glitter-turd, who is upset you aren’t in the court helping with my uncle. You would think you would want to get on my good side, instead of terrorizing me, so I could help you with that, but you have to be a dingus.”

Karma’s wings fluttered agitatedly as he stared at me with a mix of annoyance and disbelief. “You can’t be serious, Calliope. He’s an orc! You can’t possibly feel a bond, anyway, you are ahuman. Humans have no feelings or blessings from a goddess.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and ignored the stab at me. “He may be an orc, but he is my orc. You are just jealous he won’t be sticking his pinky up your tiny little asshole and pricking your shoulder to claim you.”

Karma gasped as the other pixies giggled, while they mended the tree Valpar just broke.

Simon tried to take another bite out of Karma while he wasn’t watching but he flew to the other side of my shoulder.

“Then, you two are made for each other.” Karma snorted and put his hands on his hips. “Two barbaric creatures that have noright to be in this kingdom. I can’t wait until he carts you off into the Wood and I don’t have to see your face.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically. “That makes two of us.”

“Should have happened already. Real mates claim them the same night. Why hasn’t he marked you.” Karma looked over my shoulder for a bite. “I see nothing. Maybe he doesn’t want you. You must have said or done something. Did he see your scrawny body and decide he didn’t want it? Is that why you are covered up?”

I parted my lips and looked down. He did throw this tunic over me rather quickly.

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