23. Mustaf

"Yep, that shouldn't be a problem. No, I'll let him know, just send me the details." Meiko finishes a phone call as I walk into the living room.

Curious, I raise a questioning eyebrow as she turns to me, her face lighting up with happiness. "What's up?" I ask, settling on the oversized chair.

"Lalaine and Dragan have invited us up to their mountain villa for the weekend! The whole group is going, and I thought we could make a nice little vacation out of it," she offers. "Unless you're busy this weekend?"

I chuckle, unable to contain my amusement at her excitement. The Meiko most people know is poised and controlled, yet the Meiko I have come to know recently is a more joyful, expressive version of herself, a version I highly enjoy.

"No, I don"t have anything scheduled this weekend, but are you sure it's safe to travel in your condition?" In my spare time, I've been reading up on pregnancy. Orc women also tend to be a little sturdier physically, so it's tough to not be concerned when I consider Meiko's more delicate frame.

Naturally, she rolls her eyes at me, but pats my hand in gentle reassurance. "I shouldn't have technical difficulties, if that's what you're worried about. It's generally considered safe for women to travel during pregnancy. We can even take a plane up until the third trimester."

"Alright, then let's go." After all, why not? Both of us have been so caught up in our fake engagement and adjusting to living together that neither of us have hung out with our friends since the housewarming party.

"Great, I'll get started on packing then." Meiko is too elegant to start jumping up and down like an excited teenager, but that type of energy seems to simmer below her cool exterior.

She moves out of the room as quickly as her body will allow these days, and I'm left staring at her backside. It's a glorious sight, but I can't shake the niggling worry that sits in the back of my mind.

Sadly, my concern doesn't lessen, even as we step off the private jet and into the crisp mountain air. There's more than just the physical danger of going up into the mountains. There are also the strains of the outside reality. Our home has become a sort-of protective bubble that has incubated our tentative connection, but now out in the real world, I worry that Meiko may come to regret our agreement.

I want her tethered to me in every way possible. Yet I know that our relationship is a tenuous one, built on a night of heated passion that turned into an uncertain future. I don't want to keep her as a prisoner in our home, but I want to convince her that we are a solid choice, regardless of the circumstances that led to here.

My thoughts weigh heavy as we get closer to our destination, but Meiko is more excited to be reuniting with our friends. Silently, I try to draw from her strength, while on the outside I play the part of the pseudo-charming, amateur tour guide. My friends and I have come up here a few times in the past, so I'm familiar with the area.

The villa is picturesque as always. Many orcs still pride themselves on a connection to nature, though my friends and I have done well enough to incorporate a certain amount of modern luxury into our sensibilities. Both entourages have already arrived and proceed to greet us merrily.

Within moments, Meiko is out of the car, hugging and laughing with the other women. I only have a moment to watch them commence a snowball fight before I, too, am engulfed by my posse.

It is truly good to see the guys again. Our bonds have always run deep. However, seeing their smiling faces sends a stab of guilt through me, much like it did when we introduced our families to one another.

It's a reminder of how I am not being truthful by hiding that Meiko and I are in a false relationship. How can I promise to be a better man for her, if I can't even be honest with my friends about our status?

"Welcome, brother," Dragan greets me first, followed quickly by the others as we clasp shoulders and exchange hands. Leaving the women to their own devices, we head inside for the warmth and the chance to catch up, deciding to save the outdoor activities for later.

"So, how's the honeymoon coming along?" Maui asks jovially, leaning back against the oversized chair in the study as Dragan expertly hands him a drink. "Didn't think we'd see you guys surface for another few months at least."

"We're not sick of each other, if that's what you're asking." Dragan chuckles. "But we figure the villa is too big for just the two of us to enjoy alone."

Dragan decided to surprise Lalaine with a honeymoon trip around the world. I'm happy for my friend, truly, yet I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy at his fortune.

A few months ago, I could have never imagined envying the kind of happiness they have, but now I find that it's all I want. I want that openness for me and Meiko, but I don't know if I deserve it or if she'll even accept it. It's been a few weeks already since I began my quiet campaign to win her over. But I haven't seen any positive indication on her side that she's receptive to the idea, apart from a softening when she looks at me.

Something must pass over my face, because Dragan cocks his head when he hands me my drink. "Lalaine and I aren't the only couple in the throes of bliss though. How goes your engagement, Mustaf?"

"That look doesn't bode well," Fordan comments. He's looking at me as well, with a slight frown on his face. "Is there trouble in paradise?"

I stand with a sigh and begin pacing the room. "The trouble is that paradise is a lie," I begin quietly. "Meiko and I are going to have a kid together, but the engagement is fake."

My friends sit up straighter now, their attention sharpened on me as I relate our story. I confess everything, from essentially bribing her with the security of a false engagement and the arrangement we made, to my growing feelings and my fear that she won't reciprocate them.

"But you really love her, don't you?" Fordan asks once I finish my tale. My pacing has calmed, and I stare into the warm fireplace, lost in thought.

"Of course, he does," Maui scoffs. "Jokes aside, we knew as much back in the Maldives. Thick-headed as he is, it's just taken him this long to admit it."

"And now you've got the problem of trying to convince her of your sincerity," Dragan surmises. "Plus, hoping she's interested in something that's more than just practical."

Nodding, I feel a certain amount of peace after confessing to my friends, but I also feel defeated at the same time. "I don't know what to do. I've never been in this position before."

The phone rings, startling the four of us for a moment. Dragan gets up to answer it while my two remaining friends focus back on me.

"But that's just it," Fordan replies simply. "You've never been in this position before, because you've never been in love before."

"Yeah, all those other women were just false flags," Maui concurs. "What is that expression that human women say? You have to kiss a few toads before you can find your prince – or princess, in this case."

"How does that help me?" I ask in confusion.

"What our esteemed colleague is trying to say is that although what you and Meiko have seems fake, it is actually very real." Fordan takes another sip of his drink. "You're really in love, for the first time in your life, and that makes it fate."

"Take a real chance, Mustaf, and tell her how you feel," Maui adds earnestly. "She may be needing to hear the words just as much as you do. If this connection you have with Meiko is as strong as you say it is, then she is your true mate, and she feels its pull just as strongly as you do."

Could they be right? Could the answer be that simple? I've been holding back from Meiko because I didn't want to overwhelm her, but maybe I've just been getting in my own way. Dragan strides back over at that moment, a drawn look to his features.

"That was local law enforcement," he begins without preamble. "There's been an avalanche nearby, and several groups have been trapped under the drifts. They want all able-bodied hands available for search and rescue."

All of us spring into action. Maui and Fordan move to the closet to grab extra jackets and equipment, while Dragan orders some of his staff to prepare the snowmobiles he keeps for mountain excursions. I take on the task of heading outside to relay the circumstances to the women.

Meiko is the first to spot me. Running over, her smile slips as she takes in my hardened expression. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"There's been an avalanche, and local law enforcement needs all hands on deck," I explain tersely. "We want you all to stay here while we join the search-and-rescue teams."

"That sounds incredibly dangerous," Meiko says quietly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The rest of the guys are outside now, and I hear the roar of snowmobiles coming up to the drive. But all I have eyes for is Meiko and the pale look of fear she gives me.

"No, I don't want to, but how could any of us live with ourselves if we stood by and did nothing?" Looking down at her concerned expression, a wave of love comes over me so powerful that I can do nothing except give into it.

Swooping down, I give Meiko a deep and passionate kiss. We've touched and held each other since moving in together, but we haven't seriously kissed since our night in the Maldives. Meiko gives in just as fiercely as she did then, and I can feel her strength empowering me. We kiss for a full minute in front of all our friends before I pull back to rest my forehead against hers.

"I want to go with you and help," she murmurs against my lips.

"I can't be safe unless I know you're safe, and it's too dangerous out there for you. Think of our baby," I order, hoping she'll understand my response.

She nods, although the worry doesn't lift from her eyes. "Then promise me you'll come back to us safe."

"I promise," I reply with a final kiss, before climbing onto one of the vehicles. It's a promise I intend to keep, even as I move further away, deeper into the chill of the mountain.

As the physical distance between us grows, the longing in my heart to pick up where we left off swells.