Chapter 13

Thirteen

Ovivia

Ovivia

I wake up, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I actually feel... good. As I stretch, I become acutely aware of the soreness between my legs and the sticky residue on my skin. My mind starts replaying the events of last night, like someone pressed rewind on an old VCR, and everything floods back in vivid detail.

No! Shit!

I can’t believe this happened. I rode out my heat with my brother? He let me fuck Fairlie, and she pleasured me too. He never mentioned she was into women. Not that I asked, but I’d think he’d have mentioned it in passing, since we’d have that in common.

A checklist starts forming in my head, the anxiety mounting with each item. I need to shower, find Osric and Fairlie, and make sure they’re okay. My brother really likes this woman, and if I’ve messed that up, I don’t know if I’ll be able to live with myself. I'll go back to the village and just suffer through their old minded ways.

I get up and leave Osric’s room, darting down the hall to mine. When I step inside, everything looks normal—except for the heavy scent of sex that hangs in the air, a reminder of what happened. My dildo is lying on the bed, right by the edge, next to my laptop that’s still open to a porn site.

Grabbing my phone, I head to the bathroom, turning on the shower with shaky hands. While I wait for the water to heat up, I dial the clinic’s number, needing to cross at least one thing off my mental list.

“Heat Retreat. We put the safety and fun back in your heat. This is Dian. How can I help you?”

“Dian? It’s Ovivia West,” I reply.

“Hi, honey. How are you? Do you need to come in early?” she asks, her voice sickly sweet.

I clear my throat, trying to get a grip on my emotions. “No. I need to cancel my appointment. And please take me off your patient list. I won’t be back.”

There’s a pause, and I can almost hear the confusion in her voice. “Oh no. Can I ask if everything’s okay?”

“Not really,” I reply, a bitter edge creeping into my tone. “I went into my heat yesterday and called to come in early, but the woman who answered the phone said you were full and then hung up.”

“Did you happen to catch her name?”

“Karen,” I say, remembering the curt voice that left me scrambling to figure things out on my own.

“Let me look and see what happened,” she says, and I can hear the clicking of keys as she checks the records. “It does look like we were full, but you could have gone to the clinic in the next town over. We offer transport, so there shouldn’t have been any issues. Did she not offer that?”

“She didn’t. I was left to figure it out on my own, last minute. Luckily it went okay, but isn’t it your clinic’s job to make sure we’re safe and taken care of?”

“It is, and I’m so sorry, Ovivia,” Dian says, her voice full of genuine remorse. “I’m going to speak to our supervisor about this because it’s not how we handle things. Again, I apologize. Can I help you with anything else?”

“No. Thank you,” I say, hanging up before I can lose my nerve. I set my phone on the counter and step into the shower, the hot water washing over me as I try to cleanse away the remnants of last night, both on my body and in my mind.

I finish my shower, letting the water run over me until my skin feels clean, though my mind is still a mess. I step out, wrapping myself in a towel as I dry off. Pulling on a pair of pants and a tank top, I quickly comb through my wet hair before twisting it into a makeshift bun.

I head out into the main part of the house, determined to find Osric and Fairlie. As I walk through the rooms, I notice the silence; they’re nowhere to be seen. Anxiety creeps back in, but I push it down, focusing on the small things to keep myself grounded. After grabbing a bottle of water and a peach from the fridge, my next plan is to get my phone from my room and call Osric.

Just as I step into the living room, the front door swings open, and there they are—Osric and Fairlie, hand in hand, laughing. Their hands are full of coffee and bagels, and they look... happy. Relief washes over me, though it’s tinged with a strange, bittersweet ache.

Well, it looks like they’re okay.

Fairlie stops short when she sees me, her cheeks flushing a deep red, and she bites at her bottom lip nervously. “Hi, Ovivia,” she murmurs, her voice almost a whisper.

“Morning,” I reply, the words tumbling out faster than I can control. “I woke up, and no one was here. I got worried. Is everything okay? Are you two okay? I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Fairlie says, though she fidgets slightly, her eyes not quite meeting mine. Then she giggles, a sound that goes straight to my core, making me even more aware of how complicated this situation is. “I’m just a little unsure of how to act. That was a first for me in a lot of ways, and my boyfriend—your brother—was there for all of it.”

“We’re fine, Ovivia,” Osric says, but there’s a seriousness in his eyes. “But Fairlie agreed to help you on the basis that she was told everything.” His eyes widen as he emphasizes the last word, and the weight of what he’s asking sinks in.

I don’t know if I can do that. My heart races at the thought. I’ve never told anyone the full story. It’s not a secret—Brelle had a funeral, and she’s buried. The monster delegates took care of everything, and no charges were pressed. But telling someone? Telling Fairlie that she spent a night with a murderer? The thought makes my stomach churn.

Fairlie gently hands her coffee and bagel to Osric and steps up to me, her touch soft as she cups my cheek. “It’s okay, Ovivia. No judgment. I just want to understand what happened and why.”

Osric motions to the couch, and I move automatically, sitting down on the loveseat while Fairlie and my brother take their places side by side on the couch.

“What do you want to know?” I ask.

“To start, why did your heat last only a day? Osric said it should have been two or three?”

“No idea. My best guess is since I had a partner and my body got what it needed, it ended early,” I tell her honestly. It’s another point to add to the Fairlie affects me like no other tab.

“Why do you go to the clinic alone during your heat? Why did you look so… primal? I don’t know how to explain it. You looked wild,” Fairlie says, her gaze searching mine.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to tell her the whole sordid story. I recount everything—moving here, hiring Brelle, and how my heat was manageable until it wasn’t. How it ended with her dead.

When I finish, I force myself to meet Fairlie’s gaze, expecting to see fear, disgust, or even anger. But instead, her eyes are full of sympathy and understanding.

“It was an accident, Ovivia,” she says softly.

“I’m dangerous during my heat,” I respond, my voice tinged with regret. “I’m surprised I didn’t hurt you.”

“Osric was there the whole time,” Fairlie reassures me. “You never even tried to hurt me. In fact, when your tusk cut my lip slightly, you acted like you’d seen a ghost. You were perfect.”

“I’m still sorry that I put you in that position,” I murmur, guilt gnawing at me. “You’re my brother’s girlfriend, and I used you like some sex toy.”

“I didn’t mind,”she says with a shy smile, flashing her gaze up at me from under her lashes. “I liked it.” I blink, surprised. “I didn’t know you were into women?”

“I didn’t know either,” Fairlie blushes. “It’s never been a hard no, but that was a first for me. It was my first threesome, too.”

I can’t help but laugh, the tension breaking slightly. “Oh, perfect. So we corrupted you. I hope my brother at least wrapped his junk this time.”

Her eyes widen in realization, and she turns to Osric. “You did, right? Dammit, I was so nervous and focused on doing it right I didn’t ask or make sure.”

Osric shakes his head. “No.”

“Dammit, Osric!” I scold, my voice sharp.

“What the fuck?” Fairlie whispers, her face morphing from shock to anger. She slaps Osric hard across the cheek and storms down the hall, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

“Well, I guess I fucked up,” he sighs, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

“You did,” I agree.

I'm not angry like Fairlie, but there's a sternness in my voice that cuts through the air. I hold his gaze, my eyes full of disappointment, letting him know without words that this mistake isn't something easily brushed off. It's not just about what he's done—it's about the trust he's shattered, the hurt he's caused.

“Now what do I do? I can’t lose her. I just got her. But she’s it for me.”

“Let me talk to her,” I offer, hoping I can somehow fix this. For the both of us.

“Okay.” He nods.

I get up and start down the hall toward Osric’s room, but stop when he calls after me.

“Ovivia,” he says, his tone serious.

“Yeah?” I turn back to face him.

“I saw how you were with her last night, how you looked at her,” Osric says, his eyes locking onto mine. “I also saw how you two were together. Yours might have been the heat, but she likes you. As more than her boyfriend’s sister.” His gaze meets mine, and I can see the weight of his words on his soul. “I’m not a sharing orc, but for you, I can make an exception. Don’t fuck this up more than I already have.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. “I won’t.”

Is that what I want? I just met Fairlie last night, but there’s something about her. I feel a pull to her. Her scent triggered my heat early—that has to mean something.

But as much as I’m drawn to her, I don’t want to overwhelm her. She just got together with my brother, and now I’m considering stepping into the mix? That’s a lot for anyone to take in, and I’m not sure it’s fair to her. The last thing I want is to complicate things for her—or for Osric.