Chapter 15

Hannah

I clung to Blade’s thick biceps, which he’d curled around my waist. This was silly; I shouldn’t feel so nervous just because I was about to arrive at his hometown and meet his family. It wasn’t like I hadn’t done that whole ‘meet the family’ dance before; I had some experience. But maybe all my expectations went out the window because this was an orc town and family.

“Always so serious, my sweet mate,” Blade drawled against my ear, his breath tickling along the back of my neck. I shivered, goosebumps breaking out along my skin, and he knew because he let out this smug little laugh that was too sexy for his own good. He knew how much I liked that as well, my orc was sharp as a tack, he never missed a thing.

His hand slid down along my belly, and his bulk against my back pressed even closer. “There’s no need to be nervous. Everyone is going to love you,” he said, his fingers skating even lower so he could slide his palm beneath my coat. “Want me to distract you?” Now his fingers were toying with the waistband of my pants and I squirmed against the humming hovercycle’s seat.

We’d been flying for two days at a leisurely pace to get back to Blade’s clan home, the Ironheart village deep in the woods. After our mating had been made official by those bossy, intimidating Minotaurs, the overlords as Blade called them, we’d celebrated as often as we could. I was still a little sticky and wet from our break an hour ago. Being mated to an orc, loved by one, was one hell of a wild ride.

I squirmed again when he managed to wriggle his clever fingertips beneath the fabric of my panties. If I didn’t put a stop to this, he’d fly me into town soaked, and possibly with his fingers still inside of me. I had a feeling my orc had no shame when it came to that, and a wild streak a mile wide. I wasn’t quite ready for that, but when he flicked a fingertip over my clit, I jolted against him.

His cock was a thick, blazing hot brand against my lower back. I felt him outlined against my flesh even through my warm coat and my core spasmed on nothing as it remembered just how good he felt when buried deep inside of me. “That’s it, Hannah. We’re five minutes out. You can come that fast for me, can’t you?”

His tone held such a challenging note that, against my better judgment, I did not put a stop to this. I spread my legs for him and arched back against him. Fine, he could pleasure me, and then he could greet his village with a cock stand because we definitely didn’t have time for that. He laughed, “I like that smirk, devious mate. Now come.” His fingers flicked through my folds, then one thick digit pressed into my core.

The thrumming of his finger along my clit, the deep hum of the hovercycle beneath my thighs, and the protective heat of him; all of it was a heady combination. Add to that the thought that we could arrive soon and be discovered right in the act… That orgasm he wanted from me, it burst rapidly, spreading like wildfire through my limbs.

I was panting, a dull ache in my lungs with each breath I took. It scared me, but Blade kept insisting that I would be alright, and I wanted to believe that. Besides, how could I not feel happy when I was so pleasured and protected? When he seemed to savor every moment with me, I felt loved and like I was never going to be alone again. That was exactly what I’d dreamed of having one day.

“That’s my lass,” Blade drawled smugly as he gently freed his hand from my core, and then my pants. I saw him do it, wiping my wetness along his chest before he licked the last drops from his fingers. Heat stole into my face. Why did he do that? “Just making sure all the orc ladies know I’m taken,” he grinned while waggling his brows. That irreverent, playful look was back in his eyes, and I fought an answering grin that wanted to rise despite my mortification.

I wanted to tell him I didn’t appreciate that kind of flaunting, that was embarrassing, but he flew us down beneath the canopy of the huge trees at that moment and all words fled my mind. This wasn’t a town. I had been imagining quaint wooden cabins sitting around a village square or something, reminiscent of the tree house we’d visited, with only hints of their advanced technology.

This wasn’t that, though it was similar to the tree house. Mostly because the entire town was made up of tree houses, but they were each as different as the next. Some were cottages sat politely against the trunks of their tree, with mossy roofs and warm light spilling from the windows with flower boxes. Others were sleek and modern homes, and some were even more sci-fi with shiny silver roofs and solar panels.

Each building seemed connected by walkways that floated in the sky, suspended by absolutely nothing and lit up by jaunty, colorful lanterns. On the ground beneath the trees, shops and market stalls sat next to playgrounds and flower gardens. I could see through the trees the hints of glass buildings that were delicately placed around and beneath the trees, the greenhouses in which they grew their medicinal herbs.

“Woah, it’s so pretty,” I said, pressing a hand against my chest to ease my breathing. “Which house is yours?” I asked next, eagerly scanning the tall trees to discover if I could find it. Would he live in something modern or something old and cozy? What was his style? I found that I couldn’t predict it because Blade was never predictable.

“That one is ours,” Blade said with obvious pride, filling his tones as he circled around several trees to make a flyby. He pointed at something that was all gleaming wood, moss, vines, and flowers. It couldn’t be called a cabin, it was far too big for that and it defied all logic that it could hang there against the side of a towering tree and still blend in tastefully at the same time. It looked like a family home and then some. “Rover is at the office so much that the family home is pretty much empty. So it’s ours. Do you like it?”

Yeah, I did, but I couldn’t keep looking. The waving orcs quickly snatched my attention, smiling at us from walkways, front porches, and even the ground below where orclings and market visitors were playing and shopping. Blade took us down for a landing at what had to be the town square I had been picturing before, only it was round and the floor was moss and flower-strewn.

There, we were quickly surrounded by eager greeters, but two stood out the most. One was an older orc woman with thick gray hair and a bright smile as wide and free as Blade’s. The family resemblance was clear, even with her leathery, wrinkled skin. I would bet good money that this was his grandmother, a woman I’d learned had raised him and his brother and had ruled the clan with an iron fist for years.

She elbowed her way to the front with a loud cackle and yanked Blade and me into a warm, welcoming hug. “Ah, look at you, lass. What a pretty mate you found yourself, Blade! Come, we’ll take good care of you. Follow me!” She was already pulling me into the crowd of greeters, and while Blade was saying hi and slapping shoulders, I was whisked away.

My eyes lingered on the one other person that I’d instantly noticed in this crowd. A tall orc with a very dark expression, his brows lowered deeply over his brow, and his dark hair smoothed back neatly from his widow’s peak. That had to be Rover, the current clan leader, and Blade’s older brother. He was even wearing a suit, all neatly pressed and forbidding black. The two were night and day when they stood next to each other and shook hands in greeting.

Then Blade pulled Rover into a tight, backslapping hug and I caught sight of the hint of a grin on Rover’s face. Oh, yeah, there was that family resemblance, definitely brothers. “I am happy to see that one of my grandsons found his mate. But if anyone needs a mate, it’s that one. I fear he’ll never unbend if it doesn’t happen soon…” Blade’s grandma sounded forlorn for only a short moment. Then she grinned again and started urging me further along the mossy path. “Never mind that. Let’s get you taken care of so you can enjoy tonight’s festivities.”

She swept me into a small building at the foot of a tree, and I was transferred from a cozy, fantastical village straight into the future. The interior was all white and soft green, with glowing screens and high-tech machines surrounding a comfortable chair. It was the kind of chair you could veg out in, or even nap. The kind with a support for leaning back and raising your legs. Only this one was white, covered in buttery soft leather.

“I am Mina,” the woman said kindly as she assisted me into it. “And that’s Conquer, our best healer.” She pointed at a male standing against the back wall with his arms clasped behind his back. He looked nothing like a healer to me, or a doctor. He looked like Blade did, bulging with muscles and tattoos, down to the feral glint in his emerald eyes.

“Ah, you got started without me!” Blade announced as he barged into the building right behind us. “Con, good to see you are back!” The two orcs clearly knew each other, but the one that was supposed to be the doctor didn’t say anything, just slapped Blade’s shoulder in one of those manly greetings. I wasn’t sure what to think about all of this. The advanced machinery, robotic arms, and glowing screens did make me think they could actually do what Blade had promised.

It wasn’t until my orc mate snatched up my hand and came to hover protectively at my side that I relaxed into the seat. “Just lie back and close your eyes,” he said, “And then think about soft fluffy sheets and all the fun things we’ll get up to when I take you home.” To the sound of his husky laughter, and the amused cackling of his grandmother, the machines started their work.

I fell asleep in seconds because I trusted Blade would look out for me. When I woke up, everything would be different, a good different. It would be the start of the rest of my life, our lives, and I couldn’t wait for the adventures that would still be waiting for us.