Epilogue

Thebes

I don't think I'd ever get tired of the way Ashlyn gasped and shuddered when I entered her. And when I was lying on my back like this, with my beautiful Mate silhouetted above me? Gods of the ancestors, I knew this was my own personal heaven. Or nirvana, or whatever you believed.

It was good, is my point.

I grinned, watching Ashlyn writhe atop my cock, her moans somehow making the spasms of her inner muscles feel even better .

My hands crept up from her thighs to her side, then to cup her breasts. I loved how perfectly we fit together, despite me being so much bigger.

Luckily, she had a lot of experience with that dildo .

The thought of my Mate stretching her pussy for me, long before we'd met, made my Kteer howl with joy.

Mine mine mine .

I couldn't wait longer. "Ash?" I gasped, desperate to move.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she grinned down at me, well aware of her appeal, the little vixen. "It's about time, Mate."

Mate . Gods below, I loved it when she called me that.

My Kteer did as well, and I couldn't control the need to thrust up into her tight core. Laughing, Ashlyn leaned forward to take her weight on her knees and the palms she braced against my chest, and that sound… The sound of her joy never failed to make me swell with pride.

I thrust up into her tightness, murmuring words of praise and pleasure, touching her, caressing her, until the pressure and the need became unbearable.

I groaned her name. "Ashlyn, you're killing me."

"Come for me, Thebes," she panted, staring down at me through the curtain of her hair. "Fill me up with that delicious orc cum!"

Remembering her surprise the first time she'd tasted my seed, I couldn't help my smile. "You first," I commanded, dropping my hand to her clit.

I knew what she liked, and judging from the way she bucked into my hold, that was all she was waiting for.

"Thebes!" she gasped, and I felt her orgasm clench my cock.

It was all I needed. With a long, low groan, I came, spilling into her tight warmth with a sensation like coming home.

Home .

Yes.

Yes, that's what this was.

This , here with Ashlyn. Not just our new home, which we were slowly building and decorating and creating together. Not just Eastshore, which had welcomed both of us with open arms …

But here, with my Mate. Home .

"I love you," she mumbled as she collapsed on top of me, and I grinned into her wild mop of hair.

"Good morning, Ash," I quipped, kissing her crown. "Have I told you how much I like your idea of a wake-up call?"

"Better than coffee," she murmured against my chest, and I had to chuckle.

Much better than coffee. I stroked the pads of my fingers along her spine and marveled at how lucky I was. Even just being able to lounge here in bed with her was a blessing I wasn't going to take for granted.

As I'd explained to her the day I— we —closed on this house, I had plenty of money. All those years ago, after the human scientists had finished their experiments and prodding, we'd been given a chunk of what was essentially hush-money, and Sakkara had helped us invest it wisely. I lived well from the interest and the income my social media brand brought in.

And now that Ashlyn was an heiress, neither of us had to work.

But it had become a joy to help her each day in her efforts to set up the new Eastshore Historical Society. To our surprise, there were people all over the island not only willing, but eager to help, and Ashlyn was a natural when it came to working with them and making arrangements.

Hells, she barely needed me to read stuff for her anymore, but I was happy to be involved.

"What do we have to do today?" she mumbled. "Saturday. Can I go back to sleep?"

It was Saturday, wasn't it? Grinning, I smacked her ass lightly. "Well, you can go back to sleep, but I have to be at Giza's shop by ten to pick up the latest piece of artwork."

Groaning, Ashlyn rolled off me, throwing her forearm across her eyes. "That's today? Which one did we choose?"

"The blue one," I told her, pushing up on my elbow to watch her reaction.

As I expected, her lips curled under her arm. "Excellent. I knew your followers had good taste."

In the last decade, I'd become used to living my life in the public eye, mainly because I was constantly making videos and sharing that life with my followers. It was my way of demystifying us orcs and our heritage.

But since Ashlyn had become part of my life, I'd been far more careful with what I'd shared, in order to protect her. Sure, there'd been some jealous fans who'd made vague threats toward her, but the majority were pleased for me and the happiness we'd found here on Eastshore.

And I knew for a fact that my videos about how great this island was had boosted bookings at the bed-and-breakfasts, as people visited and fell in love with the simple, cozy vibes. Eastshore was never going to be a tourist haven—thanks in a big part to my Mate—but the town would always welcome strangers.

"Okay," she suddenly huffed, pushing herself upright. "Let's go to Giza's. You can take me to lunch after we hang the piece. It's going in your office, right?"

"Right. I had to promise to film a bunch in front of it."

One of the compensations I'd offered in exchange for cutting back on revealing personal details was that I asked for my followers' thoughts on how to decorate our new house. I mean, final decisions always rested with Ashlyn, but she'd suggested I run a big poll to choose the orc painting I'd hang in my office.

Seems as if she approved.

"Where are you taking me?" My Mate rolled out of bed, completely at ease with her nakedness, and padded toward the bathroom. "I'm feeling a seafood salad. "

"You drive a hard bargain," I agreed as I followed her, knowing I'd eat mud if that's what she wanted, "but I think we can come to an arrangement, Ms. Anderson."

She smiled as she started the shower. "I am nothing if not focused, Mr. Anderson."

Orcs didn't have last names. Hells, before the scientists assigned me the name Thebes, my name was almost unpronounceable to human tongues. We were given names of famous sites in Egypt because—well, it's not important right now. They also assigned us the last name Smith, which was ridiculous.

Point is, when Ashlyn and I officially married last month, I opted to take her name. The paperwork was a bitch, but we both thought it a fitting way to honor her mother and grandfather, who'd left such a legacy for Eastshore.

I slid into the shower behind her and tipped the water spray away from her face, then reached for her favorite shampoo. I loved her little moans of contentment when I scrubbed the suds into her scalp.

But this morning, her eyes popped open. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot to tell you!" She managed to twist a bit and peer up at me through my suds-covered fingers. "Harper's coming!"

"For a visit?" I went back to the massage. I knew Ashlyn had become closer with her new lawyer but wasn't sure if this meant I had to find a bed for her. "Or for good?"

"For a visit," she confirmed. "Meli told me she's taken a leave of absence from her firm and is going to stay on Eastshore Isle until Thanksgiving." Ashlyn turned more, grabbing my forearm to steady herself when the soap slid down her forehead. "Get this; Meli said she's pregnant ."

My brows rose as I used the pads of my thumbs to wipe her eyes. "Really? She didn't look pregnant. "

"I think it's still pretty early. I don't know a lot about her, but I know she's not dating anyone; we talk about you and how great you are a lot. Stop smirking."

Yeah, I was smirking. "So who's the dad?" Since she'd turned in my arms, I rested my forearms on her shoulders and kept up the scalp massage.

"That's the gossip." Ashlyn waggled her brows. "Meli doesn't know, and she thinks Harper is kinda running from everything by coming here. I mean, she didn't say that explicitly, but that's what I picked up on. Harper needs a friend."

"Well…" My massage moved to her neck. "She has her sister here on the island, and you too."

"Right, that's what I told Meli. Oh my God, that feels so good," she moaned, arching her back so her shoulders pressed back into my touch.

But doing so moved her tits forward, and they were more than my Kteer could resist. I leaned down and captured one nipple in my lips.

My Mate sucked in a breath. "What are you doing?"

My tongue scraped across her wet skin. "We don't have to be at Giza's until ten. All this talk about breeding …"

As I suspected, the crude language did it for Ashlyn. She sucked in a breath and leaned closer as the sweet scent of her arousal sharpened in the humid shower.

"Turn around," I commanded, and she eagerly obeyed, reaching for the shower handle.

My cock was already erect when I moved up behind her, so it nestled against her ass. I flexed my hips to tease her as I wrung the soap from her hair, touching her as often as possible.

My Mate was breathless and writhing by the time I slid into her, and her first spasm of pleasure overtook her.

It was the perfect homecoming.