16. Calli

16

CALLI

S itting here by the dying fire, Calli was lost in a sea of thoughts and the blue eyes of the man across from her. How had her life been turned upside down so completely in the past couple of days? The timing of both her band and the fair season ending, to the arrival of this man, to even being at the same fair as Bridget when all this happened, it was all just too coincidental. Being a free spirit, Calli believed she would always be pulled to the place she needed to be, but even this was a little much for her to believe.

But on that same breath, what she felt when she looked at him was something she felt on a cellular level, like her body craved him as much as her heart and soul. It was disorienting. Her mouth opened wide in a yawn.

"Let's get you to bed, my pet," he said in a low voice, his adoration for this woman written on his face.

He stood and reached his hand, helping her up. He put out the fire. Maybe it was the magic, maybe it was their bond; whatever it was, when she looked at him, with the moonlight highlighting a scar on his right cheek, she could see the orc within. It was possible she found that orc even more attractive than the human man.

He slipped his hand over the small of her back, guiding her to her camper. The heat of his hand there spread a heat through her entire body. It was like she just wanted to wrap up in him. He opened the door of her camper and helped her up the stairs as he waited at the bottom.

"Good night," he said, pressing a kiss to her hand.

"Umm, where do you think you’re going?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, I," he stammered.

"Get in here," Calli said, grinning at him.

The way he smiled up at her warmed her. She reached her hand out for him, and the zing that happened every time they touched zipped right through her as she pulled him up.

After another romp in the bed, she lay sated next to this man. Her mate? She wasn’t even sure what that meant. Sure, she’d read a few romance books with mating bonds, but this was a lot to wrap her head around. But here, with his arms wrapped around her, the sense of contentment was bone deep.

She propped herself up on her elbow, tracing her fingers over his strong, bare chest.

“So, I have two more days of shows, but then we can go back.”

He brushed her hair off her forehead and pressed a kiss there.

“How do we get to the monster realm?” she asked.

“Before I left, I was given a…” He seemed to be searching for a word. “A phone.”

A phone? She cocked her head and waited for him to continue.

“It was given to me by a mystic woman who lives in the forest bordering our mountain. There was an app that helped me find you, and there is also one to create a portal. I only need to reopen it, and we’ll be able to journey there.”

“Oh wow, that’s easy.”

“I hope you like it. I am excited to show you the realm and take care of you for the rest of your life. You’ll have everything you ever wanted.”

She sighed contentedly. “I mean, that sounds amazing, but I’m just excited I get to do it with you…and I’m looking forward to completing the bond,” she said with a playful wag of her eyebrows.

A growl rumbled deep inside of him, and he flipped her, caging her against the tiny bed. “Now that, we agree on,” he said, nuzzling his head into her neck and breathing her in deeply.

She couldn’t help the giggle that erupted from her. The thought of the card reading Bridget had given her just a few days ago came into her mind. Even before she had met Dru, Bridget had somehow known that big changes were coming for her, and she was excited to see where it all took her. As Dru fell back to her side, pulling her to him, she enjoyed the feel of him. His breath started to slow, and his hold loosened slightly as he drifted off to sleep. Calli wasn’t far behind him.