Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

STEVE

E lska mates. I had never dreamed of such a thing for me. I thought being a half-orc might preclude me from the option—especially if it was with a human. Yet, here she was, lying next to me, naked, and chewing on her lower lip.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" I asked.

She took a while to respond as if wanting to phrase what she was going to say very carefully.

"We don't have fated mates on Earth. We have partners, and we have marriage, which is the most permanent way of committing to someone, but even then, people separate all the time. The idea of being bonded for life to someone is exciting but also scary."

I couldn't hide the hurt in my eyes. I was elated and wanted to run out and tell the whole tribe I'd found my mate—naked and all. And Billie was only… considering.

"I can't say that I feel the same hesitancy. I've known all along, bond or not," I said, trying to keep myself from choking up.

"Steve." She stroked my arm. "I also worry that since you've never really been with someone, maybe you're just infatuated because I am your first," she said very quickly as if it would hurt less. It didn't.

I knew I was inexperienced, but that didn't change the fact that I had never met anyone like Billie. I had never felt drawn to anyone the way I was drawn to her. If she'd let me, I would follow her around, feeding her snacks and petting her hair. I could tell she wasn't happy by her furrowed brow and pursed lips. Everything felt very precarious.

"Steve, it isn't that I don't want you as an Elska mate," Billie clarified. "That isn't it at all. I am just inexperienced in my own way. I have never had someone want me seriously. Fuck, I've never had someone want me longer than a month. So to have a gorgeous, funny, caring orc in front of me, offering forever, is a lot to take in."

"So the idea that someone might want you forever is brand new?" I asked.

She nodded, tears starting to well in her eyes. I knew she'd said no touching while we had this conversation, but I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. This was either a really good choice or a really bad choice because Billie started crying in earnest. She had her arms pulled in front of her chest, so I was basically bear-hugging her as she cried into my shoulder. I stroked her hair and let her cry. She didn't pull away from me, so I hoped I was providing at least some level of comfort. She cried for a long time, and I just held her and wondered where the conversation would go from here.

Eventually, her cries turned into soft hiccups, and she pulled away from me. Her face was a blotchy mix of different shades of red and tear-streaked, but she still looked beautiful to me.

"I'm so sorry. Here you are, offering me everything I always wanted, and I can't just say yes."

My heart fell as she continued.

"It isn't you. It is a permanency I have never been offered. And I can't agree to a lifetime with someone, no matter how amazing they are, without at least thinking about what it will mean for me. You realize this means I would expect you to move here, right?"

"Yes. I already told Reykr I was staying if you'd have me."

Billie looked shocked. "You really are so sure about this? About us?"

"I was sure before the mate marks appeared. Now I am convinced." I shrugged.

Billie rolled that over in her head. "And what happens if you reject an Elska bond?" she asked.

The mere idea of this made me sick to my stomach and my chest feel tight, but I wasn't going to bind Billie to me without giving her a choice. "The marks fade over time, but you never get another Elska. This is your one chance. You could take another chosen mate, though," I said it, even though it killed me.

Billie shook her head. "No, no, that's not what I want at all. There is no one else from Fyrifírar that I am remotely interested in. And it isn't as if I am going to go after Tyr or Berit. Aside from the fact that they kidnapped me, they seem to lack basic common sense."

"And Reykr?" I had to ask, though it was like a dagger to my heart, wondering if my mate might be interested in my best friend.

At this, Billie laughed. "Steve, you mean the world to me, but sometimes you don't pick up on subtle cues. Have you not noticed Joey and Reykr?"

I thought back. I couldn't think of anything that stood out to me about Joey and Reykr. They worked in the same space together often, but they never seemed to be deep in conversation.

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"They haven't figured it out yet, but they don't like to be apart. As soon as one of them musters up the courage to say something, I have a feeling they will fall hard and fast." She raised her brows and cocked her head to the side suggestively.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" I asked in mock outrage.

"It's pretty obvious, my dude." She rolled her eyes.

"We are getting away from our actual conversation, but we will return to this Reykr and Joey talk. Let me get this straight. You want me. You don't want anyone else. But the idea of forever is overwhelming to you?"

She nodded. My brain whirred. How long would it take someone who had no concept of forever to decide? Days? Months? I didn't know if I could hold on that long, waiting for a decision. It would wreck me.

"Well, what do you want to do then?" I asked, trying to give her the freedom to make a decision, even though I knew she was already feeling intense pressure.

She searched my eyes as if somehow I would give her the answer. I stroked down her arm but said nothing as she thought.

"Could I have two days?" Billie asked hesitantly.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could do two days.

"A two days sounds—very, very fair," I responded.

"One condition, though."

My fragile relief started to crumble.

"I need two days where I don't see you . I won't be able to decide if you are standing there, being all wonderful and tending to my every need."

I gave her a fierce frown.

"You can't go two days without seeing me?" she asked.

"Maybe I just don't want to," I said loftily.

She laughed, thankfully. "Just two days. And that day doesn't have to start until tomorrow."

I barely had time to look at her in surprise before she swung a leg over my hip and pulled me in for a bruising kiss. Based on my memories of this night alone, I could go for two days.

BILLIE

The next morning, Steve snuck out early. We decided to tell those who needed to know about the Elska marks. I had a feeling that this was Reykr for him. For me, it was Piper and Joey. I didn't head to breakfast. I went straight to Joey's door and opened it without knocking. To my great surprise, I found Joey and Reykr fast asleep, tangled together in Joey's bed. Reykr's entire thigh was hanging out of the covers, exposing a great deal of his ass. I almost whooped with joy, but I didn't think either would appreciate it.

Well, fuck, I needed Joey. How was I going to extricate her from Reykr? Both of them started to shift and wake at the light coming in from the open door. Reykr opened his eyes first and scrambled to cover himself, waking up Joey in the process.

"What the fuck, Billie?!" she whisper-shouted at me.

"Oh I'm sorry," I said sarcastically. "How was I to know that I might find Reykr in your bed when you've said literally nothing to me about him?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest and stuck out my tongue.

"I wasn't sure it was—I didn't know—" She stumbled over her words.

"I think what she is trying to say is that my returned interest took her by surprise," Reykr said in a growly voice, clearly displeased to be found in such a compromising position.

"Okay, well, I won't say anything, and we have more pressing matters at hand. Reykr, Steve is going to need you immediately."

Reykr looked alarmed. "Is he okay?"

Without saying a word, I turned around and pulled up the back of my tunic, exposing the Elska marks running down my spine. I heard both Reykr and Joey gasp. Joey ran to me, completely nude, and traced a finger down my spine, causing me to shiver.

"Hey, watch it, that tickles!"

"Does this mean what I think it means?" she breathed, still staring at my back.

"Yes, Steve has matching marks," I replied.

Reykr let out a low whistle of surprise.

"So why isn't Steve with you right now?" Joey asked, brow raised. "Isn't this supposed to lead to spontaneous, insatiable fucking?" Joey asked, brow raised.

I turned around so I could face Joey. "I told him I needed some time. I didn't expect this. We didn't think we had enough orc between the two of us to warrant an Elska bond. And for fuck's sake, put some clothes on. I can't have a serious conversation with you while you're standing there naked."

"Well, I'm sorry, you barged into my room before the sun was even warm," she said petulantly.

I turned to Reykr. "He's going to need you. He's headed back to your rooms now."

Reykr nodded. "How much time did you ask for?"

"Two days."

Giving me another nod, Reykr stood, wrapping his waist with a blanket, and headed to the washroom. By this time, Joey had pulled on a tunic and pants and was assessing me, face scrunched up in disapproval.

"You told him you needed two days?" she asked, shocked.

"How long do you think a normal person needs to decide whether to commit to an irreversible soul bond?" I snapped.

"Jeez, alright, alright," she said, grabbing her boots.

I was irritated that I had to explain it to her and Reykr instead of having this conversation with Joey alone. I was also hurt that I didn't know how fast things were going between them. Reykr came out of the washroom, dressed in his clothes from yesterday. He nodded to Joey and me before slipping out the door and closing it behind him.

As soon as I was sure that he was out of earshot, I hissed, "And when were you going to tell me about that? Hmm? You know all the details about me and Steve."

"Well, up until last night, I thought it was a one-way street!" Joey spit back. "He was so quiet. I had no idea that he was interested. We were both high on adrenaline after we deposited Tyr and Berit in their rooms, with strict instructions not to leave until we came for them in the morning. We shut the door, and without a word, he scooped me up and took me back to my room. I don't think we even said a word to each other. I have no idea what is going on. And you robbed me of my chance to have that conversation by bounding in here with an Elska mark down your spine."

Oof, I had made a mess of this. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't even stop to think you might have someone in your room. I should have waited."

"If I had walked into your room 20 minutes ago, would I have found a similar scene?" she asked smugly.

"Mmm, yep." I blushed. "Maybe we need to start keeping a sock on the door?" I joked.

"I'd rather not let all the women know about my situation with Reykr, especially since I don't even know my situation with Reykr." She threw her hands in the air.

"Okay, okay, that's fair. I won't tell a soul about Reykr. Will you keep the Elska thing on the DL for now?" I asked.

I really didn't need all of the other women knowing about it. And I felt my stomach churn at the idea of people finding out before I'd made up my mind.

"So you found out you are soul mates and told him you needed time to decide ? What kind of bitch ass move is that? You know you want him," She glared at me, pressing her palms onto the small table in her room.

"I do want him. But we've been dating or whatever for like two weeks. Doesn't that feel a bit soon to make a forever commitment? And you know my past! I've never had someone interested in forever with me. What if he gets bored of me? Or irritated that I snack in bed? Or that I take over an hour to do my stupid hair?"

"Billie, are you blind?!" she yelled. "He looks at you like you hung the moon. I have never seen a man—orc—more in love."

"That doesn't mean it will last forever," I crossed my arms, ready to dig in my heels. I wasn't ready to believe a weird tattoo on my back would mean someone wanted to be with me until they died.

"Actually, that is exactly what the Elska bond means. Come on." She grabbed my arm.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're going to see the only person who can make you understand," she said, dragging me to the door. "We are going to see Piper."