6. Ivy

The night came and went. Before I knew it, we were already traveling through the thick swamp bush. I awoke this morning with a new lease on life. Our journey to the Chosen One wasn"t merely a task that I was being forced to complete before returning home. Now, it"s so much more. It is my destiny, my freedom, and most importantly...my future.

I look down at my dragonfly dagger and instinctively smile. It is the most thoughtful gift I"ve ever received."My little dragonfly," Evrins"s new endearment for me. I absolutely love it. And now that I know what this little insect represents, it has quickly become my favorite creature within the swamp—perhaps second favorite creature after the orcs.

I look up to face Evrin"s strapping back. I still follow behind to retrace his footsteps to avoid getting stuck in mud. After yesterday"s events, he is extra cautious. One might describe him as overly protective. Not that I can blame him. The idea of him being harmed by anything makes my stomach churn. I rub my hand over my chest to soothe the aching feeling. It"s as if the mere thought of being without him causes my body to react.

So many things have changed between us in such a short amount of time. I once saw him as a beast sent from the gods to punish me. Little did I know that he was there to save me. And maybe, just maybe I"ve saved a little piece of him too.

We"ve both been through so much. But with him, I somehow feel stronger. When Evrin told me I wasn"t to blame for my circumstances, I actually believed it for the first time in my life.

Now, we travel to our new future—to the Chosen One. There, he is to make me his wife. The thought makes my core tingle, and I can feel my shorts begin to moisten.

Evrin"s steps falter briefly before he regains his stride. It is now clear to me that he can smell my arousal. The fact that mortified me at first now interestingly turns me on.

"I thought you said that we would be arriving in the early afternoon," I shout so he can hear me.

"Yes, but I may have been a little eager for that estimate," Evrin says over his shoulder.

"We"ve been hiking for ages. I swear we"ve passed that tree with the funky trunk about three times," I chuckle, but I have no sense of direction. I pause and study the unique vining across the branches. The swamp is so fascinating. Everything feels so alive. It"s bountiful in well…everything. It"s almost as if it calls to me. I wander off the path slightly and notice the moss has been stomped down. My heart thrums as I place my hand along the vining.

"Ivy," Evrin barks, and it startles me.

"Ow!" I snatch back my hand from the vines and study where my fingernail just carved out a small mark after being spooked.

"Get away from there before you get hurt," he says in a more gentle tone, but I notice how his spine and shoulders are straightened. Oddly, it"s almost as if he is…defensive.

"To answer your question, we are walking slower since you won"t let me carry you. Come on, you don"t want to get lost." Evrin quickly brings the conversation back on topic.

I shake off my nerves. "You carried me this morning! If I remember correctly, my kisses were slowing us down then, too."

"Yes, well, that"s far more enjoyable than this kind of slow walking," Evrin grumbles.

I laugh under my breath. If it was up to him, we would"ve taken breaks every mealtime so he could, as he likes to say, "feast on my pussy". Funnily enough, it"s me who has become the impatient one.

To me, it was more than just being mated to Evrin; I was also excited to belong to a village. It has been so many years since I was last welcomed into mine. Hopefully, what Evrin says is true, and they like me. I"m particularly intrigued to meet Kal"s mate. Apparently, she is a human, just like me.

Recounting my story to Evrin made me realize just how lonely I"ve been all these years, not only for a partner but also for friends and family. But he has those things, and soon, so will I. The thought energizes me and they had a little pep to my step.

"Let"s pick up the pace, slowpoke!" I jog past Evrin in my oversized boots.

"Ivy, slow down! Let me walk in front of you," he demands.

"Oh, come on! Quit your worrying. I defeated an alligator yesterday, remember?" I tease.

"No," Evrin growls, "I defeated the alligator while you nearly drowned."

"Semantics," I scoff.

"Infuriating female," Evrin grumbles, and I can"t help but giggle. I love teasing him; he is far too easy to rile up. The male doesn"t complain about anything except my safety. I"m not proud to say that I enjoy being his weakness far too much. I can only imagine how he will be with our children.

The thought stops me in my tracks, and I instinctively graze my hand across my stomach. I haven"t thought of being a mother in a long, long time. It was always too painful. Like a treat being dangled in front of a child who knew they could never have it. But now…it"s well within my grasp.

"Ivy?" Evrin gently touches my cheek. "Are you okay?"

When did he catch up to me? I didn"t realize I had stopped walking; I was too caught up in thought.

"Yes." I smile. "Just thinking."

"About what?" He shifts nervously on his feet.

"Nothing, just getting hungry." I don"t know why I lie; maybe it"s because of my nerves. The orcs outcast all these males just so they can breed offspring. They are particularly desperate for females. But…what if I don"t give him a daughter? Only sons. Or worse, we can"t have children at all.

"I can see worry on your face, little dragonfly." He caresses my cheek. "Tell me."

"Your clan sends you out here so you find someone to reproduce, right? What if it doesn"t work?" I ask nonchalantly. I"m not ready to share my insecurities. I know he would simply reassure me, but I don"t want to be consoled. I want the truth.

I watch his jaw tick as he chooses his words carefully. "Orc seed is very fertile."

There is suddenly unspoken tension between us, and I don"t know why. Perhaps both of us are too stubborn for our own good, but neither one of us will be the first to spill the beans. So instead I opt to redirect our focus by continuing our journey.

I reach my arms up and stand there expectantly. "Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to carry me?"

"Ah, is that what that means?" he chuffs.

"Mhm," I coo, and then I squeal as he scoops me up in his arms. "You said we are going slow because you can"t carry me, so I am expecting top speeds from here on out."

"Is that right?" Evrin raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, or I"ll have to use this." I pull out my wedding present and point it at him, earning me a booming laugh. The way his ponytail sways as he smiles makes my heart skip a beat. This male is no beast. He is the most magnificent creature I"ve ever laid eyes on.

"Okay, okay, I promise," he concedes. "Just be careful with that thing."

"Good. I"m glad we are on the same page." I wave my dagger around like a wand. "Now march."

"As you command," he whispers into my ear, and we are off once more.

…

"No way!" I gasp at Evrin"s story. "She beat you up? But you are so"—I wave at his massive body—"big."

"Believe it or not, I haven"t always been this big. She is my older sister, and at that time, she was bigger than me—and stronger, too." He shakes his head, like he is reliving the memory.

"Well, serves you right. You let a pig loose in her bedroom," I say exasperatedly. "Where did you even find a pig? Do they live in the swamp?"

"We have wild hogs. Orcs domesticated them a while ago. Our farmers usually tend to them, but I was young and got a tad bit carried away," he states plainly

"Wait…" It takes me a few minutes to understand what he was admitting. "You stole the pig?!"

"Oh yeah," Evrin says while laughing, "my sister was just the first orc to get their hands on me."

I laugh alongside him and snuggle deeper into his arms.

The sun is starting to set. We"ve been walking—well, Evrin has been walking while he carries me—and talking. I love hearing about his childhood. I even divulged some of my happiest memories with my father.

But as happy as our journey has made me, I"m desperate to reach our destination.

"Evrin…" I bat my eyelashes.

"Don"t tell me you have to pee again," Evrin grumbles.

"I"m sorry! I can"t help it." I giggle. "I"ll be quick, I promise. Besides, I need to stretch my legs."

"If it was up to me, you"d never have to use your legs again."

"Oh, I know, big guy"—I pat his shoulder"—but I quite like using my legs. Thank you very much."

"Very well," he sighs and places me back on my feet.

I use Evrin"s arm to stabilize myself and let out a big stretch. My bladder is full, and if I laugh any more, I risk peeing all over him.

"I"ll be right over here," I shout as I walk over to a spot that isn"t too far away but gives me a little bit of privacy to relieve myself.

"Be quick," Evrin warns; he never likes when I am too far away.

"Always am." I give him a wink and tend to my business.

While relieving myself, I take in my swampy surroundings. The greenery is cast in a golden haze from what I can only presume is the sunset. The dense canopy over the swamplands makes it difficult to see the bright sky, but pockets of sunshine peek through.

Suddenly, something catches my eye. I finish peeing and pull up my shorts to go quietly investigate.

This area looks oddly familiar, again, the wonky tree. I squint my eyes and shake my head. The swamp all looks the same to me. There have been dozens of wonky trees; surely it isn"t the same.

But the closer I get, something small begins to appear—the nick I made in the vines earlier when Evrin startled me.

I brush my hand over the gash. No, this can"t be. We must be lost or some other explanation. No way could Evrin know we have been walking around in circles. We are making our way to the Chosen One. I feel my stomach hollow out as something in me prompts me to push away the vines and reveal a pathway illuminated by an unfamiliar luminescent glow. I know right then and there what it leads to without moving any further. This is the Chosen One, and we arrived hours ago.

"Ivy," Evrin whispers my name.

Tears well in my eyes at his betrayal. He doesn"t want to marry me. He doesn"t want…a rogue sob escapes my lips. Ivy, you fucking fool. Evrin tries to close the gap between us, but I stick out my hand. "Stay away from me."

"Ivy, let me explain," he pleads.

"You lied to me!" I shout. "This whole time, you led me to believe we weren"t even close; meanwhile, we"ve been walking around for hours when it was right here!"

"I shouldn"t have—" he starts, but I can"t bear to hear his excuse

"You don"t want to mate with me?" I say rather pathetically as more tears roll down my face

"It has nothing to do with that!" Evrin growls and once again tries to reach out to me, but I instinctively back away. I am terrified of his touch because I know just how much power it has over me. My panic starts taking over as I have a flashback to that frightful night near the swamp four years ago. It is happening all over again, except this time it"s with someone I shared all of my vulnerabilities with. I can"t control my breath, can"t control my tears…I feel like...I can"t breathe.

Evrin bridges the gap between us, and I desperately claw to get away from him, but his arms hold me in place.

"Stop it!" he growls. "Listen to me, don"t you ever fucking think I don"t want you. Ever, do you understand me?"

He's confusing me. "Then why?" I cry out. "Why haven"t you taken me to the Chosen One?"

"Because I"m scared to lose you!" he shouts, and the sudden silence threatens to consume us. Evrin lets out an exasperated sigh, and his voice sounds almost defeated. "Ivy, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I knew from the first moment I held you in my arms that you were my mate. Not just a bride I would take to the Chosen One but my mate. I know that doesn"t mean much to you, and as a human, I don"t even know if you feel the same way. I don"t blame you for that; I just…" He leans down and places his forehead on mine. "I can"t live without you. But I refuse to be your jailer any longer. You deserve the happy life that you chose. Not because an orc beast stole you away."

"Mate? Like an invisible force that draws you to another? The feeling like someone is sitting on your chest. Desperate to be in their presence and in their company? Evrin, I know exactly what that feels like," I cry out, frustrated. "Why would you ever think I wouldn"t choose you?"

"Because this entire time, you"ve always said things like ‘your clan' and ‘if we mated.' I just…" A rogue tear rolls down his handsome green face. "Just wanted to spend more time with you before you decided to leave."

My heart constricts at his confession, and the more time that passes, the more I realize what he says is true. My feelings have changed over the past few days, but I haven"t spoken about them due to my own fears.

I place my hands on his cheeks and pull him in for a demanding kiss. He reciprocates fiercely, and both of us ravage each other"s mouths like it will be the last time. Our sadness, confusion, anger all mingle into one as we explore each other's bodies.

"I chose you," I cry out in between kisses. "I love you so fucking much."

"Fuck, my little dragonfly. So do I. I love you the way the sun loves the moon. The way day craves the night. I love you endlessly and desperately, Ivy. I will spend the rest of our days making this up to you. I promise." Evrin picks me up by my ass and carries and pushes me against the wonky tree; his raging boner digs into my belly, and I let out a moan. I need him inside of me desperately.

"Then take me. Make me yours forever," I breathe into his lips and give his tusk a little lick.

"Oh, I fucking plan to," he barks, "but this won"t be like last night. This claiming will be much…rougher."

I reach out to find his throbbing cock and give it a tight squeeze.

"Prove it," I challenge.

Evrin lets out the most possessive growl I"ve heard him make, and before I know it, we are barreling down the path to the Chosen One.