24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Calliope

The fairy, known as Ivy, was escorted out by the guards, while I was trying to hold in my laughter, but, failing. Aunt Melina was trying to hold in her laughter as well. As the queen, she should, but I'm no princess and my face is absolutely red from holding in my giddiness.

That fairy had what was coming to her. How dare she try and steal my orc when she had no claim on him whatsoever? She was jealous, and what made it worse was that Karma had gotten in her ear. How many other fairies and pixies has Karma talked to?

Is he spreading rumors about me?

I'm not one to get overly angry about things, but being with Valpar has struck new feelings within me. I'm very much in tune with my angry side now. It must be because of the bond we share and the possessiveness I have over him.

We haven't claimed each other in the traditional sense yet. There was no attempt to rail me. He treated me like I was a doll. I don't know if my little display earlier was enough to show him I was willing to scratch a bish to anyone who tried to question our bond. I was tough too! I just wanted him to throw me on the floor and take me right there.

No such luck.

I felt my temper rising once again until Simon bumped me in the thigh with his horns.

"Great job, bestie, gimmie noggin!" I leaned down and he tapped his horns on my head. I rubbed my hair and gave him a thumbs up, while I watched the guard clean up the puddle he left behind where he peed on Ivy.

Classic!

Uncle Osirus rubbed his hand up and down his face, while Melina threw out her fit of giggles after Ivy had left the room.

"What am I going to do with the three of you?" Osirus groaned.

I pointed to myself and to Valpar, but Osirus shook his head and pointed to Melina, Simon and me instead.

Melina gasped mockingly.

"I didn't do anything!" I let my hands go, slapping at my sides. "She started it, saying we weren't mated. I don't see how it's any of her business, anyway. Valpar told me she was trying to get up all in his junk before he arrived at the palace, so, I was staking my claim since he won't stake his on me." I narrowed my eyes at Valpar and crossed my arms.

I swore I saw a flash of guilt gloss over his face before his hard, stoic expression returned. "You are mine! I claimed you in front of the entire kingdom." His hand gripped the leather lead that tied me to him, and he pulled me toward him.

There wasn't a point in pulling away from him, he was far too strong. So I weakly went to him as he wrapped his arm around me and tilted my head up to him. "You are mine. It makes no difference in time when I bond us."

I hummed, because I would not fight in front of my aunt and uncle. Not in the palace, not with people around. I had enough of everyone watching me.

Valpar's arm tightened around me again and he squeezed, like he was trying to pull me into his body.

"Valpar, we need to speak with you in private," my uncle finally spoke.

I took a quick glance at Uncle Osirus and he sent me a smile. "Calliope, why don't you head to the kitchen? We've set your favorites out."

My excitement soared at that. Despite being brought a basket every day with sweets such as muffins and cupcakes, Valpar wouldn't let me eat them unless I ate the vegetables and meat he prepared.

He was a rather good cook, considering he was a male. Not that I should stereotype him at all for being a guy and being a good cook. Males can be good cooks, but he was an orc and I didn't think orcs really cooked. They just threw meat on the fire and bit into it and banged on their chest, from what I saw those first few nights when I looked over my balcony.

"Kay! See ya later, biscuits!" I slapped my mate's butt and pulled the leash that was tied to his wrist as I began walking away, until his arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back to his side.

"No, she won't leave me." Valpar grunted, smashing me to his chest. "She's my charge, my miresa, and I will not have her running around the palace unattended."

Osirus took a confident stride, the hem of his long cape gracefully trailing behind him. The rich fabric whispered against the marble floor as he moved. Adorned in his fancy, embellished robes, he exuded that regal look, fit for Assisting Day. It was rare that Osirus would don such attire, only for special occasions such as today and mating balls.

"I assure you, Calliope will be just fine. If you prefer, I can have two of my most trusted guards take care of her. They are mated and know Calliope's personality, so she won't pull one over on them." Osirus' smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Uncle Osirus. I'm never naughty."

Valpar grunted and squeezed my ass in response.

"As long as you swear she will be protected." Valpar ran his strong jaw over my forehead.

I can tell he doesn't want to let me go, but I think we both needed this. A little time apart would be good. I don't know what he wanted to talk to Osirus and Melina about, but they obviously wanted to talk to him, too.

"I'll be okay, big boy. I've run this place for a while now."

Osirus chuckled, his deep laughter resonating in the air, as Valpar's grip on me weakened, before finally giving me a kiss that sent a surge of warmth through my body. A low, satisfied groan escaped his lips, as he pulled my waist closer to his. My feet swayed in the air, and I felt the sensation of weightlessness. When his nails dug into my hips, my nails pressed into his chest

Holy hot lumbersnack, what the heckers is happening?

Valpar growled into my lips and when he put me down, his eyes flickered up and down my body and he licked his lips. "Don't ever say I won't claim you. I will, my little fairy. Give me time."

And now, I'm wet!

A door flew open, slamming against the walls. "Hey, where is my favorite human!?"

I was breathless when Valpar let me down. He paused for a moment and stared at me. "Behave," he whispered, and I stood up on my toes to lick him on his cheek.

"Mine," I whispered back, and took off across the throne room before I could climb my orc like a tree.

"Calliope, I haven't seen you in weeks. Have you grown?" Finley and Everett, two fae that are both tall and more muscular than some shifters, hugged me tightly to their chest and made me a Calliope sandwich.

"Missed you guys!" I barely got out before Valpar roared and stomped across the room.

"Let go of her!" he shouted and the Red Fury Guard, because of their bright red hair as Aunt Melina had named them, dropped me with a thud and I rubbed my butt.

"You don't touch her, don't smell her!" Valpar picked me up and took a deep draw from my scent.

"Hey, big orc daddy, they are mated. They got their own females." I patted his shoulder as he stood up tall, puffing out his chest and making him tower over Finley and Everett.

"Don't care," he growled. "Don't. Touch. Her."

They both stood back and smirked at each other, holding their hands out in surrender. "Never again," Finely said. "Now, come along, we will get her to the kitchen. You can go have your talk with the majesties."

I reached up and licked Valpar on the cheek again. Valpar grumbled and I waved for the Red Fury to follow. Finally, more sweets for me.

"Maybe there is something wrong with his cock," Everett said as he swallowed a cupcake.

Finley slapped him in the chest. "You can't say that word in front of her."

"Sorry," Everett rubbed his chest. "What I meant to say was, maybe there is something wrong with his dick. Maybe he can't get it up."

I snorted and shook my head. "No, he can. He can just fine." I smiled, thinking how Valpar had to strap it to his leg. No one was the wiser when they looked at the strap on his leg. They might think of a hidden knife, but nope. It was his big club being pushed down so no one would see it.

"So, he just won't claim you, eh?" Finley said as he stuffed another cupcake in his mouth.

I shook my head, licking my fingers. "Not yet, anyway."

"He must have a good reason," Everett said. "Calliope is small, she is human. Osirus was the same with Melina. It took them some time to solidify their bond."

"That was because she wanted to wait. She was stubborn. Calliope is throwing herself at that orc out there and he hasn't done his thing." Finley, who talks with his hands, made a large gesture and the icing on the cupcake flew across the kitchen, landing on the sous chefs' forehead. "Sorry." He tilted his jaw to the sous chef, who removed the icing and put it into his mouth.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Valpar was so barbaric the first night. He slung me over his shoulder at the ball and looked like he was gonna take me that night. It was so hot." If I could make little twinkling stars above my head appear, I'd have made them appear then. "Then, I got tired." I shrugged my shoulders. "He wanted to take me away from everyone, even his tribe. It took him a while to find a place for us to hide."

Everett nodded. "Yeah, I saw you both running past the cottage. Sundew wanted me to go after ya, but I figured how he was holding you and you weren't screaming, he was your mate. You didn't look in distress and your arousal could be smelt a mile away."

I felt the heat return to my face, and I hunched over to cover my face.

"Ah, nothing to be ashamed of. I hadn't smelled that scent on a human before, but once I knew what it was, I let you both be. Surprised it was an orc. Just know he will claim you. Perhaps he is worried, since you are a human. You are small even for your kind and Calliope, Valpar he is—well, large." Everett pulled on his beard. "How big is he, by the way? I know you, have you at least sneaked a peek?"

I bit my lip and kicked my legs where I sat on the counter.

"Oi! She has!" Finley sat next to me. "How big we talking?"

"I shouldn't say." I covered my mouth. "But it doesn't look like—well, a normal one. It isn't smooth."

Everett and Finley edged closer, along with the sous chef.

"It's not?" Finely asked. "If the shaft isn't smooth, then what?"

I pinched my finger and my thumb together and pulled it across my lips. "I cannot tell. He is my mate, and I will not betray him."

Everyone in the kitchen groaned and I giggled.

"That's what's so good about you, Calliope. So trustworthy. Now, don't worry about him completing the bond, yet. Everyone is different. And you know Melina was human when Osirus her met. Everyone has their own time to bond. You are not a fairy or fae, they are expected to do it right away."

I put down the cupcake and set it on the plate beside me. "I know, but I've been raised by fae. My mom, well, Theresa, is the only mother figure I know. I can't help but want to follow those traditions."

"But your mother wasn't born a fae," Finley wagged his finger at me. "She was human, just like you."

I nodded solemnly. I didn't know mom before she was a fae, at least I didn't remember. I never really wanted to know. I was happy in the now, and that was enough for me. I'd had no worries. I enjoyed just living.

Where did all my time go? What was I like when I was younger? Before Theresa brought me here?

I fiddled with my fingers, trying to remember what it was like on Earth.

A house, darkness.

I put my hand to my temple and fought back a sharp pain in my temple, until another thought came to me.

"Goddess," I whispered, and stared at Finley and Everett. "When Valpar and I bond, am I…am I going to turn into an orc!?" I squealed and slapped my hands over my face.

Simon jerked his head up. He hated that shrill of a squeal I made when I got upset. I saw his body freeze and he fell to the floor.

When humans bond to a shifter, a fae or a fairy, they become just like their bonded mate. If mates are mixed, such as a werewolf to a fairy, they have a mixture of genes to make sure they are compatible with one another. Such as a siren with a land dweller or a wolf with a vampire. Their children, however, take on only one of the parents' original genes in the womb, so the Bergarian Realm isn't overrun with a melting pot of mixed genetics.

Go gods for thinking ahead.

But what about me? I'm human, Valpar is an orc.

"Oh my gods, I'm going to be green!"