Fifteen

Moon

“ H ow are you feeling?” I ask Silas once I’m back in the room. He’s still lying down, but he doesn’t seem as drained as before.

“Much better. My power regenerates quickly.” Silas reaches for me, pulling me onto the bed with him. We haven’t been alone together since the cave back in the games.

“Where are the others?” I ask.

“Eating. Or talking with the new Elven Queen. I wasn’t really listening,” Silas admits, as he wraps me up in his arms, pulling my back against his chest.

“I missed you while you were gone,” I murmur and turn my head back so I can glance at him.

“I miss you every second I am not in your presence,” he whispers, as he presses his nose to my temple, inhaling my scent. Then he licks my neck, and I giggle.

“I see you still have a licking problem,” I tease him, and he groans.

“Do not say licking.”

“Why not? You just licked me. What else should I call it?” I ask, and he groans.

“I’m hanging on by a thread.”

“What’s it going to take for me to break that thread?” I roll over, facing him. I hook one leg up and over his hip, scooting myself closer to him. His head rests on his arm, and his free hand is on my hip.

“Moon,” Silas groans, and I lean in to press a kiss to his cheek, then jaw, then throat. When I lick him, like he did me, he moans.

“I’ll stop. We can just cuddle.” I kiss his forehead and cuddle into him, closing my eyes.

“I don’t want to stop.” Silas lifts my chin, kissing me. I relax into the kiss, letting him take his time, as his tongue tangles with mine. “Turn around,” Silas whispers, and I do as I’m told.

He helps me out of my clothing, before removing his own, and then settles in behind me, caressing my skin and pressing kisses to my neck and shoulders.

He reaches around my front to caress my breast, teasing my nipple before sliding his hardness between my wet thighs. He doesn’t push inside me, but he does tease me. The tip of his cock rubs against my clit as he thrusts.

“Silas,” I gasp. Arching my back, I push into him, hoping he’ll end the teasing and finally fuck me. Lining himself up with my entrance, Silas thrusts into me, dragging his fingers down my body so he can press them to my clit.

Silas fucks me slow and gentle for so long that I start feeling desperate to come.

“Once I come, my knot will lock us in place. It won’t harm you. You were made to take me,” Silas says breathlessly into my ear as he picks up pace. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

“Come with me,” I beg, crying out as his fingers match the pace of his thrusts. “I’m so close.”

“Drink,” he demands, pressing his free wrist to my lips after wrapping his arm under my head.

I bite him, my fangs breaking through the skin easily this time. Silas groans as his cock swells inside me, and I come around him hard.

His delicious blood courses through me as his cock pumps into my center. He swells larger and larger, triggering orgasm after orgasm until I’m a screaming mess of pleasure.

My vision goes black, and I don’t know how much time has passed when I open my eyes, and I see several of my men around the room. They give Silas and me space, but his cock is still hard inside me, holding me to him, and with every small thrust I come again.

Eventually, I fall asleep with Silas holding me tightly to his chest.

Moon

“Oh, gods, I hate the way that feels!” I complain, as the world spins and spins. Of course, when I look up, most of the men are all perfectly fine. Well, yay for them. I hate traveling with Crow for this exact reason. Now I have a headache. I’m still bent over, trying to catch my breath.

“Stop complaining.” Crow snorts, smirking at me.

I shake off the feeling as best I can and walk over to Tristan and Arlo, ignoring Crow’s sass.

“Are you okay?” I ask Tristan, slipping my arm around his waist, so I can hug him to me. This is a big moment for my jokester.

“I don’t know, little Badger. I thought my mother was dead for a long time. Most of my life, in fact. Learning that she’s not only alive but that she’s been here for over twelve decades? That's a lot.” Tristan presses several kisses to my head as he looks around. “It’s very beautiful here. I can see why she never returned. Other than the fact that her life would have been in danger if she tried.”

“Sometimes I forget how old you two are compared to the rest of us. You look great for a grandpa,” I tease him, making him smile, and lightening his mood. “I’m sorry you lost so much time with your mother. Hopefully, you two can have a relationship now?” I wonder, and Tristan smiles again, but looks sad now. “Just remember she wasn’t leaving because of you. I’m sure she’s been missing you all this time.”

“Hopefully. I have missed her very much. I can’t even remember what she looks like after all these years,” he admits, and I hold him just a little tighter. “I’m glad I’ll have you by my side for this.”

“Me too.” I press a soft kiss to his cheek, before turning to Arlo. We were here before, but so many things have changed since then. “And what about you?” I ask, unable to resist reaching up to stroke his tusk.

“I’m excited to see them again. To have the chance to learn more about them. I’m also happy for him.” Arlo nods to Tristan, who’s looking around at the Orc Realm, and I feel sad for both men. Arlo grew up thinking no one wanted him, and Tristan believed his mother was dead for longer than I have been alive.

“His father really was a dick,” I grumble, and Arlo snorts. “I’m glad he’s dead. That he and your mother are both free of him. Evie too.”

“Can’t help but agree, Witchy Moon.” Arlo smirks, and I cringe. Not because I don’t miss the old familiar gamer tag, but because it reminds me that in such a short time, my whole life is turned upside down.

Nothing will ever be what I thought it was, and I think I’m okay with that, I just need to keep Warrior safe and kill some bitches.

Tristan

Not long after we arrived here in the Orc Realm, Arlo’s father welcomed all of us into his clan. He’s a loud, boisterous fellow, and I can see what drew my mother to him. I search the crowd, hoping that when I see her, I’ll recognize her.

Moon remains tucked into my side, and her free hand is laced with Arlo’s. Finding out I had a brother had been almost as shocking as learning my mother wasn’t dead.

I’m nervous. About seeing her again. Introducing her to our mate, officially. Asking her and her husband to aid us in the fight against the Fae Queen. To allow us to trap and kill a Necromancer in their Realm.

The purple-haired chaos monster beside me calms my nerves greatly though, and I thank the fates once more for making me hers.

We’re seated at a table now, arriving just in time for breakfast, when I see her. My mother.

She’s a vision. A beautiful vision. With her black hair, magenta eyes, and the kindest smile. She sees Arlo first, her eyes lighting up as she hustles over to greet him. Once she’s closer, she sees me and stops walking. I hold my breath, waiting for her reaction as Moon takes my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. My entire body trembles as memories I had long forgotten come rushing back.

I remember my mother as a kind and loving woman. She remains still for only another second, and then she sprints around the table, heading straight for me. I release Moon’s hand and stand, facing her. She slams into me, and I catch her easily, hugging her tightly as she gets me into a death grip. She’s smaller than me but taller than Moon. I’m shocked by her strength for a second.

“My baby boy…” she cries, and I clear my throat, holding back my own tears.

“Hello again, mother,” I murmur as she trembles in my arms. She pulls back, just enough to reach for Arlo, and pulls him in to hug us both.

“My boys! I have both of my boys back. Oh, how I have missed you so,” she cries, and I pat her back, hoping to soothe her. I’m not good at overly emotional moments. I tend to deflect with humor. A fact my mate seems to appreciate about me, thankfully.

Once she releases us, she wipes the tears from her eyes and turns to Moon, my vicious little badger.

“And you brought your mate. It’s so nice to meet you, Hunny,” my mother says, pulling her into her arms.

“It’s an honor to meet you as well,” Moon mumbles against Mother’s chest. When Moon pulls away from her, Mother goes and takes her place beside Arlo’s Father. Arlo sits beside Mother, and I take my seat on his other side next to Moon.

“Still okay?” Moon whispers in my ear, and I turn my head to press a kiss to her lips.

“I am when I’ve got you by my side,” I tell her honestly. “I’d be even better if you were under me,” I add, making her giggle. There’s that humor I was talking about. The truth is, I don’t know if I’m okay right now.

My mother’s not dead, my mate’s life is in danger on multiple sides, and every time I close my eyes, I see my father’s detached head lying in the dirt. I don’t regret killing him. He needed to die. He deserved it. But…he was my father. And I was the one to end him.

I would do it again. Especially to protect Moon.

“There will be time for that later. First dinner, then murder, then sex,” she whispers, and I see Daire smirk from across the table.

“Sounds like the perfect night, Little Badger.”

Arlo

“Your mate is quite beautiful,” my mother says, as she leans against my father. After spending so much of my life believing that I’d been abandoned, it feels weird to think that they gave me up unwillingly.

“Thank you. I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” I tell my mother honestly.

Dinner has finished, but we remain sitting at the table, drinking and talking. Well, my father and the other Orcs are drinking. Moon and the rest of her men, myself included, are sober.

“There’s something we need to talk about,” I finally say, looking to my brother for support and then to Moon. The fire in her eyes gives me strength. “Warrior is my mate’s Heart Bonded, as you know. What you don’t know is that he’s being hunted by a dangerous Necromancer. We have a plan to lure her to us to trap her and then kill her,” I explain. I reach up, touching my tusk. It’s also weird not to be wearing my face mask anymore.

“What do you need from us?” my father asks, the joyful look on his face replaced by a seriousness I’ve not seen there before. To be fair, we only just met.

“We want to lure her here. We believe the people of this clan will be safer from her than anywhere else. We will do everything. All we ask is for the space to do so,” I say, waiting for their reaction. Worried they’ll reject us.

“Done,” my father says, standing. He raises his fist, and the Orcs fall silent. “Prepare for lockdown. I want women and children protected. We have a great evil headed to our land.” My father looks at me, then Moon and her other mates. “I will fight by your side,” he says, slamming his fist to his chest. I mimic the gesture, feeling a pride I’ve never experienced before.

“I will fight beside you,” my mother adds, taking her place at my father’s side and slamming her fist to her chest as well.

“I have a request,” Moon says, standing behind me. “My mate, Warrior, he cannot be far from my side, or the Necromancer’s power will take over his mind. I would ask that the two of you guard him as close to me as possible, but in a place where he can remain out of sight. He does not wish to see the woman coming for him.”

“Done,” my father says again.

“Thank you,” Moon says, and I turn to look at my Heart Bonded. She smiles at me, leaning in to give me a kiss.

“I love you,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her waist and holding her to me.

“I love you too,” Moon murmurs. Everything I'll ever need to be happy is this woman.