She bites her lip, a habit I picked up from her. “Oh, I don’t know, sweetie. I’m a bit old to be starting over in a new place. And who would put flowers on your daddy’s grave if I wasn’t here to do it?”
“Daddy doesn’t need flowers to know that you remember and love him, Mom. At least promise that you’ll think about it.”
She nods and gives me a small smile. “Okay, I will. Maybe I can come for a visit to see how I feel about things when you get married… or mated, or whatever they call it there,” she laughs.
“Don’t go putting the cart before the horse,” I reply. “He hasn’t even asked me. It’s not like we’ve known each other long.”
“Yes, but we all know how differently things work with the fae kind,” she sighs, another dreamy look coming over her face.
Fifteen years a widow, and my mother is still a hopeless romantic, but I do hope she’s right. A fairytale ending would be the perfect way to end this night, even if it is a bit unrealistic. I do wonder, however, if there are any older bachelors around here who I can introduce her to. I’m sure Elga will know someone who might be another prince for my mom. Warming up to the idea, I blow my mother a kiss.
“Okay, Mom, Garval will be here any minute. I’ll mirror you tomorrow and tell you all about it.”
“You had better, missy,” she scolds, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she blows a kiss back and the mirror goes dark.
Giving my gown one last brush with my hands, I finger the golden belt cinched at my waist for a moment before grabbing my cloak. I would have been just as happy wearing my regular coat, but Lynn insisted that I needed this to wear with my dress. As I admire the results, I must admit that she’s right. The look is spectacular.
I carefully adjust the curls hanging over my shoulders and make sure the braids drawing the sides of my hair back away from my face at neatly tied into place. Just as I finish, I hear the thump of a fist striking my front door and my heart jumps with excitement. Rushing to the door, I throw it open and gasp at Garval standing before me.
His shorter cloak hits him at mid-thigh, but it’s of a gorgeous russet color that, when he moves his arm, shows a peek of his deep orange and red tunic beneath it. His normally knotted hair flows loose around his shoulders except for two small braids framing his face. The combined look is definitely otherworldly, like something from a fairytale. My heart begins to race, and I feel a surge of hope that just maybe I’ll get my Halloween magic after all.
I blush as he looks his fill, his eyes widening with appreciation even as the golden sparks within them brighten with a hint of lust.
“You’re beautiful, Kassie,” he murmurs, his hand extending to me.
I set my hand in his and shiver at the gentle scrape of his claws as his fingers close around mine when I step out beside him.
“You look incredible too. If it weren’t for the fact that I spent a good bit of money on all this, I would be tempted to suggest that we find other ways to share our mutual appreciation.”
He chuckles as he draws me to his side, tucking me beneath the shelter of his arm. “I’m afraid that my mother would have similar objections to that plan since she painstakingly arranged for this to be tailored for me. Besides, I want to show off my beautiful female.”
I glance around, expecting to see Korf. When we are not walking from the cafe to my cottage together, he usually arrives with the delfass and sets him up in the sheltered area off the back of the cottage that I hadn’t noticed until he started sleeping over.
“Where’s Korf?”
“At home, sleeping off his dinner,” he chuckles. “I just walked a short distance since my mother had my clothes. It’s a nice night for a walk to the keep, anyway.”
“Probably will keep my hair in better shape too,” I agree with a laugh as I nestle in close to him, my stomach fluttering with little tingly butterflies.
The walk to the keep is a pleasant, if somewhat lengthy stroll to where it rises majestically on its hill just beyond the square. Despite the Goblin Ball, there are still quite a few activities going on, and a number of eyes watch the train of attendees heading under torchlight toward the keep with wonder. I know that the Goblin Ball is invitation-only, which explains the envy I see in a few eyes that watch us pass, but I don’t let it ruin my evening as we leave the square and ascend the hill up to the keep.
Upon arriving, we’re greeted at the ballroom entrance by a sage green-colored goblin wearing a maroon vest over a cream tunic and tight brown leggings that, like the style worn by all his brethren, leaves nothing to the imagination. He has a hooked nose and wide, dark eyes, his smile broad as he greets us. He’s nothing like what I would’ve imagined a goblin to be, but neither were the ones I saw performing at the carnival. He gives us a curt but friendly bow when Garval hands him our invitations and waves us in.
The Goblin Ball is truly like a fantasy come to life. Floating lights illuminate the room with an ethereal glow. A couple handfuls of pixies swarm high above everyone, moving in time to the haunting music being played from a stage at the far end of the room. I can see Chieftain Orgath and his mate Sammi nearby, without their children hanging off of them. The only orcling they seem to have with them tonight is Ferona, who can’t seem to stop smiling over at Chris, who is clearly delighted with all of the attention. Just off to their side, Lynn nibbles an assortment of goodies from her plate while Bodi looms over her, shooting daggers from his eyes at any male who ventures anywhere near them.
We slowly make our way over, exchanging pleasantries along the way with everyone who stops to speak with us. Garval makes a stop at the buffet too, loading a plate up for us before we cross the remaining distance to join our friends and family.
Lynn waves, attracting her mate’s attention. Bodi’s expression immediately lightens at our arrival. He opens his arms in greeting as we join them.
“Finally, you’ve arrived! You wouldn’t believe how many mateless males are here looking to poach my mate,” he says, directly a scowl to the rest of the ballroom. “The more reinforcements, the better, I say.”
Lynn rolls her eyes at his side. “No one is interested in stealing me. I’m already starting to swell up like a balloon with this pregnancy. It’s hardly as sexy as you seem to think it is.”
He directs an offended look to her, clasping his arms around her round belly. “Don’t say such things. My youngling is just making you all the more delectable!”
“So he says,” she giggles, her eyes gleaming as she looks over at me. “Kassie, you look fabulous! I’m so excited for you.”
“For… what?” I laugh. “We’re at the same ball, you know.”
She tilts her head, her brow furrowing until her eyes slide over to Garval and he gives a subtle shake of his head. My lips pinch together. What’s that all about? I’m about to ask when she suddenly hands her plate to Chris, who stares down at it as she shuffles away, dragging her mate away by the arm.
“Oh! This is our dance! Hold onto those for me, Chris—we’ll be back!” she calls out as she hastens Bodi onto the dance floor.
“Oh, okay,” Chris mumbles, and he shrugs, popping one of the giant prawns that Lynn loves into his mouth.
I shake my head at my friend’s antics but smile up at Garval when he produces a stuffed mushroom. My stomach rumbles happily, and I go to reach for it, but he presses it against my lips.
“Allow me,” he rasps.
A tiny shiver zings down my back, and I lean forward and take a bite, practically moaning as the flavors of herbs and cheese burst on my tongue. It’s gone in two bites, but he immediately reaches for another before I even have the opportunity to bemoan the absence of such a tasty delicacy.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but I’m not complaining,” I greet the second mushroom propped at my mouth.
Garval smiles down at me, his eyes shining with warmth and affection. “All you’ve done is by being exactly who you are: the female who makes me the happiest male in the clan.
”
“Wow, that’s smooth,” Chris observes and then grunts when Ferona nudges him in the gut with her elbow.
“I think it’s very romantic,” she says with a happy little sigh that makes Sammi’s eyebrows wing up before she exchanges a telling look with her mate.
I can’t say I blame her when she has a teenage daughter with romance on her mind.
“How are you two enjoying the ball?” I ask.
“It’s great!” Chris enthuses. “There are so many different people here, and of course Ferona has been introducing me. She’s the best,” he adds with a besotted look at his friend.
Ferona beams over at him in turn, twining her arm with his. “Chris has been so very charming. Everyone agrees that he looks just like a wood elf prince!”
“Does he now?” I murmur, my lips twitching.
Behind her daughter, Sammi shrugs and mouths “have fun,” and I resist the urge to double over with laughter. I can just imagine that these two have been practically inseparable ever since Chris arrived. I’m sure it’s drawn some speculation from the orcs eyeing the pair curiously. A couple of the older males are frowning, but I ignore them since Chris and Ferona seem as to also be doing as they enjoy each other’s company.
The music changes, and Ferona grabs his arm. “Oh, this is my favorite. Come on, Chris, let’s dance!”
He stammers as he reluctantly allows himself to be dragged onto the floor. “I-I really don’t know how to dance to this kind of music.”
“Neither do I, but that’s part of the fun of it. Come on!”
I smile as I watch them navigate clumsy dance steps, their heads swiveling to watch how other couples do it before they start to do their own kind of dance, smiling and laughing together. Thankfully, both have the good manners to do so well out of the way of others on the dancefloor. Even so, they earn several amused looks as they clearly seem to be enjoying themselves.
Orgath grunts and sets his plate down on a nearby table, extending a hand to Sammi.
“I do believe I owe my mate a dance,” he rumbles.
Sammi presses her lips together as she attempts to rein in her smile, placing her hand in his before he pulls her out with him. They move together in the elegant fashion that only two individuals who’ve been together for years and danced together often can pull off.
“Do you wish to dance?” Garval whispers, his body pressing close to me, the plate that he was holding discarded.
I reach over to the hand resting warmly on my hip and twine my fingers with his as I smile up at him. “With you… absolutely.”
My dress swishes around my legs as he leads me out onto the dance floor. It’s darker than where we were. The lights that illuminate the perimeter where people converse and eat are soft magical flickers out here. Beneath the blue dancing lights and a roll of pale mist that has been conjured over the dance floor, it truly does feel like I’ve stepped into pure magic as we dance. My body drawn close to his, I’m warmed by both the hot press of his muscles and the spicy scent of him that I draw in with every breath.
It feels like a Cinderella moment as we dance throughout the night, taking breathers to enjoy food—all of which he insists on feeding me—and talking with friends. As we take one such break, I look over at him and cock an eyebrow.
“I almost forgot… What was all of that between you and Lynn earlier? And don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He sighs and sweeps a hand through his hair. “I had wanted to wait until the midnight stroke.”
I blink. “You mean the one that’s supposed to determine if you’re destined to be with the one you’re dancing with? Do you need all of that?” I ask woodenly.
I almost feel offended that he does. I mean, it would break my heart if we weren’t fated, but I’ve decided that I wouldn’t let that stop me. That he’s waiting for it—the result must mean more to him. I feel crushed with disappointment and start to withdraw as I fiddle with my skirt. It’s only been a couple of weeks; I shouldn’t feel so badly about it, but I had hoped that just maybe I would have gotten this time to have found someone who wanted me as much as I want them.
“I don’t,” he whispers, “but I thought you do. I already know… I’ve always known.”
He looks over at me, his eyes full of hope and love that it takes my breath away. He’s looking at me as if I’m everything that he could ever want. In fact, I feel it deep inside me, like a thrum in my heart that has always been there if I had just been paying attention. It echoes not just my love but the love that I swear I can feel coming from him. Now that I’m actually aware of it, I can’t help but feel the full force of the connection that I had only been distantly aware of over the last few days.
“What is this?” I whisper in awe.
He draws me into his arms, his large hands cupping the sides of my face, and he meets my eyes tenderly. I feel so small and yet cherished as he reverently holds me against him.
“It’s the bloodbond,” he whispers. “It’s what drew me to you when I couldn’t have you, and what made me yearn for you when we were apart. It’s what made me need you when you arrived in my life again. I’ve waited my entire life to find my mate… and it’s you.”
My breath expels as emotions clog my throat. I vaguely remember Lynn telling me of the bloodbond, but I hadn’t given it my full attention at the time since I was devastated over everything that happened with Jason. But now everything clicks into place and my eyes widen.
“That tattoo Elga mentioned!”
Garval chuckles. “Yes, as part of the mating ceremony.” He nestles me closer to him and sighs contentedly. “I admit I’ve done things a bit backward. I established the bloodbond with you when we mated when I should have undergone the ceremony first.”
“And what is this ceremony?” I whisper.
“I feed you from my own hand, and ask that you accept me,” he murmurs, leaning down to brush his lips against my cheekbone. “And then I give you the token of our bond, a mating collar, before I open myself up to allow you to initiate the bonding through accepting sexual contact.”
The last is whispered in my ear, and I close my eyes and shiver at the erotic memory that springs to mind. He’s right. We did the last part.
“You’ve been feeding me all night,” I point out.
“Of course. I wish to do this right. You deserve it,” he rumbles.
He tucks his hand into his tunic and draws out a leather cord attached to a small pouch. Garval opens it, pulling out a beautiful collar not unlike ones I’ve seen other orc females wearing. Deep wine-colored stones glint up at me as he holds it out for my inspection, each beautifully engraved claw giving a sort of deadly contrast to the elegance. Of course this would be an orc’s mating collar. I flush with pleasure as I look at it and nod.
“Is that a yes? You accept my claim and will join with me as my bloodbonded mate?” he breathes against my skin.
“Yes,” I choke out, a happy laugh bubbling up as he places it around my neck.
Drawing back, he admires the way the collar falls around my neck before sweeping me up into his arms, his lips claiming mine as his tongue thrusts deep in an intoxicating mimicry of the promised intimacy we’ll soon be sharing.
All around us, I can hear a thunderous applause, and Chris cheers, making me pull my mouth away from my mate’s lips to grin at him as my son stabs his fist jubilantly into the air.
“Yes! This is awesome! Nora is going to freak!”
Ferona laughs at his side and nudges him. “I hope you mean that in a good way.”
“He does,” I call over, laughter and happiness overflowing in the moment. “It’s only the best kind of freaking!”
“Your human phrases never cease to be disturbing,” Garval rumbles down in amusement.
I caress his jaw, the coarse stubble prickling under my fingertips. “Well, you will now have a lifetime to get used to them. You’re stuck with me now.”
“Thank the gods,” he groans, a
nd he crushes me to him again, the sweep of his tongue taking every last thought away except the dance of our love across our bloodbond.
Chapter 18
Kassie
Our mating feast is far larger than I would have thought it would be. As Orgath’s cousin, we find ourselves the very next day once again in the ballroom of the keep with a bridal table set up at the front for us and our closest family. The rest of the room is filled with tables around a cleared center where various bouts of sparring and other entertainment are carried out to celebrate our joining.
I try not to blush at the memory of our “mating night.” We remained at the ball only to enjoy the final countdown to midnight and watch the magic mist settle. When it did, many couples were, like us, crowned in the royal purple glow of destined bloodbonds. I think that Chris and Ferona were disappointed when they didn’t see a mark, but perhaps the magic is wise not to reveal such things to the young. They both still have a lot of growing up to do, and the results didn’t stop them from being thick as thieves when Garval and I left and made our way back to the cottage, the music of the orcs’ songs to their ancestors following us on our way.
We barely made it through the doors before we fell on each other, stripping each other before we crashed to the furs in front of the hearth once again to consummate our bond. It was a wild night that left me a bit hoarse this morning, but I wouldn’t change anything as I smile over at my mate seated at my side. A surge of affection comes across our bond, and he leans over to nuzzle me lovingly.
At his side, his mother beams with pride while my mother sits beside me, wiping away happy tears with a handkerchief that she keeps clenched to her chest. I don’t know how or when my new orc family arranged to get my mother, but from the way she’s smiling, I have a feeling it’s been in the works for at least several days. Definitely before I talked to her, which explains her cryptic talk of matings.
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