Now, he’s hovering just behind me, watching with interest and a fair amount of amusement as I make an enormous mess of Bodi’s kitchen. I wrinkle my nose at the spilled flour and the yolk floating in a broken eggshell that I just accidentally dropped on the counter. The recipe book that I jam packed with all of my best ideas while cooling my heels in my apartment is spread out beside me, already bearing a few smudges.
I give the dough in the bowl in front of me a speculative look. I think it looks like it should. How hard is making cinnamon rolls, anyway? If teenagers can make them at the mall for minimum wage, I figure this should be breeze. But as I’m looking at this mess, it occurs to me that the yumminess that is Cinnabon quite likely arrived frozen because trying to get this dough made right is like floating along in the second circle of hell. I’m not so confident that I can do this. My lips pinch together as I run my hand down the page again.
“Maybe it would just be easier to kidnap a baker after all,” I mutter to myself. “I would prefer just to hire like a normal person, but how would I even do cross-portal help wanted signs anyway? It will have to be a kidnapping because I’ll never be even as good as a bad baker.”
A masculine snort erupts from behind me. “What exactly is it that you are trying to do over there? It looks fine enough and smells good,” he adds.
That surprises me because most of the male orcs I’ve met in Ov’Gorg are not fond at all of sweet things. Garval is like a supersized anti-orc, and I’m guessing one with a sweet tooth that doesn’t stop. He reminds me so much of Kassie in that way that I can’t help but to grin over at him.
What a shame that I hadn’t been able to get her to come over with me. Now that she and Jason are done, I can’t think of anyone who would treat my friend better. I feel bad having Bodi discourage his brother now that Jason is out of the picture. Of course, as long as she’s hooked on him, Garval won’t have a shot. And knew that then when I spoke to Bodi of the matter, and that hasn’t changed—not while she’s living there, waiting on him.
Sooner or later, she will get tired of it. Hopefully, it will happen by the time I get her over here again. And that will happen. I’ll just have to wait until then before I can set up a trap for the couple and get Cupid’s Arrow to work on them. All this plotting makes me feel like a little selfish, but I really want her to have what I’ve found with Bodi. Just without the sarcasm and the mouth that won’t quit.
“Cinnamon rolls,” I tell him, pointing at the picture in the recipe book. “Or that is what they should be, anyway.”
He grunts and narrows his eyes. “I cannot read your human script. It’s very frustrating.”
“Yeah, you can say that again,” I agree.
Aside from what I brought with me, I’m unable to read anything else in the cottage. It’s the height of frustration for me as someone who’s always read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.
He looks at me askance, and I smile because I know that he’s trying to work out whether I literally want him to repeat himself. He shakes his head, and I can just see him fortifying himself and moving on.
A merciless chuckle escapes me before I can stop it, but thankfully he ignores it as he starts flipping through the book to get a look at the pictures of all the yummy little pastries. His eyes brighten a bit with obviously piqued interest.
“Perhaps,” he murmurs, “if you read everything aloud, we can work through it together. Tell me how you started, and we will work our way through it together until we arrive where we currently are with your dough.”
I give him a curious look but drag the book closer to me so that it sits between us, the bowl tucked right behind it.
As I read and point out everything that I’ve used until this point, Garval grunts and grumbles to himself, his head occasionally nodding in response to one of my observations. Suddenly, he holds up a hand, interrupting my rapid flow of words, and picks up the bag of flour.
“I think I see your problem,” he says after a minute.
He grabs one of the discarded measuring cups and adds a bit more flour to the dough, mixing it until it reaches the right consistency. I rattle out the next series of instructions and he gets to work rolling it out evenly across our workspace with just a few swipes of the rolling pin.
I get down lower to get a good look at just how perfectly distributed the volume of the dough is. I’m honestly jealous because what he did with such casual effortlessness, I would’ve been getting down and eyeing it a half-dozen times while rolling it out and still probably wouldn’t have done as well.
Without needing to be prompted, Garval takes the knife and begins to cut symmetrical long strips of dough just as I had instructed. Each of them is roughly two fingers in width—human fingers, that is, not orc fingers. From there, we get to work spreading sweet cinnamony filling down the length of each strip before rolling them tightly back up and setting them side by side in the pan.
I chuckle as I look at my pathetic attempts. They stand out so starkly against his perfect little spirals that they look like sad little cinnamon-encrusted blobs. They aren’t something I would be able to put in front of a customer, but I’m betting they will still taste pretty nice. With that in mind, we double-check the heat of the oven before sliding the pan in. In no time, mouthwatering smells fill the kitchen, warming my insides with every inhale. Pouring another cup of coffee from the pot warming on the stove, I moan softly and drag in a deep breath as I sink down into the chair I vacated at the table.
“Damn, that smells like a baked orgasm to me,” I announce with a happy sigh as I take a deep sip of my coffee at the very same moment that Casper’s fluffy little body sprawls over my feet.
Cup three has never tasted better, and I’ve also got a foot warmer. It’s a shame I don’t have a cinnamon roll to go with all of this. Maybe with cup four. That would truly be bliss.
A chair scrapes, and I hear Garval join me at the table. My eyes slowly open to find him staring at me with an amused smile on his face.
“I can see why my brother has bonded to you,” he observes. “You are both very much alike.”
I snicker and shake my head. “I love Bodi to death, but you have it all wrong. We’re nothing alike. The male has a talent for getting under my skin and making me just a little nuts.”
His smile widens. “Yes, you seem to have that effect on each other. You are both very passionate in the way you enjoy life. It will make you good mates, even if you argue.”
“Mates, huh?” I arch an eyebrow at him over my cup.
His smile drops, and he regards me quietly for a moment. I’m starting to get nervous until he begins to speak again.
“If you do not wish to be Bodi’s mate, you need to tell him. My brother loves you very much and will claim you in the manner of our traditions, because that’s just the way he is. Tell him now so that he doesn’t embarrass himself.”
I stare back at him. “I mean, I love him, but isn’t that a little soon?”
Garval shrugs. “It is the nature of the people of our world. We find our mates quick if we are fortunate enough for the gods to set them in our path. He doesn’t need time to be certain of his bond with you, and in fact is eager to claim you and prove that much to you. What’s more, he will never permit himself to be separated from you for the rest of your lives once he’s secured the mate bond, even more so if it proves to be one of the rare bloodbonds.”
Expelling a long breath, I meet his eye. “That is very sweet but also a little intense. I’m just getting comfortable in our relationship. I didn’t know it would be progressing that fast.”
“You have some control,” Garval reminds me. “Just tell him that you are not ready to mate yet. You will be moved elsewhere until your cottage is ready for you.”
“Wait. I would have to leave?”
I don’t want to be separated from him again. Especially not now. Just the thought and my heart squeezes painfully.
Garvels’ expression turns stony. With his muddy green colo
ring and severe features, he looks like something from an old fantasy novel. And not the hero. “Would you force my brother to endure being in such intimate and close proximity to you when he’s fighting the beginnings of the bond? That would be unnecessarily cruel. You don’t strike me as a female who enjoys the suffering of males.”
I shake my head, guilt creeping in because that’s exactly how it sounds. “No. Of course not. I just have a hard time imagining not being with him. It was hard enough when I had to return home and pack everything. The separation ate at me whenever I couldn’t keep myself distracted. I don’t want to be separated from him further.”
“A strong bond has already been forming between you,” he observes quietly. “Understand that I do not wish for you or my brother to get hurt—but I would rather watch that small hurt than great suffering from your loss. You will need to make your decision soon.”
I stare down at my hands with uncertainty. Fuck. It shouldn’t be so easy to make this hard. I know how I feel about Bodi, but I’m also scared shitless. While nothing has ever felt so right for me, and the idea of being claimed in such a primal way is exciting, this whole thing and how fast it’s moving is what makes me afraid. I’m afraid of making another mistake.
“I’m afraid,” I whisper. “What if I choose wrong and we both end up hurt by it?”
Garval’s expression softens, and his large hand stretches across the table to engulf my clasped hands. “Do you love him?”
I draw in a deep breath and let it out, quieting my mind for a moment just to feel. “Yes. I do. And that’s what scares me.”
He cocks his head. “Why? Love is what is important.”
“It’s too fast,” I mutter. “What if something changes? What if he realizes that he doesn’t like who I am? I can’t go through that again, being with someone who hates everything about me and works hard to change it, to mold me into who he wants me to be.”
He gives a deep bark of laughter that startles me, but his hand squeezes over mine reassuringly. Brown eyes meet mine, filled with warmth.
“My brother is exasperating and something of a fool at times, but he would never want a mate he would have to work to change. It’s not in his nature, or in our nature as a species. Perhaps we are lazy.” He grins. “If he feels a bond with you, and wants you, it is because you are perfect for him in every way.” He releases my hand, his grin widening as he settles back into his chair. “Not that you won’t want to murder him every now and then, for which you have my sincerest sympathy being tied to such a male. But you can rest assured that he will never want anyone else.”
I swallow back the emotion lodged in my throat. It could be so easy to doubt him. But all I have to do is think of how that silly orc shows his love. Some of them are aggravating as hell, but everything is demonstrative, even his need to attract me with whatever he’s wearing even as he blithely ignores the fact that it attracts everyone else too. He’s so fixated on my responses and my pleasures. I’m grateful he’s toned down the clothing thing, even though it no longer really bothers me now that I’ve noticed that he doesn’t so much as look at his admirers. He may be flashy, but he never fails to let me know how much I’m the center of his world. We work well together, and Garval’s right—he’s never done anything to try to change me in the slightest.
A lifetime of this male’s devotion, to wake up next to him every morning and enjoying the full weight of his focus and affection, to spend lazy days curled up together and adventurous days exploring with Haith, to snipe and tease and love, and to make a family with him—yes to all of it!
Garval must see it in my expression because he chuckles. “There it is—the love for my brother. You see now that you want to be his mate.”
“You’re right,” I sigh, my lips curling as I meet his gaze. “I do want to be his mate.”
The old-fashioned winding timer I brought from home dings, and I laugh at its inopportune timing. Or maybe its timing is perfect now that I’ve worked everything out, reminding me that the now matters and the future awaits. This is the beginning of everything.
Going over the oven, I pull on my oven mitts and open it up, the fragrant scent of cinnamon rolls rolling out. My mouth waters as I lift out the pan and set it on a protective mat on the counter for the treats to cool. A stomach rumbles loudly and I giggle at the realization that it’s not mine. Looking over my shoulder, I grin at Garval standing right behind me, his eyes focused on the pan with pure hunger.
“Let’s let these cool and then we can have one before we start on the scones. I have a list…”
Garval’s head whips up and his hand goes out, silencing me. I blink in surprise, stung until I see the way that his eyes are narrowed, tracking over the ceiling above us. There’s the softest creak, and he growls menacingly. The hairs on my arm rise, and I nearly jump when he suddenly spins around and stalks toward the door. He flings it open as he grabs the large battleax that leans there against the wall. An ax that I couldn’t lift even using both hands, he swings up over his shoulder as he strides out.
I really should stay in the kitchen where he left me, but I want to know what the hell is going on too. Not that I’m an idiot. I won’t be getting in the way or even going outside. I just want to peek out the door to see what’s going on.
Walking as quietly as I can, I hurry to the door and peak outside. Garval stands beneath the trees, his ax clutched in front of him. His eyes scan the roof and then the grounds closest to the cottage. He grunts and looks over at me.
“Stay inside,” he growls. “I don’t see anything, but I’m going to go around back just to make certain.”
I nod and watch him walk away until he disappears around the side of the cottage. There’s a loud moaning sound from a delfass, no doubt Garval’s beast greeting him as he walked by the stable in the back. I don’t hear anything else, no matter how hard I strain to listen. I nearly jump out of my skin when Garval appears once again at my side, his expression disgruntled.
“Nothing. There are some signs of disturbance in the growth, but there are workers out working in the orchards,” he grumbles. “We should go back inside.”
He suddenly stiffens as large body breaks through the trees carrying an ax. The ash-colored orc smiles widely and raises his hand in greeting.
“What are you doing here, Fellek?” Garval rumbles unhappily.
The male lowers his ax and swipes his forearm against his brow. The look he gives Garval is less than friendly but must pass for politeness among orcs since the male beside me doesn’t lose his shit. Bodi would have, but then having another unrelated male this close to me seems to rub him wrong anyway.
“Hired on with the team,” Fellek answers in a bored voice. “We are nearly finished, and I happened to see the human outside and wished to extend my greeting.” His smile returns as he looks over at me. “Good day,” he purrs.
“Hi,” I reply flatly, not at all succumbing to that rolling sound. It works coming from Bodi, but from anyone else it apparently makes my skin crawl.
Garval bares his teeth, his impressive tusks jutting out more ferociously. “Be respectful. This is my brother’s intended mate.”
Fellek’s brows raise, his expression growing wicked. “Is she now? I can’t imagine what she would see in that pompous warrior. If you are looking to mate an orc, little female, I would be happy to apply.”
Garval’s growl deepens angrily. “You would dare! Perhaps it was you sneaking around here looking to steal her for your own with the mating not yet completed!”
The thought alarms me because I sure as hell don’t want any orc getting it into his head to try and take me. I didn’t even know that was a risk. I want this mating business done with. I also recognize a need to defuse the situation. Garval looks ready to murder the male who really hasn’t done anything worse than flirt, even if I’m offended by his offer.
I grip Garval’s arm tightly with one hand and glare at the other male. “No thank you. I have every intention of mating Bodi.�
�
There’s a lot more I want to say, such as pointing out that making that offer while I’m clearly here by choice is rude as fuck, but I exercise some self-restraint and keep things on point. Regardless, the male’s smile slips away, and he stiffens slightly, but his reluctant nod assures me that there isn’t about to be any kind of scene.
“Very well. If that’s your choice. I will return to my work. We will likely be gone within the hour.”
Garval remains tense beside me as Fellek stalks back into the orchard, and in the next moment he’s herding me back inside the cottage as he grumbles under his breath.
“I can’t believe that guy!” I burst out the moment the door shuts behind us. “Did he think he could just get me to leave Bodi like that?”
He grunts unhappily. “It’s been known to happen. Until a mating has been finalized, a female can be lured away or stolen away without anything that can be done about it if the female decides to remain with the other male. It is one reason why Bodi asked me to wait here with you to guard you in his absence. Until you are mated, leaving you is going to be very difficult for him.”
“Shit,” I breathe, and he nods solemnly.
“I will have to inform Bodi of this transgression,” he warns. “He told me of the male approaching you before. He will wish to deal with this matter personally.”
I sigh. “He’s not going to try to kill him or anything, right?”
Garval’s responding chuckle is dark and humorless. “He will make the male wish he had. It is the highest disrespect, and no one would object to him defending his position as your guard.”
How to Claim a Human Mate (Monstery Yours #6) Page 17
