Page 16

Rainn

Two weeks later…

I flutter around the dining room, making sure everything is in place for Nash and his mate to visit for dinner.

A week ago, Axum received a letter from his brother with news of the rogue orcs but he wanted to give more details to Axum in person. He said he would bring his mate, and since we were both humans, we’d have someone to talk to while they talked business.

I like being around my mate, but it would be nice to hang out with a human I can talk to about normal human shit.

My mate. God, that sounds so weird, but it’s also fitting. If I were in Destiny, I would never call my other half my ‘mate’, but here, it’s normal.

I never thought I’d even have a mate. While I never shied away from relationships, I never thought I’d want to be with someone long-term. Now, I can’t see my life without Axum in it.

As he said he would the day he claimed me, he’s made my life so easy and so filled with love that I fear I’ll choke on it. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We’ve fallen into a rhythm, Axum and I. We move easily around each other, Axum working as emperor and me as one of his scribes.

I got my job purely by accident. I was writing down an outline for a book—one I’ll probably never write—and Axum came into the meeting room where I was waiting for him. He peeked over my shoulder and marveled at my handwriting. I told him that I’d taken calligraphy lessons in the past—I had to explain to him what calligraphy was—so I could perfect my author signature and he really loved it. He’d started teaching me how to read and write orcish, and he said with my handwriting, it would be perfect for when he needed to send important missives.

I also commented on how his handwriting was nearly illegible when he was teaching me to read orcish, making him laugh and tell me I really needed to be his scribe to ensure no one was subjected to his terrible penmanship.

I jumped on working for Axum, since I could be around him all the time, and I was paid a salary. It was way less than the other scribes earned—Axum did not like me haggling down for coins, but with him as the emperor, I didn’t need much.

The amount of shit I bought from the market every time I got paid was insane.

But I liked spending money at the market. It’s nice to support the subjects of Daz Vrorkrad, as well as stopping to gossip at nearly every booth. The orcs and other supernatural creatures that live here are some of the nicest, friendliest people I’ve ever met.

Axum comes into the dining room, smiling at me as he makes his way to my side of the table. “Everything is perfect, sweet Rainn,” he says, kissing my claiming bite.

Any other time, I would melt into him, but right now, I can’t stop wondering if the human Nash will be bringing with him is someone that uses all the utensils set beside the plates and bowls and saucers, or if he’s like me and picks the one closest to his hand at the time.

That thought makes me laugh, as well as sends a wave of sadness through me. Kai and I used to joke about pretentious people needing more than one fork to feed their over-inflated egos.

God, I miss him. I wish I could go see Kai, to tell him that I’m fine and he shouldn’t worry about me, but on the heels of that thought, a strong, overwhelming urge to remain in Daz Vrorkrad overcomes me and I can’t leave, no matter how much I miss my best friend. I can’t bring myself to be separated by an entire world from my mate. Axum said there is a way for us to go to Destiny, and when he gets a free week or two, we can go visit. I’m eager to go, to talk to and hug my best friend, but I know how hard Axum is working to ensure the happiness of those in his kingdom. It’s more than a full-time job for him—it’s his life. I try to ease his burden and I think I’m succeeding, even if just a little. He looks lighter than he has in the past few weeks.

I sigh. “Do you know anything about Nash’s human? I know you said your brother is more of a live-off-the-land type, but is his mate? Will they like all this?” I wave over the table with the place setting, the tablecloth and the bunch of flowers that I put in a vase in the center of the long table.

Axum shrugs. “I am not sure. I know nothing of him. Nash would rather eat on a blanket under the stars, but he is trying to at least be civilized this evening for his mate.” He turns me around in his arms, using his index finger to tip up my chin. “Whatever you do, Nash and his mate will love it. You will win them both over, as you have done with everyone else.”

I smile at him. “I hope so.”

It means a lot for Axum’s brother to like me. He doesn’t say it, but I know Axum would like Nash to visit more often. Mahk as well.

Axum reached out to his youngest brother, inviting him to dinner as well, but he didn’t get a reply. Axum said he wasn’t on a job, so he might be away from home for other reasons. “I will try in another few weeks,” he said when he didn’t get a return message after over a week.

“Come,” Axum says, pulling on my arm to lead me out of the room. “I have something I think you will like.”

“Yeah?” I ask, trailing behind him happily.

Axum knows how much I love gifts. Mostly, it’s things he finds when he’s taking a stroll with his guards or when he is out on scouting missions. I have rocks shaped like flowers, branches that make the shape of a heart, and broken pieces of bird egg shells that are the color of his eyes. He’s bought me plenty of items from the market, but I love the things he finds that remind him of me. It lets me know he’s thinking about me when we’re apart.

We leave the dining room and head up to the second floor, where guest rooms and the library are. It’s where I’ve been learning orcish while Axum is off working and doesn’t need a scribe.

He pulls me into the library and leads me towards the back of the room where there are tables set up in front of the windows. When we're here studying, I like to glance out the window every now and then, still amazed that I live in this beautiful place.

A gasp leaves my lips as he points to one of the tables. Did he leave to go through the portal without telling me? How did he even get this here?

My eyes brim with tears and my hands shake as I reach out towards the typewriter and large stack of paper beside it. “Axum,” I whisper, placing my hand over my mouth. “How did you get this? Where did you get this?”

“A human that came through the portal about fifty years ago went back shortly after he was claimed and retrieved it, along with a few reams of paper. He and his mate just cleaned their attic and he found it in a case, forgetting that it was there. They were going to dispose of it, but Olog heard them discussing it and mentioned it to me. You cannot use human electricity here, but that does not hold true for this machine. It works here. So if you would like to write your books, you can use this. It is not?—”

I don’t give him time to finish his sentence; I throw myself into his arms, kissing him long and deep. It’s one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me. I’ve told Axum a few times how much I miss writing and crafting stories, but that my books would be too long to write by hand. The books here are dictated by some sort of spell that I can’t use, so Axum was unable to help me on that front. But he went out of his way to find an answer to my problem.

Since he sank his teeth into my neck, imprinting himself not just on my skin, but in my soul, Axum has been thoughtful and caring, helping me in ways I didn’t know I needed help. This is one such example. I was content to only take notes and maybe breaking down to handwrite a book. I never thought he would find an alternative.

Fuck, I really love him.

“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips, laughing as I wipe tears from my eyes. “This means the world to me.”

“As I told you, sweet Rainn, I would do anything to make you happy and make your life as easy as possible. I see how your eyes light up when you talk about your books. I always want to see that light. Now you can write your books and share them with my world if you would like. I can have my other scribes translate them to orcish and my— our —kingdom can see just how talented you are.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, I’d rather they not know about me writing about humans taking fairy dicks in their ass while they suck off an orc.”

Axum narrows his eyes and in a teasing tone, he asks, “Have you been thinking about fucking a fairy?”

My laughter is loud, bouncing around the library. “God, no. You are more than enough. I only want to be with you.”

“As I only want you, sweet Rainn.” He kisses me gently. “Now, let us greet my brother and his mate. I am sure you’ll enjoy speaking to a human. There are so few here in Daz Vrorkrad.”

I shrug as we walk down the stairs. “There are enough. It’s nice swapping stories with them about where we’re from and how different it is to Belzod. But it will be nice to have a human brother-in-law.”

“It would, at that.” When we reach the landing of the first floor, Axum stops me, turning me to face him. “Would you like to have a proper mating ceremony?”

My breath catches. “Like a wedding?”

“Is that what humans call it? Yes, a wedding.”

“Yes! Yes, please! Oh, my god! Yes! Axum, you make me the happiest man in the world.”

His smile is self-assured. “And I will continue to do so until there is no breath in my lungs.”

In the foyer, forgetting all those around us, our kiss feels like it goes on forever.

When I went hiking, I never thought I’d fall into a mysterious world, and I never thought I’d find the love of my life. But I’m glad I did. Being claimed by my Orc Emperor is a dream come true and I never want to wake up.

THE END