Page 6 of How the Orc Stole Christmas

JULES

“ S omeone got lucky last night,” Olivia said with a sly smile.

I was sitting with the other women around the communal fire trying to learn the traditional breakfast mash and making a complete mess of it. Shannon and Caroline’s eyes grew wide, and they stopped their grinding of the grains, leaning forward eagerly.

“Do tell. Was it Bakh? Or Krothu?”

I flushed, my face heating that had nothing to do with the fire being so close. “It was Klas,” I muttered so low they had to lean forward to hear me.

“I knew it!” Olivia shrieked. “Get it, girl. That man is fine. A perfect orc daddy.”

“Oh my god, Olivia. Keep it down,” I hissed as several male orcs looked up from their place across the green where they were working on making weapons or something.

I still wasn’t sure exactly what they were doing, but they were always busy with hunting, making weapons or training.

And Klas was often in the middle of it, usually the training.

My eyes strayed across the expanse to where he stood with a few of the younger orcs, demonstrating hand-to-hand combat techniques.

He was shirtless, only in his short pants, and a fine sheen of sweat covered him.

My blood raced in my veins and I wanted to drag him back to my hut for some horizontal time.

As if he sensed me watching, he turned and met my gaze with a scorching one of his own.

A chuckle from one of the ladies refocused me on the task at hand. “Damn, you two better get a room. If I wasn’t already pregnant, I would be now, just by that look!”

I blushed and stared at the lump of dough on the plate in front of me. It wasn’t smooth like everyone else’s, but rather lumpy and still looked like the grains. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this back to basics lifestyle.”

Olivia patted me on the back. “You’ll get there. It took me a while too.” She winced, moaned and pressed a hand to her lower back.

I immediately straightened. “Everything okay?”

She nodded, her face still lined with pain. “I’ve been getting these twinges in my back all morning. The baby wasn’t content with using my bladder as a kickball. Now he wants my spine.”

I nodded and began counting in my head. The conversation continued, of course, with a lot of teasing about me and Klas, and I saw Olivia wince again. “Another one?”

She nodded. I caught Caroline’s eye. She understood and slipped away to get the healer.

I stood, brushing my skirt from the residual grains.

At least I could skip today’s failure of a cooking lesson.

“I think we need to go to your hut now. Caroline will get the healer. Shannon, can you find Kharag and Jarrus? It will be some time yet, but better to be prepared.”

Olivia paled. “Now? I’m not ready. We have more clothes to make, and a cradle, and we don’t even have a name picked out!”

I firmly took her arm and began leading her to the hut. “Well, the baby doesn’t really care about any of that, does he? Or she? I guess you’re about to find out.”

The baby came several hours later in a wail of tears and angry squalls. He was green like his daddy, the orc Kharag, with jet black hair, cute pointy ears, and the tiniest little tusks ever seen. I cleaned up the baby and Olivia and left the family cooing over their new addition.

I stepped outside the hut and stretched, my muscles all sore from the hours spent tense and seated with Olivia.

The cool night air was refreshing after the warmth inside the hut and I was grateful to be outside.

The crowds who had waited for news had dispersed once Kharag had announced the birth, so it was oddly quiet in the area.

“Everyone doing okay?”

I gave a scream and jumped about three feet. Klas materialized out of the darkness from the side of the house. “You scared the hell out of me. Yes, everyone is fine. They’re resting and loving on the baby now.”

He fell into step by my side and walked me back to my hut. “You did good today.”

I laughed. “This was easy. I’ve been training for this for years. Don’t ask me to cook, though. I think I would poison the village.”

He opened the door to my hut, and I almost cried. The fire was dancing merrily, and the table was set with dinner. I turned to Klas. “Did you do this?”

“You worked hard today. I thought you could use something to eat,” he replied simply.

And that was when I knew he was the only orc for me.

Sinteklas

J ules was amazing. She was calm, collected, kept everyone organized and focused. I had not expected that from the rambling woman I found in the forest a week ago. Yet, she was taking charge of the village like a warrior, delivering Olivia’s baby with confidence. She was a worthy mate for any male.

I saw her through the window holding the orcling and the longing on her face almost gutted me.

This was what she deserved. A baby, a mate, a family of her own.

Yes, I could give her that, but I was old now.

How many winters did I have? Could I protect her and any orclings?

I was already shifting my role from warrior and hunter to a support role, training others and providing guidance.

She deserved a younger orc who would be around as long as she needed.

I had to let her go.

Jules ate and tumbled into bed, barely able to undress before she collapsed into a deep sleep.

I stayed and watched over her to ensure she rested from the events of the day.

Once she was asleep, I went out back and chopped wood, loading her woodpile to ensure she had enough wood for several days.

I also stocked her larder with food that would be easy to cook.

She didn’t have enough blankets when the colder temperatures set in, which was due in a few weeks, so I took a few extra furs from the stores.

When she woke, I was sitting at the table, knowing I had set her up the best I could for the season. Now it was time to say goodbye.