Page 84 of Pursued By the Orc

Grandma leaned closer to me, lowering her voice in mock conspiracy. “You’re quite… impressive, you know. Big, and somewhat terrifying-looking, but also… useful.”

I rumbled low in my chest. “Useful is my middle name.”

She laughed, a warm, wheezy sound that made me grin. “I like him,” she whispered to my mate. “Even if he’s enormous.”

“Definitely a keeper,” my mate joked, winking at me.

Grandma had asked if we’d be moving in with her, but my mate had shaken her head, kissed her cheek and told her that we would be staying in the clan building. Grandma had understood, hugging us both before demanding that we go out to get paper to wrap her china so nothing would get chipped.

Emma had called the nice naiad who’d worked at the nursing home to be her private caretaker. I’d contacted her afterward, paying her whatever she’d asked for to move in with her soshe could be full-time. And I’d already asked her to hire any extra help she needed. I wasn’t taking a chance with the new matriarch of our family.

I carried another load of boxes into the house, glancing at my beautiful female. Moving day had a rhythm, chaotic and exhausting, but there was something satisfying about helping her reclaim her space, something grounding about being here with them both.

Finally, after lugging the last of the boxes inside, I set it down and exhaled, shoulders relaxing. My mate wiped her hands on her jeans, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Thank you,” she murmured and I raised an eyebrow.

“I’m pretty sure it’s my brothers who’re the ones who need thanking. Enka was complaining that we haven’t fed him yet.”

“The pizzas are on the way,” she laughed, moving over to hug me around my waist. I studied her beautiful face, allowing myself to settle into the knowledge that she wasmine. This female who had all the choices in the world had chosenme.

“I love you, Zemar,” I whispered, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

She grinned up at me. “Are you trying to bribe me into more butt stuff?”

My snort was loud as I laughed. The sound echoed around us, and the swell of love that I had inside of my heart for this female—for this family that was growing and that I was somehow a part of.

And as we stood there, wrapped up in each other, Grandma smirking approvingly in the background, sunlight streaming through the windows, I felt it. The start of something solid, chaotic and full of laughter—a life together, officially begun.