Page 27 of The Orc’s Sweetheart (Creatures & Cottages)
Chapter 27
Bodin
N ever did I think I’d be flying in Aurelius’s arms. But here I am, a big orc soaring through the air in the arms of a mothman. I guess love will make you do crazy things, because on top of flying, I’m on my way to Cape Easton—a place I never thought I’d return to.
But there’s nothing I won’t do for Tilly.
Aurelius doesn’t try to make small talk during the flight, and I’m thankful for that. It’s not that I’m scared of heights, it’s just that I’m not particularly inclined to look down, or talk while so far above the ground.
In the distance, I can already make out Beck holding his boat steady as Richard and Katie help Annamae onto it. Ren waits with the first aid kit, looking awkward and uncomfortable as he stands off to the side and glances at the sky every so often.
Curving his big wings backward and forward as he slows our descent, Aurelius lowers us until we’re safely on the wooden dock. We both turn to watch Tilly and Pierre as they get closer.
Leaning into me, Aurelius bumps me with a wing. “You two look good together, happy.”
“We are,” I reply gently, not wanting to unnecessarily hurt his feelings. I look at him and the smile he gives me is wistful, but accepting. He nods once, and then flies back in the direction of town.
Pierre sets Tilly down and she quickly thanks him before she rushes to me and throws her arms around my neck. I pull her against my body, lifting her until her feet dangle off the ground. It may not be that long ago since we woke up together, but it almost feels like an eternity has passed with everything that has happened.
I tilt my head down and whisper into her ear, “Are you okay?”
Tilly weaves her fingers into the hair at the back of my head and answers softly, “Yeah, I will be. I think your mom just welcomed me to the family. She gave me a goblin greeting.”
A keen satisfaction rolls through my entire being and goose bumps scatter across my skin. “Not many creatures get one of those from her. I think she’s claimed you before I could.”
Tilly leans back to look at me. “You jealous?”
“Nope.” I drop my voice until it’s a little above a rumble. “The way I’m claiming you will not be near as polite as what she did.” I suck on the pulse point at the base of Tilly’s neck and lick over the mark.
A throat clears behind us and Ren steps forward with the first aid kit held out straight in front of him, looking anywhere but directly at us. I loosen my arms from around Tilly and she takes the bag from Ren—both of them sporting brightened cheeks.
“Thank you for bringing this,” Tilly says.
“You’re welcome. I, uhm, have to get going now. Bye.” Ren starts walking away, then pauses and half turns back to Tilly. “I’ll, uhm, think about what you said, about the, uhm, you know.” Then he speeds off before Tilly can say anything else.
I take her hand and lead her onto the boat to join Richard and Annamae. “I won’t ask any questions about Ren, but is it okay to admit that I’m curious?”
Tilly pats my chest. “You can be curious, but I won’t betray his trust. Just medical stuff.”
“Okay.” I press a kiss to her forehead then get onto the dock again to help Beck ready the boat.
Beck frowns at me. “Are you sure you want to go to Cape Easton?”
I breathe in slowly through my nose, then exhale my words. “Yeah. If Tilly’s going, I’m going.”
“Okay,” he accepts easily. I can always appreciate that about Beck. He would never think to argue with someone about their choices, just trusts that they know their own mind.
Beck points to the cleats. “You can loosen the ropes and hop in. The boat is pretty full and I want to get there quickly, so I’m shifting. Please keep my clothes ready when we arrive. City creatures are weird about nude bodies. ”
Without any further delay, Beck strips down and hands me his clothes, which I bundle quickly and shove under my arm. I untie the ropes from the cleats and get ready to climb into the boat, but pause to watch Beck as he arcs through the air in a spectacular dive, shifting into his dragon form the moment he touches the water.
“That’s a sight no one will ever get tired of seeing,” Katie says behind me. I almost forgot she was still here. I don’t question what she was referring to, and hope it’s just his dragon form.
Waving goodbye to Katie on the dock, I climb onto the boat again and sit down behind Tilly, putting one hand around her waist so I can brace her from the movement that’s bound to come. Then, I give the boat two taps to signal Beck that we’re all set.
Beck’s long horns are first to break the surface, followed by his fierce maw as he bites onto the rope tied to the front of the vessel. He swims ahead of us and pulls the boat toward Cape Easton with his long serpentine body undulating through the water, the spikes along his back looking like a shiver of sharks readying for an attack. The sun catches on his pearlescent scales every time he surfaces, making him look even more formidable as we speed forward much faster than any sail could pull us in this light breeze.
Tilly turns her head to me, awe apparent in her voice as she says, “Now I know why dragons are so secretive. If everyone knew they looked this majestic, that they were this strong and fast, they’d be bothered nonstop. Beck is incredible.”
“Yeah. He doesn’t shift often, so even in Starry Hill it’s a rare occurrence to see him like this.”
We settle in for the ride, and I stare out across the navy ocean as I take stock of my current situation. Except for Beck’s splashes as he breaks the surface, everything around me and within me is calm. My nerves are nowhere to be seen as I near Cape Easton with my friends around me and my female in my arms.
I thought I would be apprehensive about returning to the city, that my body might break out in a cold sweat, but I’m at peace with my decision.
I am not defined by my past, nor will I allow the past to define my future.
Across from us, Richard cradles Annamae to him, massaging her fingers tenderly with his other hand as he whispers sweet words of love to her.
I want Tilly and I to grow old together like that. To have that unconditional love where you mobilize a whole island to find your partner and drop everything to see to their health and happiness.
When we reach Cape Easton harbor, I brush the tiny wisps of Tilly’s windswept hair out of her face and say, “I’ll get off first to tie the boat up and give Beck his clothes. Please stay put. I’ll come help you as soon as the boat’s secure.”
She smiles sweetly at me and presses her lips to my cheek. “Okay.”
I jump from the boat just as Beck pulls himself onto the dock in his human form. He quickly dries himself with his water magic and takes the clothes from me.
A broad grin stretches across Beck’s face as he pulls his pants up. “That was fun. I should do that more often.”
Nodding, I say, “Fun is a good idea sometimes.” I think Beck can get so caught up in taking care of the island, fulfilling his duties, and living up to his family’s expectations, that sometimes he forgets that he’s allowed to relax and do something different for the sake of fun. Except for karaoke nights, he hardly does anything for himself.
We bundle Annamae into the center of our group and proceed slowly toward the hospital. Despite Tilly’s insistence, Annamae chooses to walk to the hospital, not willing to be carried the couple of blocks we need to go.
When we arrive at the large urgent care center, Tilly marches up to the front desk. She explains Annamae’s symptoms to a nurse on duty who she thankfully recognizes and gets a bunch of forms for Richard to sign while Annamae gets a short assessment.
Tilly returns to Richard, handing him the paperwork. “That nurse is amazing and I can guarantee that Annamae is in good hands. They’ll take care of her. In the meantime, they just need you to fill these out and then they can start treatment. Do you need any help with them? Or can I get you coffee? Water?”
Richard places a hand on Tilly’s. “It’s so kind of you to offer, but we’ll be okay. You’ve already done so much for my Anna. Maisie, my niece, lives in the city and I already called her from Starry Hill to say we were on the way here. She loves my Anna and will be happy to stay with me until we’re cleared to travel back home.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. We’ll at least wait with you until she comes. Right, Bodin?”
“Of course.” I consider lowering myself into the flimsy-looking hospital chair next to Richard’s, then decide against it. Even though no one has even given me a second look, I’d rather not draw attention to myself if I break it and fall on my butt right here.
As I debate what my next move should be, a bright tornado of energy heads straight for us.
“Uncle Richard!” the blonde tornado, who I assume is Maisie, calls with her arms outstretched as she runs all the way from the doors to his seat.
The two embrace for a quiet second before Maisie’s spinning around, lifting onto her toes, and asking, “Where’s my favorite aunt? Has a doctor already seen her? Will she be okay? Uncle Richard, are you okay? You must’ve been so worried. Tell me everything.”
I take Tilly’s hand and pull her up. “Let’s go get some coffee.”
Richard waves us off as we exit the hospital and walk into Cape Easton’s city center. A part of me expects creatures to stare at our threaded fingers, or my tusks, but no one pays us any attention. Or if they do, it’s a small incline of their heads, a greeting, or someone stepping out of the way so Tilly and I can walk hand in hand.
Something deep and broken in me weaves itself together with each person that passes by. Maybe my experience at university was isolated. Maybe not all city creatures are heartless bullies. I know I was wrong about Tilly, and judging by Maisie’s very enthusiastic love for her aunt and uncle, I’m guessing there are many creatures from Cape Easton who can prove to be the opposite of those I’ve met.
If this keeps going, I might consider visiting again. Even if just to meet Tilly’s parents and ask them for Tilly’ s hand. Though, I don’t know if I would be okay with the option of them saying no. Maybe I’ll just invite them to the ceremony.
Tilly and I are both quiet, lost in our thoughts as we slowly decompress and process all the events of the day.
After another block or so, I notice Tilly’s limp getting more pronounced.
“Is your ankle sore?”
“A bit. I pushed myself hard today. There’s a coffee shop one street down with comfortable seats and an ocean view. Let’s head there.”
I try not to fuss over Tilly as she leads us to a quaint-looking shop. When we approach the door, someone holds it open for us, and I mumble my thanks to him.
The stranger smiles charmingly and replies, “You’re so welcome.” Then he exits without another glance back. I try not to be confused by the friendliness of the creatures, but it’s a whole different world from what I knew.
We order our coffees and head for a bench seat on the deck overlooking the ocean. Tilly sits down next to me and I get a chair for her to prop her ankle onto. The barista gave us some ice and a towel, which I place on Tilly’s ankle as she sips her drink.
Looking at her over my shoulder, I smirk. “This feels familiar.”
Tilly’s cup pauses halfway to her mouth. “Do you know how badly I wanted to kiss you that night?”
I shake my head. “Not as much as I wanted to kiss you.”
Smile soft, but eyes playful, Tilly purrs, “You’ve definitely made up for it. ”
I take her hand in mine and press my lips to her fingers. “I’m not planning on stopping anytime soon.”
Tilly stares at me for a long moment, a thousand thoughts passing behind her eyes. The moment she opens her shutters and lets me see her true feelings that she’s been suppressing all day, feels like the biggest gift.
Looking the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen her, she says in a low voice, “I want to tell you a story. About me. About what happened before Starry Hill and why it was so easy for me to accept a job there.”
I place one hand on her thigh and squeeze lightly. “I’m here and listening. Take as long as you need.”
Tilly takes a deep breath then leans back, staring out at the ocean she starts talking slowly. “A couple of years ago, I was working in a different hospital as a registered nurse. One day, a dryad came in, completely limp and weak. She was young, a university student from out of town with no family in the city, so I kind of took it upon myself to see that she was taken care of.
“The doctors tried to help her, but that hospital didn’t have a nonhuman health division, so their knowledge was limited. We gave her fluids, let her rest, but she kept getting weaker.
“I started researching dryads, tried to get my hands on any relevant medical articles, but it was hard finding proper resources. Wanting to help her consumed me. I practically lived at the hospital. I stopped going home. Slept only in the chair next to her bed, or passed out in front of the computer while researching. My meals, whenever I remembered to eat, were from hospital vending machines. ”
My heart contracts with every word out of Tilly’s mouth, but I don’t dare interrupt her, only rubbing soothing circles on her thigh to let her know I’m listening.
Tilly takes a shaky breath and continues without looking at me, “I kept that up for days. I knew I was pushing myself too hard, could feel myself burning out, but I couldn’t stop. I just wanted to help her. The other nurses tried to convince me to go home, but how could I when there was a patient who needed me? It felt like it was my sole responsibility to find a way to heal her, felt like no one cared as much as I did.”
I’m already shaking my head, not liking the direction this is going, but I physically bite my tongue to give her the silent support she needs right now.
“Then,” Tilly sighs, “I finally found a blog entry on a random site that might explain her symptoms. I vaguely remember walking to the nurse’s station to tell them—what time of day it was, I have no idea—but I collapsed right there, hitting my head against the counter and waking up hours later with an IV in my arm and in the same ward as my patient.”
Tilly takes my hand and places it on her head, guiding my finger to trace over a small bump in her hairline. “I still have the scar here. Needed eight stitches. At least it happened in the hospital and they could help me right away.”
I cup her face and gently brush my fingers along the scar, feeling the raised tissue as if it’s embedded into my own soul. “You worked so hard to help someone that you passed out and needed stitches?”
Tilly leans into my hand and her mouth turns up a fraction. “Yeah. It also taught me a lot of lessons. First, that we all have limited energy and need to find our own unique ways to recharge. Yes, there’s sleep and food, but we need more to replenish that soul-deep energy. I needed to learn what worked for me. That’s when I started running in the mornings. It became my own therapy to be out on the quiet streets with my thoughts until I run long enough for my mind to just blank out, and the thumping of my feet on the ground and my heartbeat drumming in my ears become my only companions.”
I glance at Tilly’s ankle and realize how much she was willing to push herself once again to help someone who needed her. But she doesn’t have to do this alone—never again. I adjust the ice and check that the cold isn’t burning her skin before I lean back again and take her hand in mine.
Tilly’s tone pitches up a little, excitement coloring her words as she explains, “This all stemmed from that blog post I found that talked about energy. It mentioned dryads and how they need nature to thrive. My patient’s energy sources were depleted in the city because she gets recharged by spending time with trees. When you live in a dorm room in the center of a concrete jungle, it’s hard to survive. I volunteered to take her to a forest, but the nurses banded together and didn’t allow me to leave. Two of them took my patient and she came back later that day with a whole bouquet of wildflowers that she picked for me. She looked absolutely radiant.”
Tilly pauses again and takes a deep breath, then looks directly at me with a faint grin as she says, “The other lesson I learned is about community. Audrey, my cousin, was my emergency contact in the city and basically gave me an earful when she arrived at the hospital and saw the state I was in. That was the turning point of us going from cousins to friends. We made it our mission to not only look after each other, but after ourselves too. Not long after, I moved in with her.
“Today, I was once again reminded of how much Starry Hill’s community cares for each other. When I first heard Annamae was missing, I panicked and a bunch of negative emotions came flooding in. But, instead of letting stress consume me and going out to search for Annamae alone, I utilized the community, gave out instructions, and felt comforted by the sight of everyone banding together to find her, help her. Was I still stressed? Yes. But not as much as I would’ve been if you weren’t at my side. Knowing everyone else was there, too, meant so much to me.”
I put my arm around Tilly’s shoulders and she leans into me. Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I say, “I’m proud of you. You did so well today, sweetheart. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be right next to you whenever you need me.”
Tilly sits back and stares up at me with an apology in her eyes. “I’ll always need you. But, I’m not good at verbalizing it. Pride has always been my weakness and I’m not good at receiving help. I’m even worse at asking for it. I’m trying, though.”
Running my fingers along her hidden scar, I say, “That’s okay. I’m here to carry you wherever and whenever you need. And I’m going to take care of you, and help you take care of yourself, too.”
Tilly turns her head and kisses my palm. “We’ll take care of each other.”
I want to kiss her. Marry her. Make our promises everlasting.
Not now, Bodin. Bide your time. Let her tell you everything, then take her home and make love to her all night. Then propose.
Tilly takes a sip of her coffee and leans into me again as she continues her story, “So, one day, on one of my morning runs, I decided to further my studies and specialize in nonhuman family care. My patient never left my mind and I kept wondering about similar cases that might go untreated due to lack of knowledge. But also, living in the city was exhausting for me. Even though I tried to slow down, the city never does.
“Halfway through my final year of specializing, I heard some patients talking about Starry Hill and what life was like there. It sounded idyllic. I asked around about it, and fell more in love with the idea of a cottage life and a garden and no cars and a community where everyone knows each other. The moment I got word about the possibility of an opening, I called and applied.”
A full grin beams from me. “The best decision you could’ve made—for yourself, for me, and for Starry Hill.”
Tilly’s eyes crinkle with pleasure. “It does seem to be working out pretty well for me.”
“And me,” I agree, and squeeze her hand.
Brows furrowing, Tilly’s tone turns earnest. “Bodin, I’m still far from perfect. I work too late. I get obsessed with cases and will try everything to find answers and solutions. Please bear with me as I try to find a balance for it all.”
I cradle her face between my hands and dip down so we’re at eye level. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere. But you’re wrong about something. To me, you’re perfect.”
“Bodin.” Tilly attempts to make my name sound like a reprimand, but the way she pouts assures me that she likes my words .
The corner of my mouth pulls up into a smirk. “This also explains your fierce determination to move that cart with all your luggage by yourself.”
Tilly narrows her eyes playfully. “Oh yeah, not a chance that I was going to ask you for help after you thought I was some fancy city princess.”
Relief at overcoming my prejudice escapes from me in a huff. “Being wrong never felt so right.”
Tilly brushes a lock of hair off my forehead then runs her hand down my beard until she cups my jaw. Smiling sweetly, she says, “I love you.”
Feeling like my soul is fed, my heart fuller than it’s ever been, and like happiness is bursting from my very pores, I reply easily, “I love you too.”
“Let’s go home,” Tilly whispers, and presses her lips to mine in a tender promise.