41. Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-One
Simon
Elmira, a shifter and one of Lucy’s companions from when she first entered the Wood, brushed and braided my mate’s hair for the upcoming ceremony. She had a bite mark on her shoulder, and the scent of that idiot wolf, Dutton, entangled with hers.
Their courting game was over, and Elmira said it was everything she ever dreamed of in claiming her mate. She was a powerful female, and she still made her male work for it.
I was grateful I did not have to chase Lucy for so long and that she was more compliant than this shifter. I did not have the patience to run after my mate throughout the forest. I wanted a female who wanted to stand beside me, not run from me.
The queen had also entered the tent. I briefly remembered her in my time as an animal. I knew of her as an honest, benevolent queen and had a calming aura around her wherever she went. It even calmed Kane, the fiercest of all the shifters.
Kane was a large male. He took up the whole tent when he stepped inside. Markings and piercings covered him, and he scowled. Not that there was anything wrong with his appearance—he was just intimidating. If he ever went near my mate, I would not hesitate to defend her, but I would also never provoke him.
I could easily see his strength rival that of an orc. I would like to see what the outcome would be. There was a rumor he wouldn’t fight an orc because of their standing in the war and his gratefulness towards them.
“Lucy,” Clara broke the silence. “Now that you are a queen, you don’t have to do any more research about the Wood. We can find someone else.” Clara assured her as she sat in the chair next to her.
Lucy turned and brushed the shifter’s hand away. “Are you kidding? I’m still doing it! I live here now. I have a forest that can even grow more rapidly before my eyes. It would be beneficial if I continued with my research. Please!” Lucy stood up and grabbed Clara’s hand. “Please, let me continue.”
Clara smiled brightly. “Only if you want to. If it gets too much, you let me know.” Her head turned toward me. “For you, too, Simon. We know that you have a lot to prepare for in the upcoming years. We want you both not to feel too overwhelmed. Please let us know if you need any resources. Clothing, building materials, food cravings.” She winked. “We will send everything you need. Osirus has sent word as well. Once the fauns arrive, we will segregate Monktona Wood into its own kingdom when you are ready.”
Kane chuckled. “Yeah, the orcs are gonna love that.”
Clara slapped him in the stomach.
I let out a shuddering breath, at which Lucy grabbed my hand and said for me, “That is a long way down the road. But thank you, we appreciate everything.”
My arms wrapped around her waist. The soft white robe she wore covering her naked body, was too much. I wanted to grab her, take her to the nest and not worry about this ceremony.
It was important to her father, and now, we were supposedly important figures because one day, we would be ‘souls that others looked up to’.
From a goat to a faun to a king?
The start of a kingdom?
I let out a huff, and Lucy pressed both of her hands to my face and squeezed. “You are going to be great. I can feel you stressing. We have many years to practice this stuff, okay, little faun?” she whispered.
I felt myself grow hard in my pouch and placed both my hands in front of me so it wouldn’t peek out. I didn’t need to have everyone staring at it if I was to be a leader one day.
“Okay, everyone out!” Calliope pranced inside the tent and grabbed my hand. “The bride needs to put on the dress, and I need to put all the flowers in the groom’s hair!”
I groaned and followed Calliope out of the tent. I looked one last time at my mate, who smiled and waved before I left her for the final time.
Never again did I want to be separated from her.
I stood at the front of a restless crowd, as I shifted from hoof to hoof. The scent of anticipation and a mixture of food and excitement filled the air.
To one side, I saw the regal figures of the king and queen, along with the rest of the shifters. A deep scowl etched the king's face, his brows furrowed menacingly. His eyebrow ring sparkled in the setting light sources. I found it difficult to tell if he was looking at me or if that was just his usual expression. I found it impossible to tear my eyes away from him, as his piercing stare seemed capable of obliterating me in an instant.
The queen’s sharp gaze caught his attention, causing her to grip his arm tightly. Her face contorted into a frown, and in response, his features softened. With a gentle nudge, his nose nuzzled against her shoulder, seeming to bring a sense of calmness to his body.
I swallowed heavily, feeling the dryness in my throat, and looked over to the other side of the crowd. The sight before me was overwhelming, a vast sea of orcs, their towering figures filling the space.
The air was thick with their presence, a distinct musky smell mixing with the scent of sweat and mead. Gods, they drank a lot.
Amidst the crowd, Thorn sat beside Ellie, the monster baby nestled on her lap. Thorn’s arms were crossed tightly, his glare piercing through me like a dagger. I could hear the faint murmur of voices and shuffling footsteps blending together into a low hum.
In a bold gesture, Thorn raises two fingers, pointing them directly at his eyes before directing them towards me, intensifying the palpable hostility. My heart pounded in my chest, and I instinctively stomped my hoof back on the small platform, which vibrated beneath me.
Valpar, sitting beside him, banged him on the head with his fist and shook his head. “Leave the fucker alone.”
Thorn grunted in annoyance, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
His lip curled up into a snarl.
Valpar smiled and tried to cover up his laughter.
While Valpar and I did not get along much, he knew how much his mate and I meant to each other. How much I was a friend to her for the years she was alone. He would do nothing to intentionally harm me. If he did, I would suspect it would be a brotherly sort of harm.
I grimaced.
As I turned my gaze towards the chair adjacent to him, my eyes registered the absence of Sugha’s presence. A perplexed expression furrowed my brow briefly, but I swiftly dismissed it as music filled my ears.
Rune stood up straight beside me, his once-tan robes darkened to a richer brown to match the bark of trees around us. The crowd, that was standing in the back due to the lack of chairs, parted. I waited to see if my mate was on the other side.
It wasn’t my mate who appeared first, instead it was Calliope. She wore a wispy flowered dress, carried a basket in her hand, and she threw flower petals down the aisle. Valpar stood and watched her, a possessive growl resonating over the crowd.
Calliope ignored him and continued to throw petals all over the ground, dusting the walkway for my mate. Once she finished, she hopped into Valpar’s lap, and he quickly wrapped her up in his arms, a heated conversation beginning with how he didn’t like everyone watching what was his dancing down the aisle.
My lip twitched into a smile; the music restarted, and I noticed my Lucy was standing at the far end of the crowd. My breath caught in my throat when I took in her form.
My mate gracefully held an enormous bouquet of vibrant wildflowers that matched the colorful blossoms woven through my intricately braided hair. As I gazed at her, I noticed every detail: the way her dress flowed with the gentle breeze, the light material covering her breasts, and the way it hugged her soft body. It glowed softly when the light sources hit the material, making her shine brighter than anyone around her.
Her father stood proudly by her side, their eyes locked on each other for a moment as he patted her arm that was linked with his, only for her to look back at me. While a sea of curious eyes wandered, the crowd’s whispers were like the breeze. Amidst the gathering, her gaze found mine, drawing me in with its intensity, as if we were the only two souls in the world.
Flower petals fell from the trees, dancing around her and her father. She was a sight to behold, her hair done up similar to mine, a braid down her back and most of all, a flower crown around her horns. I couldn’t stop taking her in, not sure where to focus first. She was far too good for a soul like me.
I was a faun who didn’t have the strongest looking body, didn’t have the fiercest growl, a male that was still finding himself—yet she still looked at me.
As she made her way towards me, with the soft petals of the wildflowers brushing against her flowing dress, I felt a surge of emotions welling up inside me. The love in her eyes was like a beacon, guiding me through the darkness that had clouded my heart for so long.
Thorn’s scowl faded into the background as all my attention was drawn to her radiant smile. It was as if the world had dissolved, leaving only the two of us standing in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, and the music of the shifters weaving a melody that spoke to my soul.
When she finally reached me, her hand outstretched, I took it in mine, feeling the warmth of her touch seep into my very being. The weight of all the future burdens seemed to lift off my shoulders as I gazed into her eyes, so full of understanding and acceptance.
Without a word, she placed a gentle kiss on my lips, a promise of all the love and happiness that awaited us in this new chapter of our lives. And in that moment, surrounded by our friends and family, I knew that no matter what challenges may come our way, as long as we stood together, we could overcome anything.
Lucy’s father was supposed to stand down, sit with the rest of the crowd, but he stood there with Rune. Rune read off vows, spoke of eternal love, the Moon Goddess, and whatever else he’d prepared.
None of that mattered to me. All of my thoughts and my vision were on her.
The one thing I heard was to kiss my mate.
Thank fuck!
As I pulled her close and placed my lips on hers, it was like being bonded all over again.
Her fingers tangled in my hair. I felt my shaft trying to escape my pouch. Perhaps it was wise to wear a large decorative cloth that matched the material of my mate, so I could concentrate on feeling her and touching her.
As my tongue grazed her lips, a roar broke through the woods. The music stopped, and both of our heads darted to the noise. Everyone rose from their seats as the orcs grabbed their weapons and raised them above their heads.
Lucy sniffed and grabbed my forearms. “That smells like a—”
As the deafening roar reverberated through the dense forest, the towering ogre emerged, his massive form casting a sinister shadow. The soil trembled beneath his heavy footsteps, causing leaves to rustle and birds to scatter in a frenzy. With a menacing swing, he wielded a colossal log. His thunderous roar echoed, sending droplets of his saliva soaring into the air, glistening under the dappled light.
The orcs all roared in reply. The shifters were bursting out of their clothing, ready to run toward the threat.
Kane’s mouth moved into a predatory smile. “Now, this is a party!” He shifted, breaking out of his dress clothes, ripping them from his body. Clara darted away from him and gathered Ellie and Calliope, who stood in shock.
“Come on, let’s get you all out of the way. Lucy!” She called after my mate and I pushed her in their direction.
“Go, you will be safe.” I jumped off the platform, ready to go help the others.
Lucy grabbed hold of my arm, reluctant to let me go.
The tent that had been set up for our consummation was crushed by the enormous foot of the ogre. The orcs cried out in annoyance.
Lucy’s father groaned in a fake, mocking tone. “Oh, no.” He put both hands on his face. “That’s terrible. I guess we can’t do that part of the tradition, huh, Rune?”
Rune quirked his lip as they continued to watch the chaos.
We all heard a war cry that sounded familiar as we saw Sugha jump from a tree and land on top of the ogre’s head. “I got it! I got it!” He wrapped a net around the ogre’s face and turned the ogre’s head, which seemed to be steering the beast in another direction, away from the party. “Orgamo! This way! You’re too slow!”
I jumped back onto the platform. I would go after the ogre, but there was such a large crowd around the ogre, they may not need my help after all.
I held onto Lucy tighter as I watched a male of similar in size and look to Sugha follow after him with a spear. He kept whacking the beast with a blunt end of the spear to lead it back into the forest.
Kane leaped over chairs, his claws lengthening. “Can’t wait to carve my claws into that!”
Lucy let out a burst of laughter. “This is insane!”
The once elegant, woodsy party turned into chaos, with the deafening howls of wolves piercing through the air as they darted in all directions, and the heavy thuds of the ogre’s footsteps reverberating through the forest.
Kane, driven by sheer determination, leaped onto the ogre’s back. The tough, armor-like skin of the ogre was nearly impenetrable, even with Kane’s claws.
The ogre retaliated, forcefully tossing him aside, causing Kane to soar through the sky, the wind rushing past his face as he ascended higher and higher. Finally, he crashed onto the rooftop of Valpar and Calliope’s cabin, where he landed with a groan.
“What the fuck! Kill that damn fucker! I’m gonna hang his fucking teeth as a chandelier in my house, damn it!” Valpar roared.
With a thunderous surge of power, the ogre’s muscles rippled and veins bulged, his towering figure a fearsome sight. He bellowed a deafening roar, and the birds scattered from their perches in the trees. The stench of his rage filled the surroundings with a mixture of sweat and primal fury.
As his body moved jaggedly, the ground trembled beneath his immense weight. With a single twist of his hips, the ogre flung the approaching creatures away like rag dolls, their desperate cries echoing in the distance.
The ogre stomped, running through the branches. We all watched in confusion as the ogre fled at an alarming rate.
Shifters that had not been thrown off took after the ogre. The elder who looked similar to Sugha pulled himself up from the ground. “I’m not letting him get away. Let’s go, orcling.”
Sugha threw his head back and laughed, slapped the male on the shoulder, and they sprinted off. “Ah, to feel young again. Do you think we can cut his shaft off, do something fun with it?” Sugha shook his head with a smile.
Kane jumped from the cabin roof top and landed on his feet. He was about to sprint off when Clara called after him. “Leave it, Kane! The orcs and the shifters will take care of it!” Clara crossed her arms.
Kane whined, stared off into the forest and then back to Clara. She raised an eyebrow. He huffed and walked back toward us.
“Wow, she has magical powers.” Lucy nudged. “Do I have that effect on you?”
I cleared my throat. Of course, she did. “With practice, I’m sure you will.”