Chapter 7 Oren
Oren
I wake to the sight of my mate sprawled across my sheets, her bright red hair fanned out against the dark furs, one pale arm stretched toward my side of the bed as if seeking me even in sleep.
The scent of her—honey and lemon and something uniquely hers—fills my lungs with the first deep breath of morning.
My whole fucking body shudders with need.
My cock is already hard, pressed up tight against her thigh, but all I can focus on is the place where her skin meets mine.
The mate mark stands out bold and black on her chest, still tingling with leftover magic.
The edges burn electric, a constant reminder she belongs to me.
My tusks ache. My senses are dialed up to eleven, like I could taste her with every breath.
She shifts, mumbling in her sleep, and her hand lands right over the matching mark on my chest. Instantly, my pulse spikes.
My Orc instincts roar to the surface, hungry to take her again, to make damn sure every inch of her remembers what we did last night.
I need to have her under me, screaming my name, the mark glowing bright for both of us.
Hell, I want to cover her in my scent until the entire valley knows she’s mine.
But that’ll have to wait. Right now, my little human needs her rest after last night, so I grit my tusks and force myself to move slowly and steadily.
Carefully, I ease my arm out from under her cheek.
She mumbles, clings to my pillow, but doesn’t wake.
I pause for a second, just drinking in the sight of her asleep and marked by me.
Fuck, she’s gorgeous. My heart nearly punches straight through my ribs.
I slide my body out of bed, grimacing at the mess we made.
The sheets are shredded and twisted, the air thick with the musk of sex and magic.
My cock aches to crawl right back in beside her, but I promised myself I’d take care of her, not break her.
I pull the covers back over her bare shoulders, making sure she’s warm before I head to the shower.
She’ll need food and water when she wakes up. A strong cup of coffee. Maybe a snack or three. Taking care of her is my new job, my sacred duty.
The second I leave the bedroom, my whole body goes on high alert, instantly missing my mate.
I can’t stop thinking about the way her nails raked down my chest or the way she screamed my name last night.
My cock is still half-hard just remembering it, but I force myself to focus.
Food first. Pleasure later. That’s how it works when you’re taking care of your mate.
I prowl to the kitchen, rolling my shoulders and stretching out my hands.
Every nerve in my body remembers her touch.
I start the coffee first, grinding the beans extra fine because she likes it strong but not bitter.
While the machine hisses, I crack eggs and fry them up with cheese, then slice fresh bread for toast. I want everything perfect for her.
I want her to wake up and know she’s cherished.
That she’ll never go hungry, never feel lonely, never doubt that I’m hers and she’s fucking mine.
My mate. My obsession. If I have to spend every day for the rest of eternity making her smile, I’ll do it and call it a goddamn privilege.
I plate up the eggs and toast and pour her that perfect cup of coffee, then carry the whole thing back through the hallway, not even caring that my cock is still half-hard and straining against my sweats.
I set the tray on the bedside table. She stirs, lashes fluttering, and I’ve never seen anything more perfect.
She stretches and makes a noise halfway between a purr and a growl.
I watch the muscles flex along her spine, the way her ass lifts the sheet.
My cock remembers everything it did to her and wants a rematch immediately.
She turns her head, blinking up at me, and I try not to growl. It’s only been eight hours, but I already know this is going to be an eternity-long addiction.
“Is that coffee I smell? What time is it?” she mumbles. Her voice is shot, deliciously rough.
“Zero six-forty-three.” I check my watch out of habit. “And I made you breakfast in bed.” I never thought those words would ever come from my mouth.
She groans. “Darn early risers.” Then she peeks at me again and cracks a smile. “My early riser.”
Her possessive tone sends electricity shooting down my spine. I hand her the coffee and she takes it with both hands, blows on it, then sips. Her eyes go wide, and she nearly sits up, but the effort is too much.
“Damn,” she breathes. “This is perfect.”
I feel the compliment land somewhere in my ribcage, where I’d expected to be armored. “It took three tries. First one was black sludge. Second one nearly burned through the cup.” There goes my goddamn mouth running off without consulting my brain.
She takes another sip, savoring it. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I would literally kill for this coffee.” She looks at me over the rim. “How did you know I like it like this?”
I shrug, but the truth is embarrassing. “Aric. He said if I wanted to impress you, I had to make it exactly one point five tablespoons per cup, with a dash of vanilla and three artificial sweeteners.”
Her lips twitch. “He’s right.” She drinks again, then sets the mug aside and flops onto her back, covering her eyes with her forearm. “This is the best morning I’ve ever had, and I haven’t even left the bed.”
“I intend to make it even better.” I lean over and kiss her. She opens for me with no hesitation, arms winding around my neck, legs parting under the sheets to cradle my hips. I let myself fall into her, into the heat of her mouth, and feel the urge to fuck her again rise like a tidal wave.
A fist hammers the front door so hard the sound rattles the glass in the bedroom window. Motherfucking hell. I’m going to rip whoever that is limb from limb.
Ella’s eyes go wide. “You expecting someone?”
I roll off her, already halfway to the door. “Stay here,” I say, and the order is out before I can check myself.
She sits up, pulling the covers to her chest.
I don’t know who it is, but I’m already cycling through scenarios. Most of them end with violence.
Another set of blows, heavier this time.
I stride down the hall, every nerve on edge, ready for a threat. I’m still shirtless, but I don’t care. The only thing that matters is whoever’s at the door doesn’t get within a mile of Ella.
I check the peephole.
It’s Aric, of course. Ainsley is strapped to his chest, hair wild, face flushed. He looks like he’s been awake for three days.
I rip the door open. “What?”
He looks me up and down. “Is Ella here?”
“Why?” I ask, not even pretending to be polite. Fuck that.
His eyes lock onto the black mate sign etched across my chest—still tingling and raw like a fresh brand against my skin. His shoulders drop as he sighs, the sound heavy with exhaustion and frustration. The dark circles under his eyes deepen as his mouth twists into a grimace.
"I can't believe you stole my goddamn nanny, Oren," he says, voice rough as gravel.
I blink slowly, savoring the moment. "Believe it. She's mine." The words rumble from deep in my chest, possessive and final.
He glares at me, nostrils flaring, jaw clenched tight enough to crack walnuts. "I just found the perfect nanny," he says through gritted teeth, "and you go and mate her."
I cross my arms, waiting for him to run out of steam.
“I know she has the weekend off, but I need her to babysit on Monday. I have a Security Council meeting with Kael and Gavric,” he explains, as if I’m being unreasonable. “And Kael is already looking for an excuse to make my life a living hell.
Behind me, I hear light footsteps. Ella appears in the hall, wrapped in my shirt and a pair of sweatpants that she’s rolled up three times at the ankles. She looks more awake and so goddamn gorgeous.
Aric raises a brow at the sight of her. “Nice uniform,” he teases, and Ella rolls her eyes. My heart lifts knowing the universe chose well for me. My human mate is already part of my family.
Ella doesn’t miss a beat. “I won’t leave you in a lurch. I’ll continue watching Ainsley until you’re able to find a replacement.” My mate steps between us and leans back against my chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
He shifts the baby, who’s now awake and gnawing on Aric’s dog tag. “Thank you.”
She gives him a look. “Of course.”
I don’t waste time with goodbyes. I herd Aric and the infant toward the porch with a grunt and a death stare that says, “get lost before I change my mind.” He gets the message. The second the door slams, I throw the deadbolt and lean against the wood, letting the silence settle.
Ella’s still in the hall, wearing my clothes and that sleepy, cocky grin that makes my cock twitch.
My mate. Mine. The word sizzles in my brain.
I stalk toward her, letting every inch of my seven feet block out the world behind me.
She barely has time to squeak before I grab her by the waist, lift her clean off the floor, and pin her tight to my chest.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” I rumble, voice low and rough. Her hands fist my hair, yanking me down for a kiss, and fuck, I lose the last shred of control.
“We have the rest of the weekend for you to show me.”
She doesn’t have to ask me twice.