Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Dakvaar
I spent all of Tuesday preoccupied. So much so that Bardon got the puck past me twice in a scrimmage, and gave me shit about it in the locker room. I accepted said shit as my due, merely nodding in agreement.
It wasn’t a complete surprise that Torrk defended me.
“He’s been distracted lately, lay off.” The younger male was everything I wasn’t: enthusiastic, talkative, and friendly…
and for some reason, had decided to declare himself my friend his very first season with the team.
“Besides, it’s not like I couldn’t stop your weak-ass attempts at a goal,” he pestered Bardon.
“My grandmother could’ve stopped those!”
Since Bardon had been team captain for three seasons, and knew his worth as a striker, he didn’t rise to the challenge. Shaking his head, he tossed me a towel. “Well, get un-distracted, Dakvaar. We have a game on Friday.”
As if I could forget.
But later, in the shower, I frowned, realizing I had been forgetting things lately. Or if not forgetting, at least…being distracted, as Torrk had said. For some reason, Friday’s game against the Emerald Enforcers didn’t matter as much as it should. As much as it normally would.
My Kteer—that primitive instinct that had evolved with orcs to keep us alive or to urge us to act on our most primal impulses—growled in my chest as the water sluiced over my shoulders.
The damned thing had been bugging me for weeks, causing me to make stupid mistakes like the missed pucks in today’s scrimmage. And I had a feeling I knew why.
I wasn’t a complete idiot; I’d realized my Kteer was loudest and most annoying in the mornings, and it had something to do with the Sunrise Café.
I’d made a habit of returning every morning for breakfast before coming into the ice complex.
It had nothing to do with the eggs or the breakfast skillet, and everything to do with the smile from one delicious waitress.
I’d watched her.
Sofia was friendly with everyone; her smiles weren’t just for me.
But that smile did something to my chest, something I wasn’t comfortable with.
When I was in the café, she was a beacon I could follow based purely on my body’s response to her scent.
I made sure I wasn’t creepy about it; I was respectful and calm and tried not to give her any indication I was different from her other regulars.
But I was.
Because I was the one whose Kteer was howling the truth in my chest: Sofia was mine. She was my Mate, the female the gods themselves chose for me.
Awkward.
In my world, females were rare, so discovering a Mate Bond meant that the male was truly blessed. But in my world, a male didn’t find his Mate by ordering an omelette from her each morning. He knew more about her.
It wasn’t ideal; I knew nothing about Sofia, not even her last name. She had a daughter—that meant she had a male, or had at some point. Humans who were married wore jewelry on their fingers, I’d learned that much, and Sofia wore no rings.
Of course, it wasn’t unheard of that an orc might find his Mate, only to discover that she belonged to another male. But here in the human world, a challenge of ritual combat and stealing the female was out of the question, were I even the type of male to do that sort of thing.
No, you are the type of male to stand between that combat and those who need guarding.
I would never bring violence into Sofia’s sphere, unless I was defending her.
Still…
I dragged the washcloth across my chest and down my stomach, staring at the tiled wall in front of me as I considered the act of fighting for Sofia.
Her breasts pressed against my bare chest, her dark gaze reverent and adoring as she stared up at me, those plump lips parted for the human tradition of a kiss…
My hands would drag down her back to cup her round backside, tugging her closer…
With a low groan, I wrapped my hand—still holding the washcloth—around my erect cock.
I wanted Sofia—of course I did! Her scent was intoxicating, and the way she moved was addictive. She was my Mate, and that, more than anything, would have made her the most alluring female in this world.
But I couldn’t have her because this wasn’t my world.
Humans didn’t have these same instincts; she had no idea of our connection. She might not want our connection. Sofia was a strong female, and wouldn’t appreciate me announcing our fates were dictated by gods she didn’t believe in.
With a gargantuan show of control, I forced my hand to continue washing myself, and not stroke my cock like my Kteer so desperately wanted.
Think of something else. Something to regain control. Think of the kitling.
Yes, my Mate had a daughter.
My eyes widened, and the cloth fell from my fingers as I suddenly realized what that could mean. One day I might have a daughter.
Do not get ahead of yourself. You have no idea of these females’ situation.
Right. Sofia could be married, could be in love with her male. I would have no right to come between her and her happiness, even for a Mate Bond. Were that the truth of the situation, I would keep our connection to myself.
And live the rest of my life with the pain of an unrealized Mate Bond, knowing she was happy.
But…
But a daughter.
A daughter who looked so lonely, whose melancholy I’d been able to scent more than once from across the café.
Spending all day watching those videos on a phone couldn’t be good for her development, but I also understood why Sofia had made that choice; electronic babysitting was a reality in the human world.
In my world, kitlings were raised by the whole village—fathers and uncles and even mothers.
If Sofia didn’t have any other options except to bring her daughter to the café with her, then it was possible they were both alone. That should please my Kteer, because it meant I had a better chance of realizing the Mate Bond…but my heart just felt heavy for her burden, and I itched to help her.
If Sofia were truly mine, I could pay for the best schools for Rosa and help the little girl grow into a strong female.
She’s not yours. But don’t lose hope.
Right. I would see her again tomorrow, and on Thursday I would see her daughter again. For now, that would be enough.
On Wednesday morning, I followed my usual routine, because there was no reason not to, and it pleased me that my Mate had learned it. Almost as much as hearing her say my name had the day before, and I found myself hoping she’d say it again.
But as she’d pointed out, and as I’d learned, Wednesdays were far busier at the Sunrise Café. Perhaps it had to do with the cycles of the townspeople; school was back in session for the spring term, although the winter cold was still bitter.
Whatever the reason, I barely had time to shrug out of my coat before Sofia had plopped a coffee in front of me with a harried smile and hurried off before I could do more than nod a greeting.
She delivered my omelette without asking, and we had no time to speak before eight forty, when it was time for me to leave for the rink.
I left her another hundred-dollar bill, and hoped my gestures weren’t making her uncomfortable.
During practice on Wednesday, I forced myself to put Sofia and her kitling from my mind, and Bardon’s praise, along with that of Coach Ellis, told me I’d succeeded. Still, by the time I was finished with my shower, my Kteer was a constant hum of irritation, urging me to do something about them.
Perhaps the way to woo Sofia was by making her daughter smile.
The locker room was empty by the time I finished packing my duffel, the echoes of my teammates’ laughter and the clatter of skates long faded.
My hair was still damp from the shower, the cold winter air hitting me like a slap as I stepped outside.
I exhaled, my breath curling in front of me as I adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder.
I was halfway to my car when I caught the low murmur of voices and familiar scents.
My steps faltered. There, in the shadowed alcove between the employee entrance and the dumpsters, two figures were pressed together.
The male had the female pinned against the brick wall, one hand tangled in her golden curls, the other gripping her hip possessively.
She laughed, breathless, before pulling him back in for another kiss.
My chest tightened. Lila and Kardok, so happy together.
I should’ve kept walking. But my Kteer snarled, a bitter, envious growl that made my fingers curl into fists and whispered, That could be you. That should be you.
Lila was the first to notice me. She broke the kiss with a gasp, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen. “Dakvaar!” she said, smoothing her hair with a self-conscious laugh. “You startled me.”
Kardok, the bastard, didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. He just grinned, his tusks glinting in the dim light, and slung an arm around Lila’s shoulders. “Dakvaar,” he rumbled, voice rough with amusement. “You look like you just sucked on a lemon. What’s got you so sour?”
I exhaled through my nose, knowing my expression gave nothing away. It never did; I made certain of it. “Nothing. Just tired.”
Lila tilted her head, studying me with those sharp, knowing eyes of hers. She was human, but she’d been around orcs long enough to recognize when one of us was lying.
“I’ve heard that you’ve been distracted lately,” she observed, stepping out of Kardok’s hold to adjust her coat. “Even more than usual.”
Kardok chuckled, nudging her with his elbow. “He’s been like this for weeks. Missed two easy saves the other day. Coach was ready to bench him.”
I shot him a dark look. “I don’t need a recap.”
“No, but you do need to tell us what’s got you so twisted up.” Kardok’s grin widened. “Unless it’s a someone.”
Lila’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”