Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Hailey
I stared at the minotaur across from me in his creature form, and I wondered how anyone could look at him and see evil.
When I was a child, my parents had been vitriolic about monsters, like the creatures who live in the neighborhood were the source of their problems and not their drug addiction.
They believed the sweet fae woman who lived next door and sometimes snuck me food when I was starving was the cause of all their suffering, not the human dealers who sold them tainted drugs, uncaring that I was at home, starving and skinny because food money went to drugs and alcohol and not to any kind of sustenance that could keep me alive.
I chewed my lip, and Eric reached out, resting a hand on mine. Almost immediately, I felt steadier. There was definitely a connection there, and I dragged my hand away, trying to ignore the fleeting expression of rejection on his face before he hid it.
Ugh, the urge to take his hand back and twine our fingers together just to chase away that hurt was almost overwhelming, but I couldn’t really be logical if his touch was clouding my thoughts, even if he was making me feel better. Fuck, why was this so complicated?
Well, kind of complicated, because one thing I knew for certain was that there was no way I was letting Eric go to jail. “Obviously, I don’t want Eric to end up in jail or court or any such thing. None of this was intentional, right?”
“Not consciously, no.” He cleared his throat, and guilt dragged his eyes to the table. “But in the interest of open and honest communication, I’m not… upset that my bond chose you.”
I scoffed softly. “I appreciate the honesty.”
His purple eyes lifted to mine. “It’s nice not to feel alone anymore. I’ve been alone for so long.”
Something settled in my chest. I’d been alone for a long time too. Was this really so bad? Would I want to go back to my own life and forget this ever happened?
I sucked in a deep breath and was brutally honest with myself. Being here, with Eric at least, had made me feel safe in a way I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt, not as a child or as an adult. Has there ever been a time where I’d been able to let down my guard completely?
The answer was no.
Lying in bed beside Eric and Otis, I knew an army could come for me, and they’d stand between me and any threat. That was a heady feeling, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to give it up completely.
I mentally slapped myself. Otis wasn’t on offer right now.
Eric was my mate, but I thought perhaps it still applied.
Had I not felt more secure waiting for the bus because Eric was there in the darkness with me?
I didn’t have to worry about being robbed, snatched off the street, or dragged down a dark alley, because you’d have to be a fool to take on an orc.
Even half dead, he’d protected me against a threat.
It was fear of the unknown that kept me from embracing this thing that between us.
I might not have consciously been on board, but a primal part of me had already accepted that being with Eric was better than being alone.
At some point, standing with Eric at the bus stop had become the highlight of my day.
It was weird, illogical even, but every step of the way, Eric had let this be my choice.
I’d never had a choice before. I took what the world gave me and tried to survive, so I trusted my gut, because it hadn’t led me wrong yet.
Swallowing, I looked up at Eric. “I’m willing to, uh, embrace the mate bond. I can’t promise it’ll be all smooth sailing but—oof!”
Eric had dragged me from my chair and into his arms, pressing me tightly against his chest. He whispered, “Thank you,” into my hair over and over.
Otis cleared his throat, and Eric slowly lowered me to my feet.
He flushed, the green of his cheeks darkening.
“I promise we’ll take this at the pace you need, or no pace at all.
We can just be friends who, uh, hug occasionally. ”
I laughed at him. Fuck, he was cute. “We’ll take it one day at a time, yeah?”
His smile was so wide, I could almost see all of his bottom tusks. “Whatever you need. We can go as fast or as slow as you want. The choice is all yours. I’ll be the best mate you’ve ever had.”
Otis was smiling, and he actually seemed happy for us.
“You better, orc, or I’ll personally kick your ass.
” He pulled his tablet closer. “Okay, well, now that that’s sorted, I think I’ll leave it as clan sickness in my report, but you’ll have to work on getting a new clan, because relapse is a real possibility. ”
All the happiness fled from Eric’s face. “I can’t…” He looked back at me. “Most orcs aren’t like me. They are…” He trailed off as he struggled to find the right words.
A large, furred hand patted him soothingly on the back, and Otis trained those big, dark eyes on me.
“Orc society was once a warrior hierarchy. The strong led, and leadership was decided by battles for dominance. That has carried over into the modern era, but it’s more violence with no real direction.
Strength equals respect, and they are more than content to prove that strength with bloodshed and sometimes the death of their opponents. ”
Eric nodded. “And my father is the worst of the worst. We don’t have warrior trials for the position of king anymore, since the title is inherited, but he still sheds his people’s blood to maintain his position. We can’t have an orc clan.”
Otis nodded. “We’ll figure something out. I know a therapist, and there are support groups for people with clan sickness. It’s okay, Eric. I’ll ask my northern orc contacts if they have any suggestions. No one wants you to bond at this very moment.”
I wrapped my arms around Eric’s waist, and he melted into the embrace.
It was a heady feeling, holding this monster together in my arms. He buried his face in my neck and sucked in deep lungfuls of air.
I reached up and combed my fingers through his hair.
It was so soft despite the almost rough texture of his skin.
He made a soft noise that sounded a little like a purr, and my cheeks flushed as my body clenched.
Whoops.
Clearing my throat, I looked over Eric’s shoulder, but I didn’t remove my fingers from his hair. I didn’t want him to move just yet. “So what do we do now? Go home?”
Now, it was Otis’s turn to appear a little uncertain, which looked bizarre on his stern, bull-shaped face.
“You could. You’re obviously free to leave whenever you like.
I think, perhaps, it would be best if you stayed here for a little while longer, just to ensure the effects of the bond sickness are completely gone and perhaps allow us to do a little reconnaissance around your apartment so there’s no fallout from… the incident.”
I’d avoided thinking about the guy getting ashed in my living room and shied away from the memory of a man who wanted to do heinous things to me because he didn’t agree with my stance on creatures. Who wanted to harm me because he thought he was due something he wasn’t.
What if he had friends? What if there was someone who’d come for revenge?
Eric growled low. “I will never let anyone hurt you. I swear it on our bond and my life.” He pulled back from me so he could stare down at my face.
“If I can promise you anything, Hailey, let it be this. Until the day you decide you are done with me or the dirt takes me down into its embrace, I will stand between you and anyone who wishes you harm. You are mine to care for in every way.”
It felt like a vow that was too heavy for the moment, but I couldn’t argue with the rightness it created in my chest. The burden of my safety being passed to someone else to hold, even for a while, was everything.
I lifted my hand to his cheek. “Thank you.” Clearing the roughness from my voice, I looked back at Otis. “So what do we do? I mean, I can’t just call off work for that long. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m already fired, but if I’m not, I need to go back.”
“I have money!” Eric almost yelled it, and then he cleared his throat.
“Sorry, I mean, I have money. I, uh, am something of an orc aristocrat and have a trust from my mother’s clan—a contractual safety net.
Plus, I get paid fairly.” Otis snorted. “Probably more than fairly. My billable hour rate would make some people weep. All I’m saying is that if you don’t want to, we never have to go back to that apartment block. ”
“You really were living there for me?”
His face flushed again, and was it strange that I found it adorable? Was that the mate bond, or did I really think he was hot as hell? Would the mate bond mess with my emotions like that? I had so many questions.
Eric cleared his throat and stepped away, giving me space, but he still held my hands. “Yes. The thought of you living there, unsafe, was unacceptable to me. I would have lived behind the dumpster out back if there hadn’t been any open apartments. Leaving you unprotected was never an option.”
It was both uncomfortable and reassuring. “We’re definitely going to need the name of that therapist,” I told them, but I softened my words with a smile.
Otis chuckled, and the sound was so deep and rumbly, it was almost shocking.
It sounded like it was echoing around his barrel chest. “I’ll get you their number.
” His large, dark eyes bounced between the two of us.
“Stay here until we go back on shift. It’ll give you both time to sort out your lives, and the extra connection will ensure that you’re back on track,” he told Eric.
“It’ll give you time to find a place somewhere safer too. ”
I found myself relaxing a little. We had a plan and a safe place to stay, and I had a new mate who made me feel like I was the center of the universe. It had been a strange and confusing week, but it felt like it was going to be alright now.