Perfect. The two males in my life thought I was perfect, just the way I was.
I blew him a kiss on the way out the door. “I love you!” I called, and I thought he might have called it back to me, but I was already running for the stairs. My skates were in my locker, and I’d missed my chance to change into my pink skating costume, but the black-and-teal cocktail gown I wore would work, thanks to the shorts I wore beneath it.
Would I be able to find Kardok before the routine began? I hoped so. I wanted to tell him I loved him, and kiss him, and if we had time, explain my father’s plan.
And ask him to marry me, I suppose.
But when I finished tying on my skates and going through an abbreviated warm up and stepped out onto the pads, I knew I was too late.
The music for our routine had already begun, and Joshua was waving me frantically out onto the ice.
And there, on the opposite end of the rink, Kardok skated alone.
Chapter Fifteen
Kardok
I’d stoodin my Teal Terrors jersey beside Joshua and watched the youth league scrimmage, lips twitching when I heard my teammates roaring their approval from the stands at each shot on goal. Let these wealthy humans see how an orc could appreciate the sport played well!
I could tell from the way Joshua was chewing on his thumbnail that he was as nervous about tonight as I wasn’t allowing myself to be. MyKteervibrated in my chest in irritation, and I knew it had less to do with making a fool of myself in front of all these people and more to do with the fact I hadn’t seen Lila yet.
Then there were the exhibitions from the kids who’d been practicing figure skating. This time Joshua had a lot more to add, and I knew his nervous explanation of each move was just his way of filling the time. Ipretended to listen and understand what in the hells adeath spiralwas.
Six different young females skated, then two sets of pairs, which I watched more closely, in case I could learn anything from them.
Three months ago, I wouldn’t have considered it possible to learn anything from humans a third of my age. But then I fucked up in the playoffs, had to earn my team’s respect again, and tried ice dancing with a champion skater. I’d been humbled in more ways than one.
Finally, the spotlight moved back to Maddie Moskowitz, the team’s Public Relations expert, who spoke smoothly and eloquently about the youth sports hosted by the complex, and what good the donors would do for the kids in the community.
By this time, Joshua was looking frantically around, and I realized he was waiting for Lila. Why wasn’tIpanicking as well? I wasn’t sure, except that something had opened in my chest, a sort of heavy emptiness, which was an oxymoron.
Sure enough, when Maddie moved into the introduction for Lila and my performance, and the crowd began to murmur in excitement, I felt myKteerthrobbing in time with my heart.
I hadn’t spoken with her in over a day. I had no idea what she was thinking, but I knew she was here. Maybe not here with me, but here in the ice complex. I could feel her, and I had to trust that she wouldn’t leave me to humiliate myself alone.
Ihadto trust her.
She was my Mate, no matter what these humans wanted to believe.
And if that took quitting the team for us to be together, then this would be my last time skating in these colors in front of an audience, and I’d make itfucking remarkable.
“Hey.” I reached out and clamped a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, to keep him from hyperventilating. “It’ll be okay.”
“It’s not okay,” he hissed, pale and shaking. “Lila’s not here! Where is she? These people are here to see you skate together!”
My grin was lopsided and probably sickly, but it was there. “Then they’ll get half their money’s worth.” I knew they were only here to see if the brutal orc could manage to do something as elegant as figure skate… “I’ll give them one hells of a show.”
As our pre-performance music cued up and the lights pulled up over the rink I took a deep breath and pushed out onto the ice. As the crowd began to clap and cheer, and my teammates howled in what was either approval or mockery, I held up my gloveless hands, pretending I was holding a stick, and this was a warmup lap before a game.
Except it wasn’t.
I didn’t have my stick or my pads or any of the ways I protected myself—my heart—from the world. I wore my jersey and as much confidence as I could muster when I came to a stop on the far end of the ice. My starting position.
Hopefully, I glanced back toward Joshua, who shook his head emphatically. I wasn’t sure if that meant I shouldn’t go through with this, or if he was telling me Lila hadn’t arrived.
But…
But she was on her way. I’m not sure how I knew, other than the intense burst ofjoyI felt from her, somewhere above. If I could feel her from across the complex, it meant our Mate Bond was growing.
