Page 4 of My Orc Package Deal

I just had to trust I was safe with Korrad.

There was a hell of a lot of trust going on here, especially for someone who’d spent the last decade struggling to keep our heads above water despite all the shit the world threw at us.

But here, holding Korrad’s hands…I had to trust.

It was, quite honestly, the only option.

He’ll keep us safe.

How could he not? He was easily a foot taller than me, and big enough to envelop Milo and me both. But just like this afternoon when I’d met him for the first time, Korrad’s size didn’t intimidate me. Rather, it reassured me.

I still couldn’t believe I was doing this.

“Repeat after me,” came the rumble from my side, and I startled, glancing over at the mayor, who was looking at Korrad. “I, Korrad of Eastshore, take you, Kesha Briley, to be my wife.”

I glanced back in time to see Korrad’s face smooth from that smile. “I, Korrad of Eastshore, take you, Kesha Briley, to be my wife.”

“In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health…”

Korrad’s voice dropped to a mere murmur. “In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.”

The mayor continued. “I promise to be your partner, father to our children, for as long as we both live.”

Was it my imagination, or did Korrad hesitate slightly? He took a deep breath, his expression suddenly difficult to read.

“I promise to be your partner, father to our children…for as long as…” He took another deep breath. “For as long as we both live.”

I didn’t frown. I didn’t frown, because it was my wedding day, dammit, and I’d spent a half hour on my makeup, but what the hell was that? Was Korrad having second thoughts? Should I be having second thoughts? Or rather, fourth or fifth thoughts?

I glanced at Jocelyn to see if she’d noticed the groom’s hesitation, but to my surprise, she was staring at Korrad’s twin brother and looking pale A.F. No help there, I guess.

Then Korrad squeezed my hands again, and I looked back at him… The smile was gone, but I could read relief in his eyes. At least he hadn’t gone all stoic for long.

Did he want to marry me? Did he? He’d said he did, and this had been his idea in the first place, right? But what did he get out of this? Milo and I got safety, protection, care, and belonging, and Korrad was just getting two more headaches.

You can’t walk away. Not now. Not when Milo is so close to having a future.

Right.

Marrying Korrad would bring my son everything he deserved in life.

Weighed against that, what was a little hesitation? From either of us? I needed to do this. For Milo.

And in that moment, I realized something else: If Korrad wasn’t sure about this marriage, then it was up to me to make him certain. He’d said he wouldn’t expect anything from me, but if he did, I would make it happen.

Standing there at the altar, holding his hands, I vowed silently to myself to be the best damn wife he could imagine. I would make sure he never hesitated again.

So I took a deep breath, met his eyes, and repeated after the officiant:

“I, Kesha Briley, take you, Korrad of Eastshore, to be my husband. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I promise to be your partner, mother to our children, for as long as we both live.”

My voice rang out over the crowd, louder than Korrad’s, and I kept my chin up, willing him to see the certainty I didn’t feel.

Willing them all to see it.

Milo, Jay, Jocelyn. The gathered guests, the officiant. All of them.

Let them see that I was going to make this work. For my son.