Page 66 of My Orc Package Deal

“Mom…”

I wasn’t sure if that was exasperation or not, so I shook him a little. “Open your eyes, baby.”

He did, although it was more of a glare, and I was so happy I beamed at him.

“I need you to wrap your arms around my neck, okay? Like I’m giving you a piggyback ride. Hold on, Jay, because I need both of my hands, alright?”

I waited for him to mumble, “Alright,” before I began to maneuver him into position. From my position on my hands and knees, I managed to get him up onto my back, my knees splaying to accommodate Jay’s bulk. He was heavier than I’d expected, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to ignore the strain in my thighs.

“Okay, Jay, wrap your arms around my neck—yes, like that—and hold on tight. I need both hands to crawl.”

He mumbled something that might’ve been agreement, his breath hot against my ear. The scent of blood—sharp and metallic—filled my nose, and I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat.

Focus. One step at a time.

I started forward, my palms scraping against the ancient wood, my knees protesting his weight with every inch. The space was too damn narrow. Every time I shifted, Jay’s head or shoulders risked brushing against the joists above us, and I winced, imagining the pain I might be causing him.

Should’ve dragged him. Should’ve⁠—

“Mom?”

Jay’s voice was slurred, his grip loosening around my neck. Panic spiked through me. “Stay with me, honey. Keep talking.” What had we been talking about earlier? Oh yeah, anything to keep him focused. “You said I’m your father’s Mate, but you know that’s not possible.”

Korrad already had his Mate, even though that Bond hadn’t been a romantic one. He’d told me the truth about his relationship with Sharra, and the guilt I’d been feeling for so long about trying to replace someone he loved dearly had disappeared. I swallowed, focusing on Jay rather than the ache in my back and knees. “I love him and we’re married, but we can’t be Mated.”

A beat of silence. Then, “No’ true. Yesterday…Milo and me…” He took a deep breath. “Saw Giza in town. Asked him.”

I was only half-listening, focused instead on the energy to keep slapping one palm down in front of the other, dragging him closer to safety. “And what did he say?”

Keep talking, keep talking.

“He said…” Jay’s words were slow, as if he was fighting to stay awake. “He said…orcs can have two Mates. If the first one dies.”

My breath caught. Two Mates?

But before I could process that, the access panel came into view—a square of dim light at the end of the tunnel. Korrad’s scent hit me first, sharp and desperate, his panic a living thing in the air.

“We’re almost there, baby,” I whispered, my voice raw. “Just hold on a little longer.”

Jay’s arms tightened fractionally around my neck. “Love you, Mom.”

I swallowed hard. “Love you too, sweetheart. Now let’s get you out of here.”

With a final burst of strength, I threw myself toward that opening, and saw Korrad, clutching Milo to him. My son’s legs were around his waist, his arms around Korrad’s strong neck…and still my husband reached into the opening, offering us safety.

“Take Jay,” I gasped, falling to my stomach to allow him to reach the boy.

Without dropping Milo, Korrad pulled Jay from the opening and stumbled backward.

Korrad’s voice was a growl. “EMTs are on their way. You’re okay, boys. You’re safe now.”

I pressed my forehead against the wood, my body shaking with relief. Almost there. Almost⁠—

Then Brakkor’s hands were under my arms, pulling me free, and I sagged against him, my legs giving out. He caught me easily, cradling me against his chest as he carried me into the sunlight.

Korrad was sitting on the grass, both our sons cradled in his arms. Milo’s face was pressed into his throat, and I could see the tension in his tiny, shaking back. Korrad was speaking intently to Jay, who was squinting up at his father.

Brak set me gently down beside Korrad, then stepped back to stand beside the scarred male, who held the phone away from his ear to bark at Brakkor, “Varron’s on duty tonight, he’s on his way, and says that Abydos will send the ‘coptor to the mainland.”