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“A steak? Or a pork loin?” I asked.

Orcs. “Raw meat isn’t really a hostess gift among humans,” I explained. “Generally it’s flowers or a bottle of wine for her to enjoy later, or something that mirrors their interests like specialty loose leaf teas, or an infused olive oil. Honestly, Mom will be happy with flowers.”

He nodded. “Then I will bring flowers.”

I pulled myself out of his arms, gesturing toward the small fridge. “I put our subs in there since I wasn’t sure how long you all would be working with your new coach. Let’s eat, and you can tell me how your morning went.”

We sat and had lunch while Bwat told me of the grueling routine Willa had put them through, as well as the on-ice practice with Coach Rencovitch. I winced when he described the absolute shit-show of their mock-game, along with the criticism the new coach had leveled toward him. Bwat framed it all as constructive, but I could see the worry lines at the edges of his eyes.

“I am going to work on my skating skills, so I don’t accidentally knock enemies down and have to be in the jail box. And I will work on my handling of the puck so I can defend our goal,” Bwat told me.

I bit my lip, concerned that he might not have enough time to improve before the coach decided to cut him from the team.

“Have you thought about what you might do? I mean, if…if you aren’t able to play hockey for the Tusks anymore?” I said it as gently as I could, not wanting to discourage him but needing to know he had alternate plans and options.

Bwat’s shoulders slumped. “I would like to do the videos you talked about, but I am not certain how that could be considered gainful employment by the angels. And I don’t want to give up hockey. I like the game. I like the team and the humans we face on the ice. Perhaps a human team might want to hire me to play. If not, I will try to find gainful employment elsewhere.”

“That’s a good idea. With an all-orc hockey team, I’m sure some of the human teams would be interested in bringing an orc into their ranks. You already understand the game and have more skating experience than any orc outside of the Tusks team, and you’ve built up a fan following.”

He nodded. “If things do not look better in the next week, I will ask Dylan Emmet his thoughts on this.”

His friendship with the well-known human player would also help his prospects elsewhere. And if hockey didn’t work out for Bwat, I would do all I could to make sure he could find a job he loved. I wanted him to be happy. And I didn’t want him to have to leave.

The prospect of a life without Bwat in it felt horribly bleak and lonely. I loved having him to talk to. I loved spending time with him. For the very first time in my life, there was a person I could actually imagine moving in with, sharing a life with, and possibly even marrying.

We had our lunch and talked about our plans for the Spain trip. Then Bwat left and I worked well into the night. When I left, I noticed the lights were still on over the ice. Peeking down over the stands, I saw a lone orc, tapping a puck side to side as he skated back and forth. Bwat went to execute a quick turn and stumbled and staggered to the side before catching his balance. It was an improvement over falling down, but it might not be enough to save his job.

Leaving Bwat to practice, I went home to celebrate my mother’s good news alone, and to worry about the orc who I was ready to admit was my boyfriend.

33

BWAT

Iwalked home late Wednesday night on shaky legs. Abby had sent me a text letting me know that she had left for the day, and after urging me not to “overdo it” she wished me sweet dreams and said she would see me in the morning.

There was a follow-up text from her sternly telling me not to bring coffee and breakfast the next morning. I was to sleep in and let her provide instead.

That was a difficult order to comply with. Every instinct screamed that I should be providing for Abby, but the internet said that women liked males who were equal partners in a relationship. I took that to mean I needed to be grateful and accept that Abby might want to provide for me as well. I should push my instincts to the side, allow her to provide, and be appreciative knowing this was Abby’s way of showing she would always be there to help me when I needed it.

I slept as if I’d been drugged with tipter juice. A shower revitalized me, and the walk to the arena loosened my tight muscles. Abby had a large coffee beverage for me and three egg and sausage wraps, which I quickly devoured before kissing her in thanks and racing down to the gym for our morning workout with Willa.

It felt like just minutes since I’d left the ice when training ended and I once more strapped on my skates. Coach Rencovitch again had us put on the pinnies and perform a practice game against each other. This time I was assigned to defense and Eng scowled as I took my position by our goal.

“Great. So I only have one defender today,” Eng said.

“You have two defenders,” I corrected. “Morag and me.”

“Which means my only defender is Morag. All you’re going to do is fall down.”

“I might knock over one of the enemy players in the process. I’m very good at that,” I told him.

Eng rolled his eyes. “Which will get you in the penalty jail, and then I will really only have Morag.”

“I have been practicing activities that will make me a good defender. I will watch for the puck when the enemy team is blocking your view. I will work to keep the enemy from getting close to the net and intercept the puck if they try to pass or score a goal. And I will knock them down if I have to.”

Eng sniffed, then crouched into the goalie stance I’d seen the human goalies do. “Listen to what I’m saying. If I tell you to do something or to move somewhere, you do it. I am the boss of you, so you do as I say.”

He might be the new goalie, but Eng was still an arrogant prince.