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“I can’t leave you. You’ll never survive.”
She arches her eyebrow. “If I can survive a few days in a cave with a grumpy ogre, I think I can handle your family.”
Is that her way of telling me I’m difficult?
Her eyes crinkle in the corner and she tips her head toward my family. Swinging my gaze around the table, I take in the amused and expectant faces of the only females I’ve ever loved. Daisy wants to stay, even after meeting my father, mother, and sisters, and that does something funny to my insides.
“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice now,” I grumble though I’m anything but upset by her suggestion.
“Have fun with daddy, grumpy,” she teases.
To be an ass, I sensually stroke the bond. She chokes on her water. I’m the only one that sees her thighs clamp together and senses the fire licking through the bond. Grinning, I caress the bond again then kiss the top of her head and make a run for it. Another second in the room with her and I would’ve stripped her bare and rutted into her at the table. I’d never recover from doing that in front of my family.
That woman has a hold on me, and I don’t hate it.
THIRTY
How does it fit?
DAISY
The laughter that erupted after Orcus tucked tail and ran eventually dies down and all eyes fall on me. Orana gives me a smile that’s so childlike I remember that she’s the youngest. Eleven, was it? She’s already bigger than me, but definitely smaller than the rest of her siblings. The other sisters are all well over eight feet tall and broader than Orana. Orcus’ mother is only slightly bigger than them, but still a giant all the same.
This ogre family hit the genetic jackpot, because the tone of their green skin is rich and their cheekbones are all cut and defined. Their brunette hair is beautiful, though not all straight like Orcus’, and the shades are all different. Oraya’s is a touch lighter than Orana’s. Orlena’s is nearly as dark as her brother’s but curly, and Oretta’s has hints of copper. The thing that surprised me the most was their tusks. I don’t know why I expected the women to all be these soft, short creatures in comparison to Orcus, but I did. I was wrong. Each woman has their own set of tusks, a bit shorter than Orcus’, though still pearly white and shiny. Orcus’ mother has two elegant cuffs at the base of hers, pretty red gems surrounded by gold.
“So,” she begins when the staring has grown uncomfortable, “when can we meet your family?”
The question is so innocent. Normal, even. No matter how many times I’ve heard it, that immediate, gut-wrenching emptiness always steals my words for a few moments. The smile I’m wearing stays in place, and I take a breath, pretending like nothing is wrong.
“Oh, I don’t have any,” I eventually manage, grin still in place. It’s easier than saying my parents would rather do anything than meet her. They probably haven’t even noticed I’m gone.
“I’m so sorry,” Orcus’ mom says.
Those words slice through me deeper than the original question.
“Don’t be, they’ve been gone for a long time. Your family is lovely,” I say to hide the fact that I’m a little jealous that despite having five kids, she still loves them and my parents couldn’t even love one.
“They’re a handful.” Her eyebrows jump on her forehead. “Oh, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. I’m Orshana.”
This family and their O names.
“Is that a trull mark on your arm?” Oraya asks, voice almost a whisper.
Oh. I glance down at the T on my forearm. “Harald pledged himself to me… I’m not sure what that means, but he was nice about it.”
“Trulls are very dangerous if crossed, but to have one on your side is an honor not many receive.” Orshana studies the mark.
“How does it fit in her, Mommy?” Orana asks, face scrunched.
Orshana and I share a confused look but understanding dawns on us at the same time. Where’s a hole to hide in when you need it? Orshana gives her youngest daughter a reproachful side-eye.
“What? You said we shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about sex or puberty.” Orana slides her gaze around the table.
“Orana,” she warns.
Oretta giggles then slaps her hand to her mouth to smother the sound, but that makes Orlena cackle. Oraya’s soft laugh is unmistakable. I bite my lip and study my hands in my lap, desperately trying not to laugh when Orshana is doing her mom thing, but then Orana says, “Will he break her?” and I lose it.
“My children,” Orshana says to no one in particular. “No, my sweet child. He won’t break her. Remember the special preparations we discussed? It will work the same for Daisy and Orcus.”
