Page 54 of My Orc Nanny

She couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it, but I’d always loved her openness. So I smiled at both of them, glad Joshy was occupied trying to feed Mr. BunBun.

“I love Aswan,” I told them simply. “We’ve decided we’re…” How to explain? In Aswan’s eyes—inmyeyes, we were already committed. “We’re going to get married.”

With a growl of satisfaction, his arm tightened around me. “Your mother is everything to me, Ben.” His gaze included Tova and Joshua as well. “To an orc, the bond that we share is unbreakable.”

Slowly, Benny stood, his gaze flicking between us. It meant that he still only came up to Aswan’s chest, but he tipped his head back to frown up at him. “Mom’s been married before.”

My heart clenched, but Aswan nodded. “And the man she was married to, the man who helped create you, do you respect him? Do you think he put you and your mother before anything else? Do you think the bond they shared—the bond you and he were supposed to share—was unbreakable?”

I held my breath until Benny shook his head, his jaw hard. “Even before he went away, I knew there was something wrong. He didn’t act like a normal dad. He didn’t…” Finally, he dropped his gaze to Aswan’s chest. “He didn’t love us.”

It wasn’t that simple, but I didn’t want to explain drugs and selfishness and jealousy right now. Ben likely had years of therapy ahead of him, and I’m sure this would allcome out then. For now, the ten-year-old needed black and white.

So I nodded. “He didn’t love you the way Aswan loves you.”

“He saved me,” Ben whispered, gaze wide on me. “Yesterday, I was so scared, and there he was.”

“And he’ll always be there for you,” I agreed. “We both will.”

I felt Tova move to my side, and I wrapped my free arm around her without dropping Ben’s gaze. “I need you to understand that. Aswan and I are partners now.”

“That means he’s not the nanny anymore,” Tova announced, full of certainty. “He’s our stepdad.”

Benny didn’t look convinced. “Sometimes adults change.”

I hated that he’d had to learn that.

But Aswan pulled away from me to step up to Benny, placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Do you think your mother is going to change enough to stop loving you? To ever stop fighting for you? To stop protecting you?”

Our son was already shaking his head by the time Aswan stopped speaking. “Of course not.”

“Then I want you to believe that I will never stop either. I love her, and I respect her. And Benjamin, I love and respect you.”

His eyes were wide, staring up at the huge, gentle orc who held him. “You do?”

Aswan nodded once, solemnly. “I claim you, Benjamin Woods, as my son. Myd’pin. I will love you and protect you until I die. And one day, when I am old, it will be your turn to protect me, because that’s what parents do for theirkitlings, and what grown kitlings do for their parents. But no matter what, you have my oath that I will not abandon you. I will not hurt you. I love you.”

I saw Benny’s lips form the wordsparents, but no sound emerged. Then, in a sudden surge, he threw himself against Aswan, hugging him fiercely, as Tova punched the air. “My turn! Do the oath on me now!”

Laughing, Aswan scooped her up against his shoulder with the hand not currently holding Benny to himself.

“I love you, Tova Woods, and I claim you as my daughter. I will not abandon or hurt you, because I love you.”

“Yay!” She gripped his cheeks between her hands and kissed his nose. “Now do Joshy!”

“Doshy want more pa-cakes!” yelled the toddler, banging his fork against the tray of his chair. “BunBun hungee!”

Laughing with joy, I wrapped my arms around my Mate and our children. “I think Joshy understands,” I managed, as Tova pulled me into a chokehold. “Are we still on for the beach?”

Benny beamed up at Aswan. “Family only!”

“That means me too,” my Mate rumbled happily.

I stretched up on my toes to kiss his cheek. “Of course it does.”

“And Nana and Papa!” announced Tova. “She’s gotta wear her big floppy hat.”

“Is that okay with you?” I asked Ben, who nodded. “I think that would mean a lot to them.”To see their grandson sohappy, and to see Aswan welcomed into the family.“I’ll call her.”

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