Page 30 of Claimed By The Orc

His eyes widened. “Ready for what?” I didn’t miss the hitch in his voice.

“I—” Fuck, why were words so hard? “I love you, Mahk. I think I have for a while now. Everything seems less heavy when you’re by my side. I want nothing more than to be yours for the foreseeable future and, shit, even longer than that. I won’t lie and say I’m still not scared. So many things could go wrong, and doubts might win out some days, but seeing you with that asshole at the store, it solidified things for me. You’re my mate, and I was a fool to keep ignoring that.”

Mahk shivered. He found my hand and brought it to his lips. “Please speak plainly,lulekai. I need to hear it.”

I sucked in a shuddery breath, getting the courage to speak the words Mahk deserved to hear. “I’m your mate, little stalker. Bite me, claim me, make it official.”

CHAPTER 15

MAHK

Isnuck another glance at Tanner from the corner of my eye. It had to be the hundredth time, but I could not stop myself. His words ran on repeat in my mind, and until I made what he asked for a reality, I wouldn’t be able to stop staring at him.

We were in Forest Glen on the way to Sumner Cave. It had been Tanner’s suggestion. Privacy was not easy to come by, so why not make our mating official in the very place that separated our worlds.

“Bite me, claim me, make it official.”My jaw ached with the desire to do just that. I would have taken him then and there in the truck if it were possible. But Tanner deserved more. He deserved something special, and while this would never be what I’d imagined, there was a certain significance to it that made it feel right.

I looked at Tanner again, but this time he caught me and flashed me a cute smile. “You keep staring at me. I promise I won’t change my mind, Mahk. This is what I want.”

I hadn’t even been thinking that. I’d heard the sincerity in his tone when he’d uttered my favorite words I’d ever heard. Of course, now he put that fear in my head.

My expression must have shifted because Tanner stopped walking, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed my head. “I swear I would never toy with you that way. I already put you through hell these last few weeks, but I meant what I said, sweetheart. I love you. I want you in every way possible, and that includes as a magical mate.”

I snorted, but secretly I was relieved. Tanner had so many responsibilities, I was afraid they would get the better of him.

But after another kiss to my hair, he entangled his fingers with mine, and we walked the rest of the way to the cave in comfortable silence.

We stopped at the entrance, staring inside. “The barrier is in there?” Tanner asked with a hint of hesitance in his tone, but I could not tell if it was because of what we were about to do or entering the cave.

“Yes,” I replied gently, trying to feel him out.

“It’s so funny. I’ve heard the rumors about this place my whole life. We’ve all heard about hikers disappearing. I always figured it was partially parents scaring us out of exploring and the usual disappearances of hikers from wildlife or dehydration. It’s so wild that the stories were kinda true.”

I kissed his shoulder. “But remember, the people who disappeared through here had a happy ending. It meant they met their fated mate.”

“Right,” Tanner muttered to himself. “And your brothers, their mates also disappeared through here?”

“Yes, Rainn and Kai.”

“Oh yeah, I know them a little. They’d stop by the shop before hiking. That’s . . . They were cool. I’m glad they found their forevers.”

I was still confused where he was going with this, so I answered his question honestly, “I am too. I cannot wait to get to know them.”

He nodded but didn’t continue right away. “And there’s enough room in there, right?” He gestured toward the cave, “I never considered myself claustrophobic, but suddenly I’m questioning that.”

“Yes,lulekai. It is quite spacious. I promise. But if you’d rather, we can find a secluded area out here?—”

“No,” Tanner cut me off. “No. Let’s do it there. Everything began for us in that cave, and I want this moment there too.”

I kissed him. “If at any time you change your mind, we can leave.”

“Okay, thanks. But I’m ready.”

He straightened his shoulders much like he’d done before confronting those people at the store, then marched in. I followed after him, smiling.

Once we were inside, Tanner let me lead.

“You’ve never come in here?” I asked him.

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