Page 123 of Simon

As she made her way towards me, with the soft petals of the wildflowers brushing against her flowing dress, I felt a surge of emotions welling up inside me. The love in her eyes was like a beacon, guiding me through the darkness that had clouded my heart for so long.

Thorn’s scowl faded into the background as all my attention was drawn to her radiant smile. It was as if the world haddissolved, leaving only the two of us standing in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, and the music of the shifters weaving a melody that spoke to my soul.

When she finally reached me, her hand outstretched, I took it in mine, feeling the warmth of her touch seep into my very being. The weight of all the future burdens seemed to lift off my shoulders as I gazed into her eyes, so full of understanding and acceptance.

Without a word, she placed a gentle kiss on my lips, a promise of all the love and happiness that awaited us in this new chapter of our lives. And in that moment, surrounded by our friends and family, I knew that no matter what challenges may come our way, as long as we stood together, we could overcome anything.

Lucy’s father was supposed to stand down, sit with the rest of the crowd, but he stood there with Rune. Rune read off vows, spoke of eternal love, the Moon Goddess, and whatever else he’d prepared.

None of that mattered to me. All of my thoughts and my vision were on her.

The one thing I heard was to kiss my mate.

Thank fuck!

As I pulled her close and placed my lips on hers, it was like being bonded all over again.

Her fingers tangled in my hair. I felt my shaft trying to escape my pouch. Perhaps it was wise to wear a large decorative cloth that matched the material of my mate, so I could concentrate on feeling her and touching her.

As my tongue grazed her lips, a roar broke through the woods. The music stopped, and both of our heads darted to the noise. Everyone rose from their seats as the orcs grabbed their weapons and raised them above their heads.

Lucy sniffed and grabbed my forearms. “That smells like a—”

As the deafening roar reverberated through the dense forest, the towering ogre emerged, his massive form casting a sinister shadow. The soil trembled beneath his heavy footsteps, causing leaves to rustle and birds to scatter in a frenzy. With a menacing swing, he wielded a colossal log. His thunderous roar echoed, sending droplets of his saliva soaring into the air, glistening under the dappled light.

The orcs all roared in reply. The shifters were bursting out of their clothing, ready to run toward the threat.

Kane’s mouth moved into a predatory smile. “Now, this is a party!” He shifted, breaking out of his dress clothes, ripping them from his body. Clara darted away from him and gathered Ellie and Calliope, who stood in shock.

“Come on, let’s get you all out of the way. Lucy!” She called after my mate and I pushed her in their direction.

“Go, you will be safe.” I jumped off the platform, ready to go help the others.

Lucy grabbed hold of my arm, reluctant to let me go.

The tent that had been set up for our consummation was crushed by the enormous foot of the ogre. The orcs cried out in annoyance.

Lucy’s father groaned in a fake, mocking tone. “Oh, no.” He put both hands on his face. “That’s terrible. I guess we can’t do that part of the tradition, huh, Rune?”

Rune quirked his lip as they continued to watch the chaos.

We all heard a war cry that sounded familiar as we saw Sugha jump from a tree and land on top of the ogre’s head. “I got it! I got it!” He wrapped a net around the ogre’s face and turned the ogre’s head, which seemed to be steering the beast in another direction, away from the party. “Orgamo! This way! You’re too slow!”

I jumped back onto the platform. I would go after the ogre, but there was such a large crowd around the ogre, they may not need my help after all.

I held onto Lucy tighter as I watched a male of similar in size and look to Sugha follow after him with a spear. He kept whacking the beast with a blunt end of the spear to lead it back into the forest.

Kane leaped over chairs, his claws lengthening. “Can’t wait to carve my claws into that!”

Lucy let out a burst of laughter. “This is insane!”

The once elegant, woodsy party turned into chaos, with the deafening howls of wolves piercing through the air as they darted in all directions, and the heavy thuds of the ogre’s footsteps reverberating through the forest.

Kane, driven by sheer determination, leaped onto the ogre’s back. The tough, armor-like skin of the ogre was nearly impenetrable, even with Kane’s claws.

The ogre retaliated, forcefully tossing him aside, causing Kane to soar through the sky, the wind rushing past his face as he ascended higher and higher. Finally, he crashed onto the rooftop of Valpar and Calliope’s cabin, where he landed with a groan.

“What the fuck! Kill that damn fucker! I’m gonna hang his fucking teeth as a chandelier in my house, damn it!” Valpar roared.

---