Page 68 of Simon

The not-so-small baby babbled and blew a spit bubble.

Simon did not have a poker face. His face was full of horror looking at their orcling. I thought it was cute, in that orc baby kind of way.

“Aren’t you adorable!” I tickled the enormous feet.

Kiah let out a loud scream of happiness, and Simon screamed back, his tongue flopping out of his mouth.

We all looked at Simon as he covered his mouth in embarrassment. The baby giggled and screamed again, and Simon opened his mouth and bleated again, also. He didn’t seem able to control his reaction.

Aw, I wanted to squish his face.

The baby or Simon’s face, I wasn’t sure.

“Right, so do you both understand where Simon came from?” I asked.

Ellie didn’t laugh at Simon. In fact, no one said a word about his actions. Instead, she patted her child on the head. “Of course, he was once Calliope’s companion, now turned faun. Gossip travels fast. We’ve been helping feed him when we can.”

Simon’s shoulders dropped. “You knew I was taking your food? I’m sorry. When I had just become what I am now, I—”

Thorn grunted and turned the spit on the fire. “Yes, we never heard or saw you coming. You impressed me. It has made me more aware of my surroundings, that anything can get into my land. The only way we knew it was you was because you always left flowers. Ellie appreciates them. Glad to see you talk now. We thought you were just stupid.”

“Hey!” Ellie and I both screamed at the same time.

Simon slapped his hand to his face, utterly frustrated. “I need the witch! I want to seal the bond!”

Ellie gasped and covered the tiny green thing in her lap’s ears. “You are mates? That’s wonderful!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I said and stepped closer to the fire. “We don’t know that for sure. That is why we need to speak to this witch, Starla. Is that her name, Simon?”

Simon snarled and stepped towards me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged on the back of my hair, exposing my neck. “You are my mate.”

My body instantly complied.

“Your scent tells me so.” His nostrils flared, and I was happy he was wearing a cloth to hide his shaft because I could definitely feel it on my stomach. We did not need the baby to see that.

Ellie fanned herself. “That’s so hot. Remember when you used to do stuff like that, hot cakes?”

Thorn groaned. “We have an orcling. I will not subject Kiah to those private encounters.”

“Only when he’s sleeping. Which is rare. Do you see, Lucy? I have bags under my eyes. Between Kiah and Thorn, I can’t keep up. It’s the boobs, I tell you. They both want them.”

I didn’t pay much attention to Ellie, it was on Simon who held me against his torso and gazed into my eyes.

“I see the uncertainty in your eyes, Lucy, but I hold true to what I said. You are mine, and if the gods don’t believe it to be so—I will keep you, anyway.”

Insert dramatic sigh here.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Simon

Ilookedlikeafoolstanding here.

My mate sat down next to Ellie, and I watched as a gentle breeze rustled through her hair. She reached out and began playing with the tiny monster sitting on Ellie’s lap. His vibrant green hue caught the setting light sources, which appeared to make him glow. Ellie commented on the orcling’s tiny tusks and his braided hair. The thing took after his father’s likeness.

Only parents could love such a thing, but my Lucy was being nice when she sat next to it. Surely, she didn’t think that thing was… cute.

She thought of me as cute; was she lying?

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