Page 20 of Bound to the Mountain Man Orc
"For many things." I tighten my arms briefly, and she laughs, warm and bright. The sound goes straight to the center of me.
Outside, the mountain hums with life—birds, wind, thawing earth. For the first time since I was young, I don't face the spring alone.
The door opens before I can tell her what I'm thinking, and a familiar voice calls out. "Brother! We brought supplies."
A smile pulls at my mouth before I can stop it while Ava's eyes spark with excitement. She loved the first time she met my brothers, and she loves their visits even more now… especially when they bring their human mates.
Drak enters first with his mate tucked comfortably under his arm, her cheeks pink from the hike. Kroy follows while muttering about the trail being too muddy, though the smile he gives his human woman betrays him. Varn arrives next withhis mate, a rare grin on his face as he carries a basket almost overflowing with early spring greens, and Thane comes in after them with Lila at his side, both of them still wrapped in that glow that comes from being newly mated.
All of them look happy, settled, bonded, whole. Just like me.
Ava beams and waves them in, and the cabin swells with warmth. Drak claps me on the back. "You look different, brother."
"I feel different."
"Good," he says, grinning. "It's about time."
Kroy snorts. "Oldest but slowest."
Ava places her hands on her hips. "Oh, leave him alone. He found me exactly when he was supposed to."
My bond hums in agreement. Varn holds out a carved piece of wood—smooth, polished, shaped into a small symbol meant for mates, a family token. Ava gasps and throws her arms around him before he can protest, and he stands there frozen, awkward, stunned by her hug. Then slowly, carefully, he hugs her back while his human woman giggles behind him.
I soak it in… my brothers, their mates,mymate. A family. A future. A mountain that feels alive with blessing instead of warning.
Ava comes to me then, slipping her hand into mine with her fingers warm and sure. "You okay?" she asks softly.
I bend and kiss her forehead, letting the moment settle deep inside me. "Yes," I say. "For the first time in a very long life, I'm more than okay."
She smiles in a way that feels like sunrise.
The mountain breathes around us while my family laughs and Ava's hand stays steady in mine. The bond inside me thrums once—deep, strong, complete.
All of us, all brothers born of this place, have found our Thurok'hai. The mountain stands watch, ancient and proud, sending no more women, no more tests, no more lonely winters.
Everything is just as it should be.
