Page 116 of My Orc Has Big Tusks
“No schedule. Just a gathering.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”
Sofia chirped from her shoulder. The driftwhisps in Laina’s hair had gone still, their tendrils catching the late afternoon sun.
The others joined us a short time later. Drogar claimed an entire bench, sprawling across it with his legs extended. Krem stood nearby with his clipboard, though for once he wasn’t writing anything. Traig leaned against a tree, his tablet dark in his hands. Greth positioned himself near the back where he could watch but slip away if he felt the need.
Carol sat on one of the benches, her hands folded in her lap.
“Why is everyone here?” Laina asked as I led her to the center of the small clearing.
I pulled a carved snugglethorn from my pocket. I’d been working on it for over a week and finished it last night, while Laina slept. The finer details had taken hours.
“I made this for you,” I said, holding it out.
Laina took it carefully, turning it over in her hands. Her fingers traced the carved wool. “It’s lovely.”
“Now we have a pair.”
She looked up at me, her eyes bright. “I saw the one on your nightstand.”
I’d practiced this. The words had formed in my notebook over days, refined until they felt true. But standing here with her watching me and everyone else witnessing, my tongue went clumsy.
My mouth went dry. My offering felt heavier than it had moments ago. It carried intention, tradition, and choice.
I started in Orcish because some things needed to be said in kingdom language first. The cadence felt right, the rhythm familiar.
Then I translated.
“Orcs claim the person whose happiness determines our own.” My voice stayed steady even though my hands shook. “I claim you, Laina Mercer, as my kavresh. My heart-chosen.”
The words settled in my bones. Everything I’d wanted since the night she’d walked through the door to treat Cooper came together in my declaration.
She reached for my hand, her fingers weaving through mine. The simple touch resonated through my entire body. The claiming wasn’t complete until she claimed me back, but her hand told me everything in her heart.
“Yes,” she said. “I claim you back, Brovish Dayngris, as my kavresh. My heart-chosen. My only love.”
Drogar made the wet, snuffling sound. When I glanced his way, he’d pressed both of his hands against his face.
“Are you crying?” Traig asked him, leaning closer.
Drogar lowered his hands, not bothering to hide the wetness on his face. “This is a claiming ceremony. Of course I’m crying. It’s—” His voice roughened. “It’s beautiful.”
Krem leaned forward on the bench. “I’ve been calculating the statistical likelihood of compatible mates between humans and orcs, and this pairing exceeds all projections.” He paused, his expression softening. “I’m very pleased.”
Traig looked up from his tablet, studied us both for a long moment, then nodded once. “Welcome to the family, Laina. I believe that’s the human way of saying it.”
Greth’s single nod carried the weight of kingdom tradition.
Sofia sparked in bright gold that lit up the space around us. I’d never seen her produce that color before. As the gold light washed over us, heat bloomed on the inside of my left wrist.
Laina lifted her arm, a stunned expression on her face.
A shimmering mark etched into the skin of her left inner wrist, a tiny mountain range with water flowing beneath it.
“Laina,” I breathed, lifting my own arm now showing the same mating mark. “The symbol for kavresh. We are truly mated.”
“The fates have spoken,” Drogar whispered, his voice thick with tears.
