Valpar (Under the Moon: Orc #2)

36. Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

Calliope

Valpar snarled and hurled his body on top of me. “Stay down!”

A scream pierced the air, causing me to shout in surprise. Valpar growled and tightened his body around me. The screaming behind him didn’t stop the shrill, high-pitched scream.

I screamed, too, because I recognized that scream. Panic rose to my throat because my mother had just walked in on Valpar and me… completely naked!

“What the fuck!” I heard my dad’s voice come through it all. “Whose ass is that!?”

What? This juicy biscuit? “It’s my mate’s! Don’t kill him!” I shouted.

Huh, I did not see this coming.

Probably should have, since this is my parents’ house, and I didn’t really believe they would stay a whole month away from me.

Valpar forcefully twisted my body, positioning me right in front of him. As I moved, the soft fabric of the blanket trailed along my body, providing a thin shield to protect my nakedness.

The sound of Valpar’s heavy panting trailed down my neck, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps. His grip tightened around one of his menacingly large daggers, the cold steel gently touching my arm reminding me he was in protection mode.

So hot.

“No one will kill me or touch my female!” Valpar hissed.

My mom was restrained by my dad, his face wearing a smirk reminiscent of my uncles. I could see the amusement in his eyes. Meanwhile, my mom’s face reflected sheer terror. Her complexion had turned pale, and her mouth agape wide enough to let a pixie sit inside.

“What in Hera’s name is going on? Birch, get that thing away from Calliope!” She struggled in his hold, her body trembling with anger as she tried to get free.

Birch held onto her tighter. “I don’t think there is a problem here, Theresa.”

Mom screamed, again. She jumped and squirmed in his arms. “What do you mean, there is no problem? He’s got her tied to him!”

Birch looked at the ribbon, which wasn’t a strong material anyway and frowned. He let go of Theresa and put his hand to his hip, which held a sheathed knife.

Uh oh.

“Wait, wait!” I held out my hands, but Valpar grabbed them back.

He gripped me by my waist and lifted me, his dick was hard, despite the circumstances, and I groaned when Mom screeched again, her hands slapping her face.

“Cut it off!”

Nope, can’t do that.

“Mom! He’s my mate! I swear to you!” I held onto Valpar’s forearms to steady me.

Birch eyed Valpar up and down with a slightly skeptical look. “Osirus did say that Calliope had found her mate. Let’s hear them out.”

Theresa shook her head. “Not to an orc, there is no way she is mated to this green monstrosity!”

I gasped. “Mom, are you racist? I can’t believe it!”

Mom took a step back. “No, no, that is not what I am saying! It’s just…you are both completely different, this is… no, this is a mistake. You are so… and he is just…”

“Just what?” Valpar snapped

I snickered. “Aw, you talking about his junk being too big? Don’t worry, it fits!” I pointed at the club between his legs.

As Mom gasped for air, her eyes fluttered and rolled back into her head. The room filled with a tense silence, broken only by the sound of Dad’s knife slipping from his grip. He swiftly reached out, catching Mom just in time to prevent her from collapsing onto the cold, hard floor.

Birch sighed and shook his head, putting an arm under her legs and one behind her back. “Why don’t you both get dressed? Meet us in the living room.” Birch eyed us one more time and swallowed. “And please, take the restraints off of Calliope. I can only do so much with Theresa, and having you tied to her is going to throw her into a fit.”

Valpar grunted and jerked his jaw toward Dad in understanding. At least, I think it was understanding. Or maybe it was just an ’Okay, I’ll appease you for now, but I’ll tie up my mate later,’ sort of deal.

We dressed quickly, although. we didn’t have a leather loincloth to cover Valpar’s jewels, so we had to make do with some silk wrappings that hung around the walls. I picked the manliest color, a dark blue, but he had to use a bright pink to tie his pecker to his leg!

Please Mom, don’t ask why he has a tie around his leg.

By the time we walked into the living room, with Valpar’s hand tightly around my shoulder. Mom was coming to. She was still pale, lying on the ornate deep purple couch that Osirus gifted Birch for a mating present.

“It wasn’t a dream?” Mom groaned, and I fisted my hands into the extra fabric of Valpar’s cloth. A little of me was disappointed that Mom wasn’t happy for me, but the other part knew why.

She knew what was going to happen to me. She knew I was going to get my memories back.

“Don’t talk to my miresa that way,” Valpar growled, and the branches shook in the tree.

Birch didn’t turn around, just swiped a cloth over Mom’s head.

“The Moon Fairy gave her to me, and I will protect her—”

Mom sat up from the couch. “Ha!” She interrupted. “You, protect her? You think you can protect her from what’s coming? You do not know what you have done, what you have subjected her to. Now, she will be heartbroken because this—” she pointed between the two of us, “This cannot be a completed bond. Not on my watch.”

Before Valpar could growl or snarl, I did it on my own. I ripped myself from Valpar’s hold. Mom leaned back onto the couch and her eyes widened as she saw me approach her. I leaned forward, my lip curled.

“You will not separate us. You will not break us apart. You think you know everything when you don’t. I’ve grown up a lot since you have been gone. I should have grown-up years ago.”

Mom’s eyes softened. “Calliope—”

I shook my head. “No. I… I know you were trying to protect me. Whatever it is, I was trying to protect myself, too, and maybe I needed that break for a while. I know what’s going to happen if we mate.” I felt my throat closing up around me, then, I felt Valpar at my back. His warmth enveloped me when his arms wrapped around my waist and his jaw touched the top of my head. “But now, I need to make some decisions, and now that I have a mate—” I stared up at him, his face was void of any emotion and I knew it was because he didn’t care for Mom very much at the moment. “—I can get through it.”

Mom leaned her head back on the couch, her arms limp in defeat. “I just love you.” She sniffed. “I just remember seeing you—holding you when—” I jumped into her lap and she let out an oomph, wrapping her arms around me.

“I’ll be okay.” I nuzzled her neck. “It will be fine.”

Valpar’s throat let out a rumble, and I stood up and felt him pull me back to his body.

Birch stood and held out his hand, ready to grasp Valpar’s forearm. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Birch. Calliope’s adoptive father. This is Theresa, Calliope’s adoptive mother.” He nodded to Mom.

For the next couple of hours, Dad took the lead in the conversation. Valpar was mostly quiet and answered questions in a gruff tone. I was able to explain how we met, how I deliberately disobeyed her, followed my Fairy Godmother’s advice and went to the mating ball, anyway.

Mom said nothing, but Dad had to hold Mom’s bouncing thigh still with his hand. He whispered to her, “It was the Goddess’ will for her to be there.”

Mom went to the kitchen and prepared us food. I offered to help but she waved me off and said she needed time to process. It hurt, but I understood. She was trying to protect me, but it was time for me to stand on my own.

Mom brought back the snacks and food, but Valpar ate little, his hand was on my thigh, my butt on his lap. On occasion, my Mom would let out a sad sigh, but dad would just pat her back in reassurance.

Mom was really upset. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was going to be leaving the treehouse for good, or what was yet to come for me.

After I explained to both Valpar and my parents about Starla’s visit in my dream last night, about what was going to happen, Mom started crying and Birch consoled her. Valpar, again, showed no emotion on his face but I felt his body tense. His arms tightened around me, his hand on my chest. He was reading me, just like in the tent, and after a while his eyebrows furrowed. I knew he wanted to take me away from my parents and have us be alone in our own little world, to discuss things on our own.

“Have you decided what you are going to do, honey?” My mom wiped away a tear. “With the whole, take it all at once or a little at a time? You know, about the memories?”

I felt Valpar’s gaze on me, and I squeezed his arm. “That’s something Valpar and I will talk about. I think we need to do that alone.”

Mom nodded.

I knew she had to feel some sort of jealousy, maybe hurt. I could see it in her body language as she curled up on the couch and her head leaning on Dad’s shoulder. She’d done everything for me since I came here. It was her time, though, her time with Birch to start her own family.

There wasn’t anything I could do to make it better for her. I couldn’t rely on them anymore. My past was mine and I knew Theresa and Birch were in it. They saved me but they didn’t have to keep saving me anymore.

Valpar was my future.

“Please don’t worry,” I whispered. “This was meant to happen.”

Why else would my fairy godmother be pushing this, especially right now? Unless it was her own agenda, which I didn’t believe.

Mom hummed. “You really fell out over the banister, did you?”

I buried my face into Valpar’s chest.

Mom rolled her eyes and smacked her head. “Calliope, I swear you are the most accident prone, little thing I have ever seen. I remember when we first brought you to the tree house, you almost fell out of the tree ten times, in ten minutes. We had to have a witch put an invisible ward up the first year.”

I giggled, but Valpar stiffened around me.

Birch huffed. “Valpar, you will do fine with Calliope. She is a lively one, but it seems you have calmed her. She appears to have slept-in this day. She is usually awake before the light sources rise, and playing with the woodland creatures on her balcony or climbing down the tree wreaking havoc through the forest before we can stop her.”

Valpar’s large hand squeezed my thigh.

“That’s because he thoroughly wore me out last night,” I chirped. “He did me dirty on the forest floor because I made him chase after me.”

Mom was halfway drinking her tea when it all came spitting out of her mouth.

Birch leaned his head back on the couch. “I see she has not gained an ounce of restraint on that mouth, yet.”

Valpar chuckled, squeezing me tight against his chest. “No, but I enjoy her this way.”

We talked for longer, and the longer we did, the more I felt myself grow anxious. I wasn’t used to sitting this long, but I was doing it for Mom’s sake. She would look at me occasionally and smile, but I could see the worry and, maybe, sadness.

I quickly realized our time was short and I would have to travel back to the Wood with Valpar.

They eventually told us of their travels. Which comprised of visiting Creed and Odessa, the dragon shifters who were relatively quiet and private, raising their two daughters. They were now pregnant again with their third, maybe fourth child. They were excited, but could only visit for a day with them, since Creed was very territorial over Odessa and their children. Birch said he felt sorry for his daughters that they may never find their mates.

Word traveled up to the mountains that an orc found a mate at the ball and that it was a fairy. The last part being it was, in fact, not a fairy but a human that dressed like them gave them pause, and they flew their butts right back down the mountains. Because there are no humans that dress like a fae, but me.

They just had horrible timing.

Birch and Valpar, then, got started on the war stories. Birch wanted to know what Valpar’s position was during the war and how he helped solidify the win. I stood up because I needed to stretch my legs. Valpar’s eyes didn’t leave my body. I felt the heat of his stare the entire time as I walked around the room, I fiddled with all the trinkets in the room to commit it to memory.

In the pit of my stomach, I felt like I wouldn’t be returning to the treehouse for a long time. This was going to be my last time staying—well, living here. I wasn’t a single lady anymore. I was going to be mated soon. There were a lot of fond memories here and I wanted to remember each one.

Birthdays, holidays, accidentally walking in on my parents in compromising positions. I giggled to myself when I reached Simon’s bed. It was empty, and I tilted my head when I saw that one of the flowers that was braided into his hair had fallen out.

The flowers the orcs used could last weeks without water and they had done a great job weaving it into his hair. There was no way it could come out, with how tight they wove it.

The room grew quiet, and I felt Valpar’s warm body behind me. It was so weird how I could feel him, know where he was.

“What’s wrong, my miresa?” His hand touched my shoulder.

“Where is Simon?” I continued to stare down at his empty bed.

Valpar shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps he is roaming outside. You said his stomach was upset. Grass would settle it.”

I shook my head. “If I am in the treehouse, and Mom and Dad are home, he stays with us. No matter what.”

Birch and Mom came up beside us looking at the bed as well. It wasn’t much, but Simon was pretty simple. We tried getting him a miniature bed like Mom and Dad’s, but he would just chew on the knobs, eat the blankets and throw the pillows off it. It was just a mattress on the floor with bits of hay on top of it. Except now, there was no Simon.

Valpar kneeled down and touched the bedding. “It is cool. He has been gone for a while. Perhaps he left when he heard your mother’s screams. She has a loud voice that would terrify an ogre.”

Birch hid his laughter beneath his palm.

“Hey, careful Dad, you can get loud, too.” I joked.

Mom let out a bark of laughter. “Yes, he does, during the hokey pokey. Am I right?” She nudged him. Valpar chuckled, watching my parents and I saw his shoulders ease as he witnessed them relaxing more around him.

I knew Valpar had reservations about them, especially about how they treated me. Perhaps once I knew the full extent of my past, I’d understand why they treated me the way they did.

“I’ll tell you what,” Mom said, clasping her hands together. “Let me make us an early dinner. We can tell you about our adventures up in the mountains and you can tell us more about yours. We can leave out the, uh… private stuff.” She cringed. “Creed was very interested in hearing about one orc finally getting their mate. Just didn’t realize it was my Calliope.”

Valpar’s back straightened. “Creed, the black dragon. Yes, I remember him.”

Mom nodded. “Yes, the one that you fought with in the war. He spoke highly of you.”

“He is a fit male. I would very much like to see him again, one day.”

“Perhaps he can make an appearance before you go? I can send word you would like to meet with him.” Mom gave him a tentative smile.

She’s trying.

With an agreement, Dad then pulled Valpar to one side. It was the most engaged I’ve seen him with anyone besides Mom, Uncle Osirus or me. He pulled out a few of his weapons from his bag, showing them to Valpar. Valpar went and grabbed his weapons as well and join in with the guy thing, looking over each other’s stuff.

It was like bro-bonding.

Mom’s arm wrapped around my shoulder and hugged me. “It’s going to work out,” she said, more to herself than me. “And Simon will come back. Perhaps I scared him. After dinner Birch and I will go look for him while you and Valpar talk.”

I bit my lip, because we both knew that Simon not being here was out of the norm. Simon was always here when the family were, especially when it was getting close to dinner.

He wasn’t upset that we were leaving, was he? Did he think I was going to leave him behind? Or did he not want to go? I didn’t give him a choice, really. Or was he mad at me that I left in the night without him?

I bit my cheek. I needed to talk to him and Valpar.