Page 69 of My Orc Package Deal

When he saw us coming, he gave a nod and stepped away. “Thought you might need these, so I swung by Brak’s place.”

“You got Mr. Cuddles!” gasped Milo happily, running to grab his suitcase. “I was worried!”

Kesha sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s ridiculously thoughtful. Thank you so much!”

Realizing my Mate didn’t know Dravik, I took the time to introduce her, then shook the reticent man’s hand.

“Thank you, my friend. My sons will sleep better having their own things⁠—”

“And we’ll only have to buy one set of toiletries,” Kesha teased.

Dravik, true to his nature, merely grunted, looking uncomfortable about the attention.

“Are you coming to the hotel?” Kesha asked, but the other male shook his head and stepped back.

“I’ll sleep in my truck and be at the ferry when it makes the first crossing in the morning.” He nodded to me and Brakkor. “I’ll let Kowalski know you’ll be late.”

And then he was striding away before I had the chance to tell him that Brak had already cleared our absence tomorrow with the foreman.

“Should we go after him?” Kesha whispered. “That was really sweet of him.”

“If he wants to sleep in his truck, that’s up to him.” I turned to her with a huge smile and wrapped my arms around her. “I’m already sharing my hotel room with all my favorite people.”

“That’s not true,” called out my asshole brother. “I’m going to be next door with Joss.”

Without looking away from Kesha, I called out, “Then you’d better keep the noise down. My boys need their sleep.”

Brak made a show of grumbling about having to be responsible as Jocelyn giggled and elbowed him.

We all went to a dive diner next to the hotel, where the staff made a fuss over Jay and the big bandage he had wrapped around his head. When he asked for a chocolate milkshake to go with his dinner, and I hesitated, the older waitress gave me a glare.

“Honey, if that poor boy wants a milkshake, he’s going to get a milkshake!”

Kesha burst into laughter as I sighed. “Milkshakes all around, I guess.”

It was close to eleven by the time we were all checked in, with the bags of purchases Jocelyn had been nice enough to grab for us while Jay was getting stitched up; pajamas and toiletries for me and my Mate, since the boys had their suitcases from the weekend. Kesha made Milo shower, and she climbed in after him “just to wash the dust off.”

I think he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

As for Jay, I guess rules don’t apply after a few hours in the hospital, because I don’t think he brushed his teeth or tusks. But he was lying in the bed beside his brother, looking sleepy, when he grabbed my hand. I bent over him, and his smile was a little lopsided.

“I’m really happy, Dad,” he whispered.

My brows went up. “That your head isn’t broken?”

He smirked. “That you feel your Mate Bond. I know I should be loyal to my mother, but I like Kesha. A lot.”

My chest suddenly felt as if a band was wrapped around it, and I lowered myself to one knee beside the hotel bed, both of us keeping our voices down so we didn’t disturb Milo.

“Oh, dkaar,” I murmured, placing my hand on his head. “Don’t ever feel guilty about the way you feel. You have so much of your mother in you…but Kesha has a capacity for love I’ve never seen before. She’s going to help you grow into the adult male you were meant to be. It’s not disloyal to Sharra to love your new mom.”

“I know that.” He squeezed my hand. “Do you know that?”

I think my head was in danger of falling off, since I was smiling so hugely. “I do,” I whispered, bending down to kiss his forehead. “I do. I love her so much, and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to feel the Mate Bond with her.”

His eyes slowly closed. “Goodnight, Dad. Love you.”

“I love you, son,” I whispered, brushing another kiss over his forehead. “Goodnight.”