Page 50 of Protective Pucking Orc

That was right. On the day I’d brought her, broken and bleeding, into the ice complex, Kardok and Torrk were there. They’d had my back then, and the younger male would have my back now.

I need you to go shopping for me. Then bring it over here ASAP.

Sure. What do you need?

Dolls.

…

Dolls?

Dolls. Like the kind little girls play with. Go buy a few of every type, with accessories or whatever. Or anything else the people at the store say would be good for her.

Ah, for Rosa. You were worrying me a little there for a hot second. 😉 Everything going okay with your new family?

I hesitated, looking over at Sofia’s long lashes resting against her cheeks. Then I carefully typed, “We’re getting there. Thanks, Torrk.”

He just sent another trio of winking emojis back at me, which made me roll my eyes and scoff.

But later that morning when he dropped off the packages—didn’t even stay long enough to receive Rosa’s adoration—I realized how much I owed him. As a friend.

Rosa spent the rest of the day surrounded by the detritus of the doll packages, exclaiming over each new toy, while her mother blushed each time she looked at me. But I could smell the faint scent of Sofia’s arousal, and I knew she was thinking about last night.

Saturday night, after we both put Rosa to sleep, Sofia took my hand, led me to my bedroom, and blushed hard as she stared at my chest. As if it were some sort of code word, she murmured hesitantly, “I want to make you feel good, Dakvaar.”

And I reacted the way she’d known I would, by stripping her naked and lashing her sweet cunt with my tongue. I came in my pants again, which drove her mad with need.

My control was quickly fraying around this female.

Sunday morning I slept in—I needed it—and woke to a full breakfast Sofia and Rosa had made for me. When the kitling learned about the plan to travel to Denver with the team, she was thrilled, bouncing around the house and having a whole conversation with Veth’kar about which dolls to bring.

The next hour was occupied with packing necessities for the day, and I began to sense Sofia’s worry. As she hurried past with yet another pair of jeans for Rosa, I snagged her hand, swinging her to a stop in the hall.

“What is it, dkaar?” I murmured, drawing her close, inhaling her scent.

“In case she has an accident.” She waved the trousers. “Although why I would be worried about that, I don’t know, she hasn’t peed herself in a year. I’m just—Dios, Dakvaar, we’re going to be with your friends for hours and hours, and she’s going to get rowdy, and I’m not going to know what to say, and I don’t know anything about hockey, and I don’t want them to think you’re an idiot for saving me and⁠—”

I stopped her panic with a kiss. When she hummed and melted against me, I deepened the kiss, feeling my lips curl beneath hers.

When I finally straightened, she was breathing more evenly.

“They will love you, Sofia, because I do.”

It wasn’t until I walked away, her staring shocked after me, that I realized what I’d said.

And I couldn’t regret it.

She’d been in my home for a week, but in my life for so much longer. She was my Mate, even if she didn’t know it yet…and we were fast approaching the point at which she needed to know.

To understand.

But today I had a game to focus on.

The Amber Avengers were one of the oldest teams in the Orc Hockey League, and some of the best-funded. The Terrors were the youngest—we didn’t even have our own arena, which is why we practiced at the ice complex—but we were good. The Avengers were generally thought to be the better team, but we were going to prove them wrong tonight.

How could I not, with my Mate with me?

The team bus was parked outside the ice complex when we arrived, engine already rumbling, and I felt Sofia’s hand tighten in mine as we approached the door.