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“Where the babies go, I go,” I repeat. “I’m not leaving without them. I will not be separated from my children.”
He shrugs.
“Guards will remain in the woods around the cabin and watch you both from afar but give you privacy,” the orc head of security says. “If you need help just shout for assistance and we will take Whelan down. You understand the danger involved and still accept the risk?”
I swallow against the lump in my throat. “Yes, I do.”
“Good.”
Urdan marches over and opens the front metal gate.
I move toward the driver’s side door, readying to start the large, shiny SUV and drive it through the gate.
“Wait,” Kelt says. “Your car must be left outside in the garage. There are no cars allowed within the commune. We walk or use electric-powered utility vehicles. We will help you transport the babies to Whelan’s cabin.”
I blink, entirely surprised at this turn of events. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m from California. We drive everywhere. Even if it’s just up the street.”
Rogan and Kelt chuckle and direct me to park in an enormous metal garage I didn’t see before outside the gate, hidden behind trees. There are a few other trucks and SUVs inside, all of which look newer and in perfect working order, along with a row of smaller utility vehicles.
“These vehicles are left here for communal use,” Rogan explains. “If any of us need to leave the community to visit the nearby human settlements to shop or for Doctor appointments, or for any reason, we just check in and a car is readied.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
I get out and pop open the back of my SUV. Then I walk around and open a side door in the back, readying to start taking out the babies.
“What is all of this?” Kelt laughs, gesturing to all the items I’ve managed to shove into the back of my large SUV.
“You have a lot of suitcases,” Rogan agrees. “And bags, and…I don’t know what most of this is.”
I take Bran out, hold him in my arms and walk over. I hand him off to Rogan, who beams with pride as he holds his grandson in his arms for the first time. Then I walk around to Owen’s side, while I explain, “I wanted to make sure the babies have all they need. There’s a double stroller and that box holds a crib. And I brought all their clothes and mine too.”
“And this?” Kelt laughs. He lifts a bag of Halloween costumes and treats that I hope haven’t melted.
“Halloween is soon and it’s my favorite holiday. I was hoping to take the babies trick or treating for the first time. Don’t you do that here?”
“No.”
“Do you at least have a Halloween party?”
They shake their heads.
“Nothing?” I put my hands on my hips. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“You are fu
“If Whelan doesn’t scare her away first,” Urdan growls.
Chapter 3
Drew
Urdan walks over, unplugs a vehicle, and pulls it up alongside the SUV. It looks like a large, new electric golf cart with two rows of seats up front and a bed in the back to haul large items.
I’m holding Owen. His diaper feels dry and smells fresh.
Rogan continues to stare, entranced, at Bran in his arms.
Both of my boys are calm and happy, which is a minor miracle.
The other two orcs quickly take out my heavy luggage and set it on the ground first, I suppose looking to see what we’ve got. Kelt rummages through the items I brought.
I’m strangely jovial in the company of these three orcs. My initial fear over their tall horns and snarls is long gone and I’m comfortable in their presence. It helps that they obviously love the twins, so we have much in common. Getting to know Whelan’s father, his best friend, and the head of security makes me feel closer to the orc who fathered my twins. He’s becoming less of a stranger and more like a male I can built a relationship with—which is my goal. And I also love the idea that I’ve brought the boys to their roots since I don’t have any family of my own back home—no siblings, parents, grandparents, nothing. This closeness with Bran and Owen’s family gives me the warm fuzzies.
I wander over to examine the golf cart, surprised at how high tech it looks. “This is electric?”
“You’re surprised?” Urdan answers.
“I was told that Orc Communes were…”
“Primitive?”
I nod.
“We used to be primitive, in the same way that humans used to be primitive. There are other communes farther out in the wilderness that are indeed still living in entirely ancient ways. But we are a commune on the edge of civilization and often our males eventually mate with humans and stay in human communities. But sometimes they return with their females here. And there are many unmated males here, like me, who choose to live here their whole lives, not wanting to mingle more than necessary with human communities. But we’re a commune that has added modern conveniences because we’re on the edge of the wilderness and communicate more with humans. We have direct satellite internet, solar with battery capacity, wind power and backup generators.”
“Oh, thank god.”
They chuckle and continue to unload.
I see they forgot something important, so I point out the double stroller. “Can you please pull that out? I use it all the time. It’s important. I brought that with us checked on the airplane.”
Kelt shakes his head. “Some of this furniture and supplies you won’t need.”
“I need all of this. Especially my Keurig.”
“Cure-ig? What’s that?”
“It’s the best coffee maker ever invented.”
“Wait for the rest of it until you see the cabin. Then you will know better what you need or don’t need. We can always return later to bring more from the SUV.”
“Okay,” I huff, certain we will be coming back immediately. Whelan lives in a tiny bachelor cabin in the middle of nowhere and I’ve already learned he hunts a lot. I’ll probably need to travel back to town in the next few days to purchase more supplies. I love the idea of trying to build a relationship with this orc, but I also refuse to live without my morning cups of dark roast. “Can I please have my coffee maker?”
Kelt laughs and puts my brand-new silver Keurig in the cart.
The suitcases, Halloween bags and the most important baby items and supplies are in the back. I double-check that my all-important backpack with my MacBook and tech equipment is with us too. And they bring along the box for the crib. The rest is left behind for now.
I close the SUV and lock it up. My purse is on my shoulder, and I still hold Owen in my arms. I take the back seat of the golf cart. Rogan slides in beside me, still holding Bran. Urdan takes the driver seat and Kelt sits next to him up front.
My cooing babies still seem completely content. “You know they’re never like this,” I try to explain. “The boys are deceptively cute right now. Normally Owen would be reasonably happy because he’s in my arms, but Bran would be screaming.”
“They know they’re home,” Rogan agrees. “They can scent us, and it fills their lungs and brings peace.”
The cart starts and we’re soon leaving behind the garage.
“Another reason I left behind my life in California,” I admit, “was because of all the stares and looks of horror at my green, horned babies. Most of the people in that part of the country had never seen an orc in real life before. People always tried to act as if the babies were cute, and they meant well, but it was as if my boys were darling stuffed animals and not sentient beings to be treated as equals.” Tears spring up in my eyes as I bend down to kiss Owen’s precious forehead. This is the first time I’ve been able to admit this feeling to anyone, especially to someone who I feel can truly commiserate.