With my little fairy’s delicate, slender hand, she plucked the plump grape from the iron plate made by one of the tribe members. Its vibrant purple hue contrasted against the iron. The succulent fruit disappeared into her dainty mouth, her lips parting ever so slightly in satisfaction.
But, as I witnessed this seemingly innocent act, a surge of fury consumed me, threatening to burst through my veins. My clenched fist, filled with mounting rage, collided with the unyielding surface of the immense glass window. A thunderous crash followed, and the transparent barrier shattered into a thousand glittering fragments.
The air filled with the clinking of breaking glass, the sharp shards raining down upon me like a torrential downpour. The tinkling symphony of shattered glass harmonized with my tumultuous emotions, each falling piece reflecting the shattered remnants of my composure.
As I stood there, a silent witness to the destruction I had unleashed, shards of glass settled in my disheveled hair, embedding themselves into my trembling shoulders. The weight of my unleashed anger, mingled with the icy touch of shattered glass, settled upon me, a chilling reminder of the chaos I had wrought.
Once it had all fallen and the tribe down below stilled, I let out the loudest roar I could and jumped onto the windowsill. “Get away from my female!”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Calliope
“Calm down there, lass.I think you are going a little overboard.” Finley put his hand on my arm and rubbed it up and down.
“Nope, she’s right, she’s gonna be green. Hell, she might have those big tusks too.” Everett took another bite of cupcake, and my mouth dropped open.
I was going to be an orc.
I was having a hard enough time being a human, and now this? Mom was human, then she turned into a full-blooded faeand she was gorgeous. She said she didn’t change much, just the ears, looked a little younger and sprouted wings.
I loved Valpar and how he looked, don’t get me wrong, but me? I was going to turn green, have teeth and what about my hair? I loved my pink hair that Osirus had given me.
My breaths came in quickly as I started hyperventilating. Finley swore under his breath and searched in the kitchen drawers for a paper bag. Once he found one, he shoved it in my face and patted my back as I tried to calm myself, while I breathed into it.
This. Can’t. Be. Happening.
“Shit, come on, you can’t pass out. Valpar will cut off our balls.”
Everett winced, cupping himself, and I closed my eyes, trying to take slower breaths. This could not be happening. Would I really change who I was completely? Be an orc? I was trying to be a fairy or fae to fit in with my surroundings. I was just now settling with being a human and now… I had to change myself again?
Cheese and crumbs.
“Listen,” Everett sighed, and petted his beard. “I’m going to give a hypothesis here—”
Finley laughed, “Ha! That was a big word, try not to choke!”
Everett glared at Finley and continued. “I highly doubt you would become like Valpar. Orcs aren’t like any other species in Bergarian, they were segregated long ago for a reason with that wall. They were different in appearance. They don’t shift like the rest of us. Their body is completely different and, apparently, so are their appendages.”
I pulled away the paper bag and sniffed. “You think so? I’m attracted to Valpar but I don’t know if I, myself want to be green. I still want to look like me, just like how everyone else still looks like themselves when they turn into their mate’s species.”
Everett chuckled and leaned on the counter. “I’m not into the genetics of it all, but in here,” he pounded his chest with his fist, “the Goddess wouldn’t let a pretty little human like you change green if she really didn’t want to. Especially, if it was going to upset you so much.”
I gave him a small smile, but still kept the idea in my head. As long as Valpar cared for me, for me, I think I would still be happy. It would just be—really different.
The door slammed opened and humming filled the room. A large orc with leather straps criss-crossing over his body, walked past us, opened the meat locker and headed inside. He didn’t pay attention to us, while we all watched and listened as he sang to himself.
I put the paper back on my lap and when he came out, he was carrying a large, cold sack of meat over his shoulder. It wasn’t until then that he glanced over at us and raised a brow.
“Greetings. I am Olur, I was just retrieving this evening’s dinner.” He looked us over and then his eyes widened. “You are Valpar’s female!” He smiled, but it quickly faded. “Where is he? Why are you alone? Did he abandon you?” His tone grew darker, and he stepped forward.
Finley and Everett stood in front of me, their arms crossing. “No, he didn’t.” Everett spoke. “He had to speak to the King in private. She’s none of your business.”
Olur huffed and readjusted the meat on his shoulder. “Well, she is part of the tribe now. I want to make sure she is happy with Valpar. If not, I would be happy to hit him for you. I have the biggest hands of the tribe.”
And he did. There were scars all over them and his fingers were as big as zucchinis.
Good luck to his future mate.
