The Orcs Pregnant Mate

Seventeen

Raine

"So," River says excitedly. "Rumor has it that you and Mako finally.." she trails off suggestively.

I turn to look at her, the bath water sloshing around us slightly. After last night, I'd desperately needed a bath and to talk to my sister. Thankfully Neera had canceled our plans and Mako had taken the opportunity to go check on Zork and his cub, leaving me to take a bath. And while I couldn't be fully naked in front of Mako yet, despite everything we've done, I had no qualms bathing with my sister.

"Well?" She asks. "Did you?"

"I- we did.. stuff," I manage to get out. "How do people know?"

River laughs, "it's a cave system, sound echos. The entire hive heard you guys."

"I'm going to kill her," I mutter as I sink further into the water.

"It's ok," River says. "You should have heard it when I finally accepted Tuluk. And lots of others mate rather loudly. It's nothing to be embarrassed about." She pauses before asking cautiously, "she didn't.. pressure you into it, did she?"

I shake my head, "no, she would never." I smile slightly, "I actually asked her to." Begged her to, was more like it but River didn't need to know that.

My sister looks surprised, "you started it?" When I nod she says, "wow. I didn't think you'd recover from, well, everything so fast."

I sigh, "I'm not what you'd call recovered. I still have the nightmares, still can't sleep in the dark, still can't be touched unexpectedly. But.. with Mako, I feel safe. Like I don't have to worry that something I say or do will end in a beating or a breeding."

River nods, "I'm glad you feel safe, Rai. If anyone deserves to be, it's you." She smiles widely, "who would have thought that we would both end up with orc mates and expecting babies at the same?"

I chuckle, "probably nobody."

River's smile turns sad as she says, "mom probably wouldn't have blinked when we told her."

"Yeah," I agree softly. "She always said that we came into this world together and we were destined to always be together. That's what kept me going after you left. Knowing that I'd somehow find you."

"I'm so glad you did," River says. "I sent Tuluk to Khol's right after we were mated, to try and buy you, to bring you here."

"You did?" I ask, my lungs suddenly feeling like they weren't working.

"I did. But no surprise, that asshole wouldn't sell you," River says angrily. "When Tuluk came back without you I couldn't leave my bed for a week. And then when I found out I was pregnant I just knew, deep down, that you were too. And I was so scared Rai. I almost hid in the wagons going to the ceremony just so I could find you."

I move to her side and put an arm around her, "I'm glad you didn't. You're safe here, and if Khol would have gotten you while I was escaping, I may never have found you again." I chuckle slightly, "he would have gotten one hell of a surprise when you gave birth to an orc instead of his baby. He never could tell us apart."

River pulls back and looks at me, "so it is Khol's?"

"It's Mako's," I tell her firmly. "But yes technically Khol helped."

Her hand goes to my back, to the raised scars that cross my skin. "He did these?"

I nod slightly, "he was so focused on beating me in the street that he didn't notice I was watching your wagon moving away from us." I breath shakily and pull away from her hand, "I haven't shown Mako. I haven't even told her everything yet. I tried, but there's just so much."

"You haven't?" River asks confused. "But you guys mated and you know she saw them when you were sick."

"I know she's seen them, but I haven't shown her," I say softly. "There's a difference."

"It took a while for me to show Tuluk," River admits. "He got so angry at Khol that he was organizing a war party before I'd even finished my sentence."

"Mako's the same," I say softly. "I think she'd ride to town and bring me back his head for a wedding gift if I asked her."

River chuckles, "she definitely would. Of course she'd have to fight us for the right of who actually gets to kill him."

"Us?" I ask jokingly. My hands go to my stomach, "I think that honor should go to me."

She smiles slightly, "you're right. She before beauty, big sis."

"Wow," I gasp. "I'm five minutes older than you."

She's quiet for a second before saying, "our birthday is next week."

"I know," I sigh. "It'll be the first one we've had together in a while."

"We should have a party," she tells me.

"A party?" I repeat.

She nods, "yes. A party. We should celebrate with our new families and get rid of all the old bad memories."

"I wouldn't even know what to do at a party," I admit. "It's been so long, the last one I remember was the one before mom died."

"All the more reason to make better memories," she tells me adamantly. "We have a chance for a new life here. New families. Hell, you're marrying a princess for fucks sake."

"You're right," I agree. "Let's do it."

River smiles largely as she climbs from the bath and pulls a towel around herself, "great! Now you can talk to Neera about it and let me know how it goes."

"You little shit!" I yell after her.

The sound of her laughter echos around the room, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't be mad at her. After the life we'd had, I could never be mad at anything that made her laugh.