Unexpected Sting by Viola Grace (free reads .TXT) 📕

“So, Stiila, is it?”

“Yes, Lord Rez.”

“Are there any more like youback home?”

“No, but I believe my parentsare creating another. Wait another twenty-five years, and you cansee if it was a boy or a girl.”

He gestured to her abdomen.“What about the one you are starting there?”

“If it is a girl, you can pressyour suit once she is fully trained in magic and whatever else shehas in her blood.”

“My lord—”

She pressed her hand to Arthur’sshoulder. “It will be up to my child. You, I, and her father willhave no say in it. We can offer advice but not convincing. I canand will train any daughter of mine to kill. You may be old, butyou will be less attractive with your head in your lap.”

Lord Rez nodded. “Understood. Ilook forward to seeing the results of your gestation.”

Arthur looked at her insurprise. He was fighting a grin. “I hadn’t thought about a littlegirl.”

She snorted and opened her mouthto speak, but Arthur kissed her, and she touched the side of hisface as the kiss went on and on.

He pulled her onto his lap, andthe layers she was wearing parted and rucked up until his fingerswere pressing against her sex, his fingers moving slowly againsther, and he continued until she gasped and shuddered in his grip.She panted with her arm around his neck and her forehead at the topof his robe. She heard the licking, and she looked up at him.“Classy.”

He shrugged and keptlicking.

She really hoped that Lord Rezhad left. She peeped over her shoulder. He hadn’t left.

“Please, continue havingdaughters until one of them will accept me. You are precious, andif you were not already carrying, I would have pried you out ofArthur’s grasp.”

She smiled. “No, my lord. Youwouldn’t. He is mine, and I am not up for grabs.”

“You would defy the head of hisclan?”

“I would defy the godsthemselves, and I think by breeding with him, that I have.”

Arthur chuckled. “I think thatthe curse has been forgiven. That is why your mother was brought toAbrax.”

Lord Rez sat up. “Abrax of thedesert? What has he to do with this?”

“He is my father.”

The ancient façade fell, andLord Rez looked at her in stunned shock. “Holy shit.”

It was just what every bridewanted to hear on her wedding day, but the ogres did throw onehelluva party.

Chapter Twelve

After a few days in the clan compound,she was both happy and sad to get back to the city, the hotel, andher life.

She was still wearing her kimonowhen there was a knock at the hotel room door.

Arthur went to answer it, andthere was little surprise when it was Leetha and Abrax.

Stiila sighed. “Right. Good day,evening, morning?”

She checked her phone. “Goodmorning, Mom. Abrax.”

Abrax looked at her and said,“You married the ogre.”

Arthur snorted and wrapped hisarms around her. “She did. Defied the kijin, argued with the clanheads, and arm-wrestled with the housekeeper. It washilarious.”

“You defied Lord Rez? Well, thatis something, at least.”

“Abrax. I owe you nothing. Idon’t know you. You may have fathered me, but that is where itends.”

He frowned and turned to Leetha.“I am marrying your mother.”

“Great. You are my stepfather orbirth father, but you are not and have never been a father.”

He looked hurt. “I did notknow.”

“Leetha knew until you took theknowledge. If she had known, she would have figured it out, gottenback on a plane, and kicked your ass until you married her then.That is what my family does.”

Abrax nodded. Paused. Looked ather. “May I introduce myself as a man your mother has an interestin. My name is Abrax.”

She thought about it andextended her hand. “I am my mother’s daughter. Stiila Rosos. I amrecently married by mage tradition and ogre rite. I just have to dohuman registration, and I have the trifecta. I am expecting, and mymother will be a grandmother in forty weeks. If you want to beaddressed as grandfather, you had best be married to her bythen.”

Leetha stared at her. “Youare...”

“Yeah. No more channelling lustat weddings. Therein lies danger.”

Arthur snorted. “That’s how thisgot started.”

“This got started because youwere watching me doing sit-ups. I checked you out on the press, andthen, you wangled an invitation to that wedding.”

He chuckled. “And then the wildweek started. So, when do you want to do the courthousewedding?”

“As soon as we can get it out ofthe way.” She smiled at him.

“You aren’t romantic.”

“Nope. Not a bit. Born andraised to be a hard bitch.”

Her mom looked like she had beenslapped. “What do you mean? You used to play and run around intutus all the time.”

“When I was six, Mom. Afterthat, I started helping Nana Baker, and she told me that with youon your own, I had to stop being selfish and find ways to takethings off your shoulders, starting with me.”

“What? You liked doing thatstuff.”

Arthur eased Abrax into theliving area of the hotel room.

Stiila had a heart-to-heart withher mom that forwarded some home truths, and soon, her mother leftwith Abrax, emotionally bruised.

Arthur looked at her. “How areyou doing?”

“I am good. I will be a muchmore aware mother than she was; that is something. She looks likeshe was paying attention to what I said, so if they have anotherbaby, she should be more on the ball when it comes to raising it.”She chuckled. “I will be there to keep an eye on it.”

“She’s in her fifties. Can shestill have kids?”

“If she was human, her eggswould be tired, but since her lifespan is about two hundred yearsof age, she can probably have around ten or more over the next fewyears. We are going to need a big house. I get the feeling thatthere is going to be a bit of babysitting in our future.”

“You are remarkablycheerful.”

She grinned. “I am. Your familyseems to like me. You seem to like me. I have my company, friend,family, and my mother finally is figuring out how much she hobbledme.”

He cuddled her. “In the mood fora nap?”

“Sure. I am going to need helpwith the kimono.”

He grinned. It was shorthand forthe fact that she was in the mood.

He picked her up and hiked upthe steps with her before loosening the obi.