Page 51 of From the Edge

Aspen wrapped her arms around Rowan and sobbed. Rowan held her and stroked her hair. When the storm passed, Rowan whispered, “There is coffee and those pastries with dark cherry and glaze. Well, there was. I am hoping the orcs didn’t get them all.”

Aspen blinked. “Orcs?”

“The greenish guys with tusks.”

“Who was the dark green guy with tusks?”

“He just moved in. Renyet Arthros. He’s a doctor.”

Aspen smiled. “He seemed... attentive.”

“Shut up. Oh, I put in a serious gym in the basement.”

Aspen leaned back. “How serious?”

“It caused four orcs to move into a house with a newborn in it.”

“Wow. Can I see?”

“Of course. I also have to show you your room. It has all of your favourite things.”

Aspen got gracefully to her feet. “Well, I need to see that first, and then the gym. Do I have sportswear?”

“You do. I have had it waiting. Your wardrobe has been updated, your accounts and identification are on your desk, and I have started renting rooms out in the pack house.”

“Renting?”

“Yup. The orcs are in love with the gym, and as long as you and the guys shower downstairs and minimize pheromones in the common areas, I will be a happy bunny.”

“Why do you want me out of the carriage house?” Aspen asked casually.

“First, you might have nightmares, but mostly, Grandpa and Grandma are about to return, and I think they might like privacy. They always did before.”

“Mom and Dad are coming back?”

“They are almost energized enough for the waking. I have been giving them more energy so they come back equal. Now that I am not working on you and Mell, I have spare power. I am going to start feeding it to them tonight. I want Avor to be here when they wake so that Grandpa can get the information on the Stronghold and the emperor sending mail-order mage husbands for the new mages.”

“Holy shit. I missed a lot.”

“Yup. Good thing that they want to come next weekend.”

“Did I say next weekend? I mean this weekend.”

“Ah, so the day after tomorrow. Nice. Housewarming it is. And we are going to throw Mell’s baby shower.”

“That fast?”

“May as well. I will make some calls today and line everything up. Regis has a dessert company, so I will pick up some dainties from her.”

Her phone alerted, and the text was full of details for Mell’s baby shower and the event with over fifty mages and dark elves.

Avor contacted her next, and he asked about her grandparents. She replied that tomorrow was a suitable day. He confirmed that he would arrive around noon.

She wrinkled her nose and arranged to work from home for the rest of the week. She got confirmation from her boss that he would be there for dinner on Friday with his mate and their second.

Her phone started to go off every few seconds, and she realized this was going to be a lot more than fifty people.

She walked Aspen to her room, down the hall from hers, and Aspen smiled. “So Renyet has taken the room next to yours?”