I huffed gently and frowned down at where Sunny fidgeted in front of the cottage. A moment later, headlights appeared through the trees, illuminating her for a moment, casting her in shadow the next. She was tired, and while she'd been smiling and loose when I’d left her, the curve of her lips was tipped down now.

My heart hammered, and my body screamed silently at being held back from its rightful duty—caring for the woman below. Caring for my mate. I waited for Sunny to slide into the backseat of the sedan that arrived for her, then threw myself in the opposite direction before I could break the unspoken promise I'd made her—to let her go.

For now.

You don't know how you'll even find her again.

Which was true, but an orc would find his way to his mate. It was our nature, our imperative. If I told any of my orcish friends about letting Sunny walk away, they would punch me in the face and rightfully call me a fool. But Sunny wasn't an orc. And a sex work session wasn't the place to form a mating bond.

Astraeya would be so smug.

My own SUV was parked in the small lot up the hill, the only vehicle plugged into the electric station. The arrival of all-electric utility vehicles was the advent of orcs taking to the road en masse, treating our nature goddess as she deserved while enjoying the luxury of leg room, even at our size. The hood was dusted with fallen leaves and marked with pollen, and I brushed the mess away, ignoring the way my hand shook.

The interior was cold, the silence inside ringing in my ears—silence where Sunny's breaths should've been, her sighs and whimpers and laughter. I shook myself and started the car, pulling out and heading the back way down the hill.

Checkout was quick at MSA. Sunny would have a few exit questions in person and then a longer survey to fill out in her email. Still, if I allowed myself to bump into her in the halls, I would probably grab her with both hands—and my tusks too, for good measure—and take off running. I kept my foot off the accelerator pedal for most of the drive, giving her plenty of time to leave before I arrived and hating every second.

Astraeya was frowning at her tablet as I arrived at her office door.

"Pair of storm clouds, you two," she murmured, not bothering to look up.

I opened my mouth to ask about Sunny and then shut it again, swallowing hard and letting my claws dig just a bit deeper into my hands. "I have to turn in my resignation. Immediately."