Page 41 of His Impossible Elf Mate
“I would love to see you in the clothing of my people and have had something made for you. May I show it to you? If you decide not to wear it, I will not be offended.”
Knowing he had gone to great lengths for me gave me butterflies. This man, this elf, truly loved me and only wanted to see me happy.
“Please show them to me. I can’t wait to see what they look like.”
Teárlach went to the loveseat where I noticed a garment bag draped over it. “I collected this whilst you were in the shower.” He unzipped the bag carefully,revealing a tunic with a high collar, the style and cut reminiscent of Teárlach’s. It was made of a deep blue fabric with the subtlest sheen of silver through it. Embroidered on the front near where my heart would be, was a howling wolf.
“I thought you should have your family represented in a similar fashion to mine.”
“This is…” I trailed off, unsure what to say to properly voice my feelings.
“Now it is my turn to render you speechless,” he teased. “Can I take it this is a good thing?”
“It is. I love it.”
“Would you like to wear it to my home?”
Without answering, I picked up the garment bag and went to our room to change. The clothing was impossibly soft and stretchy. It fit me perfectly, which I was a tad perturbed by since I hadn’t provided any measurements. I chuckled to myself at the thought of T measuring me in my sleep.
I returned to the living room wearing the new outfit and my most comfortable lace-up boots.
Teárlach practically glowed with happiness. “You are perfect!” He motioned to a chair at the breakfast table. “Come, I must sort your hair.”
“My hair?” I touched the soft waves that came to my chin with a nervous hand as I sat. “Why?”
“Well, for a start, I cannot see those lovely eyes when you hide behind it.” I blushed hard. “For another, asyou are a warrior for your people, you have earned the right to wear braids.”
That confused me. “Teagan wears braids.”
He smiled brightly. “She does. Teagan served in the army briefly.”
My mind whirred, thinking back to the appearance of the elves. “Most of them wear at least one braid.”
“Ah, I wondered when you would realize. All elves serve in the army, however most only do the basic training. It does mean they can wear the braids. The more of them and the more complicated they are, suggests an elf’s ranking.”
“So you’ve served for a long time and are high ranking?”
“Yes, I am… a general, I believe is the correct term.”
With gentle fingers, T got to work on my hair. He worked swiftly, creating a simple style. Two pieces were braided from the front to the back, joining into a single braid at the back.
“Your hair is much too short for anything more complicated, I’m afraid.” T fussed with the strands, smoothing them until he was happy. “I much prefer your hair now it is longer.” He had commented on my hair before, which is why I hadn’t gone to get it cut.
“Come, we should go to the portal. I have a few things to say as we walk.”
We left the house, leaving the door unlocked. There was enough magic in the place only a few could enterwithout prior permission, so locks were pointless. Not that we had anything to steal. Both of us lived simply.
“Now I’m nervous.”
Teárlach paused, his grip on my hand shifted as he turned me to face him. “If you decide to return to Sweetwater at any point, I will not be offended. When I tell you this, know I did not plan for this to go on for as long as it has.”
He turned and led me away from the temporary homes, the portal was just a short walk from the mansion near the trees that surrounded it.
T stayed quiet until we were clear of anyone else, close enough to see the portal, but not have anyone overhear.
“In my time at Sweetwater I have had only one regret.”
My heart sank. Was it me? Starting a relationship with a shifter knowing we were incompatible?
