Page 43 of His Impossible Elf Mate
What do you think?I asked my alter.
The wolf deep inside rumbled and barked.He is ours. Family. He will do as he says.
After the sickness, I had been closer to my wolf than ever. I trusted their judgment.
I broke from our hug and took his hands. Meeting his eyes, I made my choice. “Okay. Maybe I’m being naive, but I want to try this. Let’s see where life takes us, together.”
His joy was clear in his eyes. “Yes, together.”
“Prince Teárlach, would you do me the honor of showing me Abrocaelum?”
He smiled wide, showing pearly teeth. “Dear one, I would love nothing more.”
We toured a village close to the portal, the one where Asher lived for a while. The elves there were very welcoming, asking a lot of questions about my wolf and expressing their joy at seeing me in their clothes. Someone from the village had made the outfit.
I think T took me there because they had the most experience with shifters as it was the place Hakeem often took his charges. If they realized we were a couple, then they didn’t say anything about it, which was the best I could hope for this early on. It would take a while for the elves in Abrocaelum to get used to the idea of a mixed species relationship. The ones in Sweetwater had been the same at first. Wary ofoffending us by commenting on it. Now it made sense why.
A freaking prince was my boyfriend!
My wolf was still amused by the entire thing.
For the most part, Abrocaelum was much like the pack, except, like in the demon realm, they used magic and renewable technologies to power things. In some ways they were more advanced than us, it was humbling.
“Do not fret, I will not take you to the castle. It is not a simple journey, you would have to shift to keep up with me.”
Teárlach could move as fast as a vampire, though he admitted they usually rode as it used a lot of energy. Even in wolf form, it was a struggle to keep up with him. It was like he became as fast as the wind moving through the trees. I didn’t want my first time at the castle to be all sweaty and exhausted from running. We would have to plan properly and likely ride horses there. Horses often didn’t like me because of my wolf.
My alter huffed.Stupid beasts fear I want to eat them, not travel.
Many of the villagers asked us to eat with them. “They see me walking through their home and want to boast about hosting the prince to their friends.” T grinned, looking perfectly at ease.
As soon as we had arrived, he had been swarmed by the people, all of them asking multiple questions about Sweetwater.
“You know, if you want the people to accept us as a couple, perhaps you should invite them to spend time in Sweetwater, just maybe in small groups.”
“That is a good suggestion. I shall discuss it with the elves in Sweetwater and with your cousin. It would be best to check if he had security concerns first.”
“And…” I took his arm, “we should have food with them. Is there a community space, like we have in the compound?”
“There is.”
The rest of the time was spent having a feast in the center of the village. Teárlach listened patiently as elves approached and inquired how research was going. I knew it broke his heart being unable to give them answers. Instead, I gave them hope when I explained about the beta sickness and how the elves had helped us find the reason for it. It showed progress was being made.
“Though our time was short for this visit, would you like to return? Perhaps visit my mother? She will be offended when she finds out I was in Abrocaelum and did not see her.”
I thought of the distant castle T had shown me from the roof of one of the buildings. Nerves fluttered in my belly at the idea of going there, then I looked into Teárlach’s hopeful turquoise eyes and knew I would go anywhere, put up with disdain, hate, anything, just to be with him.
“Next time, for sure.”
It was the right thing to say. He gathered me into a tight hug and kissed me until I was breathless.
Healing
Teárlach
Hiroshi was distracted as I accompanied Xavier to the clinic with the babies. I’d grown to like Roan’s father. He had come into the pack when Roan had needed him most, and after a long period of estrangement. Like many, Xavier had struggled with the unusual bonding, but when it had been important, he had put all of that aside to truly be there for his son and his family.
Now he considered them all to be his sons, and therefore, all the children to be his grandchildren. He lived with them so he could assist them with childcare.
