Page 58 of His Impossible Elf Mate
“You have my sword and my wit, should you need either.”
“I fear we will need both before it is done. Axel… we cannot be parted. I do not think the court understands the depth of our bond.”
“It is only just something I have come to recognize for myself,” he mused. I watched him pace along the water’s edge. “The bond you share has to be witnessed to grasp it. I saw, when you were lost to your dreams, the tether between you. With faith and time, Axel could have done what your mother did. He just did not see it. We were fools to suggest he speak to the queen. I should have put a stop to it. I am sorry.”
“You know this could lead to war?”
“Why do you think I offered my sword first? Those vultures in parliament have been looking for a way toexert more control over our queen. Using you is just the first in their moves to do so.”
“I’m grateful for your friendship. I just hope Mother understands.”
“She will. I think the love Axel had for you moved her. You should return to your wolf, my prince.”
“Thank you, Ívarr. Pass on my thanks to Teagan, too.”
“Our cousin wants you to know she will also fight when needed. I think Axel’s brother impressed her today. It is a shame he does not wish for a romantic or sexual relationship, I think she would have liked to try one with him.”
He was so serious, I couldn’t help my laugh. He smiled at me, a true smile that stretched across his handsome face.
“I didn’t know Chase had confided in you.”
“Chase wondered if the goddess took their preferences in mind when giving or not giving, in his case, the gene to change designations. He told me then about being aroace. Then he had to explain those terms. It was an enlightening conversation.”
We stood there a moment longer. “All will be well, prince. There is too much here that science cannot explain to be anything more than the work of our goddess, or perhaps The Luna.”
I clapped him on the shoulder as I turned to head home. “Something tells me you’re right.”
Not Enough
Axel
We returned to our usual routines in the days that passed after Teárlach woke, ignoring the elephant in the room. My elf assured me he had everything in order. There would be no countdown because he wasn’t leaving me. All I had to do was believe him.
T was different, jumpy, after he woke. He slept less than before, and when he did rest, he often woke from dreams about owls. There were moments when we were together where he would startle as if he had seen something in the corner of his eye.
The anxiety he was feeling was leaching into our relationship, making my alter furious. Aside frombeing concerned about Teárlach’s health, I wondered if this was a side effect of what had happened. Other elves wouldn’t want to attempt healing the way he had unless we figured it out.
“We’re going to see Ívarr,” I announced after another bad night where T barely slept and when he did, there were two nightmares. He’d even gotten out of bed one time trying to shoo an hallucinated bird away!
“All is well,” T replied unconvincingly before eating more of his muesli.
“Not buying it,” I said, flatly. “Do you remember chasing the owl out of our bedroom?”
He looked confused. “I thought that was a dream.”
“This is why you need to see Ívarr, or at the very least, Aldrin. Someone might be able to give you something to help with your sleep. You need rest, T.”
“This is unnecessary. My sleep pattern will return to normal shortly.”
“If this was me hardly sleeping, having nightmares and seeing things, what would you do?” I fixed him with a ‘don’t bullshit me’ look.
He sighed. “Alright. I will go see Ívarr. We can ask him if he has made any progress looking for the legal precedent.”
“It’s a lot to put on Ívarr when he’s also supposed to be overseeing the testing and looking for a reason for the elves’ infertility. Shouldn’t we find someone else? Is there anyone, maybe someone in Abrocaelum, you could trust to check into this?”
Teárlach thought for a moment. “There is someone. I can send someone with a phone so we can speak to her.”
“Who is she?”
