Page 53 of Elemental Healer

Lilith and Nate were downstairs cooking when I came down the stairs.

“You’ve looked better.” Nate grimaced at my appearance.

“I have to check on Jazz this morning, so eat fast and make an egg sandwich for Tessa. Between contractions and my brother, I’ll be lucky to stay awake today.”

“Do you need blood?” Nate looked at me with concern.

“I took some from Tessa. It will take a moment to kick in.” It was already starting to, but it would be a few more minutes until it affected my exterior.

Tessa came down the stairs in her Witch dress, and she looked beautiful. There was a glimmer in her eye that hadn’t been there before. She wore her happiness for all to see. I didn’t want to see it dimmed. I wanted the whole world to know she was mine and she wanted me, she’d chosen to bind herself to me in the way of our people. Love Elementals, Witches, they were one and the same to me now.

“You look beautiful, Noodles.” I kissed her lips tenderly before slipping on my jacket. She wore only her dress, so I pulled another jacket from the hook by the door. “Here. Your robe took a beating yesterday.”

“Thanks. I didn’t get a chance to mend it last night. I’ll have to do it tonight.”

Nate cleared his throat and walked to us. “As you both hate each other, I think it’s best if Tessa uses my robe and I use the jacket.”

My heart fell. He was right, but I’d wanted to provide for my Consort. It was an honor that I treasured.

I pulled the jacket off her arms where I’d been helping her put it on. “Nate’s right.”

The Warlock took the coat from me, but instead of handing the robe to his daughter, he gave it to me to help Tessa as I’d been doing with my coat. It helped a little, and the kiss Tessa placed to my cheek helped more.

“This is only a moment in our lives. We have a lifetime for you to share your coat with me.”

I nodded and gave her a smile. “Go grab your sandwich before Nate eats it.”

My cookies in one hand and her sandwich in another, Tessa met me at the door. Nate came next, and Love took the rear.

We stepped out the door together into the cool morning air, and I buried my happiness in my heart. I pulled Tessa to me and grabbed my cookies.

“Thank you for this. From now on, when we aren’t in our house or Drew’s, you need to hate me as I do you. We don’t know who is watching or when.”

Her eyes hardened, and she pushed at me before huffing out a breath and taking the lead down the path.

Pushing Jeff away had been hard, and the opposite of what I’d wanted to do. Even after taking my blood, dark circles lined his eyes. I wanted to scream at his brother, and maybe in the privacy of the huge mansion of a cabin I would.

It was cold, but Nathaniel’s robe was better than my sleeveless dress. Jefferson’s coat would have been nicer. My magic had begun clinging to the Love element inside me, yearning to be close to more of it, close to my Consort. It was going to be a long day, and I would be showing genuine crabbiness.

“Nate, stay here,” Jefferson said as we walked through the living area of the house. Victor and Torres were already in the house waiting for their protector. “Tessa, you’re with me.”

He knocked on the door we’d entered before to check on Jazz. Drew called for us to enter, and we found him with his mate, cuddled on the bed.

The extra-large Lanshay began speaking, but Jefferson interrupted. “Just a second.”

The next second found me in my Consort’s arms. “How am I going to get through the day when I can barely make it from our house to Drew’s?”

“And here I was worried it was just me.” I snuggled closer, taking advantage of every precious second being close to the man who made me whole.

He broke the hug off abruptly but winked at me before getting to work.

“Move,” he barked at his brother. Maybe I wouldn’t have to have a conversation with the big man after all.

“You look terrible.” Jazz’s words sounded weak, and she looked pale. The dinner seemed so long ago when you took a good look at her.

“When was the last time you drank from Drew?”

“An hour ago.”

---