“Don’t worry about her, Gertrude. She’s just aone-night stand.” I ghosted my fingers over her leaves, beaming, listening to Maggie choke back a retort.
If she admitted we were more than that or stewed in her jealousy, I won. I didn’t need to smirk on top of it.
She’s my mate.I told Gertrude. The first being I had ever told and maybe the last. Returning to my territory only weighed my responsibility heavier on my shoulders with no more ideas on how I got to keep Maggie forever. The Elves lived so long; change was their greatest weakness.
“You’re looking more beautiful than ever, my queen.” I snapped a wilted leaf from a cluster at the base.
Maggie’s snort sounded like music to my long ears. Yaya had a thoughtful jar of worms for nibbling and I had a delightful time crooning over her, feeding her until Yaya and her paramour tromped downstairs.
“My baby boy! You’re home!” Yaya dove into my open arms.
Her starlight scent held not a hint of sex and a wave of nostalgia overcame me.
“This was the welcome I expected.”
She slapped me on the arm. “What? Was I supposed to be staring at the hills, waiting at the door for you at all times in case you happened to drop by? I have things to do, people to see.”
I fidgeted like the little boy she called me. “Of course, Yaya. I know. I just missed you.”
“And I you. It’s good to have you home. This is…”
We both turned to find Maggie struggling with Yaya’s paramour on the floor. She did her best impression of a nine-tentacled Trunkfish, attempting to choke him out.
“You won’t be telling anyone you saw us,” Maggie said as she squeezed.
“Girl! Girl!” Yaya walked over, waving her hands. “Get your arm fully under his chin. Like this.” She adjusted Maggie’s arm. “Now flex your hips.”
Yaya turned to me as Maggie did as instructed and the Elf’s face turned blue. “Where did you find this hapless creature?”
“Where did you find that one?” I countered. An Elf that couldn’t fend off an incompetent witch had to be dumber than a leaky bucket and deserved to be choked out.
“Aimon is a beautiful soul.”
I coughed. “You mean he had dick for days.”
Yaya smothered her giggle. “Maybe.”
Her hand shot forward and stopped Maggie from stabbing the unconscious Elf. “Now, now. Tone it down a little, witch.You got him.”
I watched Maggie respond to those words as if they melted her hard heart.
Fast hands dragged her out from under the Elf and into my embrace. “What did I say about killing other men, Pumpkin?”
My growl and the fact I practically curled around Maggie raised Yaya’s carefully sculptedeyebrow. I couldn’t help it. My rational, even-tempered Elven side said Aimon was about as threatening as a damp handkerchief but even the tenuous bond demanded I clutch my very annoyed mate in my protective embrace. I backed up, snarling. What if Yaya was a threat?
No, that was crazy–my Nightmare’s delusion.
“Don’t worry. I was going to wipe his mind before he left anyway, but now you can do it…”
“Maggie,” she replied from the cage of my arms.
“Maggie. Nice to meet you. Only my grandson would ma-”
I cleared my throat a little too loudly.
“- ally himself with a powerful witch.”
“And the Calix,” Maggie said. Like she was proud of me?
