Shadow lowered his own glass, shaking his head. “Whatever he felt when we were all bonded in the Deep has sent him off on a quest.”
“He says he doesn’t want or require a mate,” Mera piped up. “But there’s a compulsion to assure himself they’re safe. Galleli won’t take a mate because of his power, but this is a task he can’t seem to let go. I hope he finds them and can set his soul at ease.”
I hoped so too, especially since they felt as if they were on Earth, and I was curious about the mate of a powerful transcendent being on such a powerless world. Was it another shifter as I suspected? Or… an Origin god?
When we were finished eating, the babies returned to their play, and I looked up to see Mera standing at my side staring down at me with the biggest grin. “Come on,” she said, reaching out to grasp my arm and haul me up. “I can’t wait any longer.”
Stumbling, since she was in too big a rush to let me get up from the chair gracefully, I let her tug me along. When we were almost at the door, she shouted back for Len. “Come on, Prince. The others will watch Tabitha, I need to show you both something.”
At the call of her name, our daughter looked up and we both waved. “Keep playing, baby,” I told her. “We’ll be back in a minute.”
She looked between Len and me for a beat, before resuming her puzzle with Aurora.
Len reached us then and we headed out of the playroom and into the library. Mera led us to the door just down from the playroom. It was ocher in color. “This is Angel and Reece’s wing,” she said with a soft smile. We walked another dozen or more steps and stopped before a silver door trimmed in gold. “And this one is yours.”
I ground to a halt. “Ours?” I breathed.
She let out the happiest laugh, hugging me hard. “Yours. This library is our pack’s, and I know that all of you have homes and lives on the other worlds, but you also have a home and life here. I designed this with Shadow, and I tried my best to incorporate factors that make you feel comfortable and happy.” She shrugged. “It’s easy enough to change any parts I got wrong.”
My chest and throat were tight, so I couldn’t get words out. Instead, I just returned her hug and hoped she knew how grateful I was. Len moved in, his huge frame wrapping around us both. “Thank you,” he said, managing words when I couldn’t. “This is our home and family, and we love knowing that there’s a place here for Tabby and us.”
I nodded roughly, eyes blurring. “Yeah, what he said.”
Mera looked a little teary-eyed herself. “And you’ve only seen the front door.”
As laughter burst from me, the constricting emotions eased and I could breathe again. It was overwhelming for someone who’d never really had a family to suddenly have so much.
Mera opened the door and then stepped to the side so we could enter first. The first impression was shades of silver and white, with a deep brown timber lining the floor. The entryway had built-in racks for shoes and coats in the front section, leading down the main hall.
“Entryway here,” Mera said, stepping into the role of tour guide. “The first room to your right is the library.” She shot me a smile so broad it had to be hurting her cheeks. “We all get libraries, because loving books is our first bonding point. And I expect it will be the same for our kiddos.”
I suspected the same… wanted the same, really.
We entered the library to find ceilings twenty feet high, and white shelves that spanned all the way to the top. It was already half filled with books, and I was desperate to explore the many worlds on the shelves. “I figured you’d want to fill some of the shelves yourself,” Mera said, stepping farther into the room. As she did, the fireplace along the back wall, surrounded by a silver brick hearth, sprang to life. Warmth washed over the room, and I noted the multitude of squishy couches, in silver and gold filigree-patterned material, and a thick white rug that spanned most of the wood floor in here.
“You can play in here later,” Mera said with a smile when I hesitated to leave. “And the first book club is at yours, but first, let me show you the rest.”
Beyond the library, the hallway opened into a huge kitchen and dining area, and farther on from that was the living area. It was an open-plan space, and the colors remained in that silver and gold neutral palette. The kitchen was sleek and modern, with so much bench space and storage that I considered learning to cook.
It would be a nice bonding activity to share with Tabby, and even if there was a five-star restaurant here, cooking felt like a decent life skill to learn.
“I love it,” I said softly, running my hands across the marble bench. “It’s modern but warm, and it feels like home.”
Mera’s smile was huge. “It’s been fun and stressful trying to figure out your individual and couple styles. Not going to lie, I was quietly shitting myself that you’d hate what I did here.”
It was far from hate. I loved it. “You did an amazing job. Better than I could have done myself,” I assured her.
The dining room had a long, fancy marble table, with carved silver legs. The living room held more couches, a white coffee table, and a television on the wall. “Shadow figured out how to hook on to human and shifter cable,” Mera said with a shrug. “No one seems to watch much television, but it’s there if you want to.”
There was another hallway after that, which led to two bedrooms. The first opened to a pink, silver and gold room for Tabitha. It had a silver bed with slatted sides, and the bedding was pink and gold. Shelves adorned the walls, and there were already some soft toys. Including her very own wolf for this home. Along with some stuffed flowers, that I had to assume were a nod to her dad. “We put a bunch of clothes and toiletries in her shelves and bathroom,” Mera said, pointing out the gorgeous wood shelves, in shades of the same pinks and silvers. “If she even uses a bathroom.”
“She doesn’t need it, but she might enjoy showers like her momma one day,” I said softly, pressing my hand to my chest. “This room is so damn pretty. You did amazing, friend, and I have no idea how to thank you. I owe you so much. So fucking much.”
Mera snorted and wrapped an arm around me. “As we’ve told you many,many, times, we don’t owe in this pack. We appreciate the kind gestures, but we don’t owe anything. This is what family does.”
I held onto her tightly. “Thank you for never giving up on me.”
Mera let out a shuddering breath. “Everything worked out the way it was intended. I just had to be patient.”
