“No, nothing like that. I told you, no serious relationships before you. There was one person, though, who was important to me after my parents died.”
“Yeah? A female person?”
I snorted. “Yes, but it wasn’t like that. She was my best friend. Her parents kind of looked after us after ours died. And she found her mate young, so it was strictly platonic.”
“Oh, okay. You keep speaking in the past tense. Are we going to meet her, or…?”
“Unfortunately, she died too. Four years ago. Her name was Hanna.”
“Damn, now I feel like a dick for ribbing you about her. I’m sorry, I had no?—”
I spun to face her, taking her face in my hands, skimming over her cheeks with my thumbs. “It’s okay, you didn’t know. And since I haven’t mentioned her before, I just wanted you to know before we go meet them.”
“Them who? Because now I’m just confused.” Her eyebrows crinkled together adorably, and I kissed her forehead right above them.
“Him. His name is Bence. Her son and her parents, who take care of him.”
“Oh, Goddess. Did she die in childbirth?”
My throat squeezed shut at how easily she’d put the pieces together, because it was too damn common. “She did. That’s another reason this war is so important to me, because I don’t want anyone else to lose their family that way. She was too fucking young.” I took a moment to compose myself, focusing on the little fellow I was about to introduce to her.
“He calls me Uncle Valens. I thought it was best to explain before you met him. I didn’t want there to be any confusion on your part. He’s very important to me, and I thought now that we’ve got mate marks, it might be a good time for you to meet him.”
“I would be absolutely thrilled to meet Bence. Thank you for explaining. I know it must be hard to talk about.” She wound her fingers back through mine, squeezing my hand gently to remind me that she understood.
And she did. We’d both lost important people in our lives.
It was funny how the Goddess found our perfect match, how the one who held the other half of your soul had their own pain that somehow dovetailed to yours. Elodie understood me at an intrinsic level that no one else could.
The blazing tips of the fire were the first thing we saw, then the milling crowds as we crested a hill. It took me only a moment to spot a familiar face and nod toward the correct spot.
Not a minute after they were in sight, I heard a familiar squeal.
“Uncle Walens!” Bence shouted, booking it toward me and leaving his grandparents to eat his dust.
I trotted his way and scooped him up under the armpits, hefting him up overhead with a ferocious growl. He growled back just as fiercely, as was our traditional greeting, before I swung him up onto my shoulders. He liked to be up high, and I had a feeling he’d be taller than me one day.
His dad had been six foot five.
“Bence! I’ve got somebody really special for you to meet,” I said as soon as Henrik and Patty reached us so I could introduce them all at once.
“Is it the pwetty lady, Uncle Walens?”
“Itisthe pretty lady, how’d you guess?” I asked, winking happily at Elodie, noticing her blush.
“I dunno. I’ve just never seen her before.”
“Well, now you have. This is Elodie, my mate. Can you tell her hello?”
“You got amate? That’s pwetty cool. Hi, Miss Ewodie.”
“Hi, Bence. You’re so big and strong, just like your uncle.”
“Fanks. We work out together. He lets me play with his swords.”
Elodie’s face twisted in alarm.
“Just the dull practice ones,” I whispered, then quickly introduced Henrik and Patty.
