“Our matebond ceremony?” Pyxlevir asked, tweaking Gramlithyn’s nipple and getting a gentle pinch on the ass in retaliation. “We’re having it at D’Vaire, right? Our family will help us plan it in a matter of minutes.”
“Yeah, I’m not worried about that. Oh, except, would it piss you off if I wore a suit instead of an elven tunic and pants?”
“No, I’d love that. Maybe to honor the Verdanyth, you could have a beaded tie or vest?”
“I’ll do both, thanks. I appreciate the compromise.”
“That’s not a compromise. It’s an agreement that we’re both wearing what we want to a ceremony celebrating our unity.”
“Everyone wears a cloak, so hopefully with the vest and tie, my father won’t feel like I’m disrespecting my tribe,” Gramlithyn murmured.
“He’s proud of you and wants you to be yourself. So, what else do we have to worry about?”
“Living arrangements. Are we planning on staying here for the full year?”
“Gross, no,” Pyxlevir replied. “It’s a nice apartment, but we’re keeping the twins from their family here. I’d love for us to move out before our ceremony. We can get settled, decide what needs to be redecorated, and allow Dasan to relax in his new space.”
“One last thing.”
“Talk to me.”
Gramlithyn sucked in a deep breath. “Each elven ceremony begins with a tradition in a memorial garden. We take a moment to think of those we have left behind, and our families offer us mourning necklaces.”
“Why are you explaining our culture to me?” Pyxlevir asked, genuinely confused. “I know that. D’Vaire has a stunning garden.”
“Because the point is to have a moment of reflection. To wish your relatives, friends, and ancestors well so you walk into your matebond looking nothing but forward. Pyx, don’t you think it’s time to find out about your mother?”
“I hate the thought of making my father sad or hurting his feelings by bringing her up.”
“But you have questions.”
Pyxlevir nodded and rested his forehead on Gramlithyn’s chest. “I want to know the truth about his relationship with her and how she died. Will you be there and hold my hand?”
“Of course I will.”
Shaken by the thought of inflicting any pain on his father, Pyxlevir still found a smile. He didn’t have to tackle this conversation alone, and his parents had each other too. Somehow, they’d navigate the past, and Pyxlevir intended to be as respectful as possible while finally discovering why his childhood hadn’t taken the traditional route.
“I can’t wait to be your mate.”
“Because you’re having some foreign rush of romantic feelings, or the thought of having a shifter bite is making you hard?” Gramlithyn asked, rolling so Pyxlevir was pinned beneath him.
“Why can’t it be both?”
Pyxlevir slid his arms around Gramlithyn’s neck as their mouths met in a deep kiss, and every thought that related to anything but the way his other half made him feel fell to the wayside. Nothing could bother him when he was in Gramlithyn’s embrace
∞∞∞
Two weeks later, Pyxlevir stood in his childhood bedroom and fiddled with Erironarra’s dress. At Pyxlevir’s insistence, touches of pale green were being added to the blue-and-purple décor to freshen up the suite he now shared with Gramlithyn. He’d requested tons of zebra print, but Gramlithyn had vetoed the idea, claiming he preferred a relaxing palette.
The twins had returned to their home with their parents, and Dasan was currently across the hall in his new room with Larissa, discussing his plan to splash every surface with iridescent pink. It would be beautiful, and Pyxlevir was eager for the result. Dasan had enthusiastically accepted an invitation to live in the Archon’s house, pleasing everyone.
Next weekend, Pyxlevir would return to D’Vaire to bind his soul with Gramlithyn’s. Although Gramlithyn hadn’t announced any long-term plans for his career, his enthusiasm for Elven D’Vaire hadn’t diminished. If anything, it’d grown, andPyxlevir hoped Gramlithyn would continue to pursue whatever fulfilled him.
Overall, things were on the right path.
But before Pyxlevir could venture into the future, he had to resolve the past. So, he left Erironarra in her spot at Leydira’s side and opened a small drawer where a thin album rested. A few pictures were the only things he had of the woman who had given him life.
The door swung open, and a handsome hybrid smiled at him. “My parents are here, are you ready?”
