Page 59 of Guardian of Shadows
“Our sun glows pink and is much less harsh. It won’t blind you if you stare at it too long.” Elle and Nekoma took turns speaking about the differences between Evyndral and Earth, then those between the l?mméfu. At one point, Tony brought a small speaker outside, and Cailín played music from her phone. They spent hours drinking, talking, laughing, and even dancing. It was one of the best nights of Elle’s life. Nekoma’s too if the permanent smile on his face was any indication.
It was going on two in the morning when Harlow and Cailín gave hugs all around before leaving since they both had to work later. Gregor and Tessa headed to bed immediately after, leaving Tony with two fae who were buzzing from all the alcohol. Elle couldn’t stop giggling, which caused Nekoma to laugh. Tony grinned at them both, obviously not bothered by their silliness.
Elle stood on shaky feet and held out her hand. “Dance with me.”
“Hang on.” Tony tapped his phone to play his own music since Cailín had taken hers. Instead of an upbeat tempo, a slow number sounded through the small speaker, and Tony took Elle into his arms. They swayed together under the stars, lost in their own world. Their little bubble was burst when Nekoma’s loud snores were louder than the music several songs later. Elle pressed her face to Tony’s chest, shaking with laughter.
“Lightweights, the both of ya,” he teased. Elle tipped her face up, and Tony kissed her softly.
“Take me to bed, Mate.”
“Yes ma’am.”
While Tony made sure the embers were spread and wouldn’t spark into the air, Elle shook her brother’s shoulder to wake him. Nekoma jumped and shifted to his raven form. Elle took a hasty step back, and Tony caught her before she fell into the firepit.
Gronk.
Elle placed both hands on her chest. “I’m sorry I startled you.”
Nekoma shifted back, rubbing his forehead. “No apologies necessary.” He then hiccupped, and Elle giggled. Her brother grinned, shaking his head. “I need a bed and one of my mother’s elixirs.”
“We have pain relief tablets, or there’s some of the tea Lilly made to help Elle with the pain from the sigil.”
“Tea, please. Lilly’s energy felt like my mother’s.”
Tony held out his hand, and when Nekoma grasped it, he pulled the fae to his feet. Once inside, Tony found the container of tea leaves and put two mugs of water in the microwave. Elle fixed her and Nekoma a cup while Tony went through the downstairs and turned out most of the lights.
Nekoma thanked them for a wonderful evening, then took his tea upstairs to the room he was staying in. Elle leaned against the counter, cradling her drink in her hands. She stared at her mate above the rim while she sipped it. Tony stared back, his blue eyes sparkling. When she’d drunk it all down, Tony took the cup from her hand and put it in the dishwasher instead of having Elle clean it. He then took her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I am going to give you the best life, Elledan.”
Elle cupped one bearded cheek in her hand. “You already have.”
Chapter 19
Anthony’s parents returned to New York the day after the bonfire but not before they promised to return for the showdown with Grevolus. As the next week progressed, the fae still hadn’t settled in one place, leaving them in limbo, but they didn’t have a chance to get bored. Their house was rarely without a cousin or five visiting to either meet the siblings or spend time with them again. Nekoma asked Anthony for drawings of the type of chairs he wanted for outside, and he spent his days building new furniture. Anthony had ordered power tools for Nekoma to use. It had been a learning experience for the fae, who was used to using handsaws and other rudimentary tools in his craft.
Their dining table was full every night for supper, and Elle was in her element, cooking for everyone. Since she was still learning new words every day, she needed help with some of the recipes, but each dish she made turned out better than most things Anthony had ever tasted. It didn’t hurt that she used magic to put together meals large enough to feed several Goyles. Not having to spend hours in the kitchen preparing their food was the only reason Anthony didn’t fuss at his Clan for intruding every night. That paired with the fact that Elle enjoyed feeding everyone. She admitted more than once she missed family dinners from before she was taken to Winterhaven, and Anthony would do anything to make his mate happy. Giving her a large family? Done. Allowing them all to dote on her and sing her praises? Also done.
She wasn’t the only fae to win the Clan’s affection. Nekoma was a hit with his craftsmanship. When Mason and Willow visited with their daughters, Gigi and Madison, Mason asked Nekoma if he would build them a patio set. Nekoma requested a photo of what Mason had in mind, then quickly agreed. The male turned Anthony’s barn into a workshop, where he spent his days working while keeping a magical eye out for Grevolus to land somewhere.
They had a video chat with Bas and Dakota to catch up on their lives. Lydia and Beck had returned from Canada, where they secured Beck’s father to lead the polar bears in that area in the shifter council. Carleigh and Harlow alternated daily visits. Each one came for lunch, spending time with Elle, getting to know her. It also gave Anthony the opportunity to go back to work, taking a local P.I. case, where he was home each night. Filming had started, so Tabitha wasn’t coming into the office, but she had opened their connection explaining she didn’t want to talk about her personal life. Anthony respected her request, but it bothered him that she wouldn’t confide in him.
Anthony took Elle to Colden’s Key for dinner on Valentine’s Day after showering her with flowers, candy, and a gift card for a spa treatment. He also bought Harlow and Carleigh gift cards so they could go with Elle. He had called Robbie to secure a secluded table where they could have privacy amidst all the other couples celebrating. Anthony had always thought the holiday was a stupid one. If you loved someone, you should show them every day, not just once a year, but now that he had Elle in his life, he understood celebrating their love.
While waiting on dessert, he broached a subject that had been on his mind since they completed the mate bond.
“You and I are bonded, and that goes beyond exchanging vows the way humans do, but I would be honored if you would take my last name. How about it? Would you become Elledan Stone?”
“I would love that, Tony. Thank you for asking.”
“We can have a ceremony in front of our families, if you wish.”
Elle ran her thumb across the back of his hand where they were joined atop the table. “In our culture, it’s a private event where the father of the female performs the ribbon ceremony, if there is one at all. Some choose to simply cohabitate. Since Ballymar isn’t here, and I may never see him again...”
“What about Nekoma or Thran? Couldn’t they step in and do the honors?”
“They could. Normally, it would be the oldest sibling, and that’s Thran. Since we are already bonded, I don’t see why Nekoma couldn’t do it.”
