Page 96 of Wishes and Research

Taking a deep breath, I forced my feet to take us away from the portal and over to the edge of the woods where logs had been laid out to form a seating area. I picked out the largest one and sat down in what I’d always considered my spot, Paxton perched on my lap. “Hey, no hiding. Look at me, little bug.”

He huffed and shook his head. “No.”

Smiling at my dramatic cutie, I kissed his head. “Yes. Look at Daddy.”

I got a few more sighs and wiggles, but eventually he sucked in a breath and eased back just enough to be able to say he’d obeyed. When I could see his eyes, I gave him a big smile. “Good boy. Thank you.”

He must’ve realized things weren’t as bad as he’d feared because curiosity and something lighter came through the bond. “I…”

That was it but it was enough.

“You’re my good boy. That’s right.” Kissing his nose, I opened the bond as wide as I could and there was almost an audible pop in my head.

“Hey, little bug. Can you hear me?”

The answer to that was clearly yes because his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

“Picture the mate bond in your head and make it brighter.”

I’d never had to explain it to anyone so I wasn’t sure that would be enough until Paxton seemed to fill my mind.

“Daddy?”

Bingo.

“There we go.”

Kissing his nose again, I leaned my forehead against his and looked deep into his eyes.

“I love you, little bug, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Paxton threw his arms around me as happiness and pleasure flooded through me.

“You’re my mate. My boy. There isn’t an adventure big enough or a world interesting enough to take me away from you. You’re my world, little bug, and that will never change.”

No matter what was in store for us.

Epilogue

Paxton

One Month Later

“Okay, we’re going to act surprised. Big eyes. Shocked expression. Awe. Then confusion.” Fraser looked a bit like we were planning a military campaign and I couldn’t help marvel at the shift.

On the boat he’d been relaxed and teasing…and had spent the entire time trying to get me tipsy because I giggled and said naughty stuff when I had fruity drinks.

But it wasn’t my fault they were so good.

Once I’d realized that I could have the fun drinks and not just have to pretend to appreciate the subtleties of beer and dry wine, a whole new world had opened up.

So I’d needed to try all of them…there was no way around it.

“Kenzie’s been doing very well keeping the secret.” Mostly. “He’s been trying to just talk about the other councils coming to visit and the portal stuff, but he keeps asking me odd questions like if it would be polite to invite strangers who were coming into town to a party I was throwing.”

That made Daddy groan and his head fell back as he looked up at the sky. “They invited the visiting council members to our wedding reception?”

“Yes.” Hopefully, they were nice and open-minded. “We might…we might have to pull them aside and explain why the reception is so…interesting.”

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