Page 1 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

ChapterOne

PEACHES

“It’s beautiful, Peaches. Absolutely stunning.”

My cheeks heated, flushed with pride and more than a hint of gratitude. “Thank you, Mae. The trees did all the work. I just gave them a bit of encouragement.”

As a nature pixie, I’d done more than that, but I would be nothing without the apple trees I’d come to love. More than that, I’d bonded with the land they were rooted within. All of it was made possible by the human couple standing outside my cottage, a home they’d built specifically for me.

“Mae’s right,” Don said. “The orchard is gorgeous. This land, this orchard, has been in my family for over thirty-seven years, and we’ve never had a yield like this.” Don gazed down at his wife.

The dreamy look in his eyes spoke volumes. Humans didn’t bond like many other species did. They didn’t leave mating marks like weres or consume a piece of flesh like trolls. Instead, they traded rings and hoped those tiny bands would be enough to bond them together until death.

Statistics didn’t back their tradition up very well, but the two married humans I currently shared space with seemed to have made out okay.

“You’re far too modest, Peaches,” Mae gushed, her light brown eyes full of joy. “We were on the verge of giving up.” Mae shot Don a regretful glance that was loaded with sympathy. “Don and I tried, but we just couldn’t make ends meet. The taxes on the land cost us more than we could make from the orchard. We hated the thought of selling. The land’s been in Don’s family, but I came to love it as much as him.”

“Probably more.” Don’s smile was gentle, the finger he used to push a strand of Mae’s gray-blond hair behind her ear even softer.

Mae’s blush rivaled my own. “I’m not sure I’d go that far,” Mae attempted to argue. “We both love the land and the orchard. We tried everything, but the trees just didn’t produce like they should, like what we needed to make a go of the place.” Mae’s gaze bore into mine.

Our heights were similar enough that I didn’t have to look up. Don was about half a foot taller than his wife. Average for a human male. He’d look short next to my best friend, Phil. Phil’s mate, an alpha werewolf named Sedrick, would dwarf this human just as he dwarfed me.

“But we didn’t want to give up.” Don’s shoulders snapped back, and his chest pushed forward. “That’s when we went looking for you.”

Mae and Don hadn’t gone looking for me in particular. They’d searched for an unbonded nature pixie who might be interested in a job. I’d like to say coming to the orchard had been purely altruistic. It wasn’t. Coming out to Mulligan’s Orchard had been a paying job. I’d had other jobs in the past. Most were in the private sector—short-term engagements for businesses that wanted their spring, summer, and fall landscaping to look their best. I’d work during the day, communicating with the plants, finding out what they needed to be at their best, their most healthy, then I’d go home, back to Martin’s Boarding House, back to my friend Phil.

Mulligan’s Orchard had been anything but typical. When I’d gotten there, I quickly learned the trees were miserable. They were plagued with disease and lacked pollinators. I got to work and informed Mae and Don what was needed, and to their credit, they’d never once questioned me. The orchard was a different place within a year, and each year would only improve.

My wings fluttered, and pixie dust scattered around. Don and Mae had wizened up quickly and often placed themselves upwind. Today was no different, and it saved them an intense sneezing fit.

Golden pixie dust filled the air, dissipating before it hit the ground. My wings beat fast enough that they easily lifted me off the ground. Hands clasped in front of me, my fingers twisted in the fabric of my newest spider-silk clothes. Like all my others, my top and pants were loosely fitted and drifted with the breeze. The barely there silk was little more than a hushed whisper as it slid against my skin. Alternating shades of cream and gold danced around my body and fluttered with the beat of my wings.

My yellow-gold hair tossed about my shoulders as the wind caught it. Pale blond at my roots, my hair brightened and darkened with color intensity as it grew. The tips of my hair hung a little past my waist and were a dark gold, almost bronze. I’d added a little sparkle to my hair for today’s special event. This evening, when the sun set and the lights came on, it would look like I’d reached into the sky and captured the stars.

Mae’s breath caught as I flew slightly above her. She loved seeing me fly.

“It should be me thanking you,” I said honestly. “I never would have found this place if it hadn’t been for you. You gave me a home.”

There was nothing more important to a nature pixie. Home didn’t always mean the same thing to us as it did to other species or even members of our own. The cottage behind me wasn’thome. The land its foundation sat within was.

Phil was different. As a home-and-hearth pixie, Phil had bonded with Sedrick’s home. He’d also connected with Sedrick and his niece and nephew, Ruthie and Dillon.

“Nonsense.” Don waved a dismissive hand in front of his face. “As far as Mae and I are concerned, taking out the loan to pay for your services and the house was the best investment we’ve made. This year’s harvest will go a long way to paying it off. I expect us to be out of the red within the next five years. Mae and I count that as a blessing.”

“I couldn’t say it better or agree more.” Mae reached toward me, and I lowered so she didn’t strain something trying to touch me. Humans were fragile that way. When I was close enough, she cupped my cheeks, her thumbs raking up and down my skin in a motherly caress. “As far as Don and I are concerned, you are nothing short of a godsend, and we love you like a son.”

Tears stung my eyes, one slipping free, wiped away by Mae’s gentle touch. Don and Mae hadn’t been able to have children. They had nieces and nephews, but none of their own, and it wasn’t because they hadn’t desired them. I didn’t know the particulars, only that it wasn’t possible.

I had no idea what to say. Somewhere along the line, my wings fell silent, and my feet were planted on solid ground.

On a swallowed, “Mae,” she dropped her hands and pulled away.

“Well,” Mae huffed, vigorously knuckling the wetness from her eyes, “I think that’s enough sentimentality for today.”

“Agreed,” Don chimed in. “Today’s a celebration.” Throwing his hands wide, Don spun and looked out at the orchard. Some apples still clung to their trees, but most had been harvested. “Harvest season, and the best damn harvest this orchard has ever seen. Come on. We’ve got a celebration to get ready for.”

Mae giggled, and they turned, trotting away. “Go.” Mae shooed me over her shoulder. “Rest up, Peaches. Guests should arrive in less than three hours. Dear god, we’ve got a thousand and one things to do before then.”

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