Page 61 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

Ruthie nodded sagely. “Our home is the best, Phil.”

“See. Ruthie agrees.” Dillon’s hands fisted on his sides, chest puffed out and looking like the proud alpha I could see him one day becoming. “And she’s a dire. Ruthieknowsthings.”

I blinked and finally spoke. “A dire wolf?” I’d heard of them, but they seemed more myth than reality. I stared down at the little girl with increased interest.

“It’s a long story.” Phil scooped Ruthie into his arms and squeezed her tight.

Happy giggles filled the room and eased the tension from my shoulders. Before I knew what I was doing, a grin lifted my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” Phil said, Ruthie still in his arms. “I hope the kids didn’t offend you. Your home is lovely.”

I waved him off. “It’s just a rental, and it’s nice, but I’m sure the children are correct. You’re a home-and-hearth pixie, Phil. I’ve no doubt the home you’ve created is fantastic.”

“Oh…I…” Phil’s pleased blush was sweet. Parsley would have reacted the same way.

Cabinets rattled in the background, and a triumphant “aha, found them” let us all know when Peaches discovered which cabinet the glasses were in. If Phil hadn’t been distracted by Dillon and Ruthie, he likely would have gone straight to the right place.

“How many bottles did you bring?” Dillon asked, quickly going into the kitchen to help Peaches.

“Three, but there’s more in the truck for you to take home.”

“Yes!” Dillon fist-pumped, and Ruthie seemed nearly as excited.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Peaches apologized as he handed me a glass of apple cider. “I’m afraid I’ve already been away from my orchard for a few hours and can’t stay much more than one, maybe two. I hope you understand.”

Not on a personal level, but that didn’t mean I didn’t get it. “And what about you, Phil?” I asked, unsure why. I had no idea what we’d do for the next hour, let alone more.

“I’m good for a bit longer. I’ve got the kids with me, so that allows me more time away from our home.”

“Phil’s bonded to the house and family,” Peaches said with pride.

“That’s because we’ve got the best damn pixie on the planet,” Dillon echoed that pride.

“Dillon, language,” Phil scolded, though it was said with more humor than ire. “And that’s not, I mean… There are a lot of great pixies out there.”

“Yeah, but none of them are you,” Dillon said with the confidence of youth. No argument would convince him otherwise, and why would I want to?

Peaches, Phil, Dillon, and Ruthie either flew or scampered here and there. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so much or felt so light. I strongly wished Parsley could have been there with us. He would have been in heaven.

I’d wondered how we’d spend an hour, let alone two. But when it came time for them to leave, I found I was reluctant to let them go. Thanks were thrown around, as well as hugs. Peaches left me with a fresh, unopened bottle of apple cider, and I knew I’d wait until Vander was around to share it with him.

Thoughts of Vander kept me warm as I closed the door, silencing the house.

ChapterTwenty-Three

Vander

I felt it as soon as the fairy walked through Warlock Wishes’doors. All species had unique signatures, something magic recognized. Warlocks and witches could twist the magic into categorization too. Every species did. They just had different ways of going about it. Depending on the type they were, weres used their natural senses to differentiate. Georgiana told me that different species resonated on their own frequency. Brownies, who were made of magic, could easily distinguish them. She’d also said it was suspicioned that fairies were the same, though no one knew for certain.

Byx peeked over the stair railing, brown eyes wide and full of question.

“What did you do, Van?” Byx hissed. “Please tell me you didn’t break the pact you made.”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

The scathing look on Byx’s face, combined with the puffs of smoke coming from her spelled dragon hair clips, let me know she wasn’t all that pleased with my answer.

When Byx started to head down the stairs, I held up a halting hand. Her eyebrows rose high, leg stopped mid-step.

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