Page 48 of Secondhand Garagyre

Quitefrankly,Ineed to piss too.

Laithogisin the living room by the timeIfinish my morning bathroom routine.He’slounging on the couch in his leatherkilt with one leg bouncing up and down.Hisnerves have been radiating across the bond since we got up.I’veno clue why he’s so nervous.IknowI’lllike anything he either made or…procured for me.

ThesecondIwalk into the living room; he bounds to his feet and meets me halfway across the floor. “Come, my mate, sit, sit.I…made you a few things, and the wait is too much to bear.Imust give them to you now, soIknow ifIhave done well or not.”

Hiswords are running together.He’stalking so fast.I’venever seen him this rattled…it’s adorable.Sittingon the couch as he asked,Isettle in and look at him expectantly.Withthe coffee table separating us, he waves his hands in a circular motion and says,“Nanna, coniunx ultor.Veniad me.”

Ina shower of white light, so bright it’s almost blinding, a sword appears in his hands and he gently lays it on the table in front of me.Theblade is so white its opalescent, reflecting the multicolored lights from across the room on theChristmastree, and the hilt is made of gold and soft greens.It’sa replica of his sword,Baldr, in shape and design, but the colors are an exact contrast to his weapon.

Lookingat it in awe,Ireach out and grasp the grip, unsurprised when it fits my hand perfectly.

“Doyou…like it?Inamed herNanna, mate avenger.So, should you ever need to defend me again, you will be sufficiently armed.Iknow a sword is not a normal gift for a human female, but you are not a normal human female.Youare mated to aGaragyre, and a warrior ofLight.”Hiswords are hesitant but steadfast.

“Laithog…this is…”BeforeIcan finish, he speaks again.

“Imade you these, in case you did not care for the sword.”Wavinghis hand again, two wooden figurines appear next to the sword.Oneglows with a soft blue aura while the other a light green.Squintinga bit,Ilook at the little models and whenIrecognize them, my eyes go wide in shocked delight.

Justto make sureI’mnot seeing things,Iturn my head to whereMerryandPippinare laying in their dog beds across the room and then back to the sculptures in front of me. “Youmade me exact replicas ofMerryandPippin!”

Jumpingup from the couch,Irace around the coffee table and jump into his arms. “Laithog, thank you!!Iadore my gifts!I’vealways wanted a sword and nowIhave one, thanks to you…and youknewIwould just love the figurines you made me of my sweet little fluff fluffs,”Igush, wrapping my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his beautiful long silver hair, andIhook my legs around his thick waist.

Pullinghis head down to mine,Ismack a kiss across his stunned lips. “Waithere!”

Hoppingdown,Irace to the back of the house and into my jewelry room.Snatchinghis gift off my worktable,Ihurry back through the house and into the living room.

Holdingout my fist,Imotion him to hold out his left hand. “Imade you something too!Well,Imade us both something, but it has a certain significance in my culture.OnethatIthink you will greatly appreciate,”Isay asIslide a wedding band made of silver with chips of rubies and turquoise inlaid into the band on his ring finger, silently thankful that he has four fingers and a thumb just like me.

Makingsure he’s watching,Islide a matching band with onyx and amethyst inlaid into the band onto my ring finger.Theswirling designs are the same, with the sole difference between them being the color of the stones.Mycolors for him and his for me. “Theseare called wedding rings.They’resymbols that humans in this part of the world will recognize and know that you andIare bound together.Theword we use is married,”Ihurriedly explain.

“Youwould claim me in the human way…?” comes his tentative reply.

“Laithog, sugar.Iwill claim you in any wayIcan…even in that delicious looking other form you’ve got hidden inside you,”Irespond sassily, ignoring his dumbfounded look of shock, asIpull him closer to me and roll onto my tiptoes, meeting his descending head halfway.

Rightbefore our lips meet,Iwhisper. “MerryChristmas,Laithog.Ilove you to the moon and back.”

Loveand devotion overwhelm me as he gathers me to him, holding me in his embrace as he says, “MerryChristmas, my preciousPaisley.Iwill love you unendingly.”

Asharp bark followed by a warbling grumble announcesMerryandPippinjoining in our loving huddle.Isnicker whenIlook down to seeMerryhas his front paws onLaithog’sleft leg andPippinis sitting on his right foot.Baringhis teeth in a facsimile of a smile, he snarls at them asIburst into laughter held tight in the arms of the maleIlove.

Epilogue

LAITHOG

Many,many years later.

“Littleflame, where are you?Itis time for us to leave.”

Mymate, not the one gifted to me by fate, but the oneIchose for myself, is pregnant with my kits.AblessingIhaven’t dared wish for, unsure that our kinds would be compatible enough to create life, let alone twins.Notthat my mate knows that part yet.Sheis finally far enough along thatIcan scent the two lifeforms growing within her.Aboy and a girl.Itis just one of the reasons, we were leaving the place we’ve called home for decades.

Neitherof us are aging, and it is beginning to become noticeable.Acomment here and a comment there about how well “Lance” andPaisleylooked for their ages.Wedidn’t have the luxury of staying any longer.BothofPaisley’sparents have since passed, andPatrickis her only sibling.

Asdisheartening as my mate found it, she no longer has any living family to hold her in this place.Onlythe memories she cherishes kept us here as long as we’ve lingered.Afact that has weighed heavily on her…until she discovered she is pregnant.

Donningmy glamour,Iexit the house, peering over and note that her pickup isn’t parked in its normal spot next to mine.MerryandPippinare sitting by the yard gate looking at me expectantly. “Whatdo you two insouciant shits want?”Igripe.Afterbeing withPaisleyfor a couple of years,Ipicked up a few of her more human words, and my speech isn’t as stilted or formal anymore.

Itdelights me to no ends how informal humans speak to one another.Onlyto haveMerryyowl andPippingrumble as he paws the gate with one small front foot. “IfPaisleydid not love you both so much,Inever would have bound either of your life forces to mine.ThethingsIdo for my little flame.Gah!Fine!Iknow where she is.Letus go.”

Atthe defeat in my tone, bothdogsstart dancing about and yapping, apparently excited that they’ve gotten their way. “Yes, yes.Weall know thatIsecretly adore you, but our interactions amuse our human to no end,”Igripe asIopen the gate, letting both of them out and watch in amusement as they both dart to the back passenger side door where they plop both of their fluffy behinds, waiting on me expectantly.

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