Page 16 of Claimed for Eternity

Xenos took my hand so I could see Saun’s mother too. She was about three foot to the left and back of him.

“I have told him! I have told him if he comes back here, I shall melt down his blubber and use it in our cakes instead of butter! Elves from every inch of the universe will come for one bite of him!”

“And I thought you were bad,” Xenos sighed.

“Don’t take it too personally. I know you and Medwin are friends. I can deal with Clarence now too, but he did what he did and doing good things now doesn’t mean these people have to forgive him,” I reminded him and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“What was her name?” Xenos asked Saun.

Martha pouted behind the counter from being ignored. Being that young was hard when you knew everyone in your village and none of them were the person, you’d spend the rest of your life with. In her spot, I might flirt with the tourists too. Maybe it was for better tips. Maybe it was for a chance to live a little, either way I couldn’t blame her and Xenos hadn’t tried to eat her face. So, she was probably harmless.

“Martha,” Saun said. “My daughter is named after her.”

“Was Martha’s true-mate called Ewalin?” Xenos asked Saun.

“No. My grandfather was Saun as I am Saun,” Saun explained.

“Then she may know the name of your daughter’s true-mate,” Xenos explained. “That might be one reason for her sticking around. Ewalin. Do you need me to spell that?”

Turns out that they did and he spelled it out for him before we placed our order. I made a mental note to tip Martha extra big if Saun really didn’t serve us with a bill.

Chapter Eleven

Xenos

After placing our order for two samplers we made our way to a table in the corner. Elves sat here and there enjoying their treats and having hushed conversations with their dining companions. If any of our fellow diners thought Barry and me out of place no one said anything. In fact, they hardly glanced at us as we made our way to the table in back with Dead Martha following on our heels.

Ever the true gentleman, Barry pulled my chair out for me.

“Thanks, alpha,” I grinned and kissed him on the cheek before sitting down.

Though he couldn’t see Dead Martha when he wasn’t touching me, he pulled out another chair for her anyway because that’s just the sort of wolf he was. She nodded her thank you and sat down between us as Barry took his seat. I reached across the table and took his hand in mine. Sure, everyone else might think I was a bit off my rocker talking to someone they couldn’t see but at least I could show my mate the world through my eyes.

“You must find him,” she said and nodded in my direction.

“Your granddaughter’s mate?” I asked. “I’m not really good at finding people unless you can give me a place to start. I’ll be happy to send emails or make calls, but I won’t be able to travel much soon.”

I put my free hand on my stomach out of habit. Sometimes I caught myself doing it even when I wasn’t carrying. I was only a few weeks along. My pregnancy hadn’t even entered the second trimester but still I was protective over the baby. Especially with the dream I had back at SLEEP.

“He will come when the tourists return,” Dead Martha shook her head. “No, you must find where he was before.”

“The baby,” Barry said before I put the pieces together.

“The baby,” she nodded and her eyes lit up. “He was my baby before. Saun’s brother. He died in the war and we never found him. He has moved on.” She pointed at my hand covering my baby bump. “But I cannot. They have laid my mate and other sons to rest but not him. They have not lain Jarl to rest properly. He is not far. Not far for you. Not even through a portal.”

“My mate is pregnant, ma’am,” Barry reminded her and I fought off the urge to kick him under the table. Over the years, ma’am had become his sarcastic pet name for any fem person who he thought was a little too entitled for me.

“I understand that. He is pregnant with my Jarl,” Dead Martha nodded. “I will help. It is not far. He is in the woods. Bones now. All bones. Bring him back and Saun will bury him here in the family cemetery. He has our ring with him. The family crest of a thorny cup. Lay him to rest. Help wrap up his loose ends before he begins a new life.”

“I can go alone and do it. She can draw me a map,” Barry said, meeting my gaze.

“You can’t go alone. If other spirits are out there, you’ll need someone who can communicate with them,” I said.

“No,” he shook his head.

“This isn’t your choice to make alone, Barry,” I said, his full name on the tip of my tongue and threatening to roll off of it. “We both know you wouldn’t let me go alone. We stick together. If Jarl is our baby, and my dream would say he is our baby, we go together.”

“Do you know how morbid this is?” he asked me. “How disturbing it is to find bones? Human bones?”

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