Page 32 of Finn's Solace

The good thing was they knew we were mates and that Finn had known me once before. I wasn't a complete stranger, not to Finn and Penny, at least. I'd even talked to Raphael a few times. The only true wild card would be Finn's Papa, Jai.

Greta jumped up on my lap and gave me one of her beady-eyed looks, and smacked her palm against my phone, opening Finn's text window and marking the message as read. I sighed.

"Okay, okay, I'll reply," I grumbled to the bossy little shit, and started typing.

Me: Sounds good. Is there anything I can bring?

Finn: Just you and Greta. Neya has promised to share her favorite nuts with her.

I chuckled, then glanced at Greta, who'd resumed her spot on the couch's arm. "You're invited too."

She made a chirp, flicked her tail, then turned her head away, which I translated to, "Okay, I'll be there. Now let me sleep."

Me: We'll be there. Should I be scared?

Finn: You can't be more scared than I am. If one of us decides to end it tomorrow, it's not gonna be me. -_-

Me: Nothing in this world could make me want to end it.

Finn: We'll see.

Shaking my head at his ominous words, I put my phone away and quickly finished up my dinner. One good thing about doing the lunch tomorrow was that I'd still have to go back to work after, so I had an excuse to get out of there afterward if I needed it.

It'd been almost two weeks since I started my new job, and I was surprised to realize I was loving it. Usually with construction, the earth was extremely uncooperative. It was understandable because why would the nourishing earth want a steel-and-cement monstrosity growing out of her?

But here, it was different. The earth was content to let us build on it, maybe because the town as a whole was more natural than manmade. The park was owned and raised by aforest spirit who kept all its flora and fauna happy and healthy. The river that ran through nourished the earth with fresh water, and the various supes who lived here enriched the land with their magic. Add to that the storm dragon who provided enough rain and shelter to keep the land fed, and the earth was only too happy to help us build stronger homes for people.

Since I was an earth mage, I'd been tasked with making sure the foundation was deep enough, and in the right spot. Not only had I been able to do that, I'd also convinced the earth to let us go a little deeper so it would be more sound. She'd agreed without protest, and even helped fill up the dig site once the foundations were set. What would've taken humans a couple of weeks at least, we'd accomplished in less than a week.

Of course, my magic wouldn't be quite as useful for every stage of the construction. I would have to do some things the human way, just like the others. But that was fun in its own way, and I was looking forward to it.

As soon as my mind drifted off the topic of work, it latched onto Finn, which it had a tendency to do whenever I wasn't actively thinking about something. Or doing a mundane task like washing the dishes.

Was this how it was for all newly mated pairs? I'd never met a fated pair until I got to Mistvale, and they seemed to be everywhere here. There was something more to this town, something more than the variety of supes and the lush flora and fauna. Within weeks of arriving, I'd found my familiar and my mate. That couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

Was this town somehow blessed by Fate or some higher power? I didn't believe in a God of any kind. I hadn't been raised that way, and nothing I'd seen before had made me suddenly believe in the existence of one. But if there was a God, or a Creator of this world, I would assume Mistvale was a personal favorite of theirs.

Greta hopped onto the counter, and started batting at the foam in the sink. I was almost done with the dishes, so I forced myself to focus on the task and stop getting distracted.

I blew on the foam, making some of it float toward Greta, who leapt back, then jumped off the counter and raced out of the kitchen. I watched her go with a laugh, then returned my attention to the dishes at hand and tried very hard not to think about my impending lunch with Finn's family tomorrow.

Thirteen

Finn

"You look like you're going to puke," Penny commented, and I shot her a withering glare. Her bright red hair was in a ponytail, her green eyes sparkling as she watched me with a smirk on her face. She was such a little shit-stirrer.

Thanks, Penny. That was exactly what I wanted to hear five minutes before my mate was supposed to show up for lunch with my family.

Holy shit, why had I agreed to this? Levi and I had only been on two dates. What was I doing introducing him to the crazy that was my family?

There was a knock at the door, and I jumped, making Penny chuckle.

"Calm down, Finn. It's gonna be okay. He's your mate, not a human high school boyfriend."

We both knew she was lying. If that was the case, she wouldn't have avoided bringing someone home in all her years of dating.

"Levi, Greta, come on in!" Dad greeted, his voice full of cheer. I could just imagine the wide smile on his face, and I speed-walked to the door to get Levi before Dad said something embarrassing. Fuck, this was going to be a long lunch.

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