Page 20 of Enchanting Her Mate

“Speak with him about what? The role of Prime?” I ask.

“Shh!” she scolds, putting a finger to her lips. “I do not want him to discover my plans before I can put them in motion.”

“That is fair,” I tell her as I undress and climb beneath the thick furs piled high on her bed.

Jo does the same, and her arms instinctively wrap around me, pulling me against her body. Being in this strange, crowded house makes me hesitant to follow my desires. If we were at my cottage, I would flip Jo onto her back and shove my face between her thighs, but being here in her home seems to weigh on her brilliant mind. She deserves to feel comfort right now, and while I cannot change the mood throughout the house, I can provide contentment with my embrace. And I do not mind doing so. Not in the slightest.

I lie on my side so I can look at her, running my fingers along her forehead, through her spiky dark-red hair, and along her sharp, perfect cheekbones as her eyes get heavier. “Sleep well, tiny witch,” I whisper the moment her eyelids fall closed.

Mek shakes out his feathers before he turns and settles into a different position on the pillow directly above Jo’s head, and I worry the movement will wake her, but thankfully, it does not, and I follow both of them into a deep sleep shortly thereafter.

The next day passes quickly and without incident. Kate and Niro ask us to join them for a leisurely walk to the nearby falls. Mek flies alongside us part of the way, but at some point, he disappears, and I assume he is on the hunt for berries. Kate grumbles at one point about us walking too fast, and that she “can only waddle as quickly as the growing draxilio inside her gut will allow,” but once we slow our pace, her cheerful demeanor returns.

At some point, Niro leaps into the air to grab a colorful leaf from a high branch. He hands it to Kate and her eyes swirl with desire. I do the same, jumping up to pull a prettier leaf from an even higher branch, and I cannot resist the smug smile that tugs at my lips knowing I can jump higher than him.

Upon returning from our walk, Nalba races up to us and wraps Jo in a tight hug. It is clear Jo was not expecting this by the utter confusion swirling in her eyes.

“Nalba,” Jo says when Nalba finally releases her. “I am so pleased to see you in such great health.”

“Jo, you saved me,” Nalba says, taking both of Jo’s hands in hers.

Jo nods. “Ah, I have heard you are now mated to Waldric. Many blessings and good tidings to you both.”

“No, Jo,” Nalba says. “Well, yes, I am with Waldric, and he is the perfect male for me. But that is not what I meant. This,” she adds, reaching for the necklace she is wearing. “This saved me. I did not believe in magic before, but you have left me to question whether it is real.”

“Well, it is real,” Jo replies with a teasing grin. “I can assure you of that.”

“Do you wish to have it back?” Nalba asks, turning the necklace around and fiddling with the clasp.

“No,” Jo says instantly, holding up her hands. “That is a necklace I made for you. The protection spell I put on it only applies to you. Please, keep it.”

Nalba hugs Jo again and says something about how she must return to her shop before scurrying down the path. I notice Jo’s gaze lingering on Nalba’s retreating form. A deep exhale releases the tension in Jo’s shoulders, and it looks as if she is finally at peace with what happened during the battle against Bzzsil Chi.

Shortly after, I am introduced to the tr’gory pup called Stanley, whose tongue hangs from the side of his mouth as he jumps and shoves his paws into my stomach. It does not knock me down, but it does cause me to stagger a few steps before regaining my balance. His human mother, Eleanor, tells me he is growing rapidly.

“Sorry about the jumping,” she says, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. “We’re working on it.”

“Sheis working on it,” her mate, Bruvix, the one who makes ale, adds as he gestures toward Eleanor with a soft smile. “Stahn-lee is not working on anything and is a terrible listener.”

“No, he’s not,” Eleanor protests as she scratches Stanley’s head between his tall white horns. “He’s a good boy. Aren’t you, Stanley?”

Stanley does not answer her question. He merely leans his large body against her leg and tilts his head back against Eleanor’s knee when her hand leaves his head––a silent plea for her to continue her scratching.

I am quite charmed by the members of the clan I have spent time with today. Jo seems to be in a better mood as well, which settles my insides.

A loud, angry squawk pulls our attention to the right, and I take off in a sprint toward it. I hear Jo’s light footsteps behind me, and we reach the coven house within moments to find Tibik just outside the front door, waving a long dagger at Mek, who is flapping his wings and remains just out of Tibik’s reach.

“What is the meaning of this?” I shout.

Tibik drops the dagger to the ground, his cheeks puffing out with each labored breath, and points an accusatory finger in my direction. “Your filthy bird relieved himself all over my cloak.” Then his eyes land on Jo. “He does not belong in this house. We cannot focus on our craft with this beast constantly disrupting us.”

“Mek,” I say, tapping the tips of my claws together to make the clacking noise that signals him to come. He obeys my command and lands softly on my shoulder.

The members of the coven who have gathered outside to witness Tibik’s dramatic outburst eventually follow the cranky Hexrin inside, leaving Jo and me alone. Her expression is pained, and her body is as still as a statue.

I am surprised by this. She seemed so ready to put Tibik in his place. Is that not why we flew here so hastily, so she could have the confrontation she has been dreading and finally get it over with?

I stride over to her and place my hand on her shoulder. “Do not worry. Mek is just used to his routines at the cottage. It will take some time for him to adapt, but he will.”

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