Page 19 of Elf Shot

"You are mating with someone who has no idea that it's happening. You have to tell her and soon. She needs to have a choice in this."

"I know, and she will. Have you seen her? She's not the type to let anyone decide anything for her," he huffed.

Alruna's eyes softened. "Don't forget you have a choice too, my eagle. You don't want to make the wrong decision with something so important. Mating can be beautiful, but it can also be destructive." Arne knew she was speaking concerned out of her own experience with Vili and that it was not a criticism of Layla. Sometimes a mating should never happen.

"I like her, Mother. I think you will too once you get to know her. Besides, the Norns have decreed that this fight cannot be won without her. You don't want to try and defy the Norns, do you?"

Alruna sighed. "Not today."

7

Layla tried not to show how panicked she felt after meeting the Queen of the Light Elves. A part of her had expected someone aloof like Galadriel, but Alruna was down to earth and motherly. She was also the first elf Layla had seen with gray hair. Her face was mature, but she didn't look older than fifty.

She must be older than dirt to have gray hair. Which instantly begged the question of how old Arne was.

"Relax, Layla. She liked you," Tor said from beside her.

"I don't know if I can relax. I didn't expect the queen to be waiting for us."

Tor smirked, gray eyes brimming with amusement. "Neither did Arne. He should've known his mother wouldn't wait to meet the one woman Arne has liked in centuries."

"He has a funny way of showing it," Layla replied, ignoring the butterflies that decided to flutter in her chest.

"Give him a chance to, and he will." Tor poked her. "And you're not half as pissed at him as you like to make out."

"You don't know shit," Layla snapped.

Tor tapped his nose. "It doesn't lie."

"Oh God, the elves can't smell like that too, can they?" Layla asked. The thought alone made her cringe.

"Not as well as a shifter. Arne doesn't have to sniff you to know that you don't hate him. I don't imagine you would give just anyone head massages."

Layla crossed her arms. "I was trying to help. In a professional capacity."

"Ah huh, real professional."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a sassy ass bitch under all the silence and glowering?" Layla muttered.

"You should know by now that's our front for the world. We don't want hundreds of curious humans wandering about in our lands and damaging our forests. Our silent aloofness keeps people from going where they aren't wanted," Tor explained.

"I'll have to tell Ciara. She seems to think you don't know how to talk properly." It wasn't exactly the truth, but they had the best glare offs when they were together that she couldn't help pushing that button.

"She would learn otherwise if she bothered to have a conversation with me."

"Well, good luck with that. Her silence and stoicism aren't an act. She's just a badass."

"Who hates wolves," Tor grumbled.

"Who has a reason to."

Arne returned and climbed into the front seat of the car. "You two behaving in here?"

"Would we do anything else?" Layla asked. She nudged the back of his chair with her knee. "Thanks for telling me your mom was going to be here. I would have made an effort to look nice."

"I didn't know she was going to be here." Arne dropped the sun visor so he could look at her in the mirror. "And you always look nice."

Layla quickly looked out the window to hide her goofy grin at the compliment. Alta was a picturesque town, skirted by a fjord and a river. Layla knew it had ancient rock carvings and a strong Sami culture that she couldn't wait to learn more about.

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