Page 60 of Her Purr-fect Christmas Mate

“I do.”

Before she could think up a rejoinder to that, they rounded the final bend before the house.

The old house sat among the trees like a comfortable old sofa. A little worn around the edges, and perhaps not exactly what you’d expect to find in the middle of a forest—at least, not in this shade of cheerful lemon yellow and sky blue—but exactly what you needed. A place to rest and enjoy good food and company . . . and maybe cause a little chaos. Swing from the rafters—why not? Slide down the roof—go for it! It was already worn around the edges. A little more fun wouldn’t hurt it.

Golden light bloomed through windows lined with twinkling fairy lights. There was the dent in the front porch where her brother had missed his landing after gorging on half-fermented peaches one summer evening. The gap in the fretwork where Iris had gotten her horn stuck and refused to admit it, then stood in a noble unicorn-ish pose for hours before her mate Elaine distracted everyone into looking the other way long enough for Iris to untangle herself.

And the little corner of rooftop between the gable over her attic bedroom and the main roof, overhung by a tree with witch-finger branches, where she’d spent so many happy hours reading and re-reading her favorite books and imagining what sort of incredibly magical inner animal she would have.

The thought didn’t pang the way she thought it would.Guess that means I’m not really upset about being a cute little cat.

An ADORABLE little cat,said cat informed her.

With adorable sharp claws, who was willing to fight for what it wanted. And who helped her do the same.

Then the car bumped off the drive onto the big open space in front of the house where everyone else had parked, and a feeling like stepping out of the shadows into sunlight washed over her.

“Oh, it’shome,” she breathed.

“According to the directions you gave me after the GPS gave up,” Mordecai said.

“I just wondered if it would feel different, now.”

“Because becoming your mate meant I left my family and its skeletons behind?” He gave one of his tight smiles, and she squeezed his hand until it turned into a real one. “From all you’ve said, your family loves you, and you love them. I have no intention of replacing them in your heart.”

“But this won’t be myonlyhome. You’re going to buy me a house of our own, right?”

Lust and victory flared in his eyes, and his voice was a pleasurable growl. “Of course.”

“The cheapest house on the block. The real estate version of no-name-brand leggings and—”

“No.” He caught her chin and kissed her. “The best. Luxuries you can’t even imagine.”

“I can imagine a lot.”

“Good. That means my gift to you will be even better.” He let her go with a satisfied, wicked smile.

Peony turned her attention back to the house. “It’s so late. We must have missed dinner, and the littlies will be in bed. I don’t know whether I should go and knock or . . .” She reached out telepathically. *Hello? Knock knock?*

Silence. And then—

*Who was that?*

*It sounded like—*

*Peony??*

A telepathic thrum hit that she’d never experienced before but immediately recognized: the joint excitement of her whole family, seeing her arrive home.

The front door burst open. Peony’s parents were there, outlined in light. Her mom, graying-blonde hair braided into a crown wreathed with mistletoe so she would have a transparent excuse to steal kisses from Peony’s dad; her dad, lanky-limbed, his dark skin shining in the light pouring past them and a telltale smudge of lipstick under one ear.

“Peony!” Her mother’s voice cut through the snowy darkness. She crossed her arms. “You’re late! We were expecting you hours ago!”

“I have a good excuse!”And what an excuse. So many excuses.

Peony’s heart was full. She took a deep breath, stepped out of the car, and—

She was psychic now.

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