Page 83 of Bullied Mate

For a moment, Andres faltered when he spotted Sadie—and so he tumbled right out of place, eating the ground near the water as everyone gasped. Spencer gave an exasperated sigh while reaching out to help his half-brother. Xavier bounced forward.

Leo touched the flowers that Bethany had braided into my neat bun. “Are you feeling okay, Mommy?”

“I’m feeling great now, dear boy.”

“You looked weak yesterday. I was worried.”

He meant the power transfer. Yes, I had been quite weak. Much of my energy had gone into extending Claire’s lifeforce. Most of the boosts I’d given her had healed the minor damage caused by her condition, but this one was rather intense, almost reckless.

I smiled at my sweet child. “The moon helps. Let’s see your grandmother, shall we?”

Xavier stepped up to my side and shouted, “Make a path!”

Instant obedience from the crowd impressed me. Confidence like this looked good on Xavier, more of a brilliance than an egotistical demand on his behalf. We approached his mother and Bethany while wearing equal smiles. Leo slithered out of my arms and patted his grandmother’s hand.

Claire set her weight on the handles of her wheelchair. “It’s okay, Leo. I can do it.”

Xavier started to jump forward. I caught him by his loose white tunic shirt and held him in place. Under my breath, I hissed, “Let her do it. Stop babying her.”

Leo stepped back as well when he heard what I said. Bethany watched as patiently as she was capable, though I could see she too was struggling with allowing Claire her space.

But Claire was doing alright this round. She had rested all day so she could participate in tonight’s ritual. She stood shakily, stepped forward, and grabbed my arm. I held her carefully, allowing her to do what she needed to keep control. Limits existed for every single one of us. Even an Elderling as powerful as me could be subject to such ends.

Our bodies were our sacred vessels of which we had control, and even then, it was unclear what power we held. Claire clutched my arm harder while we traded this silent understanding, that she was exerting control over her form to show us love. And love was welcome here. Love was always welcome here.

“I’ll always catch you,” I promised her. “You can let go now.”

She collapsed into us, weeping mirthfully. Xavier held her right side as I held her left. Leo joined us and circled his arms around his grandmother’s waist. The four of us stood together with the support of our pack, knowing that we needn’t be worried about performance or strength.

There was always strength in love, and ritual solidified that.

Claire leaned back to look at us. “My heart is so full. I could die happy.”

“We certainly hope you’ll live now that you’ve regained your strength,” I told her.

She giggled and turned to her son. “You know, Etta says I’m starting to respond better to treatment.”

“Is that so?” Xavier sniffled. “Well, that’s…such great news to hear.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll respond well,” Claire admitted. “But I hope it’s a long time.”

“We hope the same,” I whispered.

Claire motioned to her wheelchair. We helped her back into it, making sure there was enough room for Bethany and Leo to take her up the aisle so she could rest under the tent.

Oh dear, we shouldn’t have done that. The crowd surged again with renewed happiness, converging on us as soon as there was room.

Xavier bubbled with laughter as I tried to keep up with each wish and hug. People I hadn’t met roamed into our circle to give us good luck charms and kisses. Raven and Killian appeared eventually, breaking up the assault just by pushing their way through.

All the world felt right when Raven hugged me. I leaned into the warmth of her presence, admiring the influence she had without needing to raise her voice or sharpen her tone. Her actions spoke of true leadership. Her support was irreplaceable.

“We’ll take Leo for the night,” she whispered. “We hope that’s okay with you.”

“What happened to Andres?”

She peered over my shoulder. “I believe he’s occupied.”

I followed her gaze to spot Leo’s uncle chatting with Sadie. Izdor appeared slightly bruised by the occurrence, but still jovial about the event.

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