Gramlithyn stood but slanted a look at Pyxlevir on his way to the fridge. “Yes, Pyx. Absolutely.”
The elf Fate had paired him with cackled but flipped on the television. Although Gramlithyn was willing to familiarize himself with Pyxlevir’s body, it was far too soon in their journey as mates to focus on the physical. Hopefully, they could build an emotional bond and avoid any chance of a separation agreement in their future.
Chapter 22
Optimistic about life in general, Pyxlevir smiled as his parents walked into his office. He was hugged by both men, and Kalthekor brushed a chunk of Pyxlevir’s hair behind his ear.
“How was your morning?” the Valzadari Chieftain asked.
“Pretty good, how about you?”
“Excellent,” his father replied. “Should we head out to grab lunch?”
Movement out of the corner of his eye had Pyxlevir glancing at the door, and his smile grew as a frazzled Gramlithyn walked in. It was the hybrid’s second day employed at Elven D’Vaire, and he’d been bombarding Pyxlevir with questions about the company and how to best aid Ardusian. Pyxlevir answered as thoroughly as he could and loved the reminder of how Gramlithyn had handled projects as a teenager.
Completing them hadn’t been enough for Gramlithyn, he’d insisted on going the extra mile and finishing early. Gramlithyn did nothing halfway, which was probably why his only solution to believing Pyxlevir hated their matebond was to run far and fast. Since those days were over, Pyxlevir refused to focus on their lost years.
Instead, he stepped around his father and raised his arms to get a hug from Gramlithyn. The zebra-elf gave no hintof hesitation as he scooped Pyxlevir into his embrace. It was brief but lovely. As Pyxlevir stepped away, he took an extra heartbeat to appreciate the earthy scent of carrots surrounding Gramlithyn.
“Gramlithyn is joining us for lunch,” Pyxlevir told his parents as his mate stood behind him and offered Kalthekor and Aristos a quick wave.
Pyxlevir’s folks exchanged a glance, but it was too brief for Pyxlevir to figure out what was on their minds. Aristos nodded and held out a hand, which Kalthekor took.
“Gramlithyn, we are happy for your company,” Kalthekor remarked.
“Should we go across the street?” Aristos asked.
Little was said as the four men took the elevator down to the lobby and returned to the restaurant Pyxlevir had first taken Gramlithyn to the previous week. They were seated and had menus before the silence was broken.
“How are your parents?” Kalthekor asked.
Gramlithyn’s mouth thinned for a second, and Pyxlevir noticed the sag in his shoulders. “Well, I guess. You’ve probably spoken to them more recently than I have. Everything has been a whirlwind since I returned, and I’m not doing great at prioritizing.”
“Pyx keeps telling us the five of you are getting along well at the apartment, but I’ve lived with him, so I know that can’t be the whole truth,” Aristos teased. “Give us the real gossip.”
They had to wait to speak so they could give their orders to their server, but as soon as she stepped away from their table, Gramlithyn met Aristos’s brown gaze.
“The first month or so was awkward,” Gramlithyn confided. “Last week, we started having dinners together, and it’s gotten better. I think the comradery is building. Colby and Dasan have even bonded over freaky ice cream combinations.”
“Dasan is friendlier than Gramlithyn,” Pyxlevir said with a wink for his mate. “But we’ve finally dragged Gramlithyn out of his room to be sociable.”
“Ardusian was thrilled when you called him last week,” Kalthekor told Gramlithyn. “I know you only started yesterday, but how is it going?”
“It’s scary. For the past six years, I’ve worked jobs that have required little from me other than manual labor of some kind. Now, I’m expected to use my brain, and I think it might take a few weeks to grind my rusty gears into motion. But Ardusian and his assistant are incredibly kind and helpful. I’m glad Pyx told me to call him.”
“I keep telling you nothing can go wrong in your life if you listen to me,” Pyxlevir joked.
“Every punishment I ever received growing up was a direct result of me listening to you,” Gramlithyn replied with a rueful shake of his head.
“Pyx is definitely a troublemaker,” Aristos agreed.
Their server returned with their meals and drinks, and Pyxlevir eagerly dug into the extra helping of carrots he’d ordered.
“That would be the influence of so many centaurs in his life,” Kalthekor muttered.
“Agreed,” Pyxlevir said. “My uncles are dreadful, especially Timotheus. The man is an absolute menace.”
Aristos snorted. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
