Page 9 of Protected By the Elf Prince

Mine.

The word rose instinctively and naturally.

If we consummated our bond, its strength would grow. I would know exactly where he was and how he felt.

Though with my own ability, I could slip into his mind from a distance and speak to him telepathically. But I knew that would disturb him.

The urge still lingered, though. I wanted to see him, hear him, touch him in some way.

I closed my eyes briefly, steadying the possessive instinct before it could take hold too strongly.

Landon had made himself clear.

This was overwhelming for him. Even unwanted, perhaps, or at the very least unexpected.

He did not understand our world. Did not understand what it meant to be bound to another by Fate itself.

And I would not make that harder for him. Even if every instinct within me demanded I go to him. To ensure he was well, or simply to be nearby.

My fingers curled slightly at my sides before I forced them to relax.

He needed space and time. Especially since I had given in to this instinct only yesterday, when I went to his house.

My gaze softened as I looked at the building once more.

Landon.

My beloved.

Even his name felt right. It had grounded me in a way I did not think possible.

A faint smile touched my lips. He was mine. Even when he was so very human and drank that horrid drink called coffee, which I pretended to sip. I had waited a lifetime for him, so I could wait just a little longer for my beloved to become comfortable with me.

And then hopefully accept me.

Maybe I needed to speak with the Blackwood brothers or Soren, who was freshly mated, to see if they could give me advice on how to woo this human of mine.

I wanted him to be happy when he saw me. Smile or laugh around me and look at me as though I were the only elf he could see himself with.

But I had to calm down and be patient.

I exhaled slowly, grateful that Fate brought Landon into my existence.

“I will treat you as the gift you are because that is what you are to me.”

The words I spoke when we had first met echoed quietly in my mind.

I meant them with every part of what I was.

Landon might not believe it yet—might not understand it—but I would show him, through action, through patience, and through unwavering respect.

All in time.

Yes. I nodded once to myself. I would show him that he was not bound to a being who would take from him, but to an elf who would give everything.

A soft sound drew my attention as someone brushed past me on the sidewalk, muttering an apology I did not require. They would see only the glamour I cast that made me look like they did. Landon hadn’t seen it the previous morning, even though I had it in place. He had only seen the real me, which had me smiling again.

I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgment to the rushing man, though he had already moved on.