AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are elves like fae when it comes to physical touch?” Wisteria asks.
Venali furrows his brows. “How do fae feel about physical touch between spouses?”
“It’s not done in public,” she says.
He gets a thoughtful look on his face. “If I say yes, will you two keep the touching to a minimum?”
She pretends to think. “Probably not.”
He sighs. “No, elves aren’t against touching. Though we aren’t quite as expressive as dragon shifters.”
I’ll have to keep that in mind when we’re in the elven court.
Wisteria’s purple eyes look up at me and I can’t resist kissing her forehead.
Okay, maybe not being affectionate with her is going to be harder than I thought. Hopefully the elves won’t be too offended by us.
Venali rolls his eyes. “Let’s hope Grandfather doesn’t want you two to stay for long or all your mushy crap is going to make me vomit.”
20
My elf family
Wisteria
My heart pounds so hard that I can hear the blood rushing through my ears. Stellan gives me a concerned look, so I try to give him a reassuring smile. I’m sure my eye color gives away my true emotions though.
I’msonervous.
Today, at twenty two years old, I’ll be meeting my grandfather for the first time. And maybe I knew him when I was younger, but I haven’t seen the guy since I was two. I don’t remember him. So… it’slike it’s the first time.
Grandfather and Venali are the only family left on my mother’s side. A lot of our family died at the same time as my mother did, but I don’t ask questions about that. On the plane, Venali told me that our grandmother died a few years ago, but the things he said about our grandfather makes me nervous.
Will he like me?
Stellan laces our fingers together and brings my handup to his mouth and kisses it gently.Everybody who knows you loves you. Trust me, he will adore you. It’s impossible to hate you.
I grin, knowing that he tried to hate me when we first got married. Since he only did it to protect me and my heart, I don’t hold it against him.
The town the elves live in is gorgeous. It’s small and quant—it’s exactly the kind of town I would’ve loved visiting growing up. It makes me feel sick to think about my dad keeping me away from my family like he did. I wish he had told me the truth from the beginning. What would it have been like to know my family as a kid? How different would this visit be, with me introducing Stellan to them?
I can feel a bubble of magic surrounding the castle, which makes me wonder what humans see when they look at this mountain. Is it just trees, or is there another large structure?
The castle is well hidden in the mountains. It looks like something out of medieval times, with stone towers and jutting turrets. There is even a bridge that expands across the massive lake—the only way into the castle. Venali drives across it without hesitation, but I glance at the dark water beneath. The sun is on the other side of the mountain, casting a shadow on everything.
Even though none of this looks familiar to me, there is a sense of comfort. It’s similar to what I felt when Venali and I connected our magic for the first time. I relax a little into my seat, feeling safe. I notice Venali’s shoulders relax too.
“What is that?” I ask him.
“Magic,” Venali answers. “It keeps out everybody except for our family and those who are invited.”
Stellan leans forward. “So I really was invited?”
“You’re married to Wisteria, so you’re family.” He saysit so simply and my heart swells with pride at the fact that he’s including my husband as family.
“So why was my father never allowed here?” I ask.
“Like I said, Grandfather banned him.” Venali pulls the car into an open door in the garage and it shuts behind us. “It’s probably best you don’t mention your father—it’s still a sore subject for him.” He shuts off the car and gets out before I can respond.
