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“I’ll be back soon and bring you some food,” Mananan told Ella, giving her forehead a kiss and leaving her in the tub.
It was a hard thing to do. Every part of him was crying to go back and claim her. She loved him and had admitted it. That was enough for the moment. It was a start.
He wanted it to be her choice, and not feel like the fae mating magic had been affecting them. Mananan would’ve wanted Ella without the bond. She lit a part of him up on the inside that he hadn’t known he had.
Mananan found his brothers in the library, with Taranis giving Oberon an update on the day’s hunting.
“Ah, here he is. Feeling better?” Taranis said with a sly grin.
“Much better. I talked to Ella about her vision of the mage,” Mananan replied, refusing to be baited by his little brother. He told them about Ella’s theory.
“She’s smart, your mate. I wonder if they are really magically joined, if we take out one, will we take out the other as well?” Oberon asked Taranis.
“It’s possible if the bond is strong enough. He must be quite something magically in order to control something like that. He’s not a baby mage playing at greatness,” Taranis replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
Oberon hummed. “He’s going to be your responsibility either way. There’s only so much support Manan and I can give you in a magical skirmish. I’ll give you whatever power you need if what you carry is not enough.”
“I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not. The little shit ran away last time we encountered him. If he sticks about, I’ll obliterate him,” Taranis replied, his ruby eyes sparking with fire. He directed his gaze at Mananan. “Only you can deal with the monster he summoned. None of us can breathe underwater.”
“If I get close enough to it with Fragarach, then I’ll happily kill it,” he replied.
“Ella’s magic seems to have locked on it. Perhaps we could use her to track it so we could ambush it.”
Mananan growled, low and threatening. “No fucking way. It’s too dangerous. The monsterandthe mage have now seen her. Ella needs to stay out of this until they are both dead.”
“Easy, Manan. Try to think about this unemotionally,” Oberon said calmly. “You found Ella right at the time we needed her the most. The same thing happened with Chrissy and me. There are bigger powers than us in the world. We have both been given mates that can help us fix things. Ella has a part in all of this, and you need to take the bigger picture into consideration.”
“And it’s her choice, not yours,” Taranis added.
“I know it’s her choice. I don’t have to like it. I don’t want her to die for this. It’s not worth it.”
Taranis’s expression darkened. “One life to save magic and two worlds? Listen to what you’re saying!”
“You don’t understand because you don’t have a mate!” Mananan snapped. Taranis’s face shut down, and Mananan knew he’d gone too far.
“Fuck you, Manan.” Taranis rose to his feet and drained his glass of whiskey. “Think with your head instead of your dick. If you are so worried about your mate dying, do your job and fucking protect her while she helps us.” He strode out of the room without a backward glance.
“Fuccckkk,” Mananan growled. He rubbed at his face. “Don’t say it, Oberon.”
“I don’t need to say anything,” his eldest brother replied. He stared up at him. “Manan, you know he’s right. You are more than capable of protecting Ella from any enemy. The gods have chosen her to be a part of this family, which means she’ll contribute to its fights. You also need to claim her so you can think clearly again.”
Mananan let out another frustrated groan. “I know I do. I’ll wait until this monster is dealt with first. It’s the most pressing thing at the moment. There’s been so much in Ella’s life she hasn’t had a choice about. I want her to have one about this. I won’t claim her until she wants it.”
“If that’s your decision, then you need to listen to other voices of reason. Taran is crude, but he’s still right. You’re not thinking logically because it’s her.” Oberon got to his feet and patted his shoulder. “Go and spend your night with your mate. We will plan tomorrow on how we will deal with the monster and the mage. Get some sleep, if she lets you have any.”
Mananan grinned. “The woman has needs.”
“Mine does too. I am happy for you, Manan. You deserve a mate who makes you smile occasionally.” Oberon gave him a hug. “Unclaimed or not, we will protect her, like we protect all of our family.”
* * *
After they had saidtheir goodnights, Mananan went to the kitchen and found two covered trays of dinner with a note that they were for him and Ella. Warmth spread through his chest that his family, despite their bullshit, cared enough to make sure they were fed.
Ella was out of the bath and in bed, reading a book. She looked relaxed and gave him a smile when he walked through the door. Like always, it struck him dumb.
“Please tell me one of those trays is for me,” she said, getting out of bed. She was wearing one of Mananan’s shirts that came down to her knees.
“You need to eat and keep your strength up,” he said, placing the trays on the table.
