by V. Vaughn
“You better be,” the elf smirked, pulling her mate down for a quick but fierce kiss before turning on her heels and walking toward the door as he whispered, “I love you a little more with every passing second,” into her mind.
“And I love you,” she answered in kind, using their mindspeak for the first time as she uttered the words she knew he had longed to hear.
11
Drawing upon the magic of his dragon, Quinn reduced all the bodies of the Buggars to ash and then watched as the blizzard blew them away. He could feel Elsa watching from the window of the cottage along with her sisters and couldn’t help but smile. She was everything he could’ve hoped for in a mate and in some ways, much more than he ever imagined he would have. Her strength and fearlessness were awe-inspiring. Her belief in him and his dragon after only a few days was nothing short of miraculous, and the way she made him feel was like floating on a cloud.
Making his way to the spot of Geneva’s demise, he collected a handful of her ash, slipped it into his pocket for Carolyn, and was just about to head back to the house when the sound of bells on the wind and hoofs in the snow reached his ears. Standing at the ready, Quinn laughed out loud as a sleigh pulled by ten full-sized reindeer being driven by a man who could only be Elsa’s father come over the ridge, raced down the mountain, and slid to a stop right in front of him.
Flipping his snow goggles to his head, Donovan O’Leary dropped the reins, jumped out of the sleigh, and grabbed Quinn’s hand. “You must be the dragon I’ve been hearing so much about.” Then taking a look around, added with a chuckle, “Looks like you handled the problem. My Caro said you were the man for our Elsa and I can see she was right.”
Turning around without another word, the elven patriarch got back into his sled and patted the seat beside him. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride to the barn. I’m thinkin’ you have a question or two for me.”
The ride back to the barn happened in complete silence while Quinn tried to decide exactly how to ask a man he’d only met a few moments ago for his blessing on the Guardsman’s mating to the elf’s daughter, whom he’d known for less than a week. Glancing out of the corner of his eye as they rolled right past Ivey, who had opened the big doors, the dragon looked back to see a cheeky grin on Donovan’s face and had to chuckle. The old man was playing with him and apparently, having a good time of it.
Once the sleigh was parked, Quinn helped unhook the reindeer, take off their tack, and brush them down, while one by one the girls arrived, hugged and kissed their father then peppered him with questions about his trip. The Guardsman caught his little mate looking at him every time he turned around while she was talking to her father. It made his heart sing and his dragon purr to know she was having as hard a time as he was with being in close proximity and not touching.
Finally, when all the deer were fed and bedded down, Quinn listened as Donovan told his daughters to go help their mother with dinner and motioned for the Guardsman to follow him into the back room. Quinn smiled as they crossed the threshold of the same room where Elsa had been caught ogling him by one of her sisters.
Coughing into his hand to hide his grin, Quinn declined when Donovan asked him if he wanted something to drink and sat where the elf instructed. Taking the chair behind the desk, Elsa’s father put his elbows on top, steepled his fingers, and tapped his chin. “So, tell me how it works with dragons? Do you mate for life? Live with your family? Are you going to stay here or do you have a home of your own?”
Pleasantly surprised at the elf’s forthright ways, Quinn relaxed into his seat and answered, “Yes, we most definitely mate for life. We believe there is a…”
His words were cut off as the door to the back room flew open and Elsa stormed in demanding, “It’s not fair that you two are out here talking about my future and I’ve been sent to the kitchen to cook and clean like the little woman.” She raised her fingers and made motions like quotation marks in the air. “This is my life, Daddy, and I have a say in it. Anything you men,” she said the word with an abundance of disdain, “can talk about, I damn sure can too.” Her tirade ended with a humph, a stomp of her foot, and her hands on her hips.
Unsure what to say, but needing his mate to know he always had her back, Quinn stood, motioned for her to take his seat, and then turned to Donovan. “She’s got us there, don’t you think? Elsa has every right to hear what I’m about to say. Probably, more than you do.”
The old elf’s hands dropped to his desk, his smile grew and he nodded. “Absolutely. You are a fine man, Quinn MacKenna, a fine man indeed. Please continue.”
Standing next to Elsa, Quinn was thrilled when she reached out and took his hand as he continued to explain. “Like I was saying, dragons believe there is one woman created by the Universe for each Guardsman. She is the light to his darkness, the other half of his soul, and the mate to not only the man, but the dragon within. We mate for life and beyond. There is only one woman for each man and should one of the couple be called to the Heavens before the other, he or she will prepare a place for their mate, waiting to be reunited then living for eternity, always in love, always together.”
He could feel his mate’s heart racing and knew she was hanging on his every word. It was a blessing and one he wanted to honor by telling her everything. “We do live with our families but not as your kind have been known to do. We live in clans that share a lair. Each couple has their own home but we are social beings and need the support of our brethren.” He paused, then added, “Since I have been away for a while,” chuckling along with both father and daughter at his brief explanation of his incarceration, “Elsa will be able to help me build a new home, one that will be all ours. But that does not mean we will not visit. I know how important family is and would never do anything to come between my mate and those she holds most dear.”
Donovan was nodding and grinning when he stood, stepped out from behind his desk, and walked to Quinn with his hand held out. As they shook, the old elf said, “I give you my blessing. I couldn’t have picked a better man for my Elsa.” Letting go of the dragon’s hand, Donovan knelt down in front of his daughter and said, “Now, it’s up to you, my girl. I think he’s a keeper but you have to follow your heart.”
Standing, the old elf kissed his daughter on the cheek and pointed to the door, “If I know my Caro, dinner is just about ready. Let’s go have a bite. I’d imagine you both have a lot to think about.”
Waiting until Donovan was out the door before he dared to look at Elsa, Quinn could barely contain his excitement as she smiled up at him, bit her lip and mouthed, “Thank you.”
“For what?” he whispered.
“For being open and honest and answering my dad’s questions. I know he can be a handful.”
Wrapping his arm around her shoulder and guiding her through the barn and to the back door, he kissed the top of her head and whispered, “It was nothing, mo chroi’. I like him.”
The rest of the night went by in a blur. The moment they entered the house, Donovan threw a package at Quinn. Tearing at the plain brown wrapping paper, the dragon gave a hell yeah as a pair of long johns, jeans, and a flannel shirt in his size came into view and then a second when Ivey handed him a pair of lined, waterproof hiking boots in size fourteen.
“Thank you very much, Mr. O’Leary.”
“The name’s Donovan, remember?” The old elf winked. “The missus said you were in desperate need of clothes that fit.”
“Indeed I was. Thank you again.”
Dinner was awesome and Quinn slept like a log, waking only because for the first time since his arrival, there was silence. Putting on his new clothes, happy to finally be in something that fit, the Guardsman made his way down the stairs through the empty living room and into the kitchen, where he found Carolyn, busy mixing some kind of dough.
“Well, good morning, sleepyhead,” she sing-songed. “How about some coffee and breakfast?”
“Sounds great,” he answered. “Where is everybody?”
; “They are out getting my Christmas tree. You know, the one Elsa and Mona were supposed to be getting when they found you?” She gave him a mock scowl and then burst out laughing, her giggle reminding him of tiny silver bells.
Laughing along, Quinn pulled out one of the small kitchen chairs and sat down, knowing better than to ask the elven matriarch if he could help. She’d made it clear early on that the kitchen was her domain and he was not welcome in it except to eat.
The Guardsman surprised himself at how used to squeezing into their elf-sized furniture he was becoming. It made him wonder how Elsa was going to react to all his huge brethren and their oversized…everything. He imagined her calling them giants and grinned to himself as Carolyn handed him a steaming mug of coffee and turned to fix his breakfast.
Lost in thought, Quinn almost spit his coffee across the table as Carolyn’s words brought him reeling into the future. “Well, are you going to ask Elsa to be your mate, or aren’t you?”
He would’ve laughed were she not standing at his side with one hand on her hip and the other swinging a spatula. Sputtering to answer, he couldn’t get a word in edgewise as the elf added, “I know you love her and it’s as plain as the point on my ears that she loves you. Donnie told me that you and yours believe in mating forever just like we do. The Goddess and the Universe have spoken,” she swatted his arm with her pancake turner, “so, hop to it, man.”
Scurrying to the stove to tend to his breakfast, Carolyn continued, “If it’s the ring you’re worried about, I have one I’ve been saving for just such an occasion.”
Back at his side in a flash with his breakfast in one hand and a black velvet box in the other, Carolyn set the plate in front of him, pulled up a chair and as she sat, opened the box to reveal the most magnificent ring Quinn had ever seen. It was an emerald and a ruby, both heart-shaped, in a platinum setting with the emerald right side up and the ruby upside-down. The points of the hearts were side-by-side with a diamond on either side.
“I can’t…” Quinn tried to hand the box back but Carolyn pushed his hands back and objected, “You can and you will. It was my great grandmother’s. I have been saving it, as she wished, for the first of my daughters to be mated.”
The elven matriarch sprung from her chair, hugged him tight around the neck, and kissed his cheek. When she pulled back there were tears in her eyes and her voice cracked as she added, “Welcome to the family. I couldn’t have done better if I’d picked you myself.”
Stepping back, she took a deep breath, immediately back to the spunky woman he knew, tapped the table, and ordered, “Now, eat that before it gets cold. You can keep me company while I get these cookies made.”
Hours passed as Quinn listened to story after story about Elsa as a child as Carolyn made enough cookies for a small country. The door finally blew open and in came Mona, holding the top of what appeared to be a huge Douglas fir, followed by her sisters guiding the tree through the door until lastly, Elsa, her dad, and the trunk were inside. It was a welcome change. In all his years, Quinn had never been that excited about the holidays; something he immediately knew was about to change as he watched the O’Learys jump into action. They were a flurry of activity, transforming what was already a festive home into a holiday extravaganza.
The tree was at least seven feet tall with the tip touching the ceiling, and when the elves were done, only that tiny piece at the top was uncovered. Elsa appeared at his side with a sly grin and one hand hidden behind her back. Motioning for him to bend down, his mate wrapped her free hand around his neck and kissed him soundly before whispering, “Will you put the star on the top of the tree for me?”
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Quinn lifted Elsa off the ground and answered as he carried her toward the tree, “No, but I’ll lift you up so you can.”
Laughing out loud as he lifted her up, Quinn watched as she placed the glowing silver star atop the tree and then slowly let her slide through his hands back down to the floor. Threading his fingers through hers, Quinn led Elsa to the doorway leading into the kitchen and under the mistletoe, got down on one knee. Opening the black velvet box Carolyn had given him earlier that day, he looked at the woman who made his life complete, the person who made a hundred years locked in a silver box seem worth it if she would be there every time the lid flew open, and asked, “Elsa, will you be my mate? Will you walk beside me for all eternity, hand-in-hand, sharing all that life has to offer until we ascend into the Heavens, forever in love?”
Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she nodded and smiled. “Yes, of course. I love you, you big old crazy dragon.”
Amid the claps, laughs, and cheers from her family, Quinn slipped the ring on her finger, pulled her lips to his, and sealed their love with a kiss. Wanting to be alone with his mate, Quinn stood, once again lifted Elsa into his arms, and turned toward the stairs.
Patting his shoulder, Elsa laughed out loud, “Oh no, my love, we have toasting and planning to do.”
Groaning as she kissed his cheek, Quinn placed Elsa’s feet on the floor and followed her back to her family. By the time they went to bed the sun was rising over the mountains, they had finished an entire case of champagne, and the Guardsman was seeing double.
After kissing his mate goodnight for the last night he would ever spend alone, Quinn closed the door of the guestroom, fell into bed, and was dead to the world, sleeping until well into the next afternoon and waking only because what sounded like an explosion shook the window of his rooms. The Guardsman was out of bed, back in his jeans, and down the stairs while still pulling his T-shirt over his head, bellowing, “Elsa! Elsa! What the hell is going on?”
Stopping dead in his tracks as the collar of his shirt slid round his neck and he came face-to-face with Alara, Elsa’s grandmother and second-in-command of the Elven nation, Quinn stood in silence. Her violet eyes sparkled with mirth as she winked and smirked, “And now I see why my granddaughter is so taken with you.”
12
After meeting Elsa’s grandmother in the most unconventional way he ever could’ve imagined and finding out the world was not coming to an end, it was just the elves building an enclosure for his mating ceremony, Quinn spent the hours until their ceremony being ordered around. The Guardsman carried flowers, chairs, carpets, and decorations to the huge tent Alara’s people had magically erected, waiting for the time to come when he would be joined with his elf for all time. He mused to several of Elsa’s sisters how glad he was that the blizzard had passed and was shocked when they laughed and said, “Yeah, Mother Nature owed Alara a favor.”
He guessed it was good they had decided to have the elven ceremony with her family and the dragon mating ceremony after they had returned to his clan sometime during their first bottle of champagne. Otherwise, he could only guess what Alara might have used her favor for. Besides, Quinn knew he would’ve mated his little elf hanging upside down from a tree branch over boiling lava if it meant he could have longer than five minutes alone with her, but he decided to save that little tidbit until their fiftieth anniversary or so.
Going over what Donovan had told him about the Elven Lifemating Ceremony, Quinn climbed the stairs to his room with strict instructions to change into the suit Alara told him was waiting for him on the bed. Sure enough, no sooner had he crossed the threshold than his eyes landed on a black tuxedo, crisp white shirt, and shiny black shoes, complete with a thin black strap of leather to tie back his hair just like he’d worn for most of his life.
Once dressed and after a final look in the mirror, Quinn made his way downstairs, through the living room, and out into the huge white tent to take his place and wait for his mate. Stopping just inside the enclosure and taking in the magnificent sight before him, the Guardsman was amazed. It was a magical winter wonderland created for his and Elsa’s special day in shimmering silver and brilliant white. White roses, Asiatic lilies, Calla lilies, and Hydrangeas filled vases, arrangements, and urns everywhere he looked; each adorned with sparkling s
ilver ribbons and bows. The white folding chairs sat in neat little rows on either side of a silver carpet that was lined with white poinsettias in shimmering pots and that led to a silver archway decorated with what he guessed to be at least a thousand white roses.
Twinkling lights hung around the perimeter of the tent and twirled down each support column, adding to the light of the multitude of candles Alara and Carolyn had insisted be placed on every available surface, giving the scene an angelic glow. There was no doubt in his mind that Elsa would love it and by the sounds of approaching footsteps, it was almost time for the ceremony.
Walking to his place at the front of the tent as Elsa’s family and friends came flooding in, Quinn started the countdown in his head. In less than fifteen minutes he would be officially mated, at least according to Elven Law, to the most wonderful woman in the world. It was the culmination of every dream he’d had before, during, and after being locked away for a century.
It had been his little elf who saved him. Not only from his horrible incarceration but a lonely existence without the wonderful light of her smile, the precious sound of her laughter, and the absolute perfection of her love. She was the embodiment of what Quinn had been taught his whole life…The Universe does not make mistakes. She created Elsa for him and there would never be another. He loved her with every fiber of his being and there was nothing he wasn’t prepared to do to show her every day how much she meant to him.
Looking up, he was shocked to see all the seats filled and Alara walking toward him in her white robes with a smile upon her face. As she approached, the Elven Prime Minister asked, “Are you ready to mate my granddaughter, Guardsman?”
“Yes, ma’am, most definitely. There is nothing in the world I would rather do.”
“Good answer,” she winked. “Very good answer.”
Taking her place facing the audience, Alara raised her hands and a hush fell over all the elves. Several seconds ticked by until the elder elf lowered her arms and a flute began to play a beautiful melody he had been told was an elven love song. Quinn’s eyes were riveted to the opening at the back of the pavilion. He felt each beat of his heart and that of his dragon’s as they waited for just one glimpse of their mate.
