Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
LAITHOG
Today is Christmas !
My eyes snap open in excitement as I look down at the warm weight draped across my chest. A damp spot tells me she’s drooled on me again, but I do not care. I have been covered in entrails before.
What’s a little spittle?
Jostling my mate, I ease her into wakefulness. It must be said that she does not care for mornings.
At all.
Groaning , she rolls over and stretches as her eyelids flutter before she semi-glares at me out of one cracked eye. “ Whatchu wakin’ me up for?” she grouchily asks.
“ It is Christmas !” I retort with merriment. Yesterday Paisley disappeared into her jewelry room for several hours, and while she thought I was napping, I crafted her gift. I cannot wait to give it to her, even though I am slightly nervous. This holiday is new to me and my mate is not Garagyre , she’s human. With that in mind, I made a backup gift in case she doesn’t care for the first one.
Having magick is truly a blessing sometimes…and I do not care if other beings consider using to craft gives as cheating.
They can jump off a cliff. My mate is still staring at me balefully, as I scoop her up into my arms and set her on her feet next to the bed. With a patronizing pat to her backside, I shoo her towards the bathroom. “ Go tend your morning ablutions, and I will meet you in the communal room. Merry , Pippin , let us go outside!”
Cringing at the raucous yodels both dogs let out, I head towards the back door, following the two bouncing balls of hair as I go.
Quite frankly, I need to piss too.
Laithog is in the living room by the time I finish my morning bathroom routine. He’s lounging on the couch in his leather kilt with one leg bouncing up and down. His nerves have been radiating across the bond since we got up. I’ve no clue why he’s so nervous. I know I’ll like anything he either made or…procured for me.
The second I walk into the living room; he bounds to his feet and meets me halfway across the floor. “ Come , my mate, sit, sit. I …made you a few things, and the wait is too much to bear. I must give them to you now, so I know if I have done well or not.”
His words are running together. He’s talking so fast. I’ve never seen him this rattled…it’s adorable. Sitting on the couch as he asked, I settle in and look at him expectantly. With the coffee table separating us, he waves his hands in a circular motion and says, “ Nanna , coniunx ultor. Veni ad me.”
In a shower of white light, so bright it’s almost blinding, a sword appears in his hands and he gently lays it on the table in front of me. The blade is so white its opalescent, reflecting the multicolored lights from across the room on the Christmas tree, and the hilt is made of gold and soft greens. It’s a replica of his sword, Baldr , in shape and design, but the colors are an exact contrast to his weapon.
Looking at it in awe, I reach out and grasp the grip, unsurprised when it fits my hand perfectly.
“ Do you…like it? I named her Nanna , mate avenger. So , should you ever need to defend me again, you will be sufficiently armed. I know a sword is not a normal gift for a human female, but you are not a normal human female. You are mated to a Garagyre , and a warrior of Light .” His words are hesitant but steadfast.
“ Laithog …this is…” Before I can finish, he speaks again.
“ I made you these, in case you did not care for the sword.” Waving his hand again, two wooden figurines appear next to the sword. One glows with a soft blue aura while the other a light green. Squinting a bit, I look at the little models and when I recognize them, my eyes go wide in shocked delight.
Just to make sure I’m not seeing things, I turn my head to where Merry and Pippin are laying in their dog beds across the room and then back to the sculptures in front of me. “ You made me exact replicas of Merry and Pippin !”
Jumping up from the couch, I race around the coffee table and jump into his arms. “ Laithog , thank you!! I adore my gifts! I’ve always wanted a sword and now I have one, thanks to you…and you knew I would just love the figurines you made me of my sweet little fluff fluffs,” I gush, wrapping my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his beautiful long silver hair, and I hook my legs around his thick waist.
Pulling his head down to mine, I smack a kiss across his stunned lips. “ Wait here!”
Hopping down, I race to the back of the house and into my jewelry room. Snatching his gift off my worktable, I hurry back through the house and into the living room.
Holding out my fist, I motion him to hold out his left hand. “ I made you something too! Well , I made us both something, but it has a certain significance in my culture. One that I think you will greatly appreciate,” I say as I slide a wedding band made of silver with chips of rubies and turquoise inlaid into the band on his ring finger, silently thankful that he has four fingers and a thumb just like me.
Making sure he’s watching, I slide a matching band with onyx and amethyst inlaid into the band onto my ring finger. The swirling designs are the same, with the sole difference between them being the color of the stones. My colors for him and his for me. “ These are called wedding rings. They’re symbols that humans in this part of the world will recognize and know that you and I are bound together. The word we use is married,” I hurriedly explain.
“ You would claim me in the human way…?” comes his tentative reply.
“ Laithog , sugar. I will claim you in any way I can…even in that delicious looking other form you’ve got hidden inside you,” I respond sassily, ignoring his dumbfounded look of shock, as I pull him closer to me and roll onto my tiptoes, meeting his descending head halfway.
Right before our lips meet, I whisper. “ Merry Christmas , Laithog . I love you to the moon and back.”
Love and devotion overwhelm me as he gathers me to him, holding me in his embrace as he says, “ Merry Christmas , my precious Paisley . I will love you unendingly.”
A sharp bark followed by a warbling grumble announces Merry and Pippin joining in our loving huddle. I snicker when I look down to see Merry has his front paws on Laithog’s left leg and Pippin is sitting on his right foot. Baring his teeth in a facsimile of a smile, he snarls at them as I burst into laughter held tight in the arms of the male I love.