Chapter Seven #2
Eudora smiled and sent texts to Delia and Den. The responses came in five minutes. Den was picking Delia up, and they were heading over.
“Looks like family is going to be here after all. Wanna hold a barbeque?” She grinned at him.
“First, I am going to show you around the upper floor, but you have a good point. I should order some groceries.”
“So, Hektor is gone?”
“Oh, yeah. Half an hour ago.” Sern laughed.
Eudora snorted. “Fine, show me to my makeup table and shower.”
He grinned. “You figured it out?”
“Oh, the craft room was a huge giveaway if I hadn’t noticed the soft and cozy sitting room.”
Sern shrugged. “I want you to be comfortable.”
“Uh-huh. And close by.”
“There will be no acceleration of intimacy.”
“What, like fucking in a moving car or falling off a cliff? Sorry, the mental image is mindboggling.”
Sern paused and tilted his head. “It is startling but not implausible.”
She laughed. “Right. So, upstairs?”
He slid an arm behind her and exhaled slowly as they walked into the house and up the stairs. The largest room was where he started and then something that would qualify as a wardrobe and dressing room. It had the feel of ancient royalty and less the suburbs.
The other rooms on the second level were large, alpha-sized beds, all with en suites.
So this place could host ten alphas with their significant others.
“You should open a bed and breakfast.”
He chuckled. “I don’t like other people enough. Definitely don’t like strangers.”
“Yeah. I think I know why.” She sighed and touched his hand, squeezing it.
“Let’s head downstairs. The groceries are going to arrive soon, and I want to get them put away so Den doesn’t know that this was your idea.”
She grinned. “I am curious as to what you think is proper for grilling.”
He chuckled. “So am I. Is the main room suitable for you?”
“Yes, but I still need a workroom with a ton of screens.”
He nodded. “Yes, I suppose you would. Do you often work from home?”
“In the evenings. I know that you do evening stuff.”
He smirked. “Less than I used to, but I look forward to it again.”
She looked at him as they walked down the stairs. He had to let the grocery delivery onto the property, and she was surprised when it was one of the dark elves.
“I thought all of you were brooding in big houses.” She smiled at the man who brought in the boxes.
“Nope. I was a scout. Now, I am still a scout. I have a lady I have been seeing, but she is still searching for the perfect man, and I am not that. So, this way, I can see a lot of people and pass information along to others who are actively searching for a mate.”
He smiled. “You can see right through the glamour.”
She nodded. “Yup. You have a nick in the point of your right ear.”
He looked bashful. “Yeah, you know what you are looking at.”
Sern covered her eyes. “Stop looking. We are sensitive about the ears.”
“Then put a bra on them. That’s how it works locally. Maybe a headband.”
Sern snorted. “The irritation on the sensitive skin would be extreme.”
“So? Ladies all over the planet get used to chafed nipples when we first start to wear bras. Don’t be wusses.”
The delivery guy sounded like he was grinning. “This is your mate, my lord?”
Eudora smirked behind Sern’s hand. “Only if he plays his cards right.”
Sern kissed the side of her neck. She squeaked.
He chuckled against her skin before he straightened and removed the blindfold of his hand.
She turned in his arms and glared up at him. “No sneaking up on me.”
He nodded. “Yes, Eudora. Now, let’s see what I ordered.”
She chuckled and nodded to the other elf. “Nice to meet you.”
He grinned. “Interesting. I would not have imagined that he would match with someone like you, but seeing you together, I think the match is perfect.”
Sern tensed. “That is interesting.”
“I certainly think so.” The man gave a jaunty salute and grinned as he left the building.
Eudora went to the two boxes and started to unpack everything so she could see it. “Did he go shopping on the ark? There seems to be two of every animal.”
Sern chuckled and rolled up his sleeves. “My people eat a lot of meat. You seem at ease with it.”
“Once upon a time, I visited my grandparents’ home and took part in turning these from wandering beasts to meat. A smelly process, but we always went out for dinner afterward.”
She looked at the packet of beef and the chicken. “Do you have any skewers?”
He grinned and gestured with his hand. He had a handful of skewers. “Yes, I do.”
She laughed. “But do you have a grill and propane?”
He nodded. “Yes, I do. It is in the outdoor kitchen.”
She closed her mouth with a snap and nodded. “Oh, right. I missed that on the tour.”
She got the chicken marinating, roughly chopped vegetables, and hummed to herself as she moved around the kitchen. Sern got some coffee going and brought plates to the dining area.
“What else can I get started?”
“Potatoes? Lemonade?”
He laughed, took the tubers and got them ready, slicing them nearly through, seasoning them and wrapping them in foil. They went into the oven on a low setting, and by the time he was done, the meal prep was finished.
He cheated the lemonade with magic a moment before Delia and Den arrived in the same vehicle.
Eudora washed her hands and looked to the newcomers. “So, make the call and then have dinner?”
Delia nodded. “I will be hungry by then. Can I have some of that lemonade? Easing holes in space makes me thirsty.”
Sern poured her a glass. “What do you require?”
“A room with no windows. This will be a projection thing, so dark is better. With both you and Den having the same mother, this will be an easy triangulation.”
Eudora walked with them and tucked herself into a corner. She was just here to watch.
Delia moved her hands in the air and smiled. “Dialling a really long distance.”
Eudora watched the seeking energy, and then something bloomed and opened a mirror that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
She smiled and gasped when a face took shape on the other side of the new window. The face was familiar but feminine. Sern’s mother.
There was a lot of gasping and speaking in their own language. The mother was sobbing and pressing a hand to the vision. Her sons were both smiling happily, delighted at being together from a distance.
A deeper voice spoke from the other side of the mirror, and Den and Sern spoke softly to him.
A questioning tone rang out from the projection, and Den grinned and waved toward Delia, who was sitting on the billiard table. He said something, and there was pride in his tone.
Sern looked into the shadows and held out a hand to beckon her closer. She knew what this was. This was a meet-the-in-laws moment.
She walked over and stood next to Sern. He put an arm around her, and she heard the snort and comment she couldn’t really decipher, but she understood it. She sighed and said, “I am guessing he is looking for this? Twit.”
She flared to life and let her energy rage. She knew what she looked like. Crimson and maroon light skimmed along every inch of her, and her eyes were molten gold.
Sern spoke softly to them, and his mother looked at her with a smile of understanding. She spoke to Sern, and there was a flash of light before the woman said, “You are stronger than you look.”
“I am strength. I do not know my life span nor that of any offspring I will have. I do know your mate is a little dumb. He needs remedial education. That tone was recognizable in any language. He was either calling me a side piece or a waste of time.”
Sern’s mother snorted. “You are correct. I will have to instruct him later.”
Sern snickered, and Den barked a laugh. Somehow, she got the feeling that Den’s father sought correction now and then.
The lady looked at her intently. “You want my son?”
“Everyone does. I like him. He’s caring and makes me smile, and I feel safe with him. That is rare for me.”
“He can be a nightmare.”
“I am aware of that as well. What were you doing, giving him your features? Women swoon in his path. It makes walking awkward.”
The woman grinned. “It was fate that gave him my looks. You know of his origin?”
“Rut-born? Yes. I was raised in the countryside. It doesn’t offend me.” She smiled. She pressed a hand to her chest. “I am Eudora.”
“I am Seranthee. It is good to meet you. I will apply to be able to move to your home for a time if you have a child. You will need help.”
“Good. I imagine Den trying to assemble things everywhere and Sern attempting to negotiate to get a child to stop crying.”
Seranthee grinned. “So, you have definitely met them. I made strong-willed men.”
“And they are seeking strong women for some reason.”
Seranthee laughed and looked innocent. “I can’t understand why.”
“You were in the imperial guard?”
“And the archive.”
“You are looking lovely for someone over a thousand years old.”
“I eat well and love my family. It keeps me young.”
“Well, your genetics let your children survive here, so well done. Okay, I will let the guys return to your conversation.” She bowed. “Nice meeting you.”
She straightened and went to Delia, putting her hand on her friend’s arm, and Delia relaxed. “Thanks, Dori.”
She gave Dori strength for another thirty minutes until the guys finished their conversation, and Den’s father looked at Delia. He said slowly, “How often is she willing to allow communication?”
Delia said, “Monthly. This is not easy. I am going through three layers of imperial wards for this chitchat.”
Seranthee blinked. “Imperial wards?”
“Yes, Vaayu tried to lock our world, but he isn’t the ruling body here. We have a large group of women here who would disagree. We are a free world with an imperial colony on it, and most of our world has no idea.”
Seranthee stared. “I see.”
“Maybe one day. For now, it will be once a month, and only if Eudora can boost my energy. You are chatty.”
The woman smiled. “Interesting. Thank you for your efforts.”
Delia said, “Say your farewells.”