Chapter 11 Cornelius #2
“I like apples. We had them in our realm.” He reached over and took a small bowl with apples in it and placed it on his plate with his pizza. When he grabbed another with salad in it, he looked back at me in question.
“Where are we sitting?”
“Wherever you’d like. But I know that Patrick was hoping we’d join them. He really would like to get to chat with you.”
“I would,” Patrick added.
Matthew nodded and his plates and bowls were suddenly gone. He seamlessly reached for another plate and added a few more things to it, before grabbing a napkin rolled around silverware.
“Are you coming?” he asked expectantly.
“Absolutely,” I told him and added a few more things to my own plate and sent several bowls to the table as well. When we both arrived back, there was a steaming mug of tea waiting, and I raised an eyebrow at Matthew in question.
“My stomach is fine. But I’d like to keep it that way. And I don’t intend to eat everything on my plates. Promise. I just want to try things. It all looks and smells yummy.”
I leaned over and kissed the top of Matthew’s head before I sat back up. “It is. Trust me on that. If you enjoy something, let me know so I can be sure we have it again. But don’t overdo it, okay?”
Matthew shook his head. Arthur, Patrick, and Grantham joined us as Matthew picked up his mug of tea and took a healthy drink of it.
Unless he was blocking me from feeling things, his stomach wasn’t giving him any fits just now.
I sure hoped to keep it that way because I hated seeing my One sick.
I understood why, but that didn’t mean I liked it any.
We enjoyed our lunch, eating leisurely as others from the coven came over and greeted us. Matthew took it in stride and did his best to not let it overwhelm him.
Grantham mentioned that he was welcome to come to the kitchen and help whenever he was feeling up to it, but if he’d changed his mind and no longer wanted to, that was okay as well.
Matthew insisted that he wanted to, that he missed cooking and baking.
He was anxious to learn about favorite recipes of the coven members as well as share some of his favorites.
Everyone at the table seemed excited about that prospect, so Matthew said he’d show up on Monday when I went to work.
When we left the dining room, I took Matthew on a tour of the estate, showing him where the stairs were and how to get to my office, Master Arthur and Patrick’s office, as well as the kitchen. I showed him the hallway that had our medical offices and rooms.
Matthew was surprised to realize that not only were there a few shifters in the coven, but there were a few human females as well. I reminded him that Ellie was human.
“I guess I didn’t really think about that. So there are no female warlocks?”
“Nope. There are witches, which are the female version, but for whatever reason, it seems rare that they are paired with a warlock. They usually end up with shifters, or humans,” I told Matthew as we sat in our suite on the couch, relaxing.
“And there are all kinds of shifters? We knew there were the obvious bears, wolves, and big cats. But there are others?”
“Yes. I’m not sure there are mouse shifters, but I’d imagine so. Timber Valley and Honey Creek have all kids of shifters in their pack and den. And there is a pride that’s just on the other side of the lake from them, but I didn’t get a chance to interact with any of them.”
“Hmm, are they not friendly?” Matthew asked as he scooted down on the couch, laying his head on my thigh, the rest of his body stretched out.
“As far as I know, they are. I just didn’t ever venture to that side of the lake but the one time. I didn’t sense my One there, so I didn’t bother introducing myself or anything like that.”
“Oh, okay.”
I watched as Matthew pulled up his shirt and pushed down the waist of his jeans a bit. When he started running his finger over his tiny bump, I smiled.
“You know, eventually we’ll need to decide on furniture and stuff for that little one.”
“I know,” Matthew said as he beamed a smile up at me.
“We have time though. I’m only six weeks pregnant.
I have ten more to go. We have time. But could I borrow your tablet?
I wanted to look at some furniture for the rest of the suite.
You said I could decorate however I wanted, right?
I don’t have access to my money though.”
“Yeah, I got you a bank card when I added you to my account. I’ll grab it when I get the tablet.
Or did you want the laptop? We should get you one if you want, although I don’t mind you using mine.
I have nothing to hide from you, sweetheart.
” I didn’t. My entire life was an open book to Matthew.
Everything from past hookups—he grumbled a bit about that—to my childhood and growing up as the younger son of my parents. I hid absolutely nothing from my One.
“I don’t need my own. And Aspen used a card when we were shopping in Timber Valley. Is that what you mean? We don’t have banks in my realm. We have money, but it’s not like what they have here from what I’ve seen.”
“Yes, it’s like what I’m sure Aspen used. Let me get everything, and we’ll do some shopping. I’m anxious to see what you do with the place.”
I got up to grab the tablet, laptop, and my wallet that had not only his bank card in it, but mine as well. I’d had centuries to save, and I was more than ready to see what damage Matthew could do to the funds I’d saved up for just this purpose.