twenty.” She took a deep breath. “Everything will be changing
now. It’s time to focus on bringing the People’s honor back to the fore.”
“Oh Mom,” Ariel said. “I was young,
yes, but I would’ve managed.”
“I didn’t want you to have to
‘manage,’ Ariel. I wanted you to thrive,” Anahita said.
Ariel opened her mouth to say
something, but then obviously thought the better of it, taking a sip of her
drink instead.
Raphael frowned slightly. Anahita
seemed different, somehow. Stronger. As he looked at
her, he thought he saw some subtle shading along her legacy marks, similar to
his brother Suriel’s, but then she shifted and he decided it must be a trick of
the light. There couldn’t be two sorcerers born to the People in one
generation, could there? He dismissed his speculation. He had enough to worry
about without letting his mind gallop over a crazy theory like that.
“Everything will be
changing, but not until tomorrow. Which is why I need to get some sleep,”
Gabriel said, standing up. He put his empty plate in the sink.
Raphael stood too, cleaning up the
debris from his snack. “I’m with him,” he said, jerking a thumb at his mate.
Ariel chuckled. “You guys are such…
guys.”
Raphael grinned. “What? You want us
to act all lovey-dovey?” He made a kissing face at Gabriel, who just stared
back, all patient , strong Alpha. Raphael could tell he
was laughing inside, though. His eyes gave it away.
“Um, yuck. I think not,” Ariel
said, standing up too. “I’m heading home. I know you picked out a room for me
here, but I’d rather wait to sleep here until I get my stuff and my own bed
carted over. It’ll feel less weird that way.”
Gabriel nodded. “What about you?”
he asked his mother.
She stood. “I’ll go with your
sister. I want to sleep in my own bed. See you in the morning, dear.” She
hugged him and the two women left after exchanging good-nights with Raphael’s
mother.
“Will you be okay in your room?” he
asked her.
She smiled at him. “I lived here
before, you know. When I was a girl. My room was still
empty and not even dusty. I’ll be fine.”
Gabriel shot him a surprised look. “Oh.
Raphael didn’t tell me that.”
“You’ve had a busy day,” she said,
smiling at them both.
She has a
point ,
Raphael thought. What with the demon and
the mating flight and the fight. Not to mention the discovery that I can heal
Gabriel. “That’s true,” he said mildly, cutting her some slack. “Well, I’m
glad you’ll be comfortable, Mom.” He hoped she’d get the hint and go to bed. He
wanted to be alone with his mate.
“What he said,” Gabriel added,
smiling.
“Thank you,” she replied, eyes
twinkling. “Goodnight, boys. Sleep tight.” She didn’t
budge from her spot at the table.
Raphael unsuccessfully fought down
a blush as he interpreted the look she gave him as meaning: have fun with your handsome Alpha . There
were definitely drawbacks to having such a close-knit family. “Mom, you’re killing
me here.” He reminded himself for the thousandth time that no one ever died of
embarrassment.
She laughed, clearly enjoying
herself.
“Goodnight, Charmeine,” Gabriel
said admirably evenly. Raphael was impressed. Gabriel had just met her, she was
technically his mother-in-law, and he still managed to maintain his composure.
His mother finally took pity on
them. “See you tomorrow, dear.” She hugged him briefly and headed out of the
room smiling.
Raphael rubbed his face. “Sorry
about my mother.”
Gabriel chuckled. “It’s fine. I
like her.”
“She lives to torment her
children,” Raphael said glumly.
“Isn’t that the prerogative of a
parent?” Gabriel asked, tugging Raphael to his feet.
“Hmpf. She seems to enjoy it
more than most.” Raphael let his Alpha tug him out of the kitchen. “And she’s
really good at it.”
“We’ll have to keep her and my mom
as far apart as possible.” Gabriel mock-shuddered. “Can
now. It’s time to focus on bringing the People’s honor back to the fore.”
“Oh Mom,” Ariel said. “I was young,
yes, but I would’ve managed.”
“I didn’t want you to have to
‘manage,’ Ariel. I wanted you to thrive,” Anahita said.
Ariel opened her mouth to say
something, but then obviously thought the better of it, taking a sip of her
drink instead.
Raphael frowned slightly. Anahita
seemed different, somehow. Stronger. As he looked at
her, he thought he saw some subtle shading along her legacy marks, similar to
his brother Suriel’s, but then she shifted and he decided it must be a trick of
the light. There couldn’t be two sorcerers born to the People in one
generation, could there? He dismissed his speculation. He had enough to worry
about without letting his mind gallop over a crazy theory like that.
“Everything will be
changing, but not until tomorrow. Which is why I need to get some sleep,”
Gabriel said, standing up. He put his empty plate in the sink.
Raphael stood too, cleaning up the
debris from his snack. “I’m with him,” he said, jerking a thumb at his mate.
Ariel chuckled. “You guys are such…
guys.”
Raphael grinned. “What? You want us
to act all lovey-dovey?” He made a kissing face at Gabriel, who just stared
back, all patient , strong Alpha. Raphael could tell he
was laughing inside, though. His eyes gave it away.
“Um, yuck. I think not,” Ariel
said, standing up too. “I’m heading home. I know you picked out a room for me
here, but I’d rather wait to sleep here until I get my stuff and my own bed
carted over. It’ll feel less weird that way.”
Gabriel nodded. “What about you?”
he asked his mother.
She stood. “I’ll go with your
sister. I want to sleep in my own bed. See you in the morning, dear.” She
hugged him and the two women left after exchanging good-nights with Raphael’s
mother.
“Will you be okay in your room?” he
asked her.
She smiled at him. “I lived here
before, you know. When I was a girl. My room was still
empty and not even dusty. I’ll be fine.”
Gabriel shot him a surprised look. “Oh.
Raphael didn’t tell me that.”
“You’ve had a busy day,” she said,
smiling at them both.
She has a
point ,
Raphael thought. What with the demon and
the mating flight and the fight. Not to mention the discovery that I can heal
Gabriel. “That’s true,” he said mildly, cutting her some slack. “Well, I’m
glad you’ll be comfortable, Mom.” He hoped she’d get the hint and go to bed. He
wanted to be alone with his mate.
“What he said,” Gabriel added,
smiling.
“Thank you,” she replied, eyes
twinkling. “Goodnight, boys. Sleep tight.” She didn’t
budge from her spot at the table.
Raphael unsuccessfully fought down
a blush as he interpreted the look she gave him as meaning: have fun with your handsome Alpha . There
were definitely drawbacks to having such a close-knit family. “Mom, you’re killing
me here.” He reminded himself for the thousandth time that no one ever died of
embarrassment.
She laughed, clearly enjoying
herself.
“Goodnight, Charmeine,” Gabriel
said admirably evenly. Raphael was impressed. Gabriel had just met her, she was
technically his mother-in-law, and he still managed to maintain his composure.
His mother finally took pity on
them. “See you tomorrow, dear.” She hugged him briefly and headed out of the
room smiling.
Raphael rubbed his face. “Sorry
about my mother.”
Gabriel chuckled. “It’s fine. I
like her.”
“She lives to torment her
children,” Raphael said glumly.
“Isn’t that the prerogative of a
parent?” Gabriel asked, tugging Raphael to his feet.
“Hmpf. She seems to enjoy it
more than most.” Raphael let his Alpha tug him out of the kitchen. “And she’s
really good at it.”
“We’ll have to keep her and my mom
as far apart as possible.” Gabriel mock-shuddered. “Can
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