and then a thud. She nibbled at Axander’s lips and sighed softly. “I guess I have to deal with this.”
“I am with you.” He kept an arm around her and steered her toward her family.
The brother that had grabbed her was Roger. He was sitting at the base of a tree and rubbing his arm. “What the hell was that, Prix?”
“New day, new mate, old name. Call me Pansy.”
Her brothers were arranged in an amused semi-circle with her father in the centre.
“Dad, I would like to formally introduce you to my mate, Axander Barkley. Axander, my father, Karl Medeela.”
Axander inclined his head and extended his hand to the older man. “A pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Her father looked at him, sniffed and tilted his head. “You are not a wolf?”
“No, sir.”
“Not a porcupine.”
“No, sir.”
“What are you then, son?”
Pansy sighed in relief, as did her brothers.
“I am a badger, sir. A honey badger to be specific. I am an in-species random.”
“Ah, you know my daughter is special.”
“I do.”
“You know she has magic of her own.”
Axander looked down at her, and he squeezed her. “I have never doubted that for a moment.”
Pansy blushed and smiled at her father. “You can let them bring their mates home now, Dad. I can defend myself from their females.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “You knew?”
“I suspected. There have been reps from every family in the four closest states. The boys come home smelling like strange females in heat. There has to be something going on.”
Her father nodded. “I never wanted you to feel unwelcome in your own home. Keelie gave me a bit of a lecture after you left, and I am at peace with you moving into your own home.”
She looked up at Axander and back to her father. “Our home but bordering your territory. We will have to negotiate the borders as your family keeps expanding. It might mean weekly dinners.”
Karl grinned. “Jarrod would like the practice.”
“Oh, no, Dad. I meant me. In fact, I would like to request Jarrod as a tutor if I may.”
Her father crossed his arms. “I am unsure that it would be a good idea. We all know that you have been coaching him through the meals for the last two years.”
She blushed. “How did you learn that?”
“You have been gone a week. We figured it out.” Her father’s tone was wry.
Axander snickered, and it was the sound that broke her brothers’ restraint. Hugs flew, Thomas hauled her mate aside for some detailed interrogation, and she was once again in the embrace of her family.
Roger sprang for takeout, and they all sat around the huge table. Apparently, no one wanted to chance Jarrod’s smoked chicken. With all the windows open, the smoke was clearing rapidly.
After a lot of congratulations, Pansy had to know, “So, what happened to the transporter?”
Andrew cleared his throat. “Well, the Mage Guild Master showed up and picked up his wife, then he asked what the hell happened, and when we told him, he asked us what the hell we were doing sending a mage to the Crossroads.”
Doug said, “Aunt Keelie stepped in then and spoke to him. He stepped back a few times while she was talking, but eventually, he nodded and took his mate away. She was dazed and her hair was sticking out but otherwise fine.”
Jake nodded. “It looked like she licked a light socket.”
Pansy groaned. “That is going to zing me.”
“Aunt Keelie said she would handle it when you got back. Just call her, and she will be ready with an intervention.” Andrew nodded.
“That sounds ominous.”
Her father sighed and reached for the Moo Shu Pork. “It is ominous. You zapped a Guild Master, Pansy. There will be consequences.”
With that conversation killer, dinner was over. Pansy excused herself and showed Axander her room.
“Holy crud. I imagined a tiny space on the top floor. Not this.” He smiled and admired the benefit to living in a longhouse-styled home.
Her room stretched the one
“I am with you.” He kept an arm around her and steered her toward her family.
The brother that had grabbed her was Roger. He was sitting at the base of a tree and rubbing his arm. “What the hell was that, Prix?”
“New day, new mate, old name. Call me Pansy.”
Her brothers were arranged in an amused semi-circle with her father in the centre.
“Dad, I would like to formally introduce you to my mate, Axander Barkley. Axander, my father, Karl Medeela.”
Axander inclined his head and extended his hand to the older man. “A pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Her father looked at him, sniffed and tilted his head. “You are not a wolf?”
“No, sir.”
“Not a porcupine.”
“No, sir.”
“What are you then, son?”
Pansy sighed in relief, as did her brothers.
“I am a badger, sir. A honey badger to be specific. I am an in-species random.”
“Ah, you know my daughter is special.”
“I do.”
“You know she has magic of her own.”
Axander looked down at her, and he squeezed her. “I have never doubted that for a moment.”
Pansy blushed and smiled at her father. “You can let them bring their mates home now, Dad. I can defend myself from their females.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “You knew?”
“I suspected. There have been reps from every family in the four closest states. The boys come home smelling like strange females in heat. There has to be something going on.”
Her father nodded. “I never wanted you to feel unwelcome in your own home. Keelie gave me a bit of a lecture after you left, and I am at peace with you moving into your own home.”
She looked up at Axander and back to her father. “Our home but bordering your territory. We will have to negotiate the borders as your family keeps expanding. It might mean weekly dinners.”
Karl grinned. “Jarrod would like the practice.”
“Oh, no, Dad. I meant me. In fact, I would like to request Jarrod as a tutor if I may.”
Her father crossed his arms. “I am unsure that it would be a good idea. We all know that you have been coaching him through the meals for the last two years.”
She blushed. “How did you learn that?”
“You have been gone a week. We figured it out.” Her father’s tone was wry.
Axander snickered, and it was the sound that broke her brothers’ restraint. Hugs flew, Thomas hauled her mate aside for some detailed interrogation, and she was once again in the embrace of her family.
Roger sprang for takeout, and they all sat around the huge table. Apparently, no one wanted to chance Jarrod’s smoked chicken. With all the windows open, the smoke was clearing rapidly.
After a lot of congratulations, Pansy had to know, “So, what happened to the transporter?”
Andrew cleared his throat. “Well, the Mage Guild Master showed up and picked up his wife, then he asked what the hell happened, and when we told him, he asked us what the hell we were doing sending a mage to the Crossroads.”
Doug said, “Aunt Keelie stepped in then and spoke to him. He stepped back a few times while she was talking, but eventually, he nodded and took his mate away. She was dazed and her hair was sticking out but otherwise fine.”
Jake nodded. “It looked like she licked a light socket.”
Pansy groaned. “That is going to zing me.”
“Aunt Keelie said she would handle it when you got back. Just call her, and she will be ready with an intervention.” Andrew nodded.
“That sounds ominous.”
Her father sighed and reached for the Moo Shu Pork. “It is ominous. You zapped a Guild Master, Pansy. There will be consequences.”
With that conversation killer, dinner was over. Pansy excused herself and showed Axander her room.
“Holy crud. I imagined a tiny space on the top floor. Not this.” He smiled and admired the benefit to living in a longhouse-styled home.
Her room stretched the one
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