by Julia Mills
Standing, the old elf kissed his daughter on the cheek and pointed to the door, “If I know my Caro, dinner is just about ready. Let’s go have a bite. I’d imagine you both have a lot to think about.”
Waiting until Donovan was out the door before he dared to look at Elsa, Quinn could barely contain his excitement and she smiled up at him, bit her lip and mouthed, “Thank you”.
“For what?” He whispered.
“For being open and honest and answering my dad’s questions. I know he can be a handful.”
Wrapping his arm around her shoulder and guiding her through the barn and to the backdoor, he kissed the top of her head and whispered, “It was nothing, mo chroi’. I like him.”
The rest of the night went by in a blur. The moment they entered the house, Donovan threw a package at Quinn. Tearing at the plain brown wrapping paper, the dragon gave a whoop of, “Hell yeah,” as a pair of long johns, jeans, and a flannel shirt in his size came into view and then a second when Ivey handed him a pair of lined waterproof hiking boots in size fourteen.
“Thank you very much, Mr. O’Leary.”
“The name’s Donovan, remember?” The old elf winked. “The missus said you were in desperate need of clothes that fit.”
“Indeed I was. Thank you again.”
Dinner was awesome and Quinn slept like a log, waking only because for the first time since his arrival there was silence. Putting on his new clothes, happy to finally be in something that fit, the Guardsman made his way down the stairs through the empty living room and into the kitchen where he found Carolyn, busy mixing some kind of dough.
“Well, good morning, sleepyhead,” she sing-songed. “How about some coffee and breakfast?”
“Sounds great,” he answered. “Where is everybody?”
“They are out getting my Christmas tree. You know, the one Elsa and Mona were supposed to be getting when they found you?” She gave him a mock scowl and then burst out laughing, her giggle reminding him of tiny silver bells.
Laughing along, Quinn pulled out one of the small kitchen chairs and sat down, knowing better than to ask the elven matriarch if he could help. She’d made it clear early on that the kitchen was her domain and he was not welcome in it except to eat.
The Guardsman surprised himself at how used to squeezing into their elf-sized furniture he was becoming. It made him wonder how Elsa was going to react to all his huge brethren and their oversized…everything. He imagined her calling them giants and grinned to himself as Carolyn handed him a steaming mug of coffee and turned to fix his breakfast.
Lost in thought, Quinn almost spit his coffee across the table as Carolyn’s words brought him reeling into the future. “Well, are you going to ask Elsa to be your mate or aren’t you?”
He would’ve laughed were she not standing at his side with one hand on her hip and the other swinging a spatula. Sputtering to answer, he couldn’t get a word in edgewise as the elf added, “I know you love her and it’s as plain as the point on my ears that she loves you. Donnie told me that you and yours believe in mating forever just like we do. The Goddess and the Universe have spoken,” she swatted his arm with her pancake turner, “so, hop to it, man.”
Scurrying to the stove to tend to his breakfast, Carolyn continued, “If it’s the ring you’re worried about, I have one I’ve been saving for just such an occasion.”
Back at his side in a flash with his breakfast in one hand and a black velvet box in the other, Carolyn set the plate in front of him, pulled up a chair and as she sat, opened the box to reveal the most magnificent ring Quinn had ever seen. It was an emerald and a ruby, both heart-shaped, in a platinum setting with the emerald right side up and the ruby upside-down. The points of the hearts were side-by-side with a diamond on either side.
“I can’t…” Quinn tried to hand the box back but Carolyn pushed his hands back and objected, “You can and you will. It was my great-grandmother’s. I have been saving it, as she wished, for the first of my daughter’s to be mated.”
The elven matriarch sprung from her chair, hugged him tight around the neck and kissed his cheek. When she pulled back there were tears in her eyes and her voice cracked as she added, “Welcome to the family. I couldn’t have done better if I’d picked you myself.”
Stepping back, she took a deep breath, immediately back to the spunky woman he knew, tapped the table and ordered, “Now, eat that before it gets cold. You can keep me company while I get these cookies made.”
Hours passed as Quinn listened to story after story about Elsa as a child and Carolyn made enough cookies for a small country. When the door finally blew open and in came Mona holding the top of what appeared to be a huge Douglas fir followed by her sisters guiding the tree through the door until lastly Elsa, her dad and the trunk were inside, it was a welcome change. In all his years, Quinn had never been that excited about the holidays, something he immediately knew was about to change as he watched the O’Learys jump into action. They were a flurry of activity, transforming what was already a festive home into a holiday extravaganza.
The tree was at least seven feet tall with the tip touching the ceiling and when the elves were done only that tiny piece at the top was uncovered. Elsa appeared at his side with a sly grin and one hand hidden behind her back. Motioning for him to bend down, his mate wrapped her free hand around his neck and kissed him soundly before whispering, “Will you put the star on the top of the tree for me?”
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Quinn lifted Elsa off the ground and answered as he carried her towards the tree, “No, but I’ll lift you up so you can.”
Laughing out loud as he lifted her up, Quinn watched as she placed the glowing silver star atop the tree and then slowly let her slide through his hands back down to the floor. Threading his fingers through hers, Quinn led Elsa to the doorway leading into the kitchen and under the mistletoe got down on one knee. Opening the black velvet box Carolyn had given him earlier that day, he looked at the woman who made his life complete, the person who made a hundred years locked in a silver box seem worth it if she would be there every time the lid flew open and asked, “Elsa, will you be my mate? Will you walk beside me for all eternity, hand-in-hand, sharing all that life has to offer until we ascend into the Heavens, forever in love?”
Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she nodded and smiled, “Yes, of course, I love you, you big old crazy dragon.”
Amid the claps, laughs and cheers from her family, Quinn slipped the ring on her finger, pulled her lips to his and sealed their love with a kiss. Wanting to be alone with his mate, Quinn stood, once again lifted Elsa into his arms and turned towards the stairs.
Patting his shoulder, Elsa laughed out loud, “Oh no, my love, we have toasting and planning to do.”
Groaning as she kissed his cheek, Quinn placed Elsa’s feet on the floor and followed her back to her family. By the time they went to bed the sun was rising over the mountains, they had finished an entire case of champagne and the Guardsman was seeing double.
After kissing his mate goodnight for the last night he would ever spend alone, Quinn closed the door of the guestroom, fell into bed and was dead to the world. Sleeping until well into the next afternoon and waking only because what sounded like an explosion shook the window of his rooms. The Guardsman was out of bed, back in his jeans and down the stairs while still pulling his T-shirt over his head, bellowing, “Elsa! Elsa! What the hell is going on?”
Stopping dead in his tracks as the collar of his shirt slid round his neck and he came face-to-face with Alara, Elsa’s grandmother and second-in-command of the Elven nation, Quinn stood in silence. Her violet eyes sparkled with mirth as she winked and smirked, “And now I see why my granddaughter is so taken with you.”
Chapter Twelve
After meeting Elsa’s grandmother in the most unconventional way he ever could’ve imagined and finding out the world was not coming to an end, it was just the elves building an enclosure for his mating ceremony, Qui
nn spent the hours until their mating ceremony, being ordered around. The Guardsman carried flowers, chairs, carpets and decorations to the huge tent Alara’s ‘people’ had magically erected waiting for the time to come when he would be joined with his elf for all time. He mused to several of Elsa’s sisters how glad he was that the blizzard had passed and was shocked when they laughed and said, “Yeah, Mother Nature owed Alara a favor.”
He guessed it was good they had decided to have the elven ceremony with her family and the dragon mating ceremony after they had returned to his clan sometime during their first bottle of champagne. Otherwise, he could only guess what Alara might have used her favor for. Besides, Quinn knew he would’ve mated his little elf hanging upside down from a tree branch over boiling lava if it meant he could have longer than five minutes alone with her but decided to save that little tidbit until their fiftieth anniversary or so.
Going over what Donovan had told him about the Elven Lifemating Ceremony, Quinn climbed the stairs to his room with strict instructions to change into the suit Alara told him was waiting for him on the bed. Sure enough, no sooner had he crossed the threshold than his eyes landed on a black tuxedo, crisp white shirt and shiny black shoes, complete with a thin black strap of leather to tie back his hair just like he’d worn for most of his life.
Once dressed and after a final look in the mirror, Quinn made his way downstairs, through the living room and out into the huge white tent to take his place and wait for his mate. Stopping just inside the enclosure and taking in the magnificent sight before him, the Guardsman was amazed. It was a magical winter wonderland created for his and Elsa’s special day in shimmering silver and brilliant white. White roses, Asiatic lilies, Calla lilies and Hydrangeas filled vases, arrangements and urns everywhere he looked, each adorned with sparkling silver ribbons and bows. The white folding chairs sat in neat little rows on either side of a silver carpet that was lined with white poinsettias in shimmering pots and that led to a silver archway decorated with what he guessed to be at least a thousand white roses.
Twinkling lights hung around the perimeter of the tent and twirled down each support column adding to the light of the multitude candles Alara and Carolyn had insisted be placed on every available surface, giving the scene an angelic glow. There was no doubt in his mind that Elsa would love it and by the sounds of approaching footsteps, it was almost time for the ceremony.
Walking to his place at the front of the tent as Elsa’s family and friends came flooding in, Quinn started the countdown in his head. In less than fifteen minutes he would be officially mated, at least according to Elven Law to the most wonderful woman in the world. It was the culmination of every dream he’d had before, during and after being locked away for a century.
It had been his little elf who saved him, not only from his horrible incarceration but a lonely existence without the wonderful light of her smile, the precious sound of her laughter and the absolute perfection of her love. She was the embodiment of what Quinn had been taught his whole life…The Universe does not make mistakes. She created Elsa for him and there would never be another. He loved her with every fiber of his being and there was nothing he wasn’t prepared to do to show her every day how much she meant to him.
Looking up, he was shocked to see all the seats filled and Alara walking towards him in her white robes with a smile upon her face. As she approached, the Elven Prime Minister asked, “Are you ready to mate my granddaughter, Guardsman?”
“Yes, ma’am, most definitely. There is nothing in the world I would rather do.”
“Good answer,” she winked. “Very good answer.”
Taking her place facing the audience, Alara raised her hands and a hush fell over all the elves. Several seconds ticked by until the elder elf lowered her arms and a flute began to play a beautiful melody he had been told was an elven love song. Quinn’s eyes were riveted to the opening at the back of the pavilion. He felt each beat of his heart and that of his dragon’s as they waited for just one glimpse of their mate.
Finally, when he was just about ready to race down the aisle and find her himself, his Elsa appeared, a vision in flowing white, on the arm of her father. Words could not express the love and complete devotion he felt in that moment. Not only was his elf gorgeous, she was glowing from the inside out. Her goodness and purity of spirit a beacon in a long life of darkness for both man and beast.
She had left her long red curls down just the way he like them and had only pulled the sides up, securing them with the diamond clips her mother gave her as a wedding present. Her makeup was simple, reminding Quinn of their discussion in which he’d told her she didn’t need it, she was beautiful just the way she was, and Elsa had given him what she called ‘the eye’ and explained that every girl needs a ‘little something’, especially on her mating day.
Smiling at the memory, he let his eyes wander down her body, completely mesmerized by the way the tiny red and green crystals danced across the top of the corseted bodice of her gown accentuating her ample bosom and making him want to taste each and every freckle that dotted her chest and shoulders. His hands longed to wrap around her waist where the thick red satin ribbon was perfectly tied and highlighted the flare of her chiffon covered hips and the red and green flames the decorated her skirt as it fell the floor showing just the tips of her red painted toes. Carolyn and the other elven ladies had outdone themselves.
His eyes caressed her body until he was once again staring into her brilliant blue eyes. They twinkled and danced with the promise of a long happy future making his heart beat like the bass drum of a marching band as Elsa and Donovan moved towards him. Every step brought her closer. Every step was the fulfillment of the prophecy promised by his ancestors that Fate would not be denied. Every step was the realization of his happily ever after with the elf of his dreams.
The wait was finally over as Donovan placed Elsa’s hand in Quinn’s and the couple turned towards Alara. The Elven Prime Minister smiled lovingly at her granddaughter and then gave the Guardsman a wink. Looking behind them, she addressed their family and guests.
"Today we gather with the blessing of the Goddess, the Universe and our Queen to bear witness to the Lifemating of Elsa Arianna O’Leary to the one she has chosen to live out her days with, the Dragon Guardsman, Quinn MacKenna. Never have two souls been more perfectly aligned than these two before me. It is evident they were created to complete one another, nourish one another and love one another from now until the end of time.”
“Their Spirit-bonding was immediate and complete. It took but one glance and their souls became one. This is rare for our kind and even more so with one from another race, but for these two the Blessing of the Goddess was nothing short of miraculous. It is with great honor and love that I, Alara of the Seelie Court of Fairies and Elves, Second in Line to the throne and Prime Minister to the Elven Nation join my granddaughter with her Beloved. Please speak the words as the Goddess and the Universe intended.”
Elsa smiled at Quinn and began, “I name you, Quinn MacKenna, as my Lifemate. You shall be forever first in my heart, and I in yours. Your life I will defend as my own, and your honor is entwined with mine until our spirits both find their peace in the Elder Wood. Our bond is as strong as the mountains, as living as the forest, as free as the wind, and as lasting as the stars."
Leaning forward, she kissed his lips and whispered, “I love you more than the flakes of snow that fall from the sky and harder than the wind blows from the north. You have captured my heart, my soul and my devotion.”
As she stepped back Quinn had to clear his throat not once but twice as more emotions than he’d never felt formed a lump in his throat. Looking into the eyes of the woman who had changed his whole world in the blink of an eye, he repeated the words just as Alara had given them to him. “I name you, Elsa Arianna O’Leary, as my Lifemate. You shall be forever first in my heart, and I in yours. Your life I will defend as my own, and your honor is entwined with mine until our spirits both f
ind their peace in the Heavens. Our bond is as strong as the mountains, as living as the forest, as free as the wind, and as lasting as the stars."
He pulled his elf to his chest and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips before whispering, “I love you higher than the dragons soar, stronger than the waves in the ocean and more with each passing second. I didn’t fall in love with you, I leapt into love with you with my eyes wide open and the knowledge that you were the one person in all the world who completed not only me but also my dragon. The light of your soul, the love in your heart and the grace of your very being serve as a beacon that will always lead me home, always fulfill me and always remind me of how blessed I truly am to have you as my mate, my love, my everything.”
He watched a single tear of joy roll down her cheek as together they turned towards their guests and said, "Before the earth and sky, we are joined."
Everyone clapped as they faced one another once again and leaning forward, Quinn kissed Elsa until they were both breathless and thoughts of their mating night filled both their minds. Only Alara’s, “Ahem,” reminded the couple where they were. Chuckling, they turned and as the flute played a snappy little tune, walked down the aisle hand-in-hand.
The next few excruciating hours were filled with food, dancing, drinking and more toasts to the couple’s happiness than Quinn cared to count. He wanted to be alone with Elsa. No, he needed to be alone with her. He had been able to think of little else since defeating her nasty aunt.
The Universe had spoken. He had found the one meant to be his. They were mated and in his mind, and that of his dragon’s, that meant it was time to consummate their union even if it was going to be in the guestroom of her parents’ cottage.
Pushing his last thought out of his mind, Quinn looked around the crowd of elves whose names he couldn’t remember, trying to find his mate. Snapping to attention when Donovan appeared at his side, the Guardsman looked down at the smiling elf who asked, “You enjoying yourself?”