by Alanea Alder
Micah turned to her with such a pitiful expression she couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I'll share my cookies with you. You introduced me to your favorite treats on Level Six."
"Yes!" Micah exclaimed enthusiastically.
Ellie giggled. "Grant is the same way when it comes to Marjoram's cookies."
Serenity found that hard to believe. She couldn't imagine the stoic warrior acting like her lighthearted mate one bit. "They must truly be amazing," she said.
Ellie sighed happily. "They are."
Radclyffe turned to his mate. "You ready to go? We have some time to wind down before dinner on the royal level."
Serenity frowned. "We're eating on Level One?" she asked, feeling a moment of panic.
They nodded their heads. "We weren't expecting to hobnob with royalty and Founding Family members, but Ellie has assured us we're welcome. Honestly we'd be perfectly content to eat homemade lasagna with the twins and their friends on the Unit Level."
Serenity looked at Micah. "Who're the royalty and Founding Family members who will be at dinner?"
Everyone just stared at her. Laelia finally took pity on her confused state. "Weren't you paying attention to the introductions earlier?"
Serenity nodded, then shook her head. "I heard names, but I was too busy wondering what Kendrick was doing here and staring at Beth." She looked around. "I think I would have remembered if someone introduced royalty though."
Marjoram smiled. "I think I see the problem. She knows everyone's names but not their rank. I can see where she would be confused, everyone is so casual on Level One that you kinda forget they are important. It's almost like they're real people," she said in a playful mocking tone.
"Gram!" Ellie admonished blushing.
"Wait, so who's important?" Serenity asked.
Micah rubbed the back of his neck. "It would be easier to list those not holding rank."
"Surely not Meryn," Serenity said jokingly.
Micah nodded. "Mate to the Unit Commander and future Lady McKenzie of House McKenzie. She was adopted by Beth as a sister tying her to House Rioux and House Ambrosios. Her cousin is mated to Darian Vi'Alina who was raised by Queen Aleksandra of the fae and she's the newest owner of the Gown of Eiré Danu," Micah listed.
"That amazing little oddball?" Serenity whispered. Everyone nodded.
Laelia turned to Micah. "Maybe you should take Serenity somewhere to unwind as well. You could also go over the guest list so she doesn't have a panic attack at dinner."
Serenity was frowning down at the floor. "I mean I knew about Prince Magnus and Prince Gavriel, they exude power, but Meryn just exudes geek references and Cheeto powder."
Micah physically turned her to face the door. "We'll see you all later." He gave her a gentle push towards the exit.
"She's just so..." Serenity continued looking over at her mate.
He grinned wickedly. "Yeah, she is."
*****
Micah decided the best place to take her was his home on the Unit Level. When they stopped in front of his home he suddenly felt inadequate. If you compared his medium sized English style cottage to Declan's castle or Etain's fae treehouse, his home looked dowdy.
"I love it," his mate whispered staring up at the house.
"You do?"
"I've always loved homey places," she admitted an infectious smile on her face.
"Welcome to my most humble abode," he said with great flourish.
They stepped onto the stone path and his mate gasped. Oh, yeah. He'd forgotten about the housewarming spell he put in the stones. Seconds later his mate was on her knees her hands spread out over the odd shaped grey stones. "What spell is this?" she asked
"Ever the scholar." He knelt beside her. "There are three spells woven into the stones. Welcoming, laughter and safety. To me that makes a place to call home."
She gently ran her hand over the small pink and purple flowers growing between the stones. "Is that Mother of Thyme?"
He nodded quietly. "I dug some up from my grandmother's garden in Storm Keep and brought it with me." She slowly crushed the plant to release the aromatic fragrance. She smiled up at him. "I could spend the entire day on your walkway and be perfectly happy."
He helped her to stand. "Then you'd miss what's on the inside."
As they walked up to the door he saw that Ms.Anderson left his basket of wash by the door. "Gods bless that woman." He smiled sheepishly at his mate. "I can perform just about any major spell I attempt but for some damn reason every time I wash my clothes they either turn pink, blue or grey."
Serenity instead of laughing nodded in sympathy. "Do you think she'd be willing to take on my wash too? I'd be more than happy to pay her for the trouble. I hate doing laundry," she admitted.
"I knew we were meant for each other." Micah leaned down and kissed her soundly. What started out as an impulsive kiss of joy turned heated quickly. When she began to pull him close he stepped back. He placed a trembling hand on the center of the door and unlocked it. "After you," he said breathing heavily.
"Spoilsport!" a male voice yelled from across the street.
Micah turned and glared at Dimitri. "Go away!"
"Go where? We live here too," Dimitri responded.
"Yeah, we never get to see Micah actually kiss a woman. After all the decades of watching him flirt I feel like we should see more," Viktor said grinning.
"Not with my mate you're not," Micah groused.
Serenity was next to him laughing her head off. He turned to her. "You're no help."
Serenity wiggled her fingers at the warriors. "Hi fellas!"
"Hello!" They called back.
Micah racked his brain trying to think of a way to get the warriors to leave them be so they could go inside and hopefully resume what they were doing.
"Micah!" Dimitri yelled pointing.
Seconds later two voices shouted. "Immobiles!"
Micah was looking around for the source of danger when Serenity screeched and practically climbed up his back. Her arm around his neck was threatening to cut off his air supply. "Breathe... Serenity... I need to breathe." She loosened her hold but stayed where she was. She pointed down at their feet. "Snake!" she yelled nearly rupturing his ear drum.
Micah looked down and saw a small, bright green snake. "It's just a garden snake," he said leaning down to pick up the frozen reptile.
"Micah hold up," Dimitri said running up with Viktor. Hawthorne and Emlyn right behind them.
"It looks like a harmless garter to me," Micah said.
Viktor raised an eyebrow. "In Noctem Falls?" He pointed to all the stone.
"Good point," Micah said.
Dimitri gave a low whistle. "This is no garter snake, it is an Eastern Green Mamba and they are deadly."
Behind him his mate kept murmuring the word 'snake' over and over again. He turned to Dimitri. "How'd the hell did it get here?"
Dimitri met his eyes then looked at Serenity. "It is probably someone's exotic pet gotten loose. I will ask around to see where this little guy goes."
Translation. I will find out what happened and maim whoever is responsible.
Micah mouthed the words, 'thank you' before turning his head toward his mate. "See my one and only, Dimitri is going to take that little guy home."
Carefully she eased down but stayed behind him her face buried between his shoulder blades. If he wasn't still trying to regulate his own heartbeat he would have found her reaction adorable.
Hawthorne looked over at Serenity. "I'd recommend some of the elderberry wine you smuggled out of your gran's house for your mate Micah."
Serenity peeked around his shoulder, still avoiding looking at Dimitri who held the frozen snake. "Elderberry wine?" she asked looking calmer already.
"Great idea Hawthorne! Come one honey, let's head inside." Micah looked at his warrior brothers. "You have my thanks."
Viktor clapped him on the shoulder. "All in a day's work."
They waved until the guys w
ere out of sight then they headed toward the door. When they got within a foot of the doorway Serenity froze. He easily scooped her up into his arms, unlocked the door again and pushed it open. He eyed the basket and decided to leave it by the door.
"How about we relax in the garden?" he suggested gently setting her on her feet pointing to the back of the house. He closed the door behind them.
She glanced down around their feet still looking spooked. "No snakes, right?"
He tipped her head back and rubbed noses with her. "No snakes I promise."
"Good," she said shuddering. "I swear I can still feel that one against my leg." She convulsed again and started walking to the garden.
Micah clutched at his chest as she opened the large oak door leading to his oasis. The snake had been on her? "Elderberry wine, right. Sounds really good right about now." He veered off to the left to the kitchen. He opened the pantry door and rummaged around the bottom shelf until he found his prize. He held up the bottle and blew off the dust. Grinning he stood and went to his cabinets to grab a corkscrew and two glasses.
He found his mate sitting on the large platform bed he had suspended from the ceiling of his large porch. Her knees were tucked under her chin and her feet off the floor. "May I present to you, the best wine in all the world," he said in a grandiose manner, determined to take her mind off that damn snake.
"World?" she asked skeptically.
"Absolutely. I stole... I mean borrowed this from my gran's cellar. She makes the best wine ever." He easily opened the bottle and waved it under her nose allowing the scent to start befuddling her senses.
"It's been magicked!" she exclaimed sitting up letting her feet touch the ground. She reached for one of the empty glasses. "Okay, make a believer out of me," she challenged.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said pouring her glass. As she took her first sip he poured his own glass and got comfortable next to her. Using his foot, he kicked off the table and the entire platform began to sway.
She laughed then lifted her feet to scoot even closer to him. "That's why it's suspended."
"Why did you think?" he asked taking a sip.
"That you were a kinky fuck," she said taking another drink.
He choked slightly at her reply. "Serenity!" he said blushing.
"You're blushing!" she crowed.
"You cussed!" he rebutted.
"I do cuss you know."
"You haven't all afternoon."
"I've also been in meetings and healing people too. I don't go around dropping f-bombs willy nilly. I'm used to working in a temple."
"Oh yeah." He took another sip and allowed the warmth to expand down into his stomach. He twirled his finger and a breeze began to circulate around them, bringing the wonderful smells of his garden with it. Jasmine, gardenias and passionflowers were always in bloom here. Feeling lazy he knocked on the wooden arm rest activating the platform and lifted his feet. Their cozy bed continued to sway.
"I love this freaking wine," she said leaning back, her eyes closed.
"It's worth the tongue lashing I get when my gran discovers I've taken a few bottles."
Serenity snorted. "A few?"
"Okay, I cleaned her out during my last visit. Next time I head home she's gonna kill me," he chuckled. "I tell her if she's mad at me, she won't miss me as much."
Serenity propped her head up on her hand turning to face him. "Tell me about your gran."
Micah got comfortable against the pillows. "My gran is my everything. My sperm donor of a father disappeared before I was born, and my mother died in childbirth." He frowned. "There was so much they didn't know about medicine back then. My gran said she probably would have died anyway, even with what we know today. She said she just bled out too fast."
Serenity moved so that she rested her head on his chest. "I'm so sorry to hear about your mom."
"Thank you. I miss what I could have had, but I never really knew her to miss her. Does that make sense?" She nodded. He took a deep breath. "My gran though, she raised me and made sure I knew I was loved every day."
"How?"
"Well, she didn't kill me for one," Micah said then laughed at her expression when she looked up at him. "When I think back on the pranks and shenanigans I used to pull..." He shook his head. "I thank the gods every night for my gran. She also taught me how to use my magic. She never really trusted the Academy, so I didn't go to school like the other kids my age. I stayed at home with my gran learning in her garden."
"But you're not an earth witch," Serenity said.
"Nope, but she is, so was my mother. I'm assuming I got the air magic from my sperm donor. But that doesn't mean I didn't inhale everything she taught me. Though, more than once she had to go next door to get Mr. Compton, an air witch, to pull me out of some scrape I found myself in."
"Like what?"
Micah thought for a moment. "Like the time I accidentally locked myself in mid-air after jumping off of her shed. I think I was five or six at the time. I jumped, panicked and froze. My gran came around the corner and I was six feet off the ground with my mouth wide open from where I screamed. I think I almost killed her that time," he said thoughtfully.
Serenity had to hand him her glass as she laughed. Micah stared down at his mate. "You're going to give me a complex if you keep laughing at me."
"S-s-s-t-top!" she begged crossing her legs.
He sniffed loudly. "Anyway. Mr. Compton heard my gran yelling and rushed over. Needless to say, he laughed himself silly, just like you," he said poking her with one finger careful of her glass.
She sat back up and reached for her glass wiping her eyes. "I can't help it, you must have been absolutely adorable as a child."
Micah nodded. "I was."
"And so modest too," she teased.
He turned to her. "Your turn. What were you like growing up?"
She sipped her wine. "A stubborn, headstrong, willful, adventurous, tomboy. A dark-haired child surrounded by the beautiful golden fae."
"So, you were a handful too?"
She nodded. "My father encouraged me. He was delighted at my magical abilities. But I always felt like I didn't belong." She smiled softly. "I can't tell you how many fights my brother got into defending me. Though between you and me, I started most of the fights."
"Tell me about him, so I can thank him later," Micah said.
"Zachari is my older brother by three minutes. We were the first set of twins born in Eiré Danu in over a millennium. The queen herself sent my parents birthing gifts. He's tall and beautiful like my Papa. He's also kind and loyal. No matter what trouble I caused he always took up for me even when I was in the wrong."
"What'd you do?"
"Accidentally cut some of the queen's favorite flowers to give to my mother, not knowing that they were protected."
"Yikes."
"Luckily the queen was very forgiving. If I had to be honest, I think she indulged me more than my parents. I think I entertained her."
"I overheard a conversation between her and Etain once, she sounded like a wonderful person."
She nodded. "Oh, she really is. There were so many times where she made it a point to hold my hand during a function or have me sit beside her during tea, just to show others she didn't think I was any less fae because of my hair," she ran a hand over her brown locks.
She looked lost in thought for a moment then giggled. "Her consort Brennus used to sneak me candy when my parents weren't looking." She smiled up at him. "I always shared with Zach though." Her expression became thoughtful before poked him gently. "What were you supposed to go over with me?"
Micah swirled his wine in his glass. "Adriel offered all of the Eta Unit homes within the Ambrosios quarters on Level One. If we decide to stay in Noctem Falls, we have a choice of either staying here or moving in with the rest of my unit on the royal level."
She stared down into her glass. "I think it's a pretty safe assumption that my position as the Water Temple head has already b
een terminated." She looked around. "I think living on Level One comes with too many perks to turn down, but I would hate to give up your garden."
Micah felt sorry that his mate had probably already lost her position but was ecstatic that she already liked his garden. "Adriel completely gutted the Ambrosios quarters. Instead of walking into an antechamber you find yourself on a small road. Along each wall he left space for two smaller homes, then at the end of the road they put two large buildings side by side. One estate is for Gavriel, the other is for Adriel. The four spaces on either side of the cobblestone path are for the Eta Unit."
"Is it because you're the ranking unit?" she asked.
Micah shook his head. "No, it's because Adriel is the biggest closet softie I have ever met, and he would have missed us."
"He seems so proper."
"Trust me, whatever that man feels, he feels deeply. Plus with most of our mates tied to Level One, it just made sense to live down there too," he explained.
"What do you mean?
"Well, Eva is pretty much the liaison for the refugees. Not only does the Wolftown pack trust her, all the other refugees look to her to act as their voice. She's kick ass enough to hold her own and they know it. Then there's Kari. I'm just going to be honest, she pretty much runs the city. That's how much Magnus relies on her. She's like a little general behind the scenes telling us all what to do. After Kari, we got Ellie, then Vivi. They will probably get their own labs next to Broderick's. Magnus is no fool, I bet before he got sick he was writing up a list of stuff needed for them to be happy and stay right here and that was before he knew Vivi was his goddsdaughter. Then there's you." He smiled at her. "With the miniature baby boom in Noctem Falls, I bet he will try to bribe you to stay as well. He goes absolutely nuts for the kids." He took another sip of his wine. "So, you see, being on Level One just makes sense."
Serenity looked at him blinking slowly. He could tell she was getting sleepy. "Can we keep your garden? And your swing? And your wine?"
He gently kissed her nose. "Of course."
"You have a nose fetish," she said giggling. "Or you missed my mouth."