Page 23

I t was going on nine a.m. when they landed in Nashville.

They thanked Cruz and Celeste, then Tony ushered Elle to where he’d parked his fancy sports car.

He tossed their bags inside after helping Elle into the low seat.

The plan was to drive back to downtown, walk around like Elle was doing the job in case Grevolus was checking, then get on the road to Atlanta.

Once he parked in a paid lot, Tony took Elle’s hand, and they headed down the hill toward a bank.

They went into a different one than Elle had hit Saturday.

While there, Tony asked for a large withdrawal from his credit card, giving them a reason for being there.

As they were walking back to his car, Tony stopped on the sidewalk, pulling Elle away from foot traffic.

“Have you ever taken pain relief?”

“Other than herbed tea? No.”

“Let’s go in here.” They went inside the store where Tony found what he was looking for and also chose a can of water.

After paying for both, they continued on to where he’d parked.

Once seated, Tony opened the bottle and dumped two pills onto Elle’s palm, then popped open the water.

“Do I chew these?” she asked, staring at the medicine.

“No. That’s gross. Put them in your mouth and drink some water to wash them down.”

Elle did as instructed, placing the water in the cup holder when she was finished.

“What do you do when you get a cold?”

Elle wondered if Tony was messing with her. “Put on a sweater.”

“No, get a cold.”

“What’s a cold if not the lack of warmth?” Elle was so confused.

“You know, like when your nose gets stopped up or your throat gets sore or ticklish, making you cough. You might run a fever.” When Elle arched a brow, Anthony grinned but explained, “That’s when your body temperature is higher than normal.

It was originally thought that the symptoms were the result of being out in cold temperatures, but scientists debunked the idea. A cold is a virus.”

“Oh, then yes, I’ve had a cold before, but we call it feeling unwell. We use teas infused with herbs instead of pills when that happens.”

“You’re gonna get along well with Luna and Solara. They make potions to deal with all sorts of aches and illnesses. They have their shop in Atlanta and another down in New Orleans. That’s in Louisiana.”

“And their mom, Lilly, is one of your parents’ sisters?”

“Well, no. Let’s see. Lilly’s father, the one I mentioned who created the prosthetics, is my mom’s great uncle. It’s complicated, so we just say she’s our aunt, and the twins are our cousins. Lilly is a half-blood, and her mate, Dominic, is full-blooded. Do you know what a pirate is?”

“No.”

“Hang on.” Anthony grabbed his phone and searched the internet for images. “I’m not sure how old Dom is, but he was a pirate a long time ago, and he still wears clothes similar to how they used to dress. Talks like one too. He’s a character, but he’s awesome.”

Tony passed Elle his phone before starting the car, and they headed toward Atlanta as he talked about this strange male. They had just made it to the freeway when his phone rang. The display read “crazy woman.” Tony pushed a button on the steering wheel and answered, grinning. “Hey, Mom.”

“Antonio Andrew Stone, you’re on my shit list, you heathen.”

“Let me guess; Tabby called you.”

“Of course she did. What I want to know is why you didn’t? You find your mate and don’t bother telling us? She’s in trouble and you don’t bother calling then either? What the fuck?”

“Mom, maybe don’t scare Elle before you actually meet her? We’re in the car on the road to Atlanta.”

“Oh. Hello, Elle. I’m so sorry for what you’re going through, honey,” Tessa said much softer.

“Hi, Mrs. Stone.”

“No, nope. None of that. It’s either Tessa or Mom. Now, Anthony, tell me what’s going on and start at the beginning.”

After he gave an abbreviated version of the situation, Tessa insisted she and Gregor come to Atlanta to meet Elle and help with Grevolus. Tony assured them there was nothing they could do and tried to convince them to stay in New York so that Andy didn’t miss school.

“Andy can stay with Rafe and Kaya. He loves spending time with them, and if he misses school, so what? It’s first grade. He’s so far ahead of the kids in his class anyway. Besides, now that Seven has moved to West Virginia, Rafael could use the distraction.”

“Andy can definitely do that with all his jabbering,” Tony joked.

“Just like his papa.”

Tony snorted, then cleared his throat to cover the sound. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I know you are, and that’s why you’re arguing.”

Elle giggled, then slapped a hand over her mouth. His parents laughed in the background.

“I’ve already scheduled our flight, Son, so we’ll meet you at your house,” Gregor said.

“We’re stopping by Solaralun first, so if you get there before we do, make yourselves at home. You might want to order groceries.”

“I’ll handle it. You drive safe, and Elle? We can’t wait to meet you,” Tessa added.

“Me too,” Elle said softly. She had answered Tessa’s questions with a death grip on Tony’s hand. When he disconnected the call, she blew out a breath. “Is she always that... intense?”

“Crazy. You can say it, and yes, she is. Sometimes more so. You’re one of her kids now, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for any of us. Then again, that goes for all the mates. My aunt Sophia once ripped a man’s dick off when he cornered our cousin Amelia in a bus terminal bathroom.”

“She was taking up for her daughter, so I can see that.”

“Oh, Sophia’s not Amelia’s mom. She’s her aunt, but that didn’t matter. You don’t mess with any of the Clan’s kids or else you’ll feel the wrath of whoever is close enough to deal with it.”

“Remind me who Rafael and Kaya are?” He had a huge family, and as much as Elle tried to remember who everyone was, she couldn’t while dealing with the nauseating pain in her arm. The pills had lessened it some but not nearly enough.

“Rafael is one of my dad’s brothers, and Kaya is his mate.

Rafe was our King, and he recently passed the crown to Sebastian, who moved from Atlanta to West Virginia.

He wanted somewhere about halfway between Atlanta and New York.

Bas met his mate there when he was looking for a new place to call home.

Seven is Sebastian’s sister. She recently graduated from college, and Rafael wasn’t keen on her dating until she found her mate.

Seven needed a little space, so she went to live with Sebastian.

Rafael is feeling left out. At least that’s how Bas explained it.

Just so you know, I am Bas’s second-in-command, so you’re high up the leadership ladder in our Clan. ”

“Why would anyone listen to me?”

“Because you’re my mate, and that means everything.

But don’t worry about that. You’ll meet everyone, and they’ll fall in love with you like they did Dakota.

Our Clan is pretty self-sufficient. It’s rare Sebastian has to step in like our grandfather did hundreds of years ago.

” Tony drove through Atlanta on their way to Solaralun.

“That building there is where the Trio’s office is.

And I work right up here.” He pointed to where Steele Securities was housed.

“And you like it in the city?”

“Not really. That’s why my house is in the middle of fifty-seven acres. But if you would prefer to live downtown in an apartment, we can make that happen.”

“I’m fae, Tony. I’m all about trees and nature. I think if I had to live in the midst of all these people, I’d lose my mind.” Elle couldn’t wait to see Tony’s house and all the trees surrounding it in person.

Tony drove the short distance to Little Five Points, where the twin’s occult shop was located. He parked in the small lot, shut off the engine, then angled out of the Corvette and rounded the hood to open Elle’s door. When he offered his hand, Elle took it, relishing the connection.

“I still can’t believe that’s your car,” she muttered.

When she first saw it at the hotel, she stopped short and stared.

Once they were on the road, he explained it wasn’t that expensive.

Not like some of the cars his uncles drove.

He told her he also had a Jeep, but when he took road trips, he preferred the sleeker vehicle.

When Anthony pushed open the door to Solaralun, a bell tinkled, making Elle smile.

“Hey, Cuz.” A gorgeous brunette stood in front of the counter wearing a floor-length, flowing skirt she’d paired with a long-sleeve tee and about a hundred necklaces.

She approached Elle and stopped a few feet away, her head cocked to the side.

“Hang on a second.” She walked past them, locked the door, and turned the open sign to closed.

“We’re alone so you don’t need to hide your true appearance.

” Elle dropped her glamour and the female grinned.

“That’s amazing. I’m Luna.” She held out her hand, and Elle shook it.

“I thought Solara and Aunt Lilly were going to be here,” Tony said.

“Solara is still in NOLA, and mom’s in the workroom. I only meant there aren’t any customers. Come on back.” Luna walked to the colorful curtain that separated the showroom from the back, gesturing for them to go through.