Page 52 of Healed By the Grumpy Elf
"I said," Lorian repeats, his voice deadly quiet, "step away from her."
I gasp at the display of raw power. Lorian's hair has come loose from its usual perfect ponytail, falling around his face in blond strands. His eyes glow with an inner light that reminds me that elves were warriors before becoming scientists and doctors. He looks dangerous and graceful, like some ancient idol.
Braggstone struggles against Lorian's grip, his face flushed with humiliation and rage. Despite the troll's greater bulk, he can't seem to break free from Lorian's hold.
"If you ever touch her again," Lorian continues, his voice low and controlled despite his obvious anger, "I will personally ensure you regret it for the rest of your considerably shortened life."
The threat hangs in the air between them, and I can see Braggstone's face change as he realizes Lorian isn't making an idle threat. There's something in Lorian's eyes that speaks of centuries of elven battles and blood feuds, of a capacity for violence that his perfectly pressed shirts and polite manners usually conceal.
A sound draws my attention to the school building. The front doors have opened, and several teachers emerge, stopping abruptly at the scene before them. Mrs. Finch's hand flies to her mouth in shock. Mr. Peterson takes an uncertain step forward, then stops.
Seeing the witnesses, Braggstone jerks against Lorian's grip with renewed force. This time, Lorian allows him to break free. The troll straightens his rumpled shirt with shaking hands, his face mottled with anger and embarrassment.
"You'll regret that, Reizenhart," he spits, just loud enough for the gathering audience to hear. His eyes dart between Lorian and me. "Both of you will."
The threat in his voice is unmistakable, but I find I'm not afraid anymore. Not with Lorian standing between me and Braggstone, his shoulders squared and his head held high.
The troll turns and stalks toward the school building, brushing roughly past the stunned teachers still frozen on the steps. The heavy door slams behind him with a finality that echoes across the parking lot.
I turn to Lorian, expecting him to step back now that the immediate danger has passed. Instead, he moves closer, his hands coming to rest on my waist with gentle pressure that contrasts sharply with the force he just used against Braggstone.
"Are you hurt?" he asks, his eyes searching my face with an intensity that steals my breath.
"No," I manage to say, though my voice sounds strange to my own ears. "I'm okay."
His hands tighten slightly on my waist, and I can feel him trembling with restrained emotion. One hand moves to my upper arm whereBraggstone grabbed me, his touch featherlight as he examines the skin for marks.
I'm acutely aware of the teachers still watching us from the school steps, their expressions a mixture of shock and curiosity. In a town as small as Saltford Bay, this scene will be repeated in every living room and coffee shop by tomorrow morning.
Lorian seems to notice my awareness of our audience. Something shifts in his expression, a decision being made, a resolution forming. Before I can guess his intentions, he pulls me closer, one hand sliding to the small of my back.
"Lorian," I whisper, conscious of the watching eyes. "Everyone's staring."
"Let them," he replies, and then his mouth is on mine.
The kiss is different from any we've shared before. It's slow and deep and fiercely possessive, a public declaration that leaves no room for misinterpretation. His hand cradles the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair as he claims my mouth with unhurried thoroughness.
I hear gasps from the direction of the school steps, but they seem distant and unimportant. Nothing exists but Lorian's mouth on mine, his hands holding me steady, the solid warmth of his body against me.
When he finally pulls back, his eyes are clear and determined, the earlier fury replaced by something warmer and more certain. His voice carries clearly in the quiet parking lot as he says the words that stop my heart.
"You're my True Mate, Maeve. And I want the entire world to know it."
I stare up at him, speechless. In my peripheral vision, I see Braggstone's massive form appear at a window in the school building, watching us with impotent rage.
But for once, I don't care about the consequences. I don't care about gossip or professional boundaries or small-town politics. All that matters is the man before me, the impossible, stubborn, remarkable man who just claimed me as his in front of the entire school.
His True Mate. Mine.
Chapter 16
Lorian
Milliebouncesonherbed with unrestrained energy. Each enthusiastic jump sends her dark curls flying, but crucially, her feet return to the mattress every time. No more floating. No more uncontrollable laughter. Just a normal child's exuberance.
"See, Dr. Elf? I'm all better! I don't float anymore!" Millie demonstrates with another vigorous bounce, landing firmly on the mattress.
The room around us has been mostly cleared of the balloon forest that filled it during my last visit. Only a few colorful stragglers remain tied to her bedposts and dresser knobs. Pink glitter stillsparkles in the sunlight streaming through the windows, embedded in the carpet fibers and clinging stubbornly to various surfaces despite what must have been thorough cleaning attempts.