Page 38 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs (Haven Ever After #8)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MANORIN

“ T hanks, Uncle Nor,” Alarion says quietly as we cross the Grand Portal Station from the Pine Gulch portal.

I sling an arm around my nephew’s shoulders, crushing him to me as I focus on just getting home. What an absolute shit show of a morning.

“Ever’s a great little spot, kid. And I think it’ll do you good to be away from the Sidewinders crew for a bit.”

He sighs as the Ever portal comes into view at the far end of the station.

“I thought those dudes were my friends, Uncle Nor. They’ve been like family to me since Mama died, and I needed that.

But they were just using me, it turns out.

I was just a pawn to them, something to use to,”—he lets out an angry growl, shaking his head as he runs a big hand along his right horn—“it doesn’t matter. ”

I didn’t expect to have to bust into the Sidewinders clubhouse this morning and practically trash the whole thing to get Alarion out. I also didn’t expect Bishop Rygold to swoop in after me and drag half the ophiotaurii out by the horns to toss ‘em in the PG jailhouse .

But that’s what we did, and I’d do it again if I had to.

“I’m surprised Rygold let you take me,” he says, halting in front of the final portal.

I turn to him and level him with a serious look. “He knew you were on the verge of makin’ the type of mistakes a male can’t come back from, Alarion. There reaches a point of no return, and you were there, kid.”

His chocolate brows furrow, then the frustrated expression falls, and he looks pained. I wait to see if he wants to expand on his thoughts—we’ve been talking all morning—but he falls silent.

“We got a lot of conversations ahead of us, kid, but things are gonna be fine. I’m here for you, okay?”

He nods as we head for the portal.

As I step out into Ever’s portal station on the other side, I wipe a hand over my face. At my side, Alarion’s golden eyes are wide as he takes in the Ever portal station. He’s never left Pine Gulch, and it took me the better part of the morning to convince him to come back to Ever with me.

My brother, Walter, declined to join us, but I know Alarion’s relieved to be out of PG and the crowd he’d gotten into there. Of course, I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t bring any of that bullshit with him to Ever. Thank the gods there aren’t cattle here to rustle.

I drop him at Hel Motel with an Ever welcome book and a promise to take him to breakfast in the morning. Jezbelah, the wraith manager, offers to take Alarion to his room.

My nephew turns to go and I note the slump of his shoulders and the near droop of his horns.

“Everything’s gonna be fine, son,” I say to his retreating back.

He pauses and turns to look at me over his shoulder. “Thanks Uncle Nor. I’ll meet you at the diner in the morning, if that’s alright?”

“Comm me any time, even if it’s just to talk.” Striding forward, I clap him on the shoulder, then grip the muscle hard as I stare into pale blue eyes. “Love you, kid. I mean it when I say this town is a good place for a fresh start.”

He huffs quietly, the gold ring in his nose shimmying. “That what you’re doin’ here?”

His question pulls a smile to my face.

“Yeah.” The smile grows into a broad grin when I think about Annabelle and my Sunshine. “That’s exactly what I’m doin’ and I’m glad you’re here to bear witness to it. Maybe we’ll even get your ornery father out this way sometime soon.”

Alarion chuckles and shakes his head. “Don’t think you’ll ever get Dad outta the Gulch, but I guess we’ll see.” His expression goes thoughtful. “Maybe he’ll visit.”

We fall quiet as Jezbelah pokes his head around the corner, waving to Alarion.

“Arrrrreee you commmingggg?”

Alarion hikes his bag high on his shoulder and disappears into the darkness of the wraith motel’s opulent first floor hall. I watch him go, sending up a quick prayer to the minotaur gods and goddesses for peace and happiness to come to my nephew.

Then I head for the Annabelle. I’ve barely talked to my Sunshine in the last two days, and I’m anxious to get to her.

I walk Main Street, considering the formal offers of employment in my inbox from both Pine Gulch and the town of Ever.

Despite dealing with Alarion, I thought about the offers situation a lot while I was home.

In a way, going home was a good thing, because everywhere I turned, I saw PG in a new light—little views I wanted to show Cath, things like that—and not experiencing it with her made it all a little bittersweet. Home wasn’t home for the first time.

There was never any doubt for me that I’d pick her, but going back reminded me that it never was the same after she and I split. Home always held a little bit of heartbreak because she never saw it with me. Never saw the land I bought us or the statues I erected to honor longhorn ancestors.

Which, I think, is why I didn’t get back home that much to begin with. I love Pine Gulch. But Catherine has my heart and soul.

Friendly Evertons wave at me as I walk up the street. The sun’ll be setting soon, and all I want is to hold her in my arms in her room.

When the Annabelle comes into view and I moo to greet her, all the shutters wave in frantic excitement.

Her pretty pink siding ripples in great waves as all the windows on the front of the house open and shut in a rapid melody.

She reminds me of a dog spinning in circles when its owner returns home.

“Darling,” I murmur, stroking the front doors as she opens them for me. “Where’s my Sunshine?”

Catherine emerges from behind the check-in counter, wearing a simple shirt dress that hits mid-thigh. I sigh and lean against the door frame as she walks toward me, nails painted a viciously bright red.

“Damn, Sunshine. You keep wearing outfits like this, and you might give me a heart attack.” I eat up her long legs, staring at thick thighs and a soft belly I love to kiss. The dress’s fabric clings to her heavy breasts, highlighting every luscious, oversized curve.

“I have something for you. Come upstairs with me?” She waves a hand toward the stairs as Annabelle ripples the carpet runner to direct us.

I take her hand and spin her around, running an appreciative palm over the soft globes of her ass, then up her belly and over a breast. Trailing my knuckles along her nipple, I grin when it peaks and hardens beneath the velvety fabric.

She drenches the air in pheromones, her body calling mine in the most primal of ways .

“Two days is two more than I ever want to be parted from you,” I manage as she tugs me toward the stairs.

She smiles, the expression genuine and welcoming and so tender.

I shoo her toward the stairs but pause at the bottom. “Go on up, Sunshine. I’ll be behind you. Just wanna enjoy the view a bit.”

She winks over her shoulder and sashays up the steps, every footfall giving me a better view up her skirt. By the time she reaches the top, I’m adjusting my aching cock and staring at the bottommost swell of her luscious ass.

“I missed you like crazy, woman.” I grip the banister and the railing and lean forward, staring at her like a male starved. I suppose I have been starved all these years, trying to find someone that feels as right as Catherine.

“I missed you more,” she says in a playfully challenging tone, her eyes swirling with gold. “I said I have a present for you, and I’m absolutely desperate to deliver it. So please come to my room, Mister Longhorn.”

“Better be you sitting on my face,” I growl as I stalk up after her.

She tosses her gray waves over her shoulder and winks back at me. “Oh, it’ll end there, Manorin. I’ve no doubt about that.”

Speeding up, I swoop her into my arms and carry her up the final few stairs, down the long hall and up the next set to her room. Annabelle, that darling girl, swings the door open for us so I can sail through.

I head for the bed, and Catherine laughs as I drop her into it and fall on top of her, bracketing her between my arms so I can stare.

“You look so fucking pretty in this bed,” I muse as I lift one hand to run it over her breast, pinching the nipple until it peaks high.

“Look at you, Cath. You smell needy, woman. Tell me how you pleased yourself while I was gone.”

She lifts her chin in playful defiance. “I didn’t. I saved all that pleasure and desire for your return. I was quite busy with my gift.”

I bend low and nuzzle at her breasts, wanting to rip the dress from her but not wanting to ruin it if it’s a favorite of hers.

“Get naked, woman.”

“Not yet, Nor. The present, remember?”

I sigh and sit up, pulling her upright with me. Slipping both hands into her hair, I bring my forehead to hers and close my eyes, breathing her in. That sweet, sugary gingerbread scent is home. Her heart beats slowly, steadily as I consider the path that led me back to her after so long apart.

She’s quiet, stroking my ears and the side of my neck before moving to my horns. As she touches them, I shudder and sink harder against her.

“How was it being home?” Her tone is curious but cautious.

“Miserable without you,” I admit. “I want you to get to know PG, but on our terms. Not because I ripped you away from everything you love.”

Around us, Annabelle lets out a miserable-sounding groan, the pipes in the floor creaking as she shudders and shrieks.

“Easy, sweetheart,” I caution her. “I would never . Age brought me the wisdom to know my place is here with my girls, building something new with you both.”

Catherine squirms out of my grip and backs across the room, beckoning me with a crook of the finger. I slide off the bed and follow, thinking about how I want to press her to the window and sit her on my muzzle to do naughty, naughty things.

“I scent your need, mate,” she whispers, “but I promise you’ll want to see this.”

Shock and pride course through me in equal measure, forcing me to halt in place.

“You called me mate,” I manage .

She plants both hands on her hips, a dark brow quirking upward. “Are you not?”

I’m across the room before I consciously think about moving, hauling her into my arms and pressing her to the far wall. It’s covered with a large velvet curtain, and she?—

“Stop, Nor,” she commands, eyes swirling with gold. “Or I’ll be forced to stop you. I want to give you my damn present.”

“You called me mate,” I practically whine. “I need to touch you, Cath, to show you how much it means to me that you called me that.”

Annabelle creaks and groans, and Cath cocks her head to the side. Like every time she and the inn communicate, it amazes me how they seem to have their own language. “Okay, darling girl. You first.” She looks quizzically at me. “Annabelle has something for you too.”

Surprised, I lean against the closest wall and wait to see what happens.

A creak across the room draws my attention.

A giant ceiling beam creaks, and then a tiny door opens, and something drops onto the floor, disappearing behind the bed.

Cath and I watch as the whitewashed floorboards ripple, tumbling something small toward us.

A second item drops out of the hole in the beam, and the kitty cat timer meows as she gets tumbled to meet up with the first thing.

Annabelle tosses both items to me with a quick flip of the closest floorboard. I catch them easily, the timer leaping up onto my shoulder and tucking under my ear with a happy purr. Cath presses closer as I open my hand to reveal whatever Annabelle brought me.

It’s a heart. A wooden heart. It’s made of dozens of small pieces that look like Annabelle’s siding. They’re every shade of pale pink and a few white, too. The heart fills my palm but weighs almost nothing .

But I can’t find my breath as shock and love courses through me in equal measure.

“Oh Annabelle…” Catherine’s hand trembles as she lifts it to cover her mouth. Her eyes fill with tears as I struggle to pull breath into my lungs.

“Annabelle,” I manage, my voice wavering as I lift the heart to my chest.

Tears stream down Catherine’s face as they well in my eyes. I press a hand to the wall, clutching the heart to my chest. “This is a gift beyond measure.” I curl my fingers into the wooden wall as Annabelle rumbles and flutters everything around us.

I risk a look at Catherine, who’s wiping tears away. “Did you two plan this?” It’s all I can manage as she shakes her head.

“I had no idea,” she says, her voice shaky as she swipes at the still falling tears.

“We love you,” I say to the inn. “Forever and always, Annabelle. You’re my best girl, right?”

The timer mewls in my ear, rubbing against the underside of it.

Catherine dabs at her eyes. “Okay, my turn! I can’t wait any longer.”

I hold Annabelle’s heart to mine as Catherine backs into my arms. With her free hand, she grabs the velvet curtain and shoves it aside to reveal an incredible painting of my view back home at the Pine Gulch property.

“I painted this for you.” She takes our joined hands and places them on the intricate strokes.

“Pine Gulch will always be a part of us, and I want you to feel that every minute of every day. It means the world to me that you’re building something with me in Ever, but I don’t want that to mean you’re giving anything up, Nor. ”

She rests her head against my chest and looks up at me. “This isn’t all, though.”

I’m too overwhelmed by the incredible painting to fully process it when she moves her hand from mine and electricity begins to crackle in the air.

She grabs a paint brush from a nearby jar of water and dips it in black paint, then begins to paint a circle on the wall.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her not to ruin her incredible painting, but her magic stands all my hair on end, halting the words.

I’ve seen her succubus power to beguile many times over the years, but this is different.

This is that magic—the magic that built the system that protects monsterkind from the outside human world.

My heart speeds up at the surprise of it.

Catherine’s paintbrush shimmers and morphs, almost seeming to become one with the painting, flattening and turning three-dimensional once more.

The art itself begins to shimmer and writhe, the entire wall twisting and curling and snapping as electricity rends the air.

She remains with her back to my chest, painting and swirling as tiny green sparks fly from the tip of her brush, skirting along the painting, following the lines of her strokes until—SNAP!

With a great crack, the paintbrush becomes a flat part of the painting, and it’s as if I’m staring at Pine Gulch itself.

Catherine spins in my arms. “This is a little something from me to you, mate. C’mon.” She turns again, takes my hand, and steps forward, disappearing into the brushstrokes.