Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alaric
Two months later, Alaric sat with his father on the porch of their sprawling family home in Maine. He’d brought Ezra to meet his family, and they were all so excited, everyone had come, so they had a houseful. Ezra, completely bemused by the joyful acceptance, had warmed more quickly than Alaric had hoped. And Alaric’s family had immediately adopted him as one of their own—just as Alaric had known they would. It did his heart well to see the man he loved surrounded by a real family and not that cesspool of disgusting humanity that had raised him. Ones who were now going to trial for more atrocities than they’d known about.
Turned out Ezra’s mother had very much been a part of her husband’s criminal empire. There was enough evidence to put her away for the rest of her life. Ezekiel was still in recovery but faced the same sentence she did.
But Ezra was handling it well. They’d moved in together, spending a lot of their nights listening to Ezra’s incredible music collection and just wallowing in their affection for each other. Alaric had even taken him to meet Sammy, who’d brightened up incredibly when she’d seen how special Ezra was to Alaric. Now Ezra came with him more times than not, and every visit seemed to liven Sammy more. That life thread of hers seemed to have a little more spark, which gave him hope they’d end up celebrating her ninetieth birthday—which was still years away.
“Tell me something, Alaric,” his father said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Had you been growing weaker over the last year or so?”
“Yes, how did you guess?” He eyed his father, who didn’t look old enough to have so many children since he’d hit his peak around twenty-five and stopped aging. Alaric had gotten his black curls from him. And his nose. All his siblings had inherited the nose.
His father folded his hands together on his chest as he leaned back in his seat. “Our kind, elves, will feel this when we are close to our soulmate for a long period of time without meeting them. It builds slowly, so you wouldn’t have noticed it happening. Did you feel stronger once you met?”
Alaric nodded. “I felt a lot of things when we met.”
His father chuckled. “Understand that. I’m surprised you brought him here. When I first met your mother, we didn’t leave our bedroom for months.”
“Didn’t need to hear that,” Alaric muttered. But he got it. He couldn’t keep his hands off Ezra, needing to touch him at all times. Kiss him. Make love to him. Worship that beautiful body as it deserved.
But it was Ezra’s heart he truly cherished. Once let free of the cage he’d put it in his entire life, the man’s true caring nature and idealism shone bright. Ezra was flying free.
Movement caught Alaric’s eye, and he turned to spot Ezra taking photographs in his mother’s garden. That camera was with him most of the time now, and Alaric couldn’t be happier about it because taking photographs gave Ezra so much joy. And he was talented, managing to capture even the most commonplace things and turn them into something stunning.
His mother, who was already completely nuts over Ezra, joined him and started pointing out flowers for him to photograph. She must have said something funny because Ezra threw his head back and laughed, then took a picture of her instead of the flowers. His mother gave him a saucy pose. She still looked like a young woman, her long brown hair falling around her elegant face, one that now shone with nothing but happiness as she teased his mate.
“There is nothing more wonderful than a soulmate, son. I hope all my children find theirs, but I’m so happy you have yours.”
“Xavier bound us. I wanted to wait to make sure Ezra knew what he wanted, but he was insistent. He gets that way.”
“He’s a pistol, that’s for sure.” His father smirked. “Will keep you on your toes.”
“He’s everything I could have wished for.” And he was. He still had that sharp tone, was grumpy as hell some mornings, but usually tempered those moods with apologetic kisses. Alaric loved having him living in his home since Ezra had said he held no love for his apartment. With what he’d inherited, he mentioned often that they could buy a bigger house, but then he’d murmur about how much he loved Alaric’s three-bedroom bungalow. That it was cozy and felt like a home.
He’d given Ezra that—a home.
But Ezra had done the same for him. Given him something he’d never thought to let himself have. Xavier had told him that loving someone was always a risk but worth it. The sorcerer had been right. Though he usually was.
“Alaric!” Ezra said as he bounded up to the porch with Alaric’s mother. “Why don’t you call everyone outside for a family photo?”