Cassie rolled her eyes. “I can only imagine what a stroll through your mind would look like.”

“I’m an open book, Baby,” he winked, “at least to you that is. You can take a leisurely stroll through the bowels of my mind anytime you want.”

She laughed. “I don’t think I want to stroll the bowels of anything.” She yawned then and wished not for the first time that she had Trik’s energy level. She could get so much more done if she didn’t have to sleep.

“Time for you to get your beauty sleep,” Trik murmured to her as he sat up. Quite a feat since she was sprawled across him. He shifted her in his lap so that he could carry her and stood with no effort at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her back to the bed.

After he got her situated under the covers, he started to move away from the bed and Cassie’s eyes popped open. “You aren’t going to stay?” she asked, suddenly panicked over the idea of Trik not with her.

His brow furrowed as he looked at her, trying to search for the source of her insecurity. He took in her suddenly alert and nervous state and immediately returned to her side. “You know me better than that love,” he crooned to her as he brushed her hair from her face. “You and I will always share a bed, day or night.” He grinned wickedly at her. “Now tell me why you freaked at the idea of me leaving you?”

Cassie tried to duck her head but Trik wasn’t having it. He placed a finger under her chin and gently raised it so that she was looking at him. “Talk to me, Cassie.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh and flung herself back against the headboard. “I don’t know why, okay?” she nearly whined. “For some reason, every now and then I just have these little, minor moments of irrational clinginess.”

“Irrational clinginess,” he repeated and it sounded so much more ridiculous coming from his mouth.

Cassie frowned at him. “Don’t judge my choice of words, quiver boy,” she growled which only caused Trik to laugh.

“Kitten and her claws,” he chuckled.

“Just promise, you will sleep with me tonight,” she implored him with what she knew was a whine but she just didn’t have the energy to care.

“Oh, how I have longed to hear you say those words,” Trik groaned as he peeled his shirt over his head.

“Uh, Trik, I was…I meant…not…,” she stammered as she took in his very chiseled, very muscled, very lick-able physique.

He pulled back the covers and climbed in next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her down next to him. She was still sputtering when he used his power to put out the lights.

“You’re just too easy, Baby,” he teased her as he tucked her in close tohim. “And yes, I do wish that meant being easy in multiple ways, not just easy to tease. Now go to sleep. We have a busy life ahead of us, and I don’t need you falling asleep when I save the world.”

She couldn’t stop the school girl giggle that bubbled out of her. He always knew exactly what to say and exactly what to do to put her at ease. Awesome, freaking elf boyfriend, she thought to herself with a mental snort.

“Yes, I am,” he murmured against her neck where he had buried his face.“Now go to sleep. You can think about my awesomeness tomorrow.”

Though she was smiling to herself, she let out a huff. “Is it me or has the bossiness gotten worse since you got your crown?”

Trik pinched her butt, drawing a yelp and then giggle from her. “Woman,” Trik growled low, “go to sleep, or I will find a way to exhaust you until you can sleep.”

Cassie stilled instantly.

“That’s what I thought,” Trik rumbled.

Still grinning, she wrapped her arms around the one he had stretched over her stomach and snuggled back into him. His warmth enveloped her in a cocoon of love, and as his lips pressed against her neck, she felt her heart swell and wondered if Dr. Seuss had it right when The Grinch’s heart grew from love. She felt as if her own heart was going to burst straight out of her chest. As she finally drifted off to sleep, she let go of her worries, let go of her fear, and embraced the hope that had been set before them today in the form of a people willing to forgive their king and fight for a world they didn’t belong to.

Chapter 6

“Note to self: Laugh about the idea of a soul mate because really the joke is on you. Meanwhile, the powers that orchestrated this little fiasco are laughing their asses off while you try to keep from jumping his bones and he tries to keep from killing everything that breathes too closely to you. Ahh, good times.” ~Elora

“We ready to do this?” Elora asked as she poured herself a glass of milk. She rubbed her head absently, trying to push away the dull ache that had taken up residency there.

“Are you alright?” Cush asked her as he watched her from his leaned position against the wall.

Elora glanced over to him, her glass frozen in mid raise to her mouth. “Uh, I suppose so. I’ve got a little bit of a headache and the world is going to pot because of some liquid poison and a delusional elf king, but otherwise I’m peachy keen.”

Oakley let out a derisive snort as he looked from her to Cush. Elora chose to ignore it, not that it was hard since Cush had suddenly pushed away from the wall and was walking towards her with a frown plastered on his beautiful face.

“You have a headache?” he asked her and the concern that shown in his eyes melted her heart.