“She’s right, Miriam. Ella makes a good point. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to convince the Clan to change their ways, but I’ll give it a try.”
Never in her wildest dreams had she believed she’d win that battle. Ella jumped up, ran to her father, and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by having a litter of snow leopard pups.”
She laughed. “A litter. Maybe one or two—in a few years. I want to enjoy Tanner for now. Besides, he has to finish building this amazing ecology park first.”
“Ecology park?” her father asked.
For the next hour, Tanner regaled them with his vision.
“It sounds amazing,” Christa said. She was the rescuer of all animals, and Ella couldn’t wait to show her when the place was finished.
Ella had told Tanner that her mother was reserved, but when he saw what kind of bitter and lonely woman she was, his admiration for his mate grew. It had to have taken a lot of courage to stay for as long as she had.
Dinner was delicious, but the conversation was strained at times. Even though her dad had shown interest in Tanner’s construction business, he didn’t want to bore the whole family with new techniques. To be honest, Tanner felt as if he was under a microscope. Her mom asked questions about his background and what kind of people his parents were. He balked at first, but he supposed any mother would want to make sure their daughter had chosen well.
After dinner, they served drinks. It wasn’t long before Ella yawned heavily. “I am beat. My eyes are blurry from all the driving.”
Tanner doubted the car ride tired her out since her vehicle was self-driving but sitting most of the day would be hard. If it meant they could go to bed sooner though, he was all for it. Unfortunately, her mom escorted him to one of the guest bedrooms. “We’ll be down the hall if you need anything.” She might have sounded sweet, but the implication was clear: stay away from my daughter while under our roof.
Tanner was pleased with himself for not laughing. What did her mother think living together entailed? It didn’t matter. Tomorrow, they’d drive back to Plux where Ella would stay for good.
Once in his room, Tanner stripped down to his underwear and crawled into a very comfortable bed. Less than ten minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. In case his senses were off, and it was the maid and not Ella, he pulled the sheet over his lap. “Come in?”
As soon as the door opened, Ella’s fragrance stimulated his nose. His heart pulsed hard, as did his inner scales. She tiptoed inside and closed the door.
Ella smiled and rushed over to his bed. If he’d been angry with her deception before, all was forgiven. He missed her too much to remain mad.
“I never thought dinner would end.” Ella sat on the bed, and his inner fire burned bright.
“Me neither, but I thought it went well.”
“I have to agree. I don’t remember ever having anyone other than a snow leopard or a panther in the house before. I think my leaving caused them to think about what is most important.”
Tanner reached up and cupped her cheek. “I need to apologize for judging you.”
She shook her head. “I should have told you that I came from a crazy family.”
“Even if you had warned me about Moran, I would have been pissed that he tried to take you back.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “I’m glad you were pissed. I like a man who protects his mate and shows how much he wants me in a good way.”
“Oh, I wanted you all right. Apparently, Moran did too—only for different reasons. He’s lucky he’s still alive.”
“If you’d killed him, there would have been a lot of questions. At least now, Moran won’t be foisted on my family.”
Only then did it occur to him that Ella had no reason to remain in Plux. “If your parents aren’t going to pressure you into being with Moran, does that mean you want to stay in Thedia?”
Her eyes widened. “Do you want me to stay here?”
Chapter Twelve
Ella held her breath. She didn’t really think Tanner would say yes. He wouldn’t have flown all the way to Thedia and searched for her if he didn’t want her back. They were mates after all.
“Hell no, I don’t want you to stay here. You and I are mates. If I had my way, I’d mate with you right now, but I don’t want to rush you.”
Her pulse soared. Even after the lies, Tanner wanted her. “After being without you even for one day, I know that we belong together.”
“Are you saying you’re ready to mate?” he asked.
“Yes, but not while in my parents’ house.”
He held up a hand. “Then how about we fly back to Plux for the night? We’ll return before they know you’ve gone.”
She giggled. That seemed so decadent, but she loved it. “Let’s do it! Though we do have some very nice hotels nearby.”
He grinned. “You are indeed my solution girl.”
It only took him a minute to dress and for her to grab a small overnight bag. Even though her parents were shifters and had excellent hearing, she and Tanner managed to leave out the back. Tanner shifted and lifted her to the sky. Despite it being night, the ski area was well lit, and finding a nice hotel was not hard. Once they checked in, she couldn’t wait for the real event to start.
The room had two large king-sized beds, but one of them would not be used tonight. “Now,
