“They might ask you to step down,” Koric said softly.
Gabriel shrugged. “Then, I’ll step down. Harris can take over without me.”
“Not going to happen, brother. Alden is my priority now. I go where he goes. They can select a new pair of elites to take over for us.”
Alarmed, Lyrica said, “Gabriel, your position here is important to you.”
He stopped eating and turned in his chair, giving her his full attention. “And your position back on Xenthian is important to you. You said you wanted to go back.”
“We must be on Xenthian for the magic to work for our bonding ceremony. I didn’t mean we had to live there permanently.”
Poppy’s eyes went wide as she looked at Gabriel and Harris. “I forgot all about the Xenon having magic. Does that mean you guys have magic now, too?”
Harris let out a wistful sigh. “I wish.”
“Of course, not,” Gabriel scoffed.
Lyrica delicately cleared her throat. “Well…that’s not exactly true.”
“What?” Gabriel and Harris both shouted at the same time.
“You don’t have magic yet, but you will once we complete our bonding ceremony,” she explained.
Vaughn all but bounced in his seat. “That is totally frosty!”
Harris’ jaw dropped open. “Hold up. Seriously? I’m going to have magic after we do the bonding ceremony?”
“Actually, you will be able to share my magic once the ceremony is complete.” Alden smiled at him sheepishly. “Did I forget to mention that to you?”
“Umm, yeah.” Harris beamed at him. “This is fucking awesome!”
“Fucking hell,” Gabriel muttered in complete opposition to his partner’s reaction. “This is just one more thing I’m going to have to learn.”
Lyrica patted his hand. “Don’t worry, mate. I will teach you everything you need to know.”
As the conversation about magic continued, Gabriel desperately wanted to be alone with Lyrica. Not just because he wanted to make love to her. That was a given. He wanted her with every breath he took, but they also had things to discuss in private. He had sensed how distressed she’d been hearing that their mating might cause problems with the regents, and he realized he should have mentioned his concerns to her before his family had brought it up.
Since they were both done eating, Gabriel pushed back from the table and stood up. “I’m going to take Lyrica on a walk around the grounds.”
Hazel smiled with understanding. “We have pie for dessert, so make sure you come back later.”
“Perhaps you should show her the D’Aire dome,” Koric suggested. “There is a full moon tonight.”
“Great idea. Thanks, dad.”
“Thank you for the amazing meal,” Lyrica said as she took Gabriel’s offered hand. “Everything was wonderful.”
Alden started to stand, but Harris put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. “Remember, the security system monitors the entire property, and there are guards on duty watching over the domes all night. They’ll be fine.”
Gabriel frowned. “I can keep my mate safe.”
Alden’s brow rose in challenge. “That still remains to be seen.”
When Gabriel growled and took a step toward him, Lyrica wrapped her arms around his waist. “Remember, you cannot kill him.”
“Can I just maim him a little?”
“No.”
“Damn it.”
“Stop baiting him,” she ordered Alden. Then, she grabbed hold of her mate’s hand. “Let’s go.” Even though she’d done her best to sound stern, she couldn’t help but chuckle as she dragged Gabriel toward the exit.
Chapter Eight
“I’m sorry. He’s just doing that to test you,” Lyrica told Gabriel as they stepped out into the cool evening air.
“Testing me to see how long it takes before I strangle him?”
Chuckling, she shook her head. “He’s trying to make you lose your temper so he knows what you’re like when you do.”
“I get it. It’s a training technique I’ve used myself. I understand that he has been protecting you for a long time, but now—”
“My whole life,” she corrected softly. “He knows you are the most important person in my life now, as Harris is for him. But Alden has been guarding me for over a thousand years, so stepping aside isn’t easy for him.”
Gabriel almost tripped on his own feet hearing that, and his breath wheezed out like he’d been punched in the solar plexus. “A thousand years? Just how—you know what? Never mind.” If he found out exactly how old she was his head might explode. That could wait until he wouldn’t freak out. Clearing his throat, he started walking again. “Exactly how long is the lifespan of a Xenon?”
“Some would say that we are immortal, although there are a few ways we can be killed. We stop aging after a certain number of years, so we do not expire naturally, but we are not shielded from magical ailments or direct attacks.”
A few seconds ago, he had been freaked out at the thought of her being immortal. However, now that he’d heard that there were ways she could still be harmed, his pulse sped up, and he felt a line of sweat trickle down his back. He suddenly had an urge to lock her away in a room where no one could reach her, not that she would ever allow that. He knew he was being unreasonable, which is why he didn’t bother voicing his concerns out loud.
At least she was more durable than he was.
That made him worry a little less.
“No, I wouldn’t like being locked away somewhere. And once we complete the bonding ceremony, your life will be tied to mine as my magic will be bound to you.”
Damn, he forgot about the whole mind reading thing. After finding out he would have magic soon, he thought he had finally reached his threshold of surprising news. However, learning that he would also be immortal was
