"Is it morning?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, it's time for dinner." She could tell he was trying not to smile.
"How bad is it?"
"You may want to stop by the bathroom before we go downstairs." His eyes danced with laughter. She wanted to pull the pillow over her head. Sighing she got up and walked over to the bathroom. The pain in her side was nearly gone. She reached for the doorknob and noticed he was staying fairly close to her.
Turning, she looked him in the eye. "I don't need a babysitter, Gavriel."
"Maybe I just want to always be near you."
"Fine, but you stay out here while I make myself presentable," she countered.
He nodded and pointed to the bathroom. "I'll wait right out here."
She huffed and walked into the bathroom closing the door behind her. When she looked at herself in the mirror she gasped. On the other side of the door she heard his chuckle. Her hair was sticking straight up. Mortified, she turned the water on and wet her hair. She ran a brush through the tangled mess until she looked less like an escapee from an insane asylum and more like the socialite she was. She powdered her face with her compact and added a bit of lipstick. She was so pale she needed the pop of color the lipstick provided.
"When were you going to tell me about your alert necklace?" she heard him ask. Mentally she began to curse her fathers. Of course they would tell him about her magical leash. She opened the door and scowled at him.
"I hate that damn thing. We don't need it."
"I must insist that you recode it so that should you ever need to use it, it will alert me and not your fathers who are across the country and not in a position to provide immediate assistance." One look at his face and she knew better than to argue. She had learned growing up, you had to pick your battles and this was one she would not win.
"Fine!" she stomped over to her suitcase and pulled out the small velvet pouch that had been tucked away in the corner. She opened the drawstrings and turned it upside down dropping a large pendant necklace and three blue stone key chains into her hand. She turned to him. "This pendant came with six keystones. Both my fathers and my uncle each have one. You will receive the fourth. Who would you recommend to receive the fifth and sixth for here in Lycaonia?"
Gavriel stared down at the small, plain looking flat stones. "Are those worry stones?" he asked.
She sighed. "Yes, the fae warrior who made these for us had a sense of humor. But it actually worked out for the best, since they are small and flat they're easy to carry." She held one up to him.
He took it and turned it over in his hand. "I would recommend Meryn and Adelaide."
His recommendations surprised her. "Not your commander?" she asked.
He shook his head. "If I wasn't here, it's almost a guarantee that I would be on a mission with Aiden, so it would be pointless to have two stones with us. If Adelaide had one you would be able to alert her, Marius, and more importantly Elder McKenzie to the fact that you need help. Any of those three would be able to mobilize assistance in minutes."
She nodded. "And Meryn?"
Smiling he handed the stone back to her. "She's crazy enough to do anything to save you; in addition to that Ryuu is always with her. I have a feeling there isn't much those two can't do," he admitted.
"Those were the two I'd chosen as well. Okay, give me a moment." She placed the three remaining keystones so that they were touching the large pendant and whispered the spell that she'd learned on her sixteenth birthday. When she opened her eyes the stones were glowing a deep burnished gold. After a few seconds the glow faded and the stones returned to their normal royal blue color. She handed a stone to him and he immediately added it to his key ring.
"I'll give Meryn and Adelaide theirs later." She put the necklace on and sighed.
Her mate surprised her by pulling her in for a kiss. When she looked up at him questioningly, he smiled.
"I know that you hate it, but thank you for wearing it. It will help me worry less when I'm not with you," he said and kissed her on the tip of her nose.
And just like that she didn't mind the necklace anymore. If it helped her mate worry less so he could concentrate more on himself to avoid getting hurt, then she would gladly wear the stupid leash.
"Come on, let's head downstairs. Tonight Ryuu made one of Meryn's favorites, his own version of Hot Pockets. Each one has a different filling, but you don't know what it is until you eat it. It's actually quite amusing."
"I can't wait." And she meant it. She had had more fun in the past couple days with her mate than in the previous year living alone.
She grabbed her wristlet and they left the room. As they walked Elizabeth noticed that he matched his steps to hers perfectly, his hand never leaving the small of her back. She knew he was doing it to prevent a fall and it made her feel just as rebellious as when her uncle and fathers did it when she was at home. But, she had to admit his touch, though small, felt wonderful. Her animal was practically purring like a kitten. The warmth from his hand was more comforting than controlling. His touch was feather light, acting more like a reminder that he was there, rather than a censure of her. Looking over at him she noticed that even though his features remained unyielding and stoic, his eyes were warm and almost kind. Just that small touch at her back was enough to put him at ease. Slowly he was worming his way into her heart. Shaking her head she reached out and hooked her finger through his belt loop. When he turned to look at her his rare smile held so much joy that she forgot about her footing and tripped. Laughing he simply extended his arm and wrapped it around her waist, holding her close. He had a way of making her feel like the most precious thing in his world.