Mia
Mia woke the next morning to the unfamiliar feeling of arms wrapped around her waist, a warm body next to hers.
Blinking, she sleepily rubbed her eyes and tried to remember where she was. The bed she was in was far bigger and far more comfortable than the one she was used to, not to mention that those heavy damask curtains were nothing like the flimsy little cotton ones she’d hung a few weeks ago...
Against her shoulder, Roman stirred sleepily, his fingers momentarily tightening around her waist.
Oh. Oh!
Suddenly, it all came flooding back.
The strange creature she’d found in the snow, the little town unmarked on any map. The café she’d stumbled into, and the man she’d found inside... and the way the animal she’d thought was some kind of exotic pet had turned out to be a griffin – which had then turned into a little boy.
Mia blinked. Surely I just dreamed that part?
But no – it had all been real.
But there was even more to it than that.
The man she’d met had been a griffin shifter as well.
And she was his mate.
And we had the most amazing roll in the hay that I have ever experienced. I didn’t think it was even possible to feel that good.
Mia bit her lip, staring at the sunlight filtering in through a crack in the curtains. Warmth flooded her as she remembered the way Roman’s touch had set her on fire, body and soul.
She turned slightly toward him now, raising her hand to brush over his cheek, as if to reassure herself that this truly was happening.
Roman mumbled something sleepily into her shoulder, and as he shifted she felt the hardness of his morning erection brush against her thigh. Mia felt herself beginning to blush. No, that’s definitely real.
Despite all of that, she had only the vaguest of memories of how she’d come to be in this bed, snuggled up beside him. She recalled that they’d waited all evening for Horace to reappear so they could tell him that she and Roman had discovered they were mates. Though he’d done his best to hide it, Mia could tell that Roman was nervous about it. After the first couple of hours had ticked by, he’d finally taken to pacing around the great room, his eyebrows drawn together, a frown on his lips.
Mia had wanted to tell him not to worry about it – that Horace would come back when he came back.
And to tell the truth, after her long day – first, getting up at the crack of dawn to drive up the mountain to her client’s house, then spending all day decorating, and then all the bizarre and amazing revelations that had come after – she had felt her eyelids beginning to droop.
She must have eventually dropped off on the couch, Mia realized. She could slightly recall Roman gathering her up in his arms, and her sleepy protestations that she could get to bed herself – before he had carried her up the stairs to his room, and laid her down on the bed. She’d been out like a light again before she’d even really realized what was happening.
My mate, Mia thought as she turned to look at Roman’s sleeping face. She felt like she should have been more skeptical of what he’d told her yesterday. But somehow, she knew it was true. Roman’s words had stirred something deep within her soul – something she hadn’t even known was there until yesterday. Instinctively, she knew what he said was the truth. She was his mate.
And he was hers.
Leaning across, Mia pressed a soft kiss to Roman’s forehead. When she pulled back, his dark blue eyes were open, watching her with a kind of tenderness that made her chest ache.
“Hey,” she said quietly, sitting up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Welcome back, sleepy head.”
Roman laughed a little sheepishly, before yawning widely. “I hope you haven’t been waiting for me to wake up for too long.”
Mia shook her head. “No – I only just woke up myself.” She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was just on eight o’clock. A luxurious sleep-in by her usual standards, but she hoped she could be forgiven.
She shivered as she felt Roman’s fingers stroke down her waist, his smile widening.
“What’re you smiling about?” Mia teased him, as she felt him press against her once more, hard inside the track pants he was wearing.
Roman laughed, low and husky. “Waking up next to a beautiful woman isn’t reason enough to smile?”
“Flattery will get you... well, almost everywhere,” Mia laughed, running her hand over the bare skin of his chest, marveling as it rose into goosebumps under her touch.
“Only almost everywhere?”
“We’ll have to see.”
Roman leaned forward at that, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.
Mia groaned, wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself close to his body. She wanted nothing more than to give in to temptation, to forget about the world outside and throw herself into the same passion they had shared yesterday.
Her body responded to him faster than she would have thought possible. She pressed her thighs together, already soaking wet between them. Thrills of delicious pleasure ran through her body and she shivered.
Their kisses grew more fervent and Mia felt her desire welling up inside her, threatening to overwhelm all rational thought...
... But at the last moment, she pulled back. If she let herself give in to her rising passion, she didn’t know where it would take them – and they had things they needed to do.
Like tell Horace who she was.
Like check if the storm had lifted, and make her way back home so she could see her clients tomorrow.
Like try to figure out where they would go from here, and how she would deal with the sudden changes being a griffin’s mate would mean for her life.
“Mmm, Roman,” she mumbled. “We shouldn’t – we need to –”
Roman groaned, burying his face in her neck, his breath warm on her skin. “Is it wrong of me to just want to stay here forever?”
Stroking her fingers through his hair, Mia laughed softly. “I know how you feel. But if what you told me about mates is true, then we’ll have a long time ahead of us for this kind of thing.”
Roman sighed, rolling away from her, but she could still see the light of desire in his eyes. “I suppose so. And you’re right. We need to head downstairs and face the music. That’s if Horace has even shown up again.”
His expression was almost comically gloomy, and Mia couldn’t help but laugh. “He can’t avoid you forever, Roman. If we have to we’ll write him a letter, or send him a video, or hire skywriters, or something. But he’ll get the message, one way or another.”
Roman nodded, smiling a little sadly. “I suppose you’re right. But it’s... it just wouldn’t feel right to do it in any way other than in person.”
“Which is why we need to head downstairs right now, and make sure we catch Horace before he runs off anywhere else,” Mia said firmly.
Roman’s genuine laugh came as a relief, and he pulled her to him, kissing her again. “Okay, okay. You’ve got me there.” He flashed her a quick grin. “C’mon. Let’s go shower, and then see what we can find for breakfast.”
***
Half an hour later they were sitting in the kitchen together enjoying a breakfast of coffee and scrambled eggs – which Roman had intended to be fried, though by the time he had finished with them they had most definitely been scrambled.
It didn’t to matter to Mia, however – she’d woken up ravenous, and she’d gobbled up the eggs with relish. The coffee, fresh and piping hot, chased the last of the cobwebs from her brain, leaving her feeling refreshed and ready to face whatever the day might throw at her.
Well, I hope so anyway, she thought, as she and Roman loaded their plates and cups into the dishwasher.
“Have you thought about what you’ll say?” Mia asked, as Roman wiped up toast crumbs from the kitchen counter.
He shook his head. “Honestly, no. I’m just hoping I’ll be able to find the right words when the time comes.” He sighed, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back against the counter. “I feel like I might have given my uncle a bad rap. Like I said, we’ve had our difficulties. But honestly, Horace isn’t a bad man. Maybe he’s set in his ways, and obviously I don’t agree with him on everything. But I can’t bring myself to believe he’d deny a mated bond. Mated bonds are... well, they’re considered sacred to shifters – almost mythical. Horace would never do that.”
“I would never do what?”
Mia started slightly at the sound of Horace’s voice from the doorway. She’d been so focused on Roman that he hadn’t even heard Horace come in.
Horace was still standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised, his frown pulling down the corners of his lips.
Mia watched as Roman raised his head. For a moment, he seemed to be waging some internal struggle – as if his resolve was at war with whatever instinctive deference she imagined he owed Horace. She wasn’t sure how griffin society worked, but she had gotten the impression that it could be very strictly hierarchical.
Whatever the case, however, it was clear in the end that Roman’s resolve had won out. He looked Horace in the eye before he spoke, his voice quiet but strong.
“Horace, I have something to tell you.” He swallowed, pressing his lips together briefly before continuing. “Mia and I are mates.”
There was a long silence in the room. Mia barely dared to breathe.
Horace’s eyes moved slowly back and forth between Roman and Mia, as if he was trying to tell whether they were playing some kind of trick on him.
“You’re what?”
“We’re mates,” Roman repeated firmly, his eyes steady on Horace’s face. “I should have said something earlier, but I wanted to tell Mia first, and I didn’t get the chance last night before you left.”
Mia sucked in a small breath as Roman’s tone turned slightly accusing, but he quickly reined himself in, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing.
“I know this may come as a surprise, Uncle, but it’s the truth. I’m sorry I haven’t always been the best nephew...” He grimaced, trailing off. “Okay, let me rephrase that. I know I could have handled things over the last twelve years better. I was an ass, a stubborn ass. But I hope you can forgive me. And I hope you can be happy for me.”
Mia blinked, her eyes moist. Roman’s voice throbbed with emotion. She squeezed his hand, wanting him to know that she thought he’d said everything perfectly.
They might still have to get to know each other, mates or not, but so far Mia had seen a kind, strong man – one who had vowed to stand by her no matter what. Maybe a little stubborn and proud, but she had her own faults too. Neither of them was perfect. But together, she thought that maybe they could have something special.
And just at that moment, she couldn’t have been more proud of him.
She glanced at Horace, hoping that he’d seen the sincerity of Roman’s words.
But the expression on his face froze her heart in her chest.
If anything, it was even more forbidding than before. Then, he shook his head, snorting in disgust.
“Mates with a human? Impossible.”
Mia felt as if her breath had been stopped in her lungs. She glanced at Roman, unsure of what to do. Roman’s own face was a picture of shock – before it darkened like a rain cloud.
“What are you saying, Horace?”
“I’m saying that a griffin and a human aren’t suited to be mates!” Horace thundered, his eyes blazing. “We’re too different. Even if the bond is there, a human couldn’t possibly understand what it means to be a griffin. They don’t know our history, our traditions. And they don’t understand the commitments of a mated bond! Only another shifter can understand that.”
Roman shook his head, expression icy. “I don’t believe that’s true – I know what I feel for Mia. She knows it too. You can’t tell me what I feel isn’t true.”
Mia held her breath, watching as Horace’s face twitched in anger. “Don’t you think I might have learned something about humans and shifters in all my years as clan leader? Don’t you think I might have a reason for telling you these things – for not wanting you to waste yourself out in the world of humans?”
“Waste myself?” asked Roman, incredulous. “You have no idea what I’ve been doing for the past twelve years. You’re the one who made me choose between the clan and going out into the world. But I haven’t regretted it – not for a second. I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed Lavinia. I’ve missed everyone. But if you think I’ve been wasting myself –”
Horace cut him off with a curt gesture. “This was always your way, Roman – you always thought you knew best, regardless of what your clan elders might tell you. You were a stubborn child, and you grew into a stubborn young man. You could never be told anything.”
Mia licked her lips, glancing to where Roman’s face had gone dark with anger. I have to try to help fix this, she thought. She couldn’t stand the idea that she was the cause of so much turmoil between the two men.
“Horace, I know we’ve only just met, but I can promise you – I care for Roman. And you’re right: I don’t know, or really understand, what it means to have a mated bond with a shifter. But I want to learn. I want to be a good partner for Roman – a good mate. I want to try to understand. I want to be a part of your world – your clan. I can’t promise I’ll get everything right straight away, but I can promise you that I’ll do my best to try.”
Horace glowered at her. “Of course – of course you will. At first. I’m sure this seems like a fun new adventure for you, now. But what happens when the thrill wears off, and you have to start dealing with the obligations that being mated to a shifter comes with? What then?”
“All relationships come with obligations and responsibilities,” Mia said firmly. “And I’ll do my best to meet these ones in exactly the same way: by dealing with them as they come, by talking about things, and doing my best to support Roman any way he needs it.”
Maybe she was being naïve, she thought. Maybe there really were some weird otherworldly obligations that came with being a griffin’s mate: brushing his mane, or feather grooming, or filing his claws if they got too long. Maybe there were strange griffin rituals that needed to be done, involving dancing naked under a full moon, or looking in ponds at midnight or something like that.
Hell, even if it meant accepting that griffins came as part of a package deal with an extremely overbearing family, that was still hardly out of the ordinary – one of her previous boyfriends’ mothers had called him six times a day and still done his laundry. Mia was pretty sure she could handle it.
And besides which, she already knew there was very little that could stop her from exploring this connection, whatever it was, with Roman. He was kind, handsome, gentlemanly, sweet – and smoking hot. She had felt more in tune with him in only two days than she had with all her previous boyfriends combined. And the way he made her feel...
Mia swallowed. It probably wasn’t the time to relive the way he had set her body on fire yesterday. Right now, she had to focus.
Especially since Horace’s face looked even stormier than it did before. “Do you think you understand us?” he asked, his voice raw with anger. Mia was about to answer him, when she saw a hint of something other than anger glinting in his eyes.
Horace quickly looked away from her, but not before Mia recognized what she saw there.
It’s pain. No, not pain – it’s sadness.
Surprised, she glanced uncertainly at Roman – and saw that he’d noticed the same thing.
“Uncle,” Roman said, his voice unsure. “What aren’t you –”
But once again, Horace cut him off. “No. You just don’t understand – either of you.”
“I’m not a child, Horace,” Roman said, his voice rising once more in anger. “And like I said, I don’t want to have to choose. But if you’re going to force me to do it, then I choose my mate.”
Mia glanced at Roman, love and affection for him warring against the pain she felt that such a choice should be forced upon him like this.
Surely it doesn’t have to be this way, she thought desperately. Surely –
“Well. I’m glad Brett took the kids to Kara and Jason’s this morning, so they’re not around to hear this ridiculous argument.”
As one, Mia, Roman and Horace all turned to the kitchen door, where Lavinia was standing, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Lavinia, I –” Roman began to say, but his cousin merely shook her head.
“Mia’s the only one here who’s talking sense and trying to reach a compromise. But the two of you are just butting heads – just like you always do.”
“Lavinia,” Horace said, spreading his hands before him. “I’m only trying to –”
But at the same time, Roman spoke up, saying, “Lavinia, that’s not what –”
Before either of them could get far, however, they were interrupted by the sound of the telephone as it began to ring.
Lavinia held up a finger for quiet, before heading over to where it sat on the marble bench to answer it.
“Hello? This is –” Mia watched as she abruptly cut herself off, a frown creasing her forehead. “Kara, wait. Slow down. I’m sure that’s not – you’re not a terrible mother –”
Mia blinked, surprised. Kara?
She and Roman glanced at each other in confusion. What could be going on?
Lavinia was speaking again, her voice low and calming. “All right, Kara. I understand. No, of course we’ll help you. No – no, of course I don’t think that. Kids will be kids, Kara, especially at that age.”
Mia’s eyes widened in alarm. Had something happened with Ayden? She exchanged a glance with Roman, who was now also looking concerned.
Lavinia reassured Kara a few more times, before at last hanging up the phone and turning to them, her expression grim.
“What’s happened?” Horace asked, voice tense. “Is it Ayden? Is he all right?”
Lavinia shook her head, laughing humorlessly. “Oh, Ayden is fine – it’s his older sister, Bethany. She was supposed to be watching him yesterday when he ran off. Of course, Kara and Jason grounded Bethany for not paying attention when she was watching him and said she couldn’t go to some Christmas party she wanted to go to.” She sighed. “Of course, what with Bethany being sixteen, this was positively the end of the world as far as she was concerned. So now she’s run off somewhere, leaving a note detailing all the ways her parents are ruining her life.”
“Bethany’s missing?” Horace asked, sounding alarmed. “Do they have any idea where she might have gone?”
Lavinia shook her head. “No – but they don’t think she could have gone far. Apparently pancakes for breakfast was important enough that she stuck around for those before disappearing.”
“We’ll look for her,” Roman and Horace said in unison. They glanced at each other, frowning, but apparently Lavinia wasn’t about to let this moment of unity be ruined.
“Good,” she said. “I told Kara we’d help her search. The storm is over, and it’s not like Skyhaven is a huge place. If we split up, we should be able to find her in no time.”
“I can search over the mountains,” Roman said. “Just in case she flew up there. I used to explore the ranges when I was a kid – I knew them like the back of my hand. I’m certain I could navigate them again now.”
Lavinia nodded. “Good idea. I can look around the places she and Sylvie sometimes hang out. They have a couple of favorite haunts it might be worth checking out – though according to Kara, Sylvie swears black and blue she doesn’t know where Bethany might have gone.”
“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” asked Roman.
Lavinia shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ll have to speak to her about it – but we’ll deal with that later. Right now, we have to look for Bethany.”
Roman nodded in agreement. “Of course.”
“Can I help?” Mia asked, wanting to do something, at least. She could remember being a teenager herself, and had packed her things and left for hours at a time when one or the other of her parents had told her off – usually for wearing something they deemed inappropriate, or for staying out past her curfew. But she couldn’t imagine where she might have gone if she’d been able to fly.
“You can come with me,” Roman said, turning to her with a smile. “I know just what we can do.”