Elisabeth POV
10 Years Later
“Mom! Are we ready to go yet? I can’t wait to see Elliot… and his brother and sisters!” I’m waiting in the foyer of the castle, and mom is taking her sweet time getting Raven ready to go. Raven is my mom’s granddaughter, but she and I are like sisters, and she is only five. My mom, Queen Winnie, is actually my stepmom. She has never tried to keep it a secret either. I’m only ten, but she raised me to be independent. That would also be why I’m ready and Raven is not. She likes to play the helpless child role a little too much. I keep telling her that it’s going to bite her one day, but she loves the attention a little too much to stop. Finally, Raven runs downstairs, followed by mom. Mom is smiling at me and rolling her eyes at Raven. I ask, “Are we ready to go now?” Mom smiles at me, “You and Elliot are getting quite friendly lately.” I blush, “I really like him. I would love it if we were mates. Plus, it’s their birthday!” Mom rolls her eyes, “Let’s not grow too fast, child. Just enjoy being a kid for now. Okay? You will have plenty of time for that later.”
Mom teleports us to Prince Aidinth’s and Princess Chloe’s house, and I’m the first to knock on the door. Princess Chloe invites us in, and Elliot immediately runs to me, while Princess Ashina’s son, Caleb, runs to Raven. I just know they’re going to be mates too! I can’t wait to see it! Elliot and I sit in a corner of the room, talking about books we’ve read and things we’d like to do when we grow up. I can’t help but be fascinated by every word that comes out of his mouth. He makes me want to be smarter; to try harder in school. I really like that about him.
As I went on about a book I had just read, I noticed Elliot staring at me with a goofy grin on his face. I stopped talking, and started staring back at him, not saying a word. It took a few minutes before he finally noticed that I had stopped talking. He smiled, “So, what would you say if I told you I hope we are mates?” I blushed, “I would say I really hope we are. You are good for me.” He grinned, “You’re good for me too.”
Suddenly, Prince Aidinth knelt to look us both in the eyes, “Let’s just wait until you are seventeen and see if you are mates. How about you just concentrate on being kids, for now. Okay?” We both smiled at him, and I giggled, “I was talking about a book I read until he brought up the subject of mates.” Prince Aidinth chuckled, “Elliot, it’s time to open your gifts. Let’s get to it.”
The rest of the party was so much fun. After the games were played and the cake and ice cream were eaten, people started leaving and I asked Princess Chloe if I could help her clean up. I really just asked to be able to stay a little longer, but she told me it was fine. I still pointed to the dishes and used my magic to get those washed. Princess Chloe smiled at me, “Thank you, Elisabeth. You are a sweetheart.” I smiled, “You’re welcome, Princess Chloe.”
Just then, my mom told us it’s time to go, do that Elliot’s younger siblings could take a nap. I turned to the triplets and said goodbye, then Elliot took my hand. I blushed as I kissed him on the cheek and told him goodbye.
Seven Years Later
I am getting ready for Luna Abby’s ball with my mom, and I am so nervous. “Mom,” I ask, “what happens is Elliot isn’t my mate?” Mom chuckles, “Life goes on, sweetheart. You will find your mate.” I sigh, “But I really love Elliot, mom. I don’t want to let him go.” Mom finished with my hair and makeup and sighed, “Let’s see what happens tonight, then we can go from there.”
I stood up and went to my closet to get my dress. I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. It’s a medium gray formal with a plunging V neck and spaghetti straps. The bottom has slits up to my hips on both sides. I really hope Elliot loves this. When I walked out of the closet, my mom giggled, “Sweetie, if you aren’t his mate, he’s going to wish you were.” I shook my head, “I’m ready when you are.”
I held my mom’s hands and we teleported to the ballroom. I walked into the room and got a drink. I looked around for a bit, but I didn’t feel anything. As witches, when we find our mate, it almost feels like a magnet is pulling us to them. We couldn’t stop it if we wanted to. Our bodies literally move involuntarily to him.
I finished my drink and walked back to the entrance hoping my mate would be here soon. I stepped out the door and felt the pull immediately. My body moved on its own. I took a running leap for my mate, and he caught me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. When I looked into his eyes, I was over the moon! It was Elliot!
I was laughing and almost crying at the same time, “Elliot! Oh, my goddess! I knew it!” Elliot laughed as he held me closer to him, “Elisabeth! It’s really you! I always wanted it to be you!” I smiled at him, “It’s Elisa now. It’s a little shorter. We both laughed and walked out to the garden, so that we could be alone.
I kept staring at him as we walked hand-in-hand. I was floored at how hot he is now! Shoulder-length brown hair, chiseled jawline, beautiful emerald-green eyes. I know he has to be nearly seven-feet tall, because I am five feet, two inches and I have to look up to see his face. This is another major turn on. I like that my mate is my jungle gym. We found a secluded area of the garden and sat on a bench.
As soon as he sat down, I sat on his lap, straddling his legs, facing him so that I could look into those hypnotizing eyes. I am already head over heels for this man, and he doesn’t have a clue. I smiled as I put my hand on his face. He leaned into my touch, closed his eyes, then opened them to look into my eyes. He chuckled, “I’ve been wanting you as my mate since we were kids. Do you still want to go to the ball?” I smiled at him, “I think we should at least make an appearance, let our parents know we are leaving, then get out of there.”
Elliot looked deep into my eyes and told me, “That’s what we will do… after I do this. I, Prince Elliot Dash, accept you, Elisabeth Fox, as my mate and Princess.” I beamed in reply, “I, Elisabeth Fox, accept you, Prince Elliot Dash, as my mate and your Princess.” We both felt our bond get a bit stronger and I kissed him tenderly, “I can not wait to start our life together.” He smiled, “I already had our house built. I will leave it to you to decorate. I was hoping you would be my mate, so I had it built with you in mind.”
I smiled at him, “So, what are we waiting for, my Prince?”
Elliot and I walked into the ballroom, and we were instantly bombarded by his siblings, Saphira and Levi. The three of them are triplets and they are so much fun to be around. Saphira chimes in first, “Oh. My. Goddess! Elliot! Elisabeth is your mate! Your prayers were answered!” Elliot blushed and nodded, “They were. I see you found your mate too.” She smiled as she hugged the arm of a huge, really hot, man with brown hair and brown eyes. She beamed, “Dax Dillan, of the Mer-people, meet my brother, Prince Elliot and his new mate, Elisabeth Fox, of the White Witch Coven.” Dax smiled at us, and Elliot smiled, “Well, sis, looks like your prayers were answered too.” She winked at us and smiled, “Yes they did.” Then Levi approaches us with a tiny blonde woman with bright blue eyes. She was just too cute for words. Levi smiled, “Breena Pari, of the Fairy Kingdom, meet my brother, Prince Elliot and his new mate… is that Elisabeth?!” Elliot and I laugh, and I chime in, “Elisabeth of
As we were laying there, I felt a burning sensation on the other side of my neck. I asked, “What’s happening?” He felt the burning too and replied, “We’re getting our dragon marks.” The burn was done in less than a minute, but I was confused, “But you marked me while we were mating.” He sighed, “Well, you know that my mom is a hybrid, right?” I nodded and he continued, “I am too. So is Levi. Saphira is straight wolf and an oracle.” I giggled, “She won’t be straight wolf for long.” He laughed, “I guess not.” I smiled, “I am fine with all of that. I love you for you, Elliot. I know your animals are big part of who you are, so I love them too.” He held me tighter, “We love you too. We have a lot to catch up on. But tonight, we just need to be together. Nothing else. Anything serious can wait for morning.” I woke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight streaming through the curtains. Our first night together was pure bliss. We spent the entire night wrapped
Elliot and I went to town. He took me to the chef supply store, then laughed at how excited I got. Have I mentioned that I love his laugh? Anyway, I managed to get all of the small appliances I wanted for my kitchen, plus a few that I didn’t know existed. Then we went to the grocery store, and I loaded us down with groceries, considering we were starting from nothing. I decided that I would make something easy for lunch, because I wanted to have energy for the conversation that needed to happen with my mom and Elliot. I know Elliot can tell I’m not comfortable with something, because he keeps asking me if I’m okay. I smile and tell him, “I’m fine. Just a little nervous about having mom over for lunch.” He raises his brow at me, and I smile and kiss him, hoping that will make him feel better. We are on our way home, and he suddenly pulls the car over. He looks at me and narrows his eyes, “Baby, something is wrong. I can feel you worrying.” I put my hand on his face, and he le
After my mom left, Elliot helped me clean the kitchen and he grabbed my hand and took me to his office. I looked around and asked, “Is there a reason you have nothing on the walls?” He laughed, “The house was done being built the day before we moved in. They managed to get all the furniture delivered right before I left for the ball.” I gasped, “Wow! That was cutting it super close. Is there a certain theme you want it decorated in?” He nodded as he took my hand, sat in his chair and led me to sit on his lap, “I want pictures of you and us. That’s what I want in here.” I smiled, “You are too sweet. But seriously, how would you like it done?” He chuckled, “I was serious. When we have children, I want photos of them on the walls too.” I shook my head, “A family man already, ay?” He beamed, “There is nothing wrong with wanting to show off my mate and family.” I smiled, “I do love that about you. So, do you want a photographer to come out?” He shook his head and grinned at me, “I have a
After Koda left, Elliot and I went to his office and Elliot called his dad. We made arrangements for the alliance to meet in our home tomorrow evening. Next, we went to each of the bedrooms, and decided that the one next to his office made the most sense and it was large enough to hold forty people seated in chairs, with room to spare. I decided that I would make a variety of snacks for everyone to munch on during the meeting. Elliot smiled, “Baby, I love the way you want to take care of people, but they aren’t coming here for snacks.” I laughed, “I know, but many people think better when they have something sweet to munch on. It’s just a variety of cookies, cupcakes, that kind of thing. It won’t take long.” He approached me and wrapped his arms around me, “You really are something else. I’m trying to make sure you are safe and all you can think of is what to feed everyone.” I laugh, “It’s not that I’m not worried about my safety, I just trust you with my life… literally.” I
I am telling Elliot about my dream, and he tries to get me to lay back down. I shook my head, “I can’t go back to sleep. I could literally feel the evil coming off of her. Goddess! That was such a horrible feeling! I can’t let her find me, Elliot. You know what’s even worse?” He cocks his head in interest. I told him, “I have siblings that she is trying to find too.” Elliot takes a deep breath, “I wonder if there is a way to find them before she does?” I shook my head, “I don’t think there is. My mom has tried. I know she already has one of my sisters. I saw her shackled in a room in her castle.” Elliot sighed, “Okay. There really isn’t anything that can be done about it tonight. Let’s try to get some sleep, then get this conference room ready. It’s going to take the whole alliance to work this out. Dahlia is no one to be messed with, from what I understand.” I leaned into the comfort and safety of Elliot’s arms, “Okay. I will try and get back to sleep. Thank you.” He asked,
I was in the middle of sitting when she said that, and I nearly missed my chair. Tears immediately welled in my eyes as I replied, “I haven’t used my magic since our first morning here. That was only because I had no choice. So, you have had at least one vision about me?” Princess Chloe replied, “I have. I am so happy you two decided to call in the alliance on this. They are definitely needed.” I held Elliot’s hand and smiled, “It was his idea. I honestly thought I was on my own with this problem.” Prince Aidinth furrowed his brow, “Elisa, you will never be on your own again. You have our entire family, Winnie, and the alliance behind you. They have helped us through smaller problems than this one.” I smiled, “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.” Chloe smiled, “We will work this out. You have to know that. I have had a few sleepless nights over the last week, because they were filled with visions of you.” Prince Aidinth chuckled, “A few? She hasn’t slept
My mom continued, “Dahlia, Queen of the Dark Witch Coven, is on the loose looking for the children she gave birth to many years ago. At least the ones she didn’t kill, anyway. As far as I have been able to tell, Elisabeth is the first born and, therefore, the strongest. I will tell you… her magic is extremely powerful. I found her in the forest with her umbilical cord still attached. The cord hadn’t even had time to grow cold. I found her because I felt the waves from her magic from ten miles away. When I reached the source of the waves, you can only imagine my surprise. She was such a tiny thing. She ended up growing up to be the same, tiny body with huge magic. She had a temper tantrum at the age of three that blew out every single window in my castle. All of those windows were enchanted. She was able to break through my enchantment spells.” Everyone in the room looked at me in amazement. My mom continued, “As far as I know, she has four younger siblings that Dahlia has not killed