Page 83 of Loched in Love

“Just water for him, thank you,” Elena intervenes smoothly with a knowing wink and accepts the glass for herself before settling into her own adjacent pod just across the partition.

As the steward bows and retreats I discover a hidden console brimming with many different digital buttons. I tap one carefully with the very tip of my index finger, and with a faint mechanical hum, a privacy divider glides upward and seals our two suites off into a private double room cabin away from the rest of the passengers.

Another push of a button causes my seat to smoothly recline and shift easily into a fully flat, plush bed.

The low, powerful thrum of a jet engine brings a sudden wave of familiarity, and I realize it isn’t so different from the deep and rhythmic vibrations of the loch’s currents during a heavy storm. And when the massive aircraft begins its journey down the runway, I reach across the gap between our suites to find Elena’s hand and take it in mine.

“Off to the new world,” I say softly, my Scottish brogue thick, my tone heavy with wonder.

Elena squeezes my hand tightly as the force of the plane presses my body back into the leather and launches us high above the fluffy clouds, straight toward America.

Once we reach a nice cruising altitude, the cabin lights dim further and cast a cozy and intimate glow over our shared space. Our destination is fixed in my mind to a small town along the coast where Elena grew up. A world completely foreign to me in my misty Highlands.

“Are you getting excited to meet everyone?” Elena asks, her voice trailing off with a nervous and playful edge as she looks over the lower partition between our beds. “You know my brothers have never met one of my boyfriends because I never had one before you, and all four of them are fiercely protective and very loud.”

I chuckle, the deep vibration echoing in the quiet suite. “I’m a monster of the deep, Elena. I think I can handle four human brothers, no matter how fiercely protective they claim to be.”

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she teases, settling back into her pillows. “They used to terrify most of the school bullies just by standing in the driveway, though they’re a bit shorter than you.”

Needing a distraction from the looming family introductions, I turn my attention to the big aircraft’s entertainment screen built into the walls of the pod’s suite, and try navigating the system with a few clumsy stumbles of my fingers.

But with Elena’s easy guidance, we manage to sync our screen so we can watch the same thing, and she picks an animated movie about a tiny forest creature lost in a large and sprawling city.

As the story unfolds, I find myself completely captivated by the bright visuals and the simple, yet heartwarming music. I press the button to adjust our seats into a comfortable lounging position before reaching across the divider so that Elena can rest her head against my arm.

The movie continues, and a soft smile pulls at my lips watching the tiny creature overcome its many obstacles. It’s peaceful up here, miles above the ocean, sharing a simple and quiet moment with the woman who has changed my entire existence. I squeeze her hand in mine, elated when she returns the gentle motion.

For the first time in centuries, the future doesn’t look like a dark and endless expanse of water. It’s warm, inviting, and entirely ours for the taking.

Chapter 34

ELENA PIERSON

The wheels of the huge aircraft hit the tarmac at Logan International Airport with a definitive and heavily jarring jolt.

Beside me, Lachlan’s hand instantly tenses inside mine as he glances out the window at the huge concrete labyrinth of Boston’s runways, his jaw setting into a rigid and defensive line that I’ve come to recognize whenever the human world gets a little too loud for him.

“We’re finally here. Lachlan, the Loch Ness monster, has landed,” I whisper, squeezing his large knuckles with my fingers.

He turns to look at me with a tiny and nervous smile breaking through his stern expression. “Aye, we’ve made it to America.”

Navigating the high-end terminal in Boston is a completely different experience than our nightmare scramble at the last airport, mostly because the exorbitant flights Lachlan booked us for come with the very best of services, and so far, I won’t be complaining.

A private escort meets us right at the gate, bypassing the chaotic sea of travelers and rushing us through the main corridors. As we walk down the concourse I can’t help but notice the way people look at my mate.

Lachlan seems to tower over the crowd. With his bright red hair and plaid shirt, he looks like a lumberjack coming to visit the real world, drawing stares usually that start in the broad area of his chest.

He draws curious glances from business travelers and tourists alike as he moves with slow, deliberate caution, keeping his arms tucked tightly to his sides as if terrified he might accidentally knock over a luggage cart or step on someone.

When we reach the customs border, my heart does a small and anxious flutter as I get a look at the custom agents who look like they’d rather be anywhere but here. And while I know Maren’s paperwork is supposed to be flawless, watching a stern faced custom agent look up at my very tall boyfriend who’s actually a Highland monster passing through security, is enough to make anyone sweat.

The agent takes Lachlan’s shiny new passport in his hand and looks down from the photo up to the large man standing in front of him. “What’s the purpose of your visit to the United States, Mr. Macbeth?” the officer asks, his voice flat.

Lachlan clears his throat, and looks around a bit sheepish before blurting, “Visiting friends and family, umm… sir? My mate’s…. er, my girlfriend’s hometown?”

The agent looks down at me and then back up at Lachlan and taps a few keys on his computer. I fight to keep calm and from panicking as the silence stretches out for several intense and agonizing seconds before the man slams the official entry stamp onto the page with a sharp clack.

“Enjoy your stay in Massachusetts, Mr. Macbeth,” the agent says as he hands the recently forged passport back to Lachlan.