Page 80 of Protected By the Elf Prince

Dashiel

Weeks later, I realized that cooking really was significantly more enjoyable when one’s fated mate occupied the same room.

Perhaps it was because every few moments, I found myself glancing toward Landon, and he would give me a wink or a smile. Or perhaps it was because the bond had transformed something as ordinary as preparing breakfast into one of the happiest moments of my life, since I could feel his emotions hugging me from inside.

Morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, washing the timber floors in soft gold. Beyond the glass, the forest stirred gently beneath a cool breeze.

Like always, it felt peaceful and quiet.

But now it was more exquisite and vibrant than it had ever been.

The time here together was exactly what we needed after completing the bond.

Time alone.

Time to explore each other.

The scent of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen while eggs sizzled gently in a pan, and off to the side, I heated a kettle, already preparing the tea I intended to introduce Landon to after breakfast.

My attention drifted once more toward the dining table.

Landon sat there wearing one of my oversized shirts and a pair of loose pants, and his damp hair was still tousled from towel-drying it.

He looked so comfortable and at home here.

This cottage was no longer just mine. It was ours.

He was happy here. I had felt his joy many times, fluttering through the bond that was wrapped around my heart, warming it in ways I had never felt before.

He loved me, and he was truly mine.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

Gods. I could spend centuries simply existing like this.

Landon’s phone vibrated on the table. He glanced at the screen before looking toward me. “Monkey.”

I nodded. His son called nearly every day to check in with his father. To, apparently, make sure that I was not keeping Landon hostage.

With a smile, Landon accepted the call. “Morning.”

Monkey’s voice carried across the room, since Landon had placed it on speaker. “Pops! You alive?”

Landon laughed. “Clearly. I answered the phone, just like the last time you checked.”

“So... when are you coming back?”

Landon glanced toward me once more, and when our eyes met, warmth flowed easily between us.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. He had confessed the other day that he was in no hurry to return to the city. He enjoyed our little—though he would call it big—oasis. Landon cleared his throat. “We’ll come back when we’re ready.”

The simple inclusion of we settled pleasantly in my chest.

Monkey seemed satisfied by the answer. “Fair enough. Is there anythin’ you want to tell me?”

Landon leaned back in his chair and smirked over at me while rolling his eyes. “Not that I can think of.”

“Pops,” he whined like a little boy and not a grown adult.