the flowers as she precedes us into the kitchen. “I do love daisies. Your father, bless his soul, used to bring me daisies he handpicked when we were young. Don’t discount a man who brings you daisies. Besides, your unicorn man has plenty of flash without expensive flowers,” she finishes with a laugh.
I give her a disgruntled look as I sit at the table. The aroma of the food in front of me makes my mouth water, but her statement surprises me.
“Are you suggesting that I actually give the unicorn—Eliph,” I correct, “a chance to court me? I don’t plan on doing anything but getting this bond between us annulled as soon as possible.”
“I’m not suggesting any such thing,” she says coolly as she arranges them in a vase of water. “I’m just saying that people who do things from their heart rather than just for show may have more to them than what appears. Your unicorn is pretty and brash, but there’s something vulnerable about him,” she says thoughtfully as she sets the vase in the center of the table in front of me. “I guess I’m just saying don’t judge too quick on what you’re seeing, be it his handsome face or a simple bouquet of flowers. Give yourself time and maybe a chance while you’re racing off to get your so-called annulment. I want to see you happy again, Stephanie,” she murmurs.
I feel my face heat with embarrassment.
“I am happy, Mama,” I grumble.
It doesn’t even sound convincing to my own ears.
“All right. If you say so,” she replies easily. “As for me, I’m off to see my own little slice of happiness tonight. You think about what I’ve said and enjoy dinner.” She leans down, and my nose fills with her floral perfume as she kisses my brow. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama,” I sigh.
“And I love you, Grandma,” Harriet pipes up, earning her a couple of hastily planted kisses that have her giggling.
Dinner conversation turns toward homework and our schedules for tomorrow. Tonya mentions that she has a couple of readings to do after work so I won’t be alarmed if anyone stops by. I mumble my agreement and don’t think much of it. She frequently has clients come by for readings when she’s home.
Despite my decision, I spend much of the meal dreading that Harriet will bring Eliph up again—but she never does. Still, he’s not far from my thoughts as I stare at the cheerful flowers in front of me.
Chapter 7
Eliph
I scowl at the goblin, displeased to see the creature following me. I didn’t think he had discovered my location. It has been a full day since I left my mate’s house, but it still fills me with unease that he is here. Swarthy gray-green with a broad nose for scenting prey, long and pointed ears surpassing even those of elves, sharp features, and even sharper teeth, the goblin grinning at me in the lobby of my hotel makes me uneasy.
I do have the option of ignoring him, of course, and going up to my room. But I can’t ignore that there is a reason he’s in the hotel, sitting in one of the plush chairs with one leg crossed over the other. Despite his appearance, he looks strangely at home due to the fact that his species has proportions similar to the average human. He’s far more comfortable than I would ever be cramped into human furnishings.
Drawing to a stop in front of him, I glare down at the male, my nostrils flaring.
“Good evening to you,” he drawls pleasantly.
“Who are you and what do you want, goblin?” I say, cutting directly to the heart of the matter.
He gives me a feigned wounded look for a heartbeat before he brushes inky bone-straight hair from his eyes and is back to grinning wider than ever.
“The name is Grimsal, just a humble goblin of the goblin court. As for what I want, well, I’m just satisfying my curiosity, you could say. I heard there was a unicorn in the human world and that just struck me as odd. Your kind don’t come here anymore. You were the first to leave this world.”
“For a reason,” I remind him stiffly.
He nods his head solemnly.
“Yes, yes. The hunts were quite terrible for your kind. But that makes me wonder what a unicorn would be interested in here. And then it struck me…What else would draw a unicorn but a number of young females fresh for the plucking?