Mated to the Griffin (Elemental Mates 5)

“You know I would.”

“Good.” He got up with a grin. “So, how about you do the packing and I get us booked onto the next flight?”

“Really?” She hadn’t thought that he’d try to argue her out of going after her dad—but still, this was a relief.

He shook his head at her, his eyes warm. “I of all people know how important family is. Of course we’re going!”

“This probably isn’t the honeymoon you imagined...” she began.

“But it’s probably the sort of honeymoon two people like us deserve,” he finished for her. “And once we find him, we could always add a weekend in Paris.”

“Paris,” she sighed dreamily.

She hadn’t seen much of it—she’d been too focused on her task of finding the magical object waiting for her in the mountains. She hadn’t even made it on top of the Eiffel Tower, although she’d seen it from below.

“And a real honeymoon once we’ve managed to settle down and all of our parents are where they belong,” he said firmly.

She found herself smiling at him, trying to imagine what it would be like to spend a week or two without any sort of crisis or family emergency interrupting their lazy mornings in bed.

“I’d love that,” she said softly. “And thanks for taking this so well.”

He came closer and reached out for her, his hands firmly settling on her shoulders as he drew her close. “We’re mates. That means that your dad is my family, too. I’ll go and rescue him from magical mountains anytime.”

She laughed but nodded, still grateful, something warm fluttering in her chest as she realized that what he said was true. They were a family. All of them. Including her dad and Jared’s parents.

It would take some getting used to—but not having to shoulder these things all alone made such a difference. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone she could trust to always have her back.

“Right. Packing,” she said resolutely and turned to the wardrobe.

The sooner she got done, the sooner they could go and rescue her dad from himself.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Jared

Jared had booked the earliest flight across the Atlantic he could find, giving them just enough time to make it to the airport using his own wings.

He didn’t like leaving his parents behind so soon after he’d found them—but his parents weren’t going to run away. They’d understand.

After all, it was Chiara who had brought them together with her map. And now, hopefully, he could make up for it by reuniting her with her own father.

“Everything ready?” he asked.

Chiara nodded, carrying a small bag. She’d only packed one change of clothes.

They could always buy new clothes in France. Right now, they both wanted to get moving as quickly as possible. With Zane defeated, surely the fire dragons and the Darkness that had tainted them would take a while to gather their strength before returning to the surface.

Still, even so. Jared liked the thought of her dad all alone out there as little as Chiara did.

“We’ll find him,” he told her, hating the worry in her eyes. “I promise.”

Her eyes lit up, and her shoulders relaxed a little as she leaned into him.

“I’m ready,” she said.

He nodded and took a step

forward, getting ready to shift.

And then he felt it.