Chapter Thirty-One

It was about a month later that Cyrus stopped Storm as he came out of the bakery, bundles of bags in his hand. He was on his way back to the house to enjoy a lazy breakfast with Pax, hopefully in bed, so Storm would admit to being slightly distracted when Cyrus started talking. But then Cyrus mentioned "pixie court," and Storm held up his hand.

"Sorry. Can you repeat that?" Things had been going so well. Within a few days of the incident with Humphrey, Pax's true personality started to shine through again and life had been good. Pax had been out on a job with Storm just the night before, choosing to stay in the car while Storm did what he had to do. They'd been to markets, where Pax showed a real interest in learning how to create jewelry and after watching copious online videos, both men now spent at least a couple of hours in the afternoons, making crafts and generally having fun.

In other words, life was good, and now it sounded like someone, namely the pixie court, were going to come along and stuff things up.

"You, or rather I should say Pax has received a summons from the pixie court to appear before the king and queen," Cyrus said, waving at someone going into the bakery.

"I don't even know where the pixie court is," Storm said.

"Ah, yes, well that was the first difficulty. Apparently the court doesn't have a designated public space as such. The king and queen apparently travel around to see their subjects, and no one actually knows where they live in the interests of security."

Storm snorted. "They're not coming here for the same damn reason."

"Exactly. So, they wanted to visit Pax's previous residence, but our lawyers said that wasn't possible since Pax hadn't been near Humphrey's house since his uncle's death."

"Pax has said even if someone offered him an everlasting donut, he would not go back to that house." Storm smiled, remembering the interesting discussion that had been. Pax felt he needed donuts to experiment on, to see if he could create an everlasting version, but then they'd both gotten distracted by eating the baked goods, and that experiment was a bust. "I told him he'd inherited the house, when we got told Humphrey had no other relatives – or at least ones who will acknowledge his existence – and as far as Pax is concerned, he doesn't want anything to do with it. That's why we offered it as a safe house for the organization."

"Yet another reason for not allowing the king and queen to go there." Cyrus fell into step beside him as they headed toward the workshop and the trail back to Storm's house. "So the compromise is they're coming to a hotel in Big Sky. They'll be here tomorrow and have summoned Pax to appear before them at ten in the morning."

"It's not a long drive, we should be able to make it." Storm nodded.

"You can drive him, but you're not invited."

Storm looked at his friend in shock. "You've got to be kidding me. They have to know he has a fated mate."

"They do, however, and I quote, ‘Pixie affairs are for pixies only. Shifters ruled by basic instincts could not understand the world according to a pixie.'"

"They said that? Despite the Paranormal Council ruling that applies to all beings that fated mates come first in everything, they dared to say that?" Storm started to fume. He hated the whole idea of the pixie court already. "I've a good mind to show them just how basic my instincts are and turn up in my crocodile form. Pax can create a pink collar for me, and I'll walk beside him on a chain or something."

Cyrus burst out laughing. "I'd pay good money to see that. However, I'm just the messenger. Pax is expected to appear at ten tomorrow morning. I'll text you the details of the suite they are in."

"And if Pax chooses not to appear before the king and queen?"

"Yeah, this is where things could get dicey." Looking around to make sure they weren't overheard Cyrus said, "Our backroom boys worry that if Pax doesn't show up, then the pixies might use magical means to find him. And none of us really want that, do we?"

"Shit. No. I get your point. Okay, consider me notified. I'll let Pax know." Storm turned and headed back toward the bakery.

"Hey, I thought you already got breakfast?" Cyrus pointed to the bags in Storm's hands.

"I'm going to need more sweet stuff," Storm huffed. "A lot more."

/~/~/~/~/

"Hey." Pax looked up as Storm came in. He'd already made coffee, drunk half of his juice, and was looking at design sites on his phone. "You took ages. I was beginning to think you'd run out on me again and I was going to have to take my life in my hands, getting Python to chase you in his car again."

"You might wish I had run off when you hear what Cyrus told me this morning." Storm put the bags on the table and came around, leaning over for a kiss. "He stopped me as I was leaving the bakery."

"Has he got another job for you already?" Pax pulled a couple of bags toward him, peering inside. "That's unusual isn't it? I thought it was Flint's turn next. Ooh, you got the apple ones. Thank you," he added, pulling out one of his favorite sweet treats and taking a big bite.

"No, it wasn't a job. The message was for you."

His mouth still full, Pax looked up and then raised his eyebrows, pointing at his chest.

"Yes, chipmunk cheeks, for you." Storm chuckled. "You don't need to eat the whole thing in one bite. I bought enough for both of us."

Pax chewed and then swallowed. "Enough in your eyes maybe, but we both know my eyes can see more than yours. What was the message? It can't be Marybelle. She has my number and we had lunch with her last week."

That had been a fun afternoon. Pax sat back letting Marybelle work her sarcastic tongue on Storm, who met every jibe with one of his own. She had confided, when Pax hugged her before they left, that she was suitably satisfied with Pax's new young man. "I totally understand why you ran off with him," she whispered while Storm was standing to one side with a smug smile on his face, trying not to let on he could hear what she'd said.

"The pixie king and queen want to see you tomorrow morning at ten. They will be staying in a suite at one of the hotels in Big Sky. They will receive you there."

Popping the second half of his apple donut into his mouth, Pax chewed quietly, trying to make sense of what Storm had just said. "Why do they want to see me? They don't know me. I don't know them. We've got no reason to meet."

"I'm guessing they want to tell you information about your family, perhaps?" Storm shrugged, but Pax could feel his concern.

"Yes, maybe, but did they actually say that? Or did they just do one of those snotty proclamations." Pax grabbed a bacon bun this time and held it up in front of him. "It is decreed Pax no last name will appear before the pixie court and dance a jig for us. The penalty for failing to appear will be certain death." He lowered his arm and took a bite of the deliciousness that bacon buns always promised. "Something like that?" he asked around the food in his mouth.

"Cyrus didn't say. What he did mention is that they'd originally wanted to meet you at Humphrey's old house…"

Pax shivered and shook his head.

"Which was refused by our guys for obvious reasons. They wanted to know where you were living, and again they weren't told. The hotel suite is the compromise."

"I can't think that it will be about anything important." In the past month, Pax had come to terms with the fact he was fine without a family. Storm and his friends all made him feel like he belonged, and wishing for some long lost people who might be related to him wasn't worth his energies. "But if you want to go then we can. I haven't been to Big Sky in the longest time. Maybe we can go bowling or play at the casino afterward. That would be fun."

But instead of making a joke about how Storm could beat him at bowling, Storm got up and went to make fresh coffee, even though there was a pot of it on the table. "I can drive you there, but I'm not allowed in the meeting with you. No shifters are allowed."

"You have to wait outside like a driver?" Pax stared at his mate in shock, but Storm wasn't looking at him. "I just won't go, then. We can go bowling another time."

"Cyrus seemed to feel that in the interests of security for our little group here, it would be a good idea for you to go and see what they want. He's worried they might take it into their heads to track you down with magical means if you don't." Storm was stirring a spoon in a coffee mug so hard, Pax thought the mug might break.

"You hate this."

Storm nodded.

"You want to protect me, so you don't want me going into that meeting alone, but you have to think of our friends here as well."

Another nod.

"Well that explains why you bought chocolate eclairs as well as the donuts for breakfast." Pulling one out of the bag Pax bit into it, thinking hard. "Thanks for that."