Protecting Shaylee (The Fae Guard Book 1) by Elle Christensen Page B

mine?”
    I scoff dramatically and lift my chin in the air haughtily. “Don’t flatter yourself, Aden. I’d be nervous to meet anyone’s family for the first time.”
    Aden smirks at me. “Whatever you want to tell yourself, baby. But, we both know you belong to me.” He’s right, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of saying it out loud. The good news is, he’s effectively turned my attention from worrying that his family won’t approve of me.
    He takes my hand again and holds it firmly, leaving me no ability to tug it away, and leads me toward the front door. Ean is walking on Aden’s other side and I peek at him, noticing that his demeanor has drastically changed. His posture is rigid and his face has hardened, it’s as though he has built a wall, shuttering his emotions. Before I can comment on it, the front door flies open and Laila comes bouncing down the stairs to greet us. She heads straight to me and envelopes me in a warm hug. Stepping back, she slips her arm through mine and takes me away from Aden. He lets out a long-suffering sigh, but doesn’t stop her. As we turn back to face the house, she makes eye contact with Ean, her bright smile falters for just a moment, and his posture and expression become even more closed down and rigid. A chasm of awkward seems to linger between them before she pivots back to me, walking up the steps to the door.
    Laila has calmed some of my nerves with her enthusiastic welcome and the tension in my muscles ease. We enter into a white entry way with stunning iridescent marble floors. To the left is an open room with thick, white carpet, just begging for me to squish my toes in, and earth toned furniture, lit softly by the sunshine streaming in through two walls of large picture windows. There are mementos and photographs elegantly displayed around the room, radiating the comfort of home. Nostalgia overtakes me for just a second and I feel a wave of homesickness. Aden’s familiar arms wrap around my shoulders from behind and I can’t help melting into the comfort of his embrace. It’s unsettling that he can see through me so clearly.
    I shake off the melancholy mood and follow Laila down a hallway, also littered with pictures. From the similar features, I immediately know that these chronicle the lives of this family. Aden removes one arm but his other whispers down to the small of my back, eliciting a shudder. At the end of the hallway, we enter a large kitchen, resplendent with all the luxuries you could want for baking and cooking. The left and right sides have long islands that divide the space into three rooms, a dining room on the right, and a family room on the left. The space is buzzing with activity. There must be over twenty people helping in the kitchen or lounging around and talking, while several children chase each other around, before collapsing in a laughing heap on the floor. It’s a little overwhelming. What truly grasps my attention, though, is the similar ages of the crowd.
    A woman, who very much resembles Laila, breaks away from the group and walks to Aden with her arms wide open. He lets me go to embrace her and leans down to kiss her cheek. I can see the similarities in their looks and age, so I assume that she is another sister.
    Aden turns to me with a wide smile on his face, “Mom, this is Shaylee.”
    I’m pretty sure my jaw just came unhinged from dropping to the floor so quickly. I’m stunned speechless and I can only imagine how ridiculous I look. His mom?
    His—uh—mother beams at me, grabbing my hands and giving them an affectionate squeeze. “I’m Elysia.” She chuckles at, what I’m sure is, a dumbfounded expression on my face. “Hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things. I can imagine this is a lot to take in,” she says, patting my shoulder sympathetically. I’ve managed to pick my jaw up off the ground, although I am still trying to wrap my head around what I’m seeing. I simply nod. She gives