“Brand,” Brand said as he shook hands with the other man.
“Everyone take a seat.”
They all sat around the rectangular dining room table that had been set with plates and cutlery. Brand sat next to Elsa on one side while Renea took the other. Their father sat at the end, leaving the opposite one for Kate.
“So, Brand, how did you meet Elsa?” Les asked.
“When she chucked her ex’s belongings out her flat window at him.”
The other man laughed. “I heard about that.”
“No more talk about Teddy,” Kate said as she came into the room carrying a piping hot pan. She placed it on the rack on the center of the table and then slipped off the oven mitts she wore. “That man is out of Elsa’s life, and she now has Brand.”
“I’ll remember that, dear,” Elsa’s father said with a smile.
“Good.” Kate looked at Brand. “I hope you like shepherd’s pie. It’s Les’s favorite, and since he’s the birthday boy, he got to choose what he wanted me to make.”
“I do,” Brand replied.
“Everyone help yourself.”
When it was Brand’s turn to dish up his food, his stomach growled. The shepherd’s pie smelled really good. He took what he thought was a big enough serving but looked up at Kate when she cleared her throat. She motioned for him to take some more, which he did before passing her the serving spoon.
“What is it you do?” Elsa’s mum asked once everyone had their food.
Elsa groaned. “Here we go.”
“I’m just trying to make conversation and get to know Brand a little bit better,” Kate said to Elsa.
“I don’t mind answering,” he said. “I don’t have what you would call a regular job. I work at night.”
“Doing what?”
“I call myself a hunter.” Seeing the confused looks Elsa and her family wore, he added, “I hunt down undesirables. People who do bad things and then make sure they pay for what they’ve done.”
“So you’re like a private investigator?” Les asked.
“Sort of.” Brand decided to leave it at that.
“That must be an interesting profession,” Kate said.
“It can be. And at times, it can be a hard job.”
“Do you make lots of money doing it?”
“Mum!” Elsa said. “You shouldn’t ask that.”
“Well, I figured he must, considering the car he drives.”
“I’ve done well for myself,” Brand said. “I don’t have to worry about my finances.”
“Do you want children someday?”
Elsa groaned again and then shot Renea a nasty look when her sister laughed. “Please let a hole open up and swallow me now.”
Brand chuckled. “Yes, I’d like to have children.”
Kate smiled at Elsa. “Oh, I really like him.”
As the meal progressed, Brand found he really enjoyed the company of Elsa’s family. They were all very close. The only drawback to that was once he and Elsa became true mates—Tiw gifting her with immortality—she’d stop aging. After awhile her family would eventually notice. Then Elsa would have to make the hard decision of either breaking ties with her mother, father, and sister or telling them the truth. She’d have to feel they were completely trustworthy for that option. Mortals couldn’t know the truth of what really lurked in the dark hunting them. It would cause chaos if they ever did.
Chapter Five
After her mum served up the birthday cake, and Elsa and Renea had given their dad the gift they’d gone together on, Elsa figured it was about time to leave. So far, her mother hadn’t been too bad with the personal questions she’d asked Brand, but the longer they stayed the better the chances were they’d get worse. Especially since Brand seemed to have the right answer for everything. Saying he wanted kids had scored a big one with her mum.
Once Brand finished his cup of tea, Elsa shifted in her chair. “I guess Brand and I are going to head out.”
“Already?” her mum asked.
“Yeah. He wants to introduce me to some close friends of his.”
“Then we won’t hold you up.”
Of course her mother wouldn’t object after hearing that. She’d just think it was another step closer to Elsa marrying Brand. After pushing back her chair, Elsa got up and walked around the table to her father. She bent down and wrapped her arms around him, hugging and kissing his cheek.
“Happy birthday, Dad. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
He reached up and squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks again for the present. You and Renea outdid yourselves. And I’m sure I will.”
After giving her mother a quick kiss as well, Elsa led Brand out of the room once he’d said his good-byes to her parents and sister. She didn’t say anything until they were both inside Brand’s Lexus and pulling away from the curb.
“Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she said. “My mum didn’t ask too many embarrassing questions.”
“I didn’t mind.”
“You do realize she’s going to expect you to go down on bended knee and ask me to marry you like tomorrow. Then want the wedding next week, and the week after that, you getting me pregnant.”
Brand chuckled. “I think that would be doable.” Stopped at a red light, he turned his head to look at her and winked.
She rolled her eyes. “Do not, I repeat, do not let my mum hear you say that.”
He chuckled again. “I won’t. Shall we go back to your flat now so you can pack some clothes? Then I’ll bring you to my place.”
“Sure. Just as long as I get you alone at some point in the not-too-distant future.”
Brand continued down the street when the light changed to green. “That is most definitely doable.”
At her flat, Elsa didn’t take long to throw a change of clothes and other items she needed for an overnight stay into a bag. Brand collected his, and they were soon on the road again.
The manor house Brand lived in with his friends ended up being as big as Elsa had pictured. After driving up the graveled surface of the long driveway and past the perfectly manicured front lawns, he parked in front of a large detached garage. Once they were out of the car, Brand took their bags out of the boot and, carrying them in one hand, laced their fingers together with his free one. He walked her toward the front door of the grand-looking house.
Her first impression was that someone rich lived there. She looked around the large open-concept foyer. The floor had been done in light blond hardwood. The walls had been painted just a shade darker than the floor. A heavy oak banister wound all the way up the curved flight of stairs to the upper floor. A crystal chandelier hung from the center of the high ceiling. It was beautiful. Elsa would love to call a home like this her own.
The sound of footfalls coming down the hallway that led to the back of the house drew Elsa’s attention. A man with shaggy, light brown hair appeared a few seconds later. He was big and muscular just like Brand. If anything, he was an inch taller than Brand. The man also carried a newborn in his arms.
He stopped when he spotted Elsa and Brand standing in the foyer. He looked at Elsa. “So we finally get to meet you.” He came closer. “I’m Garrick, and this is my son, Luke,” he said as he nodded to the baby.
“I’m Elsa. Your son is adorable.”
“Thanks.”
“He needs a nappy change,” Brand said.
Garrick nodded. “I know. The smell is just about doing me in. I’m looking for his mother.”
Elsa discreetly sniffed the air but couldn’t smell a dirty nappy. Brand and Garrick must have a better sense of smell than she had if they thought it was that bad.
Garrick turned toward the staircase, and yelled, “Nika! Can you come here?”