My Elf Soulmate
Chapter 17

It felt so good to have my mate right next to me. I wish that I could hug her and touch her, but I couldn't because my body refused to cooperate, but her warmth and just having her being close by me felt great. It was a feeling that I had never thought that I would ever feel. Once my body was movable again, I was going to give her a big kiss if she allowed me to, and I was going to hold her in my arms, hopefully forever.

"She's sleeping?" Mom asked as she stepped into my room. "She hasn't been getting enough rest, and the chair was definitely no help to her," She continued looking at Roseanne with sympathy. "I'm so happy that you're awake Paxton, you had me so worried. What were you thinking doing what you did?" She scolded before she took in a deep breath to calm herself and to take away the halt the fall of the tears that I'm sure were threatening to fall down from her eyes at any second now.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I wasn't thinking. I just focused on what I was feeling at that moment. Everything else was at the very back of my mind. It was all but a blur to me." I spoke knowing that my mom was able to hear me because of her elf hearing.

"Just don't ever do that again, Paxton, not only for me and your father, but also for her. That poor girl stayed with you throughout everything. You should have seen how worried and panicked she looked when she got here. If the look on her face didn't say that she cares about you, then nothing ever will." Mom said as she released a sigh.

"I won't Mom, where's Dad?" I asked, realising that my father had not entered the room with my mother.

"He wanted some food. You know how horrible your father can be when it comes to showing his emotions. He was very worried about you, we all were." Mom explained something that I knew very well. I, however, was different, I took after my mother in the emotions department, which was sometimes bad for me.

"I love her Mom, and it felt heart-shattering to lose her. I just hope that she is here to stay this time. I don't think that I'll be able to make it without her." I admitted, a bottomless pit seeming to form in my stomach at the mere thought of it.

"I know, sweetheart. But the sad thing is that we can't choose for her. You know that better than anyone, honey." Mom responded with a small sad smile.

"To be honest, I wouldn't want to be able to." I said just as my father walked into the room.

"I brought food. I'm glad to see that you're looking and hopefully feeling better, son." He said with eyes full of relief and parental love. I just smiled in reply, knowing that my father, unlike my mother, would not be able to hear me. He might have been married to an elf, and his aging might have slowed down, but he was still very much human and therefore didn't have most of the abilities that my mother and I had.

"Could someone please wake her up for me so that she can eat and then go back to sleep? She looks tired." I said, knowing that my mom would hear me.

I watched as my mother gently shook her, and she groaned and stuffed her face on my chest to get away, which just amused me and made my heart flutter. My poor soulmate deserved way better, and if she allowed it, I would be sure to give her everything that she deserved and more.

"Sweetie, you have to wake up so that you can eat." She gently cooed as she gently shook Rosie awake. I watched as she slowly peeled her tired eyes open.

"I'm not hungry," She stubbornly said just for her stomach to betray her and rumble. "Not that much, that is." She said as she sat up, stretched her arms, rubbed her tired eyes, and climbed off the bed with a yawn. I took her in, and the feeling of disbelief remained apparent. She was really here and not only that but she was sleeping right next to me. What I would give to have her by my side for as long as life would will it.

"What will you eat?" She asked, looking at me in confusion and concern.

"I'm not hungry, but I'm sure that food will be brought in for me soon." I said and watched as she was about to lean down just for my mom to stop her and give her the message. She nodded but still seemed unsure but lucky enough for me, in waltzed the nurse with a tray of food, very liquidated food.

"Food for Mr. Woods," She said as she placed the food on my bedside table. "Seeing as how his soulmate is here, I'll leave the job of helping him eat to her because I'm sure that neither of them would appreciate me feeding Mr. Woods. I'll be back to get everything once you're done." She said with a polite smile before she walked out of the room.

"Okay, let me help you eat, and then I'll eat afterward," Rosie said as she moved over to the bed even against my protests. "Open your mouth." She commanded with the spoon of yucky-looking food in her hand. I complied, knowing that if I didn't, it would take her more time to finish with me and to take care of her own stomach. It took me a couple of spoons to finish the food, when I was done, she also ate and finished her meal. We spent the rest of the day talking about anything and everything, but mostly, it was about my childhood and the type of child that I was, which was sadly a very shy one with a limited number of friends. It was such an embarrassing conversation, and I was unlucky because I had no choice but to sit there and listen to the whole thing as they awed and cooed at the stories.

Night time came too quickly, and before, I knew it was time for my parents to leave. Since Rosie insisted on staying with me, she stayed. We slept together that night but not without some hesitation from my soulmate. But through enough encouragement and me convincing her that I would sleep better with her laying next to me, which was true to some extent, she finally caved and laid down next to me. I winded up with my arm wrapped around her waist, and I won't lie it felt great to be able to hold her. Yesterday was so torturous, I couldn't even comfort her as she cried.

I heard her groan as she turned around to face me. She looked so peaceful and gorgeous, with her slightly parted lips and her messy hair. I heard her mutter little nothings in her sleep as she carried on with sleeping with slight snores.

"She's still asleep." Mom said as she and my father got into my room looking at her with surprise.

"Pretty much, she changed sleeping positions and carried on sleeping from there." I explained to my mother with a chuckle, but tried to keep it as down as possible so as to not wake her up.

"Oh, poor thing, she deserves to rest. Anyway, your father and I are going to get some coffee. We'll be back soon." She said Mom said as she made her way to the door.

"Could you also get me a cup?" I asked with my puppy dog eyes only for my mom to coo and decline my order.

"Only been awake for 2 days, and you already want to cause problems for your poor parents." I heard the hoarse voice of my soulmate.

"Good morning to you too." I greeted, a smile uncontrollably making its way to my face, as I took in her morning, sleep-induced face.

"Good morning. Let me go and brush my teeth before I continue talking. My breath stinks." She said as she hopped off the bed with her hand cupping her mouth and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she finished freshening up, I also got off of the bed, which really felt weird, but I managed to get myself to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and rinsed my face and then made my way back to my room.

"How are you feeling today?" Rosie asked as she looked at me with worried eyes as if she was waiting for me to collapse at any moment.

"I'm okay, my love." I said as I climbed onto the bed and watched as she hesitantly nodded.

"We have some things to talk about, Pax." She said with a more serious expression. I felt a pit form in my stomach as I gulped down the nerves. I knew that this conversation was coming, but I was hoping that it was going to come so soon, but now that it was here, it couldn't be avoided.

"I know, and I'm more than willing to talk about whatever you want to talk about," I said with my heart beating at a thousand miles an hour. This was it. If she said no, then I'm sure that this would most likely be the last time that I would be seeing her. The last time that I would hold her and have her sleep next to me. "What do you want?" I softly asked her as I gripped both of her hands in mine.

"Paxton," She started before she took a deep breath and continued, "In the past couple of days, I realised how scared I am of losing you. The past couple of days has made me realise that I'm falling in love with you, which is scary because I've only known you for a couple of days, barely over a week. I know that in your world it's normal but for me it's not, in fact I remember judging a person who was going on about how her boyfriend of a week or two had told her that he loved her, then again with their story it was something else because I had seen the guy kissing..." I cut off Rosie's rambling by pressing my lips against her soft and plump ones. I kissed her and made sure to pour as much passion into the kiss, I tried to convey all of my feelings into it, and surprisingly enough she kissed back with as much passion as I was giving her.

"Do you want to be with me, Roseanne Jordans?" I asked the one question that I'd been hoping she would say yes to.

"I want to be with you, Paxton Woods." She responded, making me smile as I pressed my lips against hers. I kissed her as if she would disappear tomorrow, but then she pulled away making me groan as I tried to capture her lips again, "Wait a minute," She said with a giggle as she placed two of her fingers on my lips stopping me in my tracks. "You know I've been curious about this question for quite some time now. How old are you?" She asked the question that made me suck in the air through my teeth.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked her and watched as she quickly nodded. "I'm 100 years old." I said and watched as her eyes widened as large as saucers.

"Wow, you sure are old." She said as she caressed my face with a gentle smile.

"Does my age bother you?" I asked her as I leaned into her touch.

"No, I don't believe so. Besides, you barely look a day over 25." She said, making me laugh.

"I'm glad, so does that mean that I can get more kisses now?" I asked throwing in some puppy dog eyes, for extra measure.

Realising a laugh of amusement and humming in response, she moved back down, brushed her lips against mine, and whispered, "I don't see why not."

A wide smile spread across my lips as I wrapped my arm around her waist and fully pressed my lips against my mate's and shared a heated kiss with my mate.