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Some weeks later...
“Chloe. Chloe!” Max’s hooves clattered as he ran into the house.
“What’s wrong?” She dropped the wooden spoon she was using to stir the soup and hopped to him.
“We have company, coming through the meadow. I was on top of the woodpile and could see them over the fence.”
She sucked in a breath. “What will we do? Do they look like robbers or something?”
“There are quite a few of them, but they don’t look like robbers to me. They look old. Let’s see what they want.”
They rushed out to the woodpile, excited and nervous at the same time, and watched the odd group approach. They were moving slowly through the deep snow, coming up the hill from the meadow. Centaurs were clearly visible, their human half wearing cloaks in rich colors. Smaller people were on their backs, and it wasn’t long before they could tell that some had goat feet and others, rabbit feet.
“What if they want to move us somewhere?” Chloe clutched tight to his arm. Max slid his arm around her and held her to him.
“We stick together. Period.”
“Yes. I agree.” She took a calming breath.Then Chloe had another thought.
“Max, what if they can send us back home?”
He looked at her, his face as serious as her own. “I have a hot tub. We could order Chinese.”
“You mean, be together? Stay together?”
Now he looked confused. “Of course. Unless you don’t want to.”
She smiled, just a little, in relief. “Of course I want to stay with you.”
“Well, then, why did you look so worried, you cwazy wabbit?” His grin was huge.
The centaurs approached the fence, a quite elderly male and female. Upon their backs were a two fauns and two rabbit persons, also elderly.
“Ho!” The male centaur’s voice rang out. “We come in peace and goodwill.”
“You have nothing to fear from us, said the female centaur. “We’ve come to explain your presence here in the Old Wood.”
“This we would be interested in hearing,” Max replied.
Much later, as they snuggled together in the feather bed in the dying light of the fire, Chloe spoke. “So, now we know.”
“Yeah. I could never have figured this one out.” Max stroked a hand through her soft hair. “Do you mind? Are you upset about the baby?”
“I’s a surprise. But I want it. After all, it’s ours. Yours,” She hesitated for a moment. “Do you want it?”
“Yes.” His voice was firm. “I don’t want you or the baby to be in danger, though.”
“Thonar insists they can keep us safe. And I find him...believable.” She rested her head on his chest and began drawing small circles on his bare abdomen. “And afterward we will have the castle they took us to. And people will move here to marry in freedom and raise families in our villages.”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t like how the circumstances were manipulated. I wish we had a choice. But I’m not unhappy about the baby. Like you, I want us all to be safe.And the castle is cool. Nber thought I would end up a Lord in a magic forest.”
“I love the baby all ready,” she said in a small voice. “Because it’s yours, and I love you.” She held her breath, wondering how he would react to her declaration.
He rose up over her so she could see his face, handsome and serious. “I love you, too, Chloe. I didn’t really know it until today, though, when I thought about how important it was for us to stay together. I guess I’m a little slow.”
She giggled. “Not about some things.” She wiggled her hips against him suggestively. He kissed her, hard.
“Looks like we won’t be going home,” Chloe said when she could finally speak again.
“I think we are home,” Max whispered against her lips.
The End