《My Elf Girlfriend [Harem Fantasy Romance] (KU 05/14)》 My Elf Girlfriend: Chapter One Alexander had been slowly getting into the internet dating scene when Alexander got his first blind date. A friend had set him up with an old classmate of his who moved back home a month prior. The girl was shy and insecure about her appearance, so she didn''t have much relationship experience. This made the brunette cautious initially, but his friend swore up and down that she was a total babe. She had a massive rack even back in senior year to fit his preference for a big-chested woman. The total match for the introverted male personality-wise as she also loved to play video games and binging horror movies. With this in mind, Alexander decided to go through with the date and reserved a table at a pleasant restaurant. He felt out of place with all these wealthy old couples around him, but Alexander kept his cool. If this girl was insecure, he wanted to make her feel comfortable and safe. If he greeted her as some twitchy guy, she''d run off thinking he was some basement-dwelling creep. With this in mind, he swallowed his nerves, putting on a fake smile. His palms were becoming increasingly sweaty as Alexander waited for her to come in. When Alexander walked in it had started to rain heavily outside and now it had turned into a full-blown thunderstorm. This made his nerves worse as he sat, watching the time tick by on his cell as he saw it get closer and closer to the date time. After having to tell two different servers that he was still ordering, the man started to think he had been stood up. Red in the face he began to text his buddy that the girl had flaked and thanked him for trying but stopped when the door swung open. He could hear someone rushing to the hostess to explain that they were reserved for a table, his. The speaker was raspy in tone but still sounded feminine enough that he knew it was a woman. As quickly as he heard her the man was able to lay his eyes upon her figure. She looked at him with her eyes large and bouncy out, her jacket drenched along with her entire body. Her beautiful breasts stuck out like a sore thumb because of this and Alexander found himself amazed by how beautiful she was. His friend hadn''t been kidding when he said her breasts were huge, they looked like an E-cup from where he sat. But she also was incredibly tall and had the legs to match, with her lower body being ordained with pantyhose. She continued to look at him in shock as she hurried to sit down. Her jacket was folded up and put next to her, allowing him to see her whole outfit. Alexander found himself at a loss for words, there was no way in hell that someone like her would be so shy and insecure about herself. She''s perfect. After what had to be an eternity of the pair staring at one another in shock, with their jaws dropped and eyes wide, he decided to speak. The man cleared his throat before smiling at the woman softly. He figured making small talk would be the best choice for now. ¡°It''s nice to meet you. I''m Kyle''s best friend from college, I don''t know what else he told you about me. But he told me you went to school together for a while.¡± She looked down at her hands momentarily, her chubby cheeks red as she gave a tiny grin back. The woman looked back up allowing him to see her ears poking out from behind her hair. They were like the type you would see on an elf or a fairy. ¡°He didn''t tell me much. But what he told you was correct, we went to high school at the same time and he was nice to me. I hope you didn''t feel pressured into going on a date with me.¡± Once again, the brunette was shocked that the woman thought so lowly of herself. He shook his head, his long hair falling in front of his face as he tried to reassure her. ¡°I wasn''t pressured into anything. Kyle said we shared some hobbies and that we both are quiet so I thought we would get along well. Did you feel pressured into this?¡± Alexander didn''t want to force her into anything she didn''t want to do. Even if it was just talking. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He had that happen to him numerous times as a teenager. Friends would set him up with girls that had no interest in him and it ended with him being embarrassed. Every single time he was left feeling more insecure than he was before the date ever happened. But when the same girls went on dates with other people he could see that they were comfortable. It made him feel like he was a burden and an outsider in his friend group. Even as an adult, he felt the same when dealing with coworkers, employees, and even his family members. If the two of them were similar in the same way, he wanted to give her out. Alexander wouldn''t see her in a bad way for wanting to just get up and leave. He would understand her fully. The pointy-eared woman looked at him, unsure of what to say before she finally broke out into a tiny fit of giggles. Giggles that were just as raspy as her speaking voice which made his stomach fill with butterflies. She put a hand over her mouth, allowing him to see that her polish was chipped. This made her more attractive to him which caused him to blush too. Finally, after what had to be five minutes, she stopped laughing. Her eyes twinkled as she leaned her head in her hands and started to chat with him. ¡°I wasn''t pressured into anything but I think it''s cute you asked.¡± She smiled what had to be her real smile. With teeth and all. ¡°My name is Catherine by the way. I just realized I never told you it before talking.¡± ¡°Well why don''t you look at that, we both have historical names. Mine is Alexander. Catherine the Great. Alexander the Great¡­¡± He realized how corny he must be sounding and groaned, putting his head in his hands. ¡°Sorry. Sorry, I know I probably sound like an idiot right now.¡± To his pleasant surprise, Catherine chuckled at his jokes and moved to peel his finger from in front of his eyes, letting him see her happy face. She didn''t look nervous anymore and instead, she was batting her eyelashes at him, amused. ¡°Don''t worry, I think it was a good joke. It shows that we might be meant for each other.¡± The two laughed and had a great time after that. They ordered the same appetizer, wedges with cheese, revealing they both loved to eat potatoes. They bonded over liking retro games in the denpa genre and Catherine even revealed she had met a creator of one as an exchange student. He learned she was well-versed in numerous cultures having moved around a lot as a child and then as a teenager before college. Alexander impressed her with his avid knowledge of old anime series and cartoons that he became aware of due to his major. Being an animation student made her fall head over heels for him. They both enjoyed the art form quite a lot, being gigantic nerds. The brunette just found himself overjoyed that someone so beautiful and intelligent liked him. Catherine was definitely out of his league, if they had gone to school together he would never have dreamed she''d even speak to him. The more they talked the more this feeling set in. He would have to thank Kyle a million times over for setting them up. The woman was like his dream girl come to life and he fully intended to treat her with respect. At the end of their date, she looked at him with a blush and held out her phone for him. It was one of those futuristic touchscreen flip phones in a case covered with old cartoon characters and plush stickers. So adorable. ¡°I''d like to talk to you again. You''re a great guy, Alex.¡± Catherine muttered as she put on her now-dry jacket. She sounded worried that he would reject her, shuffling back and forth as she looked away from him. Which made Alexander only type in his number quickly, making sure to reassure the girl that he liked her. ¡°I''d love to talk to you again. Why don''t we meet up for coffee next weekend?¡± He handed his phone back to the woman who quickly became bubbly once more. She nodded and quickly texted the man that he could save her number. ¡°I''m free Saturday, let''s make it a date.¡± My Elf Girlfriend: Chapter Two That next Saturday, Alexander walked into a mom-and-pop coffee shop to see Catherine sitting on a stool. And his breath was instantly taken away by how gorgeous she looked. Catherine had put her long, sunset-colored hair into a slicked-back ponytail and wore a pair of square glasses. She noticed that he had arrived, quickly standing up to wave him over. This lets him see the sweater dress she wore and how it accentuates her beautiful figure. It stopped right above her knees, which were bare this time along with the rest of her legs. He marveled at the woman as he walked over and set his bag down before sitting across from her. There was a cup of warm hot chocolate waiting for him and he accepted it gratefully. Alexander was happy that Catherine remembered what he had texted the night before about not being a coffee person. It made the man feel like she cared. He took a small sip and was impressed by how delicious it tasted, this time swallowing a large gulp of its cocoa flavor. The man heard a familiar giggle and looked up to see the blonde looking at him, giggling behind her hands. Alexander moved his mouth around to feel that he had a hot cholesterol mustache and wiped it away. ¡°Sorry, you just looked so cute that I had to laugh,¡± Catherine said before drinking her cup. It was green tea and smelled heavenly to the pair. Alexander smiled. ¡°Well, if this date works out you''ll see that I''m pretty much a bona-fide goofball.¡± This made her laugh some more, even getting a snort out of the blonde as she put her cup down. He felt his chest tighten as he realized that the date was already going so well without much done. ¡°I think goofballs are pretty sexy.¡± She said while playing around with her hair. It looked even brighter from their first date if that was even possible. Honestly, the woman looked like a supermodel right now and he struggled to function while being in her presence. Catherine was just that beautiful. With a menu in her hands, the blonde looked over some food and quickly grabbed his wrist before he could respond. Her eyes were glowing with joy as she directed his attention towards a menu item. ¡°Look, look, they have a couple''s special. Let''s have some fun and get it. I wanna try.¡± She gushed at him with her lips puckered up and puppy dog eyes to convince the man. At that very moment, Alexander swore his heart melted. He felt so good sitting down with Catherine he started to open his heart to her. They got the couple''s special and shared the meal. It was themed around Valentine''s Day which was a week away and looked pretty nice for a small business. With the drinks being in red mugs and the plates being shaped like hearts. On the plate, they were served a delicious red velvet cake iced with chocolate chips. Alexander watched Catherine take a fork and butter knife to cut off a chunk to try. As soon as it passed her lips and hit her tongue, the woman''s ears began to move. They flexed up as she liked her lips, swallowing the yummy dessert which made her kick her legs back and forth. She looked pleased as she hummed, eating more and more of the cake as she boasted about how moist it tasted. Noticing that he was watching, she took a huge spoonful and leaned over the table. Her large boobs got all up in his face as she gestured for him to open his mouth. ¡°Come in, try some. Even if you don''t like red velvet you can do it for me.¡± She continued to wave the spoon in his face as he faked debating her offer before opening his lips. The spoon was shoved in and he swallowed the cake, coughing a bit. And he hummed, finding that the cake tasted pretty damn good. It was perfectly moist with the chocolate chips melting in his mouth as he chewed. Catherine took her thumb and directed at his lower lip, wiping away some icing that got off the spoon. Feeling her touch him in such a gentle and intimate way made Alexander exhale. He held his breath as the blonde finished cleaning up his face and soon blushed bright red. She jumped back and rubbed at her cheeks, averting her eyes from his. Catherine was completely and utterly embarrassed by the romantic exchange between the two. She shook her head and slapped at her cheeks, looking like she was about to curl up and die any minute now. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°God, I''m such a weirdo.¡± Before he could say anything she grabbed her purse and threw it over her face to let out a dramatic screech. ¡°Uh! You probably think I''m some type of pervert. I''m so sorry for doing that.¡± Alexander rubbed at where she touched his lip, feeling the phantom touch of the woman''s soft finger. ¡°It''s fine, Catherine. I found it cute.¡± Now it was his turn to become red in the face as he watched her gasp. ¡°You did?¡± He nodded his head. ¡°Of course I did, you''re gorgeous and funny.¡± The compliments hit Catherine in the heart and she started to stammer about how he was just saying that to make her feel better. It made him smile. At the end of their date, Alexander offered to drive Catherine home, which she accepted happily. The blonde got into his car and smiled the entire ride while she spoke to him. She explained that she had been nervous that he would stand her up today. Not because of anything he had done the week before or because of anything he had said. Just due to some dates she had in the past that had gone rather badly. She didn''t want to get her hopes up with him but today, he''d proven himself. The man felt his heart swell as she asked him to come over for dinner that Sunday. Catherine explained that she liked to cook but cooking for one person tended to get a little boring. With him, she could hear praise and criticisms from someone who wasn''t in her mind. Alexander felt as if he had won the lottery. Here he was having two wonderful dates with a cool girl that shared his interests and now she was inviting him over. Without a second thought, he accepted and spent the whole night thinking about their plans the next evening. These thoughts were even stronger as she leaned over to kiss him goodnight on the cheek before getting out. Her lipstick left a stain to serve as a reminder that it all had been real. Alexander decided to bring some dessert to Catherine''s as a show of character. From the way she spoke, guys didn''t appreciate her efforts and cast her work aside. He wanted to show that not only did the man appreciate the invitation he also appreciated her. In a bag with some other gifts like perfumes and a new dress, he had pie. He didn''t know if he was overdoing it or not but he liked her. Just with two dates, he was able to see that she may be the one for him. And Alexander hoped that Catherine saw him the same way or at least she could after tonight. It was a little around seven when he arrived at her house. And Alexander was taken aback by how grand it was. She lived in a neighborhood with a gate guard that hawho wave him in and numerous man-made lakes. Her house was large with what had to be four floors and a huge garden. The garden was grandiose with multiple berry bushes, golden brown trees, and tire swings you''d play on as a kid. He looked at this with her mouth open, feeling even more impressed by this woman. Catherine must have been hiding how successful she was in work which just showed him that her old dates must be idiots to talk down to her. There was a tiny metal gun he unlocked before walking up to her front door, a large wooden-looking one with a metal rectangular handle and square a window. He tried to look inside but there was a tiny curtain before it so he really couldn''t see much. Smiling, he knocked a few times at the door. Outside he could hear neighbors'' dogs barking and children being called inside for dinner a few feet away. The environment was rather peaceful for the brunette. Compared to his apartment complex this was like the Garden of Eden, an eternal paradise where you could sleep. ¡°Catherine?¡± He called out for the blonde as no one came to the door and heard no sign of life inside the house. ¡°Are you there? Hello?¡± The man frowned and started to knock again. ¡°Hello? Catherine?¡± By this time he hadn''t heard anything different which made him sigh. Alexander wondered if maybe the girl had fallen asleep and if it would be best to just leave her gifts on the doorstep for when she woke up to find them. Right as he started to accept that the date was off, he heard something. Someone was unlocking the door and trying to open it. Quickly, he stepped out of the way as the door swung outward revealing a woman who wasn''t Catherine. Instead, this woman was much younger than the blonde probably twenty or twenty-one. She looked the man up and down, with a look of confusion on her face. They both stared at each other with blank, unsure expressions. CShehadn''t known that he was supposed to be coming as she was dressed in sweats and a tank top. Eventually, it was like a light bulb went off in her head as she gasped and hurried to let him in. ¡°Oh! You''re Catherine''s boyfriend!¡± The stranger exclaimed with as she grabbed his arm with a shocking amount of strength and yanked him in. My Elf Girlfriend: Chapter Three He blushed as she addressed him that way but didn''t correct her as she spoke so fast. The dark-haired woman practically flung him into the house. In the light he was able to see that she definitely was not related to Catherine. She had softer eyes that were brown and her hair was dyed a dark blue that resembled black. Along with this her body type wasn''t the same being much bigger, with proper thick thighs and hips. To top it all off she didn''t have the pointy ears Catherine did. Her ears did protrude out from behind her hair but were more circular. Still, something about them left Alexander feeling weird. But he ignored that feeling as he had his bag taken by the talkative girl and sat down on a wicker basket chair. It was kind of uncomfortable for his back but he kept his mouth shut. ¡°Catherine''s still getting ready so you''ll have to wait out here. I''m her friend Rachel by the way.¡± She held out a bangle clad arm and he shook her hand to find their half palm was rather scarred. Once he pulled back she noticed that he was looking at it and sighed. Rachel held out both her hands for him to see. They looked like they had burned and healed repeatedly making him wince. ¡°Yeah, sorry for not warning you. I''m super clumsy and end up injuring myself alot.¡± He did a double take as he realized just how bad the scars were. ¡°How did you injure yourself? Was it the same way or different?¡± He knew it was awfully rude to ask a stranger something so personal but he had to know. It must have hurt a lot for her to go through, especially if she had been a child at the time it was happening. She flexed them, one or two fingers moving noticeably slower than the others as she bawled her hands into fists. They sat atop her knees as she thought about what to say before answering. ¡°I got injured by silver.¡± ¡°Silver?¡± Alexander stared at her unsure of what he just heard. He expected her to say something like a hot stove or a terrible allergic reaction. But for her to say that something as simple as silver caused her hands to become disfigured had him utterly at a loss for words. ¡°How di¨C¡± Their conversation was interrupted by a door slamming open. He turned to look behind him and was met with Catherine''s angry face. But her rage wasn''t directed at him but instead Rachel. The blonde was eyeing her with a look that he couldn''t read very well. Whatever the reason was behind the tension was evident to the dark-haired woman who huffed. She made a show of getting out of her seat and pushed her chair in loudly against the table they were seated. The chair''s legs scraped on the floor as she finished and gave him a smile. Alexander didn''t give her one back as he could tell that Rachel was doing it to anger Catherine some more. She deflated when neither bit her bait and scurried into the back of the house. A bedroom door slammed behind her leaving an awkward silence. Catherine sighed, her anger deflating as she quickly became embarrassed. She hurried over to him but didn''t sit down instead standing in front of him. It was obvious she had still been getting ready for their date with her face makeup free. Alexander noticed now that she had some scarring that resembled Rachel''s hands on her lower, left cheek. It was just as severe in its thickness and had to be old. She noticed him looking at it and turned away, moving her hand to cover it. The man felt like the biggest piece of shit after that, not realizing just how rude he came off. He had to have been staring at her for a while and she looked like she was about to cry. The gifts and the date were forgotten as he stood up rather loudly, his seat thundering onto the floor behind him from the sheer force. He made his way over to Catherine and saw just how upset she was. Whatever her issue was Rachel, it had shaken her quite a bit and his actions hadn''t helped. ¡°I apologize for looking at you like that. I promise I don''t think of you any different than I did yesterday or last week. I''m just an idiot who assumed that you were okay with me talking to her. And a dumbass for staring at you like that. I''m sorry Catherine.¡± Alexander apologized earnestly, his heart beating rapidly as she remained silent. He didn''t know if she was about to yell at him to get out or to sit back down. Eventually, she just looked at him with her eyes becoming watery. ¡°It''s fine. I guess I mislead you about my appearance this entire time and didn''t want you to see my real face. Or meet my annoying friends.¡± Alluding to Rachel caused them to both hear her stomping around in whatever room she had whole herself into to have a tantrum. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Alexander tried not to judge the other woman too harshly but her behavior was obviously hurting Catherine. And that made what little opinion of her he had developed sour. ¡°It''s fine. We all have friends or family that aren''t the best with strangers. I know from experience.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± He moved to grab her hand and she hesitantly accepted his offering, clenching his back. ¡°I''m not going to stop seeing you and hanging out because you have some scars. I''d be a massive prick to do so and you''d be better off without me if that''s the case.¡± She laughed so hard that she snorted, her cheeks turning pink. ¡°Yeah, you''re right about that.¡± Her hand felt so delicate in his that he honestly wished that they could stay like that forever. ¡°I''m happy you came. Some guys have ghosted me in the past so I was really nervous.¡± Hearing this made Alexander feel anger at the men of Catherine''s past. The guys who had used her for their own egos and threw her away. It was so shitty for her to have gone through and he never wanted to make her feel disposable while being with him. The woman he knew was kind and spoke highly of everyone she cared about or ever loved. Even now she was burying her hurt to try and make him feel more comfortable. To meet someone so selfless really made his love for her blow up. Like, he could feel his own cheeks burning as he wondered if she felt the same for him. And if they could actually develop a romantic relationship with another after this. He really hoped they could because he was falling for her and he was terrified of getting heart broken into pieces. Catherine noticed that he was dew in thought and used her free hand to book his nose. This broke all the tension and made the two laugh. ¡°You had an odd look in your eyes so I just had to.¡± She said cheekily as she got up, letting go of his hand only to grab a bag. His gift bag. Catherine looked at it with avid interest. ¡°Is this all for me? Alexander you''re such a charmer I swear you want me wrapped around your finger don''t you?¡± He rubbed the back of his sheepishly. ¡°Well, you invited me to dinner so I wanted to bring you something great as a thank you. I hope you like it.¡± He watched her look through the bag contents with interest. Catherine ooed and awed as she pulled out each present individually. He had spent an entire week''s worth of pay on her with the perfumes being incredibly expensive. The man had marched straight to Sephora to get her their latest fragrances and anything the cheerful sales clerk helping him recommended. It appeared the employee had good taste as Catherine''s eyes grew as wise as saucers as she recognized what he had gotten. Along with perfume she had gotten video game merchandise he could afford. Games that she had mentioned in some texts they had that he never heard of. It really showed him that the blonde was probably into gaming more than he was. She squealed holding up games that had only been released in their countries and never even been localized. He figured she could understand them due to her love of learning languages. The bilingual woman practically launched herself at him, pulling him up against her chest as she squeezed him into a tight hug. She swayed back and forth as she thanked him loudly. ¡°Thank you thank you thank you Alexander oh my God how did you even find these?!¡± The rest was in what had to be a foreign language as he couldn''t understand her at all. She was excited that her ears were even moving. His eyes grew wide as he saw them moving up and down in a way that reminded him of a dog''s. It was honestly super adorable, endearing the woman some more to him. He coughed as she gave him one final squeeze that was a tad too hard and let him go. Catherine had a sparkle in her eyes as she sat the bag down on the table and handed him one of the games. It was one of the rare games he had gotten, a visual novel from back when the genre was first starting to be localized. She was holding it up at him like it was the holy grail, her face full of happiness as she told him her feelings. Her voice was still the same amount of roughness from their date but her glee shined through. ¡°I don''t know what to say, this has to be the sweetest gift I have ever gotten. Alexander I don''t know how I can ever repay you for all of this. I''ve seen listings online and they aren''t cheap. You have to have paid so much to get them today, thank you so much.¡± Catherine blushed as she finished and waited for him to say something. Anything really. He didn''t really know what possessed him at this point. Maybe it was the blonde smiling at him with so much joy. Or her big speech thanking him for getting her something she always wanted. It could have just been that the time they spent together really made him happy. Who knows, what he did know was that his heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. His body moved in autopilot with him having to be bent down due to their height difference. Before she could react he gave her a quick but purposeful kiss on the lips. Her lips were just as soft as every other part of her and tasted like cherry lip balm. She was looking at him with shock and he looked right back at her just as shocked. Alexander moved back almost immediately to see her staring at him. She blinked. Wiped at her mouth and just stared at him. Where to Read & Possible Kindle Unlimited Hello, dear readers. I wanted to address that I haven''t abandoned this novel. Merely, I''ve been writing it on another site due to its content. With RR''s NSFW rules and this being a harem novel, I wanted to be safer than sorry. I''ll provide a link below to read all the currently edited and published chapters. The output has slowed down as I''m trying to make sure I graduate in the May & publish on KU the same time. It''s a lot on my shoulders. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Plus I''m a active intern so I''m writing more for that then what I love. I''ll update again for when the novel is on kindle. Thank you for the support. https://www.scribblehub.com/series/958402/my-elf-girlfriend-harem-fantasy-romance/ My Elf Girlfriend BK2: Chapter One ¡°So,¡± Alexander looked at the pair of elves with a tired sigh. ¡°This entire time, I''ve been thinking my parents are just bigoted assholes. They''ve been cursed?¡± The more informed of the two walked forward and put a hand on the human''s shoulder. Rachel had the same look on her face the entire time she explained her findings. Her eyes were stormy, and she hadn''t smiled for a single moment. Not even when the man thanked her for everything she had done in the background without anyone knowing for months. He felt guilty about how he had been treating the dark-haired elf and assumed the worst about her. If she hadn''t been so helpful, his life would have been worse off by a long shot. ¡°That''s what I believe with everything Catherine told me about them. Your parents are probably the primary targets of the curse, which is why they''re so hateful.¡± She explained with the blonde elf in question chiming in. ¡°We have to get rid of this curse before the wedding,¡± Alexander¡¯s fiance had been troubled with her voice heavy with emotion as she tried to come up with a plan. ¡°There''s no way of knowing what it''ll do to you and our children.¡± He looked down at her face, seeing how fearful she had become. It hurt deeply to realize that all that pain and resentment his parents had caused was because of a curse. Whoever did this had ruined their lives and the lives of anyone who loved them. It made him want to scream, confront the monster, and tell them everything he had gone through. All the arguments he had with his father had gotten physical even when he was barely a teenager. When his mother had looked at him like she was an empty shell. ¡°Babe.¡± Alexander snapped out of his self-loathing to realize that the blonde had started to hold his hands. She squeezed them as she began to frown and looked back over at Rachel. Rachel also looked worried about the human. ¡°I''m sorry for dumping all of this on you two after everything. But I knew that the time had passed for me to keep this to myself. We need to act fast and find the curse''s creator.¡± The elf offered the couple a tense but genuine smile of encouragement. ¡°My parents have been harassing me to come visit. I want all of you girls to come with me so we can investigate. Violet included since all of us are going to be affected by it.¡± Alex knew that even if the girls couldn''t be given the curse, their being around him would affect their lives negatively. Plus, he wanted to use the trip to his parents as a gesture. One that would show each of the three women as a unique person. For Violet, who was the most emotionally fragile, he wanted to tell the woman he trusted her. That he wanted her to be involved in a serious life event as he saw her as a crucial part of it. In reverse, Cat was secure in their relationship more than ever and he could tell she wanted to draw blood. Her emotional support and love were what he needed to deal with his parents. A whirlpool of vapid hatred. And Rachel had done all the work on her own and deserved to come. Cat nodded and without realizing what he was doing, he pulled her to his chest and hugged her close. She blushed and addressed a grossed-out Rachel. ¡°Are you okay with coming? I know that you''ve been putting off work projects for this?¡± The blue-haired woman shrugged and tried to avoid their ongoing PDA. ¡°There''s no way you guys could discover the source of the curse or even notice it without me. I''m the only one magically trained here.¡± Rachel scoffed. While she looked annoyed from the tactful bragging, his flushing fiance had to concede. ¡°She''s right. I never really took the time to learn about anything magic-wise and that''s why I never saw the curse.¡± She started to beat herself up, her voice cracking. ¡°I can''t believe I never realized it.¡± Immediately, the long-haired human put a stop to his girlfriend, degrading herself. It wasn''t anyone''s fault that his family had been cursed, and she never noticed. Alex lived his entire adult life without realizing something was wrong with his reality. He couldn''t have expected his new partner to suddenly have a light bulb go off and break his entire worldview into a million pieces. And he wasn''t going to let anyone beat her down and make Catherine believe it was all her fault. That she had failed him, even if it was her mind that was making her believe such lies. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Catherine, you didn''t do anything wrong by not noticing what even I couldn''t notice. What nobody in my family noticed for what had to be decades. You coming to visit my awful family with the others is more than enough.¡± The man said to him, giving the blonde a gentle hug and peck. ¡°Ugh. You guys are so sappy.¡± The couple looked over at Rachel, who was watching them. The younger elf threw her hands into the air once she saw their heated glares from being interrupted. ¡°Don''t mind me. I have to get going anyway to prepare for the trip.¡± ¡°What do you need to bring with you?¡± Alexander asked. He didn''t understand how magic and curses worked, besides what the earlier conversation revealed. She gathered her things and thought before answering. ¡°Just some old spell books that have curse-breaking steps. I don''t know if we''ll find the curse''s creator, but I still want to study the effects it''s had on your parents. If it''s as severe as you claim, I don''t think there''s much we can do to help them.¡± Alexander''s mouth went dry, and he realized he needed to sit down. His hold of his girlfriend was gone as he moved to take a seat at a nearby table. Catherine looked at him with worry and within moments, she was in the other seat, holding his hand. The two had started to learn how to read each other''s emotions recently. Alexander didn''t have to tell her what was wrong or what he was thinking. All he had to do was sit down and let the feelings stew. Rachel was staring at the two with the silence between the three being deafening. It was obvious she knew that she''d pushed a nerve, but she didn''t say anything. Right then Violet came into the room with a tray, smiling with bright eyes, which were a rarity for her. ¡°I finally finished our meal. You guys have such weird food allergies!¡± The Gorgon said with a humorous tone that fell flat. She looked at everyone''s faces and slowly set the hot plates down with a grimace. Her hair was vibrating, the mood making her snakes want to come out. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I was getting ready to leave,¡± Rachel broke the silence by coming over to the other woman and shaking her hand. ¡°Nice meeting you, by the way. I hope you don''t mind if I skip out on the meal. It smells great, though.¡± Violet shook the elf''s hand eagerly. Alexander had noticed they meshed well when meeting hours before. She smiled with her voice still confused as she spoke. ¡°It''s fine! Thank you for coming over. I''m sorry for being absent during most of the conversation. Cooking was hard.¡± ¡°It smells delicious, so you must have done a good job!¡± Catherine chimed in with Violet blushing with wide eyes, not expecting the blonde of all people to compliment her. This led the two girls to talk with each other about the meal the snake-haired woman had prepped. And gave Alexander time to stew in the thoughts gathering in his head. If his parents were truly cursed, didn''t they deserve to turn back to normal? What if his parents had been loving and kind when he was a baby, before being cursed? Or where they cursed well into his childhood and somehow he just didn''t remember the people they used to be. He looked away from the chatting girls and rubbed his hand against his eyes. Everything was giving him such a horrible migraine. ¡°Alex, are you okay?¡± Violet had a frown as she finished setting down everyone besides Rachel''s bowl of food. She directed her attention at the worried elf. ¡°What happened while I was cooking? Please, be honest with me about it all.¡± ¡°I''m not sure.¡± Alexander combed his hair with his hands before sighing once more. ¡°Rachel told me more about my curse after you left to cook. And how my parents most likely where it''s an original target but can''t be helped.¡± Violet sat down across from the couple and tried to follow along with the information. ¡°You haven''t told me much about them besides the basics. If their behavior has been caused by a curse, it must be a powerful one.¡± She shook her head as her hair began to float, signaling that her snakes were forming and ready to slither. ¡°My curse is embedded in my DNA, but your parents sound more like a reality-based curse. The way to have perceived them and how they see themselves has been warped.¡± ¡°I have only head fables really of curses that powerful,¡± Catherine muttered after swallowing her share of the food placed in front of the trio. ¡°When Rachel told me about his curse, I almost didn''t believe her. I don''t know how to feel.¡± ¡°I feel like crap.¡± The human man muttered. ¡°Violet, we''re going to visit my family to see if we can find answers. If it''s alright with you, I''d like you to come along. I don''t know how long we''ll be gone, but you''re equally involved now.¡± The gorgon''s snakes hissed as she looked at him with parted lips, struggling to find words. Her face scrunched up as she nodded and played with her spoon. ¡°Thanks for inviting me, you two. I know this arrangement is strange for us all, but I want to come with you and help. Plus, I''m the only one here who has experience living life while cursed.¡± ¡°This trip can be used as a way for all of us to get used to the way things are now.¡± Alexander said, hoping for the best as the three all gave each other glances. They were glances the three had been sharing for a while now. The three-way relationship dynamic with Rachel being the platonic fourth wheel was hard to manage. Alexander could tell while things were peaceful now, each relationship was made with a shaky foundation. After all, he and Cat were due to be married any day now in the eyes of elf society. A society that saw both him and Violet as outsiders. It was only because of Rachel''s quick thinking they weren''t in any more hot water. Alex silently worried that all the drama might strain the bond they were building. But for now, he kept that to himself. Violet cleared her throat and gestured at the food. ¡°Please give it a taste. I''m a god-awful cook and you guys will have to get used to it, eventually.¡±