The morning after their wedding, Lenora and Tyrone awoke excited to be going on their honeymoon to France. Before his wife could slip out of bed, Tyrone pulled her close and kissed her until they were both aching with desire. They made exquisite love and then lay in each other’s arms enjoying the afterglow. Tyrone was loathe to let her go, and Lenora wasn’t complaining one bit.

When they finally managed to crawl out of bed, they had a quick breakfast and a couple cups of coffee. Crystal and Landon joined Lenora and Tyrone in their part of the duplex for breakfast so Crystal and Landon could see the newlyweds off. After breakfast, Lenora called Mathilda, who wished them a safe and happy trip. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, and Landon assured his mother that he and Crystal would be fine and to not worry about them. “We just want you guys to enjoy your trip, Ma. We love you both.”

“We love you too, sweetheart,” Lenora said, giving Landon and Crystal one last loving hug.

As Lenora didn’t want to ever see an airplane again for obvious reasons, she teleported herself and Tyrone to France. When they arrived at their hotel, Lenora flung herself into Tyrone’s arms and laughed in delight. “I can’t believe we’re here!” she said.

“We’re here for three whole weeks,” Tyrone grinned, holding her close.

“Three whole weeks, just the two of us,” Lenora sighed. Framing his face with her hands, she smiled into his eyes. “I adore ye, Mr. Landgraab. Do ye know that?”

“Not as much as I adore you, Mrs. Landgraab,” Tyrone said, brushing a lock of hair from his new wife’s face.

Tyrone kissed her soundly then pulled back to look into her eyes. “Well, now that we’re here, what do you want to do first?”

A wicked gleam came into Lenora’s eyes. “Let’s go visit the winery. I’m in a mood to get rather tipsy.”

Tyrone’s deep laughter rumbled in his chest, and he playfully pulled a lock of her hair. “You’d better watch it, funny lady. Wolves can hold their liquor like nobody’s business.”

A smirk crossed Lenora’s face. “Oh yeah? Well, a wee wolf cannot hold a candle to an Irishwoman.” She purposely thickened her accent and grinned devilishly.

“Want to make a wager on who pukes first?” Tyrone said, trying not to laugh.

“Fine,” Lenora said eagerly. “What shall we wager?”

She thought for a minute, winding a strand of long, golden hair around her forefinger. “If you puke first, you have to serve me breakfast in bed with all the trimmings for a week upon our return home. If I puke first, I have to serve you breakfast in bed for a week.”

“You’re on, lady,” Tyrone said, grinning. “Let’s seal the deal with a kiss.”

“You just want an excuse to kiss me,” Lenora teased.

“Do I need one?” Tyrone asked huskily as he drew her to him and threaded his fingers in her hair.

“Well…no…I reckon not,” Lenora whispered. Then, she lost thought of all else except Tyrone’s kiss when his lips met hers.

Upon arriving at the winery, Lenora and Tyrone got to work perusing the tasting selection. They settled on several to start out with. The newlyweds grinned at each other, and Lenora clinked her glass with her husband’s. “Here’s looking at you.”

“I could look at you my entire life long,” Tyrone said, smiling as he lifted the glass to his lips.

“Flattery. I love it,” she said before tasting her own wine.

The tasting went on for quite some time until both were rather tipsy. Lenora giggled as she set her glass down and stifled a belch behind the back of her hand.

“Lush,” Tyrone teased his wife.

“Wino,” she fired back. They locked eyes and then both burst out laughing.

The couple decided it was best to call it quits, so Lenora went to the cash register to purchase some of their favorites they’d tasted.

“We’ll have it delivered to your hotel, Madame,” the clerk said.

“Merci,” Lenora said, smiling. They’d gotten quite a selection, and it would be a chore to haul it back themselves. Lenora could have used magic to teleport it to their hotel, but in certain situations, it was best to forgo that.

Tyrone slid his arm around his wife’s waist and kissed her cheek. “What’s your pleasure now, milady?” he asked her.

“Well,” Lenora said, turning to face him. “I was hoping to write an article for the Aurora Skies Gazette about some of these old tombs, so I thought I’d go exploring for a bit. Do you want to go with?”

Tyrone hesitated. “Tell you what. Why don’t you do your thing and I’ll go harvest some of the stuff in the orchard so Crystal can start that garden she’s been wanting. As much as I hate to be away from you, we might as well make the most of our time and kill two birds with one stone.”

“OK then,” she said, leaning in for a kiss. “I’ll meet you back at the hotel later.”

Lenora headed to the adventure board at the hotel to look for an exploration opportunity. She picked up a pamphlet and began reading about the old Celtic Ruins, which she thought would be a good place to start. She headed to her room for a quick change of clothes and to pack a little bag in case she got stuck in there overnight. One thing was for certain. Tomb exploration was no place to be wearing a dress and heels.

Lenora gained entrance to the tomb and whistled as she surveyed her surroundings. It was a damp, dark place that was rather creepy. “I wonder if a person has gotten lost down here,” she mused aloud and shivered.

Lenora spotted what looked like a cave in. “Hmmm,” she said, frowning thoughtfully. “I could blast it, but I don’t want to bring the whole ceiling down. Best to use elbow grease,” she said. Then, she laughed. “I think I’d be committed if I started answering myself. Well, at least there’s nobody down here to hear me conversing with myself.” The truth was, it was creepy down there, and hearing something other than dripping water was comforting. She conjured an ax and went right to work on the piles of rubble. She found both buried treasure and secret rooms, which made her even more curious.

What Lenora didn’t expect was to be pushing and pulling on stone statues to settle them on tiles to open chained doors. They were heavy, and she had to strain to move them. Well, she’d just get Tyrone to give her a massage when she got back to the hotel.

As she explored the tomb, she found an ornate gravestone in the middle of a hedge maze. She collected some relics, gemstones, and some old wine, then headed toward the tombstone. She felt a little guilty for taking the stuff, but a lot of it was just lying about, which made it ripe for picking. Lenora bent over to read the name. “Giselle LaBlanc,” she said aloud. “Beloved wife of Jean-Claude and Mother of Clarice and Charles.” On it was etched a red rose with a series of music notes. As she ran a finger over the name, a pain shot through her being and an awareness fired through her psychic senses. This poor woman had died in childbirth, leaving behind her husband and two small children. Her husband grieved for his wife for years until he, too, died, mainly from losing the will to live and a broken heart. It brought back how she felt when she was so lost in grief that tears filled her eyes and she began to sob in earnest. Lenora wasn’t holding anything back, and the sound of her weeping filled the tomb and ricocheted eerily off the stone walls. If anyone else had entered the tomb, they would have sworn to hearing heartbreaking weeping from a lost soul looking for her mate.

Tyrone’s mental voice broke through Lenora’s weeping, and she came back to herself in an instant. //Lenora, darling. What is happening?//

She should have figured Tyrone would contact her. Because of their bond, Lenora’s empathic abilities, and Tyrone’s sixth sense as a wolf, they could feel each other plainly even across a large distance. He would have known the instant she started to cry and would feel her sadness so acutely.

Lenora ran a sleeve over her cheeks and took a deep breath to try to compose herself. //I’m all right, I promise. I just found this old tombstone, and when I touched it, I felt the circumstances and emotions behind the death. It just hurt my heart.//

//Well, I was worried when I felt you crying,// he said. //You sure you’re okay?//

//I promise, I’m fine. How’s the harvesting going?// she asked him.

//Almost done. I’m heading back to the hotel in about five minutes to grab a shower. I miss you,// he communicated.

//Miss you too, sweetheart,// she communicated back.

//How’s the intrepid explorer hanging in?// he asked.

She smiled and then laughed along the strands of their bond. //A little creeped out at times but hanging in. I don’t think this old tomb has been visited in years. I found this old hole in the ground, and when I put my hand in there, I encountered a swarm of bugs. Ew!//

//Yuck,// Tyrone said. //I hope that’s not all you found, although I don’t know how I’d feel about putting my hand in a hole where I can’t see what it leads to.//

//I found lots of stuff, and don’t worry. I’m being careful,// she communicated. //Unfortunately, it’s taking me a little longer than I thought. If you dont’ mind, I want to finish up and then I’ll meet you back at the hotel.// She looked at her watch and then groaned. //It’s getting pretty late. I found this old tent I might take advantage of and get a few winks and then finish up. I’ll meet you back at the hotel as soon as I can. I love you.//

//I love you too, my Lenora. Be careful,// Tyrone communicated.

Lenora did catch some sleep and finished her exploration upon awakening. It was early in the morning when she finished, and she was feeling quite hungry and grungy. “Thank goodness I’m a witch,” she said after performing both a hunger and hygiene charm on herself. She wanted to be in decent shape for when she met up with her sexy husband.

Tyrone put his arms around his wife and just looked at her before slanting his mouth over hers in a lingering, passionate kiss. “I missed you, Lenora, my heart,” he whispered, running his big hand down the length of her very long hair.

“I missed ye too,” Lenora said, melting into his embrace.

Tyrone swooped his beautiful wife into his arms and carried her upstairs to their room to make sweet love to her. They spent the afternoon in bed just talking and making love. Lenora felt completely at peace as she lay in Tyrone’s arms. If she could suspend any moment in time forever, it would be a moment such as this.

Into the evening, they were feeling quite hungry, so they decided to head to the cafe for something to eat. They shared a leisurely meal and talked to some of the locals. From time to time, both Lenora and Tyrone were interrupted to sign autographs. Lenora was a poplar author even in France, and there were some who mistook Tyrone for Amadeus at first. Even after discovering who he was, he signed autographs. After singing with Lenora on TV, Tyrone’s musical abilities were becoming very well known, and he had his own growing fan base.

They decided to call home to check in with everyone. “Hey, Dad,” Tyrone said when Amadeus picked up the phone.

“Hello, son,” Amadeus said. “How’s the honeymoon?”

“Epic,” Tyrone said, grinning. “Lenora and I are having a blast. Is everything okay at home?”

“Everything’s fine,” Amadeus confirmed.

They talked a little while longer. When Tyrone was getting ready to hang up, Lenora made an “I love you” sign and blew a kiss toward Tyrone’s phone.

“Lenora sends her love and so do I,” Tyrone said just before ending the call.

Lenora then called home to talk to Landon and Crystal. “How are things?” she asked her son.

“All is well, Ma,” Landon said. “Everyone is fine. We all miss you guys, but we know you’re having a great time.”

“That’s good to hear, sweetheart. We miss you too. Oh, tell Crystal that Tryone got some nice goodies to start that garden.”

Lenora heard Landon cover the mouthpiece. Upon hearing a “Yay!’ from Crystal, Lenora knew the pretty little fairy was excited at the news.

“Hey, bring us back some quality wine,” Crystal yelled.

Lenora laughed. “I’m bringing back plenty. Don’t worry.”

Before hanging up, Lenora and Landon expressed their love. Then, she and Tyrone decided to head back to the winery where they continued their tasting spree and got even more tipsy than they did the first time.

The couple renewed their wager, and it was Tyrone who lost. Lenora laughed as she rubbed her hands together in victory. “See, nobody, not even a wee wolf, is a match for an Irishwoman or Irishman in a drinking contest.”

“Better watch it, lady, or I’ll have to bite you,” Tyrone said, bearing his fangs when he finished being sick.

Lenora pretended to squeal in fright. “Oh dear! But then, if ye be biting me, there will be nobody to give ye the hangover potion. Best be rethinking that.”

“Witch,” Tyrone teased.

“Always the truth, laddie. Always the truth,” she teased back. She took pity on him and handed him a small vial to which Tyrone downed the contents of eagerly. It tasted awful, but the queasy, headachy feeling went away instantly.

The time in France was idyllic for the newlyweds. They took leisurely strolls and all the sights during the day. In the evenings, they returned to the hotel where they read together by a cozy fire or played chess until they grew weary.

Every night, Lenora and Tyrone made love and felt their bond grow stronger with each day.

Sometimes they just cuddled on the bed after a session of loving.

Other times, they’d talk while lying together under the covers. They were lovers, but they were also best friends, and each one felt they could tell the other anything. A few nights before they were to return home, they had a somewhat grim conversation while snuggling together in bed.

Tyrone placed a hand over Lenora’s flat stomach and smiled. “Darling, I have a feeling we’re pregnant.”

“That would be wonderful,” Lenora said. “If only that were true.” She looked at him sadly, and Tyrone felt a jolt of pain slice through him as he felt her melancholia.

“Why are you so sad, my Lenora? What is it?” he asked, holding her.

She heaved a sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. “It’s just, I think babies are hard for me to come by. You see, it took Linc and me a few tries before I became pregnant with Landon. I had a miscarriage a few years after he was born, but other than that, no more babies came. We’d always hoped for a large family, but it never happened. I might have a hard time conceiving.”

He stroked the hair away from her face and traced her lips with a forefinger. “Were you ever checked over? I mean, didn’t you and Linc seek out medical advice when no more babies came?”

“We did. Mathilda checked us both over and said everything was normal, that sometimes these things just take time. Sometimes the machine that is the body is a mysterious thing. Nothing appears wrong, but Landon and the miscarriage were the only two babies I have ever conceived,” Lenora confessed.

Tyrone stroked her hair, feeling his heart go out to her. Lenora had lost so much in her life and nothing seemed to come easy to her. It made him a little angry that she’d suffered so much. Why couldn’t this poor woman ever catch a break? He ran his fingers over her cheek and then rested his palm on her stomach once again. Then, he buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent, which was somehow different. “Like I said, I have a very good feeling.”

“Time will tell, my love. Time will tell. Even if a wee one doesn’t come quickly, we’ll have fun trying,” she said with a wicked little smile.

On their last day in France, Lenora and Tyrone made much use of the bathroom. Lenora was feeling quite insatiable, so she backed Tyrone up against the wall and kissed him thoroughly. That led to sex in the shower. When they were done, they looked at each other and laughed like a couple of idiots. “I swear. We’ve been going at it like a couple of rabbits,” Lenora laughed.

“I’m not complaining,” Tyrone said, grinning. “Hell, any time I get to please my beautiful wife, I’ll take it.”

“You’re incorrigible,” she teased him, giving him a playful punch in the ribs.

A few hours before they were due to depart, Lenora and Tyrone took to the chess board. She was a good teacher, and Tyrone was learning the game very quickly.

All too soon, the trip was over, and Aurora Skies was calling to them. It was late in the evening when they returned, so the couple went directly to bed. The next day would be filled with the telling of their adventures and giving the gifts they’d gotten for everyone.