[Rock]Pyla’s coming of age came and we went to Forrest’s house to celebrate with her. She actually ended up inviting a few other trolls and said Queen Ivy would be visiting. We all wished her luck. Forrest held Pyla’s hand and stood in the center of the living room. He looked over at her. They smiled at each other.“I would like to offer a prayer and thanks to our goddess,” he announced. We raised our heads to join him. I contacted Carmen telepathically to tell her what was going on. She hated missing these moments, but she still had to wait twelve hours before arriving. “Goddess, we thank you for bringing us together and for gifting us the love of Pyla. We thank you for protecting her and allowing us to guide her through this transition in life. We thank you for your generosity, your wisdom, and your compassion.“We ask that you continue to bless Pyla with strength and courage as she continues on her journey into adulthood. May she always be surrounded by friends and may our relationship remain strong over the years as we support each other through all that life brings our way,” Forrest prayed. “So may it be,” we all replied. Tana and Kaya went to Forrest and Pyla, offering their hands to her. Forrest gave her a kiss and the women led her off to the room where she would be stripped and shackled. I went to my friend and patted his back. “You think you’ll be able to handle three whole days?” I chuckled. “I’m going to do my best,” he laughed. We went to get something to eat and drink. He wouldn’t have a chance to eat for a while, it was important that he have something to help him keep his strength up. Having three days locked in a room with his mate was a blessing so early in their relationship. I looked forward to my honeymoon with Carmen because I wanted that singularly focused time again. Carmen was too precious for me to be content with only having her after work and on weekends. The women came out and we waited for a while. We had to wait for the troll brain to take Pyla over entirely. It was tradition. It let us know how much more reasonable and calm we are now, as opposed to when trolls first started.  We were all like that, beasts who took pleasure in violence, carnal urges, and sheer destruction. But the goddess had shown us a better way. Through her we learned to control our impulses and become civilized members of society.After a while, Forrest was led off to Pyla’s room. We cheered for them, knowing he was her true mate. Once Kaya came back from depositing him in Pyla’s room, we got down to partying. Food and booze flowed freely. People joked and talked. It was just like a normal party. We were relieved that Pyla managed to get enough to make it really feel like a party. It would have made it awkward to try to keep the reveling up with fewer than ten people. Challenges were issued and people messed around. Tana took food and drinks to Forrest and Pyla. I went out to the backyard at dawn and watched the sunrise. “Hey, Rock,” Kaya said from behind me. I turned to see her coming down the steps up to the patio. She walked over and stood next to me. I looked up at her before turning my attention back to the rising sun. “What’s up, Kaya?” I asked. “Not much. I figured it was okay for me to leave the party since there aren’t many people there and Tana is back with them. What are you doing out here?” “Getting some fresh air. Are you ready for our softer guests to arrive? They’ll be here around noon,” I replied. “Yeah. It shouldn’t change much. Pyla and Forrest seem to be having a good time, kind of makes me want to drag Elbio off to one of the spare rooms. I think that’s the worst part of being a host,” she laughed. I smiled. “Yeah, I understand that. During Forrest’s coming of age I wanted to sneak off with Carmen, but I couldn’t.” “Can you keep a secret?” Kaya asked. “I can.” “Elbio really likes Carmen. He was even jealous of you when he first met her. He doesn’t normally think softies are attractive, but he thought she was. It was part of the reason that he didn’t come around a lot before he met me. He was worried it meant something. I fixed it, but I wanted you to know that Elbio didn’t hate her or anything when he was acting more like a dick than normal in the beginning,” she explained. Even though Forrest liked Carmen as a friend, he didn’t find her attractive. Elbio always dated very attractive troll women, like Kaya. I never even considered that Elbio might be attracted to Carmen. “He told you that?” She nodded. “Elbio was drunk when we met. He told me a lot of things while he was plastered. It made him very honest and vulnerable. I’ve never seen a troll act like that when he was drunk.” Kaya looked at the sky with a small smile. “I’ve never been one for soft men, but there was something about him.... His softness and openness made my chest tight.” “So you stuck around?” “Elbio is a perfect troll male when he’s not wasted. He’s everything I ever wanted. We’re practically evenly matched for strength, which means nothing gets boring. He’s shorter than me, so I can enjoy pinning him to a wall more. And he loves his friends. “I heard about you while I was living in the fae realm. Eru’s mistake. The soft troll. But Elbio defended you as if you were right there when someone called you that while he was drinking. Trolls are loyal, but selfish enough that they won’t get involved in other people’s conversations just because they insulted their friend. “Everything about him makes him seem like a better man than any I’ve ever met. I’m certain he’s my true mate, because I’m everything he wanted, too. Even this, talking to you about something he was afraid of you finding out. I don’t want him to pull away from you just because he went weird for a while and thought a werewolf was hot,” Kaya laughed. I chuckled along with her, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. It was good to know Elbio didn’t hate Carmen, and that he stood up for me when I wasn’t even there. Kaya’s words about Elbio being her true mate made me think about my own true mate. She would be there at noon and I was excited about seeing her again, even though we were practically always together. I guess that’s what love really is, being happy or excited to see your mate again even if it had only been a little while and you spent a lot of time with them. “I’m glad you guys found each other,” I said, looking back at her. “Me too,” she replied, smiling. “It’s funny how life works out sometimes.” We stood there in silence for a moment, watching the sunrise together. It was peaceful, and I felt a sense of contentment settle over me. Kaya was right, life was funny. Who would have thought that a troll and a werewolf would be mated to each other? And yet here we were, planning our wedding and growing closer every day. “I should probably go check in with the others,” Kaya said, breaking the silence.“Yeah,” I agreed.She turned back to the house and I watched her go. Kaya, like Elbio, was beautiful. They would make a handsome pair and I could imagine their children would be the epitome of troll beauty as well. I stayed out until the sun was fully up and I could hear the animals in the area enjoying their day. I returned to the party and was immediately handed a mug of ale and a plate of food. We ate, drank, danced, and fought. It was a perfect troll party. -Around noon, Carmen contacted me telepathically to let me know she was outside the door. I went to the door and opened it to find more than just Carmen. Austin and Gemma were with her as well as Mike and Beth. I was surprised Beth was anywhere with how round she was. She should have been resting. Behind the group was Queen Ivy and King Ewan along with Prince Rosario and Sean. They all carried packages and bags. For coming of age parties, your presence was enough of a gift. No one really brought anything, but all of them had, even the fae. “Welcome,” I told them. Everyone smiled. As they came in, they handed me the gifts. Once everyone was in, I took the presents to Forrest and Pyla’s bedroom. She could open them once her coming of age was over. Carmen followed me and waited in the doorway while I dropped off the gifts. I returned to her and closed the door behind me. She wrapped her hands around one of mine and leaned her head against my arm. Gemma went to the stereo and started up the music again. Queen Ivy and her mate were served up some of the ale and accepted it graciously. I knew Queen Ivy had approved Forrest and Pyla’s relationship before they knew they were mates, but I was surprised when I heard she would be coming. I wasn’t expecting Rosario and Sean, at all. Most of the trolls were already drunk and joined the softies as they started dancing. Mike had his mate off in a corner, keeping her away the wild flailing of some of Pyla’s other guests. Gemma ground her body against Austin, who looked a mix of embarrassed and turned on. I laughed as Prince Rosario started mimicking her movements with his own mate. Carmen pulled me closer to everyone and started moving her body sensually. I was taken aback by her sudden boldness, but I couldn’t deny how much I enjoyed it. Her hips swayed to the beat of the music, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was beautiful and confident, and I was lucky to have her as my mate. As the day crawled into night, the party only grew more wild. Trolls and softies alike danced and drank until they were stumbling and laughing uncontrollably. Queen Ivy and King Ewan were in the thick of it all, letting loose and enjoying themselves just like everyone else. Carmen and I found ourselves in a corner, away from the chaos. I could see Mike and Beth had moved into the living room and were cuddling in one of the large chairs that were custom made to hold larger trolls. Carmen reached up and drew my attention back to her. She pulled my face to hers and kissed me feverishly. The addition of the softer guests had turned up the heat in the party and everyone was having a great time. It was considered good luck for a party to get crazy once the troll in question found their true mate. It meant the goddess was watching over the new lovers and keeping others from leaving. I pulled Carmen closer to me and held her tight as I delved into her mouth. It was a struggle to pull away. I needed to get her somewhere more private... or less private.... Quickly, I dragged her out into the darkened backyard. There was only a small sliver of the waxing moon to break up the darkness. Forrest’s backyard was created to give him the most privacy possible. Tall, leafy trees lined the border of it. Decorative plants were organized in small hills, creating plenty of places to hide. Carmen and I stumbled into one of the secluded spots, barely able to keep our hands off each other as we kissed passionately. The cool night air only added to the heat between us as we shed our clothes and tumbled to the ground.Every touch, every kiss, every moan sent shivers down my spine as we explored each other’s bodies, slowly stripping down to nothing. Carmen’s curves fit perfectly against mine, our bodies moving together in a perfect rhythm. I felt alive and free, lost in the moment with the woman I loved.This was another common thing for revelers. The hosts couldn’t indulge, but it was encouraged for everyone else. It was considered a blessing for good luck for the couple. Where most trolls wouldn’t try for more than just a corner no one else was occupying, I respected my mate enough to know she wouldn’t appreciate that. As we lay there, our bodies entwined, I felt a sense of euphoria wash over me. I had never felt more alive and connected to Carmen than I did in that moment. It was as if all of the universe had aligned to bring us together, and nothing could ever come between us.I traced my fingers over her curves, savoring the feel of her skin against mine. I could feel her breath on my neck, hear her heart beating in time with mine. It was as if we were made for each other, two halves of a whole.Gently, I slid into her eager body. Carmen sighed contentedly as I pulled her to straddle my lap. She leaned in and started nibbling my neck as her body moved against mine. I groaned in pleasure as I felt Carmen’s body tense around me. Our movements became more urgent as we moved towards the edge of ecstasy. The night air was filled with the sound of our moans and the rustling of leaves as we moved together in perfect harmony.As we reached our peak, I felt a surge of energy course through my body. It was as if the goddess herself was blessing our union, filling us with her divine power. I pulled Carmen close to me, feeling her body tremble as she reached her own climax.We lay panting and sweating in the cool night air, our bodies intertwined as we basked in the afterglow. It was a start, but probably not the last time we would make love during the celebration. I laid her down on the chilled ground and wrapped my body around hers, trying to keep her warm while she recovered.