Extending Family (House of Garner Book 5)

by Erin R Flynn

  “I doubt that as I have yet to see her listen to you about much,” I purred. “She does seem to get rather annoyed at what comes out of your mouth often.” I leaned in, smirking at him. “And she needs me, so don’t pee on me and tell me it’s raining. I do however see where Olivia gets her idiot idea she’s always the smartest person in any situation. You’re as wrong as she is on that.”

  He grabbed my chin roughly between his finger and thumb, using his strength and age on me in a way he shouldn’t, knowing it would hurt. “You are the fool today, not me. You just made an enemy when I could have been a friend.”

  “Only if I whored myself out to you,” I seethed. “I’m not for sale.”

  He smirked at me. “All women are, especially princesses. Here you think you’re so smart and yet you don’t even know that.” He pressed his fingers together harder. “You will learn it now, and one day soon, you will come begging for my friendship, offering whatever I wish, and then I will show you what a whore you are.”

  I winked at him. “At least I pay attention to who is around me before issuing threats, and boy are you in trouble.”

  He instantly let me go and flinched, realizing who was there. He’d been so focused on humiliating me or getting his “taste” that he’d completely missed others had joined us.

  Including his princess.

  “Leave this instant and I will deal with you when I return to the coven,” Matilda hissed at him. “You have shamed our coven, our family, and our son, and I will not be gentle with your punishment, nor your betrayal of me.”

  “I would ask who else he’s backed into a corner for sexual favors using your name and power to trade on it,” Vitor suggested… While holding back Kristof who was trying to get to Henry, probably to kill him for touching me.

  “Yes, My Princess,” Henry said, clearing his throat before bowing. He shot a worried look at Kristof and then was gone before I blinked next.

  He had blocked most of my view since he’d moved me against the wall, but now I could see there was an audience, including Ceawlin, Sebastian, and Jaxon, on top of Kristof, Matilda, and Vitor.

  “Glad you guys stalk me, even in the castle,” I whispered, rubbing my chin. I gasped, assuming he’d given me a hairline fracture that was healing. Rat bastard.

  “How bad?” Kristof snarled.

  “I’m fine. It’s healing,” I promised. “We have too many eyes and ears for this. Let Matilda handle it.”

  “That is incredibly generous of you,” Ceawlin muttered. “You could ask for Father’s head for touching you that way, much less injuring you.”

  I shook my head. “I felt Vitor here and poked him into it when I saw the darkness in his eyes.” I looked over to Matilda. “But still he did it, so I never want him in my presence again. I have enough nightmares without risking another problem or issue that ends in people dying.”

  She dipped her head to me. “I understand. Thank you for letting me handle this.”

  I nodded. “Excuse me, I need a drink or five.”

  Kristof was there before I could take a step, hugging me to him. “I can’t leave you alone for a minute without trouble finding you.”

  “I just went to the bathroom,” I rasped, trying to keep it together. “What do we tell Cerdic?”

  “Nothing yet. Can you wait until tomorrow? I worry his reaction to—”

  “Yeah, he’ll be crushed to learn his dad’s such a dick,” I whispered.

  Matilda snorted. “I think he’s worried Cerdic will lose his temper and kill his father. Your Zen master has a horrible temper. It’s very, very rare to come out, but when it does, he flies off the handle the way few do, and given how much he loves you, I fear he would kill Henry.”

  “Okay, let’s tell him tomorrow,” I squeaked. Shit, no killing people for sexual harassment and an overly rough chin grab. I headed for the ballroom, ignoring anything they might want to talk about and needing a few minutes to get myself together.

  Except I didn’t get them.

  The second I stepped into the ballroom, my period must have started as nostrils flared and people turned their heads to look at me. Wow, what a way to wave the banner in a packed ballroom I was on my period. I didn’t even have time to get embarrassed, Cerdic came from wherever and was standing in front of me. He kissed me, his eyes bright with excitement.

  “It’s time. I can make you mine forever now.”

  I nodded, trying to swallow down what had just happened and my nerves. He picked me up and blurred us to the courtyard. Darius and Jaxon must have heard or smelled me as they appeared as well. We waited a few moments for people to get in place, the excitement coming from Cerdic almost a fog in the air.

  The partition went up for the Wessexes and I sighed in relief. Good, I didn’t have to deal with them watching… And I’d just pretend they were all deaf.

  I took my dagger from Jaxon, slicing open my hand and going over to the tree. I leaned against it, my blood soaking into it from my touch. I sent up a silent prayer to Aether, asking for her blessing and things go a bit better for us while also thanking her for all we had, grateful we were better off than others.

  I moved back to Cerdic, nodding I was ready.

  He knelt down. “Inez of house Garner, I wish to give you my oath. Will you accept it?”

  “Do my husbands approve?”

  “We do,” Jaxon answered, Darius saying the same.

  “Yes, I will,” I told Cerdic, a thrill racing through me when I saw the need in his eyes.

  “Thank fuck,” he rasped, lowering his head, but not before I saw tears in his eyes.

  And they wondered why I agreed when I thought it was too soon for all of this? Silly men.

  14

  Ceawlin

  No woman had seen through me so fast before. No woman had ever seen me so clearly. But then, I felt the truth like a punch to the gut. No, not me, him. She saw him so completely, down to his very soul even, that it was easy to know I wasn’t him.

  Still, the lines she’d crossed, stabbing me because of what I’d done to my twin, were shocking. Olivia had left a lot out of the information she’d sent me, and I found myself so surprised by it all, I couldn’t even think to continue the plan and start trouble for Cerdic and his princess.

  Mostly because I truly thought she might cut me, even with the alliance with the house of Wessex, and I was his brother. Though she also seemed to want me to choke on jealousy as well. She gave Cerdic everything he could want. He was completely spoiled, from the mating gift to the bachelor party gifts and everything in between. Princesses didn’t give their nobles such treasures and astounding affection.

  We gave it to them, and all we could, for crumbs of anything we could get.

  But I wasn’t the only one jealous, and I didn’t mean Olivia.

  Three times as many people as invited showed up, most playing games of court crap, but others invited themselves when they heard of it. That was a level of shocking I’d never encountered with princesses. Princesses and their courts didn’t just show up to events like keggers. There was always dancing and back and forth and concessions on how many or gifts and provisions.

  It took weeks normally—and with the way technology used to be before the apocalypse—to plan a visit to another court. To show up was… Beyond insulting. I couldn’t even fathom what my princess would have done.

  Probably kill one of their nobles for the insult and break all ties with that princess and house for good. I couldn’t see her doing anything milder than that.

  And certainly not allowing them to stay and handle accommodations. To most that might have seemed like she was a doormat, but no, it was smart. She looked like the bigger person, the kind princess who reaches out to many, even if they misbehave and insult her as she’s a bigger person than that.

  Plus, some came ready for the insult and could then start trouble with her later, saying it was her fault for how she originally treated them. Now they had nothing to stand on besides pissing off other
s if they made a move on the coven. Maybe once that might have been a good idea given how young she was, but now she had a line of very old and powerful vampires at her back, dying to join her coven.

  Hearing how she disbanded the house of Darbandi coven almost made me ill. No one had ever done that, certainly not when abducted, and they attempted to force her to be adopted. Instead, the man who’d done it now swore himself to her to be her guard and protect her.

  And no one was getting by Vitor to touch her. He was a legend and the reason the house of Darbandi had controlled so much power and territory given the region and how many wanted it. Many had wanted to take them out and end the house, simply because how sick they were, daughters killing their parents for power, but none could go against Vitor and the other ancient nobles they had.

  Not without risking their own nobles and lives.

  But Inez had. She had done it all on her own, the baby vampire, as she called herself. And my fucking twin had captured her heart.

  I wanted to hate her. She was making Cerdic happy, and after all he’d done to me, I never wanted him happy. Every time I looked at her, I tried to find flaws, but I couldn’t. Yes, some would prefer others, I preferred my princess, of course; Bahati much more gorgeous than Inez, but Inez didn’t have many faults.

  To say otherwise was a lie like Bahati was more beautiful. But I would never say otherwise.

  The jealousy was rising to dangerous levels though. After Inez put that princess in her place about treating nobles like nothing but blood sources, more than a few were talking about it. Several seemed to agree, but didn’t say anything, their deals with Inez more important than her going against tradition.

  However, their princess relatives had a lot to say about how full of herself and selfish she was. The funny thing was they believed that. They thought it was some ploy to bring in all the best and oldest nobles—as she had—because she offered them respect, which most wouldn’t, but it was all a con to have them at her side and access to their blood.

  It wasn’t a bad idea. I could see how jealous many of the princesses were that they hadn’t thought of it first.

  But it wasn’t a ploy for her. She really meant it and treated them with respect, shifters as well. It shocked me, but I did truly believe her and it wasn’t a con. Funny how so many princesses went right to that as if any other reason would be absurd.

  The jealousy level shot up again as appetizers started. Here, most were barely making it, and we were standing in Inez’s air conditioned castle with cold drinks, and the first trays of bacon wrapped duck breast bites were coming around, along with crab cakes. Next, were fish taco bites and bear meatballs. Then, seared gator and salmon cucumber bites.

  By the time the turkey cheese crostini and beef cups came around, I was pretty sure there were at least a dozen princesses who were ready to strangle Inez for gloating at what she had… While stuffing their faces and looking like humans in movies who were wondering if they could put more in their purses. The murmurs asking how they had all this food, and others squirming as they didn’t want to answer, was amusing.

  “I wonder if any confessed Olivia got ill for trying to push Inez to agree to be adopted,” Hanna said to Nora. “The princesses that came that day heard Matilda say it, but if they didn’t pass that on, it could lead to trouble as the next idiot tries to make a move before she thinks others will.”

  “How ill?” I asked. “Or how was she ill exactly?”

  Nora gave me a look that she was debating pounding me for interjecting and not speaking to them as I should. She seemed to think better of it, probably assuming my princess could be one of the “idiots” to worry about.

  “She was dying. Slowly. She degraded a bit more every day until she apologized to Inez. She sent nobles to spy and start trouble with the plans to push Inez into a corner so she would beg for help and agree to be adopted. It was a stupid plan that underestimated everyone involved, including myself, as she assumed I would stand idly by and keep our alliance.”

  “It really was a stupid plan,” Hanna agreed. “Inez might be young and naïve in some ways, but honestly, she’s maybe one of the most distrusting people I’ve ever met. You have to earn every inch with her and most plans would fail then.” She sighed. “Aether knows she played us well enough.”

  “She played you?” I pushed, giving her a look that I didn’t buy it.

  “She played us all,” Nora chuckled behind her wineglass. “Here we’re dancing around her and trying to gently coax her into becoming closer allies, trusting us so we could have better access to her areas and more, and the whole time she was really walking the path, knowing we were following her. She turned the whole thing around so the three of us were managing her assets for her in areas she allowed and limited.”

  “Instead of being the trustees to her estate and wielding the power of the daughter-in-law, she basically tricked us into being the administrative assistants under her nobles on the projects that manage the other members on the team for her,” Hanna drawled. “The damn girl is a strategic genius, and you can’t even be angry at her for it as she doesn’t do it to win or gloat, simply protect herself.”

  “She said it started when Jaxon told her I would never let him be with an adopted princess. I sort of loved her even more for loving my son that much,” Nora confessed.

  It was a lot to wrap my mind around as she was considered by most as a strategic genius, Hanna too, so for someone to have pulled one over on them… Wow.

  Dinner inspired more jealousy. The first salad had grilled chicken, apple slices, and nuts in it, a good blend of refreshing and filling with the meat. The second was blue crab salad overflowing out of avocado halves, and I could about see the steam coming out of people’s ears.

  Especially because it was clear people were hoping to maybe join Inez’s coven or court to live better instead of being spies and pawns for their princesses like the original goal had been. By the time the veal Wellington was served with potato stacks and grilled veggies to make an overflowing plate, I was amusing myself by counting all the death looks Inez was getting.

  And then, we were served large bowls of wild boar and mushroom ravioli with some amazing cream sauce. There had to be a pound of ravioli in each one. How the fuck had they swung this so fast when three times as many people came? I think that was what pissed the petty people off the most. Here they’d poked her into starting trouble, and instead she shined even brighter.

  That seemed to be her super power, if I was honest. Really, it was probably inspiring devout loyalty. Her people were willing to do just about anything for her, she was so kind and giving to them.

  It sort of spit in the faces of all the princesses that believe ruling with an iron fist and fear were the best options.

  A few seemed to admit defeat or blow their tops when individual cheesecakes, with an array of toppings on a tower, came out. Next was a delicious trifle and I saw people tossing drinks back.

  And Inez was completely oblivious. It seemed that way, but I had a feeling she intentionally was ignoring it because she didn’t care and wasn’t petty enough to engage. Maybe. I wouldn’t take the bet either way.

  When she said goodnight, I glanced around and wondered which of the princesses left would start shit first. I had a few I would vote first, but given how much everyone had to drink, there were some that I knew could surprise me.

  “Princess Nora, Princess Inez asked for your input, along with Princess Matilda and Princess Hanna,” a shifter said as he set down a tray on our mostly cleared table. “On top of the gelato buffet station, Nick thought different giant filled cookies available throughout the day and maybe a few boozy cupcake options for the party vibe.”

  “Now that is a cookie,” Mother chuckled, giving him a curious look. “However did Nick start these already when he was so busy?”

  “He didn’t,” the shifter answered. “These came from the Gagnon clan up north to try and help. The Novak clan came up with the cupcakes and sent i
deas they are going to get working on for tomorrow and Sunday if you tell them how to split them up.”

  “That definitely brings them up from basic and childish treats to look down at,” Nora said with a smile. The boozy cupcake was huge with some sort of plastic thing full of liquid sticking out of the frosting.

  “Shops were popping up all over with those before everything happened,” Olivia admitted. “They were very popular and all over social media.” She gestured to the plastic thing. “That’s a shot of the booze. You squeeze it and it gets injected into the cake. There’s normally alcohol in the frosting.”

  “Well done indeed,” Nora muttered, squeezing the applicator before putting it on a clean plate. She cut off a bite and tried it, her eyes going wide. “This is delicious. One of them had to have owned a bakery to make something this good.” She passed the plate on and went for a cookie. She sighed when she broke the chocolate chip cookie and it was stuffed with gooey marshmallow. “Of course, it’s s’mores.”

  “The other one is a brownie cookie with nuts and filled with caramel,” the shifter told us. “The last is a peanut butter cookie filled with chocolate.” He handed Nora a piece of paper. “The list of boozy cupcakes here and other ideas. Nick is thinking of chocolate fountains throughout Sunday and a buffet of pie since it’s the more casual day.”

  “People might demand more gelato after they try it,” Oliva warned him. “I would. It was lovely.”

  He nodded he heard her.

  “Excuse me, why are only some of us being treated to extras?” a princess called over loudly, getting the attention of too many looking for trouble. Damn, I hadn’t pegged her as the one to start it.

  The shifter faced her, looking almost amused instead of scared, as most shifters should be around courts.

  “I apologize for your misunderstanding, Princess, but Princess Inez’s in-laws have helped coordinate and advise our princess on the weekend. They are sampling options to add to the menus since invited guests didn’t RSVP with accurate numbers, or people thought being invited died with modern society and rudely showed up as if they own the place.”