by Joyee Flynn
“You won’t. If they’re good men, they’ll stand by you. Invite over the head of your coven and her parents. I’ll handle this bullshit. No one tries to force a Davis to do anything against their will.”
I thanked my brother before we hung up. I knew he’d help me but I could never have guessed he’d take it so seriously and drop everything. Then again, my brother wasn’t leader of one of the largest covens in the country because he couldn’t handle things decisively. His coven loved him. He was a fair leader, who had made the coven prosper as it never had before.
Next I called the leader of my own coven.
“Ramses, good to hear from you. I was pleased to hear of your mating to the Sweeney gal. That’s a good match that will strengthen our coven bloodlines.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you then, Leader Ellison,” I said with a sigh. “The mating won’t be happening.”
“Explain yourself, Ramses.”
“Actually, if you’d allow me instead to invite you over along with the Sweeneys, my brother is on his way. We’d like to have a sit-down to discuss what’s been going on. I only found out this morning about Hilary’s pregnancy.”
“That is odd,” he replied thoughtfully. “We’ll meet you at your house in an hour. You’ve proven yourself to be honorable and a good addition to our ranks. And given who your brother is, I’ll allow this breach of protocol.”
“Thank you, Leader Ellison. I am sorry I’ve inadvertently caused this drama but I swear to you that I had no idea of any of it.”
“I believe you, Ramses. You’re not a liar. Even when you were a child you were one of the most honest tikes. I never met a youngster who’d admit to snagging cookies before dinner.”
I chuckled at the memory. “I didn’t want to leave anyone without cookies because I took extra. As much as I had wanted them, depriving someone else of the cook’s sweet treats would be mean.”
“And that is what makes you one of a kind, my dear boy. See you in an hour. And dinner would be nice. It’s been a hectic day and I skipped lunch.”
“Of course, Leader. I’ll be inviting the Alpha of the pride and his mate as well, as they were witnesses to the whole thing.”
“As you wish.” We hung up on good terms and now I had a whole new reason to rush around… I couldn’t cook and there was no food in my house. I quickly called Gavin next.
“Hey, how are you holding up?”
“My brother is on the way and Leader Ellison is coming in an hour with the Sweeneys to discuss all of this but they want dinner. Serving them burnt crap won’t help things. And how would I even get the stuff to make a real dinner and have it ready in an hour?”
“Breathe, Ramses,” he said gently. “One of the lions of my pride owns one of the best restaurants in Indianapolis. We’ll order up some trays of his finest and be there in forty-five minutes.”
“Thank you so much, Alpha. I never meant to bring this to your doorstep. I hate to involve you but I need you as a witness to Hilary’s crazy. Do you know she already mailed out the wedding invitations? My brother thought I was calling because of that.”
“Wow, that’s, um, well, yeah. It’s just nuts. We’re happy to help. We adore James and Brad and we’ve become fond of you as well. Anything we can do to help.”
“I appreciate that more than you know.”
“Do you want James and Brad in attendance as well?”
“They were witnesses, yes, but even more, I’d like my brother to meet the men in my life. Everything might be new with them, but they’re special to me.”
“Glad to hear it. You all deserve to be happy. We’ll get this squared away and you guys can get back on track.”
“I hope so,” I sighed. We hung up and I plopped down on the sofa. I sipped my drink, thinking that getting tanked might feel good but wouldn’t make me look too good given what was going on. I stared off into space, trying to figure out how this happened.
I mean, I knew how babies were made. That wasn’t what I was referring to. How could this amount of crazy have happened? If I had knocked Hilary up, the un-nut-job way to handle it would have been to just tell me right away. Then I would have questioned it, and gotten a paternity test done and had the answers.
The next thing I knew I heard a chopper getting closer. I shook off my thoughts, shocked I could have spaced out like that. Getting to my feet, I headed over to the back doors that led to the outside terrace. I unlocked them and watched as one of my brother’s helicopters landed. When they hustled towards the house, I quickly opened the door. We’d gotten a few inches of snow last night so the temperature was staying steady at nippy.
“You okay?” Reginald asked when they were inside and slipping off their boots.
“No, I think I’m in shock,” I admitted, shaking my head.
“That’s understandable,” he said gently as he hugged me. Then he led me into the kitchen and sat me down at one of the counter’s stools. “Maybe we should get some coffee in you before this meeting.”
“Oh, I’ve only had this glass,” I chuckled after his meaning sunk in. I set down my half-full glass of whiskey on the counter, not even remembering I’d been holding it until he said something. “I poured it to try and settle my nerves over this whole debacle. But when the plan became to come over here for a meeting, I didn’t think drinking would be the best idea.”
“So fill me in on what’s occurred since we spoke.” I nodded and did as he asked while he made a fresh pot of coffee. “Are you sure it’s wise to invite your men here for this? Maybe filling them in later would be best.”
“I love Brad,” I whispered, imploring my brother to understand with my eyes. “He’s fragile in some ways. I don’t know if it’s better for him to be here, but I know he’ll worry I’m hiding something if I exclude him. James is strong, so strong, Reginald, but I’m just starting to get to know him. I need them.”
“Then it’s best they’re coming.”
“Thank you, brother.”
* * * *
Brad
“Little mouse, are you okay?” James asked after Ramses left to attend to all this crap Hilary started.
“No, are you okay with all of this?”
“No, but I think you’re worried in a way I’m not,” he said gently as he sat down next to me. I paused the game I’d been testing and snuggled against him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m not picking on you and it’s not a criticism, baby. But you don’t have the best self-esteem. I bet you’ve been sitting here deciding in your head that Ramses won’t fight to be with you because you’re not worth it. And that Hilary is giving him a child which you couldn’t ever do.”
“Wow, am I that transparent?”
“Only to someone who knows you.” James kissed my temple and rubbed my back in comfort. “Plus this is a lot to take in. My head’s swirling as well so I know the onslaught of emotions you’re going through. But I know one thing that I’m sure you’re not factoring in.”
“What’s that?” I couldn’t figure out what it could be, but I knew James was smart. He would make sense of all this crazy and help Ramses get out of mating that woman.
“That Ramses is crazy about you, little mouse. The man stares at you like a man who sees his future.”
“How do you know what that look looks like?” I asked hopefully.
“Because I’m pretty sure it’s the same one I wear when I stare at you,” he admitted. I glanced up at him and saw the shy smile on his face.
“Me too. I want us all to be together. For so long I wanted you more than I wanted air, but the three of us make more sense. It’s like yin, yang, and yeng to complete the circle.”
“You totally just made up yeng, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, totally,” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t really work because my stomach was still in knots and my heart hurt over this whole thing. While a baby was a blessing, and I acknowledged that, the situation surrounding that miracle was
awful.
“Do you want some company while you test your game?” he asked quietly as if not sure it was the right move to make.
“If you don’t mind, that would be great. Can you bring your work in here today?”
“For you, little mouse? Yeah, I’d be willing to do that.” I turned my head to smile at him and instead got a passionate kiss that practically made my toes curl. “There’s that look I wanted.”
“Horny?”
“Happy was what I was going for but horny works too.” He gave me another kiss, this one loud and silly. Then he left for a few moments and came back with his laptop.
We worked quietly for a while, taking comfort in simply having each other around as we processed what was going on. Ant walked in his media room about a half an hour later with Gavin. I paused the game as James closed his laptop. It was obvious from their faces that more had happened.
“Good or bad?” James asked as I sat next to him and he hugged me.
“Good in that Ramses’s brother should be here soon. And he’s called a meeting of his coven leader, the Sweeney family, and us since we were witnesses to earlier. Ramses asks that you guys join us if you can. James, you talked to Hilary before all of us did and were involved in the conversation. Brad, you were there for some of it.”
“Yeah, because I fainted like a drip,” I grumbled, my cheeks heating up in shame. I couldn’t get over that I’d reacted like that. It wasn’t like I’d heard that it was my baby coming. But the moment I heard the news I saw my hope at living happily ever after with the two men I was falling for go up in flames.
“I can’t even imagine what I would have done if someone came here and said she was carrying Gavin’s baby,” Ant said gently. “No one would blame you if you didn’t want to go to this meeting, Brad.”
“Would you let Gavin go through this by himself?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He grimaced and it just confirmed the answer I knew before I’d even asked the question. “Exactly. I’m not abandoning him when he needs me most.”
“Okay, then you guys head over to his house,” Gavin said, giving me an approving nod. “We’re going to pick up some grub because it looks like it’s going to be a polite dinner kind of meeting.”
“Yeah, but that bitch is crazy. I doubt it will be calm,” I replied with a sigh, getting to my feet.
“Probably not, but the more of us there to witness it or attest to her outbursts earlier will help Ramses. I think the main goals right now are to lay down the law that he’s not mating Hilary and get a paternity test done.” Gavin wrapped his arm around Ant and we headed out, all confirming that it was smart that those were the priorities.
“Just keep breathing, little mouse,” James said nervously as he opened the door to his Hummer for me. “If you need a breather then just excuse yourself for a bit.”
“Right, I can do that.” I gave him a tight smile to show I was trying but that was about all I had in me.
We were quiet as we drove the short distance. James was very considerate when he drove with me in the vehicle, keeping the driving smooth. It actually made me feel better to be in what was practically a tank. I didn’t think there was much that could total a vehicle that massive.
“We’ll get this resolved and when they leave, we’ll take good care of Ramses,” I said firmly, more for myself than James.
“I think that’s a perfect plan.” We knocked and waited for the door to open. I raised an eyebrow at the stranger who opened it. “You must be Leader Davis’s security.”
“Yes, and you are?” the very large, somewhat scary vampire asked.
“I’m James Westbrook, second of the local pride, and this is Brad Hercules. I believe Ramses is expecting us.”
“Hi,” I squeaked and gave a lame wave. Oh gods, shoot me now.
The vampire focused on me and smiled. “Ramses was right. You are just the sexiest little thing ever.”
“He said that about me?” I asked with wide eyes. The guy nodded and I practically beamed at the compliment.
“Come inside. You’re the first to arrive so the games haven’t begun yet.” The vampire stepped aside and let us enter.
“I don’t get what that means.” I glanced at James curiously, wondering if he knew what was going on.
“Ramses’s brother is a coven leader and Hilary’s family is probably in tight with the local leader. So there’s going to be a lot of niceties and ego pumping, politics at its best actually. You know, like when another mischief leader visits. They try to show their dominance without flat-out saying it,” James explained with a shrug, the guard nodding as well.
“Why? Aren’t they all on the same side? Why would there have to be politics with a visiting leader? They didn’t come to discuss borders or trading. This is a personal issue.” What he said just didn’t make sense to me.
“Is he serious?” the guard asked with a raised brow.
“I don’t think this is the time for joking around so I promise that I am being serious,” I answered firmly. I frowned at him and put my hands on my hips, not liking that he was teasing me or whatever was going on.
“You were right, brother. He is a breath of fresh air,” a man said behind us. I turned and saw a man I’d never met standing next to my vampire, Ramses smiling proudly. I could see the family resemblance and guessed it was his brother.
“And gorgeous,” Ramses purred. He looked hesitant though so I made the first move. I walked over to him and threw my arms around him. “Thank you, baby. I’m so sorry for all of this.”
“Not your fault,” I said gently and kissed his cheek. “Could someone explain to me what the guard meant though? I think I’m missing something important and I’ll need to know before the Sweeneys get here.”
“How does the leader of your mischief act when another leader comes into town?” Leader Davis asked me curiously.
“Excited.” I shrugged as I turned to face him, Ramses’s arms wrapped around me. “Normally it means a party or something good is going on. We see another mischief as extended family.”
“Well, for vampires and most predator paranormals, it’s seen as a potential threat,” James explained. “Like lions in the wild when another Alpha comes on our turf we get ready to fight.”
“Oh, so Leader Davis being here means that they’re going to sniff each other’s butts basically? That’s what Ant called it when Gavin had the leader of the Boston pride visit.”
“You could put it that way,” Ramses chuckled. “It’s going to be more than just dealing with Hilary, so be ready for lots of bullshit.”
“In addition to the shit we’re already dealing with,” James added. He stared at Ramses cautiously but moved a little closer. Ramses reciprocated and even went a step further by reaching out and grabbing James behind the head. I gasped as they kissed full on the lips for the first time. I was getting hard and wanted everyone else to go away so we could play.
“Thanks for coming,” Ramses said quietly. “It means a lot to me.”
“We’re here for you, sweetie.” James cupped his cheek as his other hand moved to my shoulder. I was smashed between the two of them and I smiled. This was what I wanted, all of us together with me always in the middle.
“I hate to interrupt but the Sweeneys and Leader Ellison should be here soon,” Leader Davis said gently. “I’d like to get your story as to when you opened the door for Hilary. No one else was around and I want to make sure I know everything that happened.”
“Of course, Leader Davis.” James extended his hand and they shook, introductions exchanged all around. I learned the guard’s name was Dave and there was another one waiting in the kitchen whose name was Mark.
James quickly filled Leader Davis in, both of us answering whatever questions he had about Hilary’s visit. Just as we were wrapping up, Gavin and Ant showed up with food. I busied myself with setting the table and finding serving bowls. Once I had everything ready, Ramses went and brought up a few bottles of wine from his wine cellar.
We all flinched when the doorbell rang. It was time.
Now I just had to focus on not fainting or puking. I gave it a fifty-fifty chance.
Chapter 7
James
Everyone was very polite as Leader Ellison and the Sweeneys were shown in. Seriously, to the point I wanted to vomit at how fake and formal everyone was being. Introductions were made all around and after only a few minutes I realized Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney weren’t going to be reasonable. They were ready to do battle.
At least I didn’t have to wonder where Hilary got her crazy from.
“It’s so nice of you to invite us over to discuss the engagement party,” Mrs. Sweeney practically gushed. Oh, she was nuts too.
“I explained that we’re here to discuss Hilary setting up the mating and wedding behind Ramses’s back,” Leader Ellison said with a sigh.
“Yes, imagine my surprise when I get an invitation to his wedding and mating and my brother who I talk to all the time didn’t mention a thing about it. And to make matters worse, he calls me and informs me he didn’t even know anything about it. Ms. Sweeney just dumps all of this on him today but those invitations had to go out days ago for me to have mine already,” Leader Davis added calmly, but I could see the anger in his eyes.
“Nice, you got an invitation to Ramses’s fake wedding. We’re his friends and employers and we were left off the list,” Ant said with a snicker. “So they didn’t even invite all the people Ramses would want there.”
“Not sure that’s really the point they’re trying to make, my love,” Gavin said, shaking his head.
“No, but it’s just rude,” Ant defended. “And proves he had no knowledge of any of this. So that hits high on my crazy meter.”
“Excuse me, mouse?” Hilary hissed as her mother’s fangs popped out as well. “No one asked you about anything. Why are you even here?”
“Because it was our house you stormed into, bringing drama, and upsetting our employee,” Ant shot right back, impressively standing up for himself.