“Okay,” Kaito agreed quickly. “What do we eat?”
“Hmm, good question.” Wasn’t there a cook around somewhere? Rising from the table, he crossed the tiled floor to the refrigerator and pulled it open. “Well, it looks like we have some watermelon. Do you want that?”
Kaitobounced over to stand beside him, peering around Raith’s leg to survey the contents of the fridge as well. “What’s that?”
“It’s a fruit.”
“What’s that?”
Okay, he might just raise Tanaka from the dead so he could kill him again. “It’s good for you. It tastes pretty good, too. And it’s not hotdogs.”
Reaching over to the watermelon on the bottom shelf, Kaito poked at it with his finger. “It’s hard. Are you sure we’re s’pose to eat that?”
“Well, see, you have to cut it open. The good stuff’s on the inside.” October’s voice floated to them from the other side of the kitchen.
Raith retrieved the watermelon and turned with a smile for his lover. “Hey, you. How did it go?” He felt horrible that he hadn’t been able to make it down to Hell’s Alley for the interrogation, but he’d been woken up by a pint-sized vampire bouncing on his chest, and Kaito had demanded his attention ever since.
“Don’t worry about it,” October answered, clearly having read the look of apology on his face. “So, what are you two doing?”
“Raith likes my painting,” Kaito announced proudly as he shook a finger toward the table. “Wanna see it?”
“I’d love to see it.” October tossed a wink in Raith’s direction and sauntered over to the table. He listened intently, bobbing his head all the while with an indulgent grin on his handsome face. “That is wonderful, Kaito. Are you sure you did this all by yourself?”
“Yep.” He put his hand over his mouth and giggled while he pointed toward Raith’s painting. “Raith did it wrong, didn’t he?”
“Oh, well, it’s certainly not as good as yours, but I think he did okay. What do you think is wrong with it?”
“The moon apparently isn’t yellow,” Raith answered. Pulling a knife from the block, he set to work slicing the watermelon, chuckling under his breath as he listened toKaito’s critique of his art.
“Ah, I think I see the problem.” October settled into one of the chairs and lifted Kaito to his knee. “That’s the sun. That’s why it’s yellow.”
“I never seed the sun before.”
“You have never seenthe sun,” October corrected, “and that’s because it’s not safe for us. It will make your skin really hot, and it can hurt if you’re outside for too long.”
Gods, the man was an absolute natural when it came to children. The way he explained things and the amount of patience he showed with Kaito was astounding. Raith thought Torren was an amazing dad, but it was completely seamless with October. There was no pause before he answered questions, and each response was intelligent and truthful.
Why he thought he wasn’t good with kids was a mystery, because watching the pair together made Raith’s chest swell with pride and affection. “Okay, who’s hungry?”
“Me!” Kaito bounced a little on October’s knee but made no move to climb down. “You want some waterlemon?”
“Watermelon,” Raith said with a chuckle. How anyone could not like children was beyond him. They said the cutest damn things, and he could listen to Kaito and Wren talk for hours. It was wondrous to see the world through their eyes.
“No thank you, Kaito,” October declined politely. “I think I’m hungry for something else.” His head tilted on his shoulders, and he looked up at Raith in concern. “Did he feed?” he mouthed.
Raith’s eyebrows drew together as he thought it over. “Not that I know of, and I’ve been with him since I woke up. Does heneed to?” Intellectually, he knew that vampire children would have to feed the same as adults, but for some reason, it weirded him the fuck out to think about Kaito biting someone. Didn’t most parents teach their children not to bite?
“We’ll discuss it later,” October answered with a pointed look. “Are you about ready for bed, Kaito?”
“No.”
“Well, the sun will be up soon.”
“No.”
October sighed and mussed up the munchkin’s hair. “You need to sleep.”
“I don’t like the dark.” Kaito finished off his slice of watermelon and wiped his mouth on his arm. “Can I sleep with you?”
And there was the downside of parenthood. Raith had really been looking forward to taking his mate to bed and doing all kinds of delectable things to him. How could he say no to such an adorable face, though?
He couldn’t, so he just shrugged when October looked to him for help. “I think it would be okay for one night. We can figure out something different for tomorrow.”
“Yay!” Kaito wiggled down to the floor and started for the doorway, but October caught him around the middle and lifted him off his feet.
“Oh, no, you don’t. You are not crawling into my bed all sticky. Bath time, Mister.”
“I can do it myself,” Kaito protested through his giggles. “I’m big.”
“Just run the water for him so it’s not too hot,” Raith confirmed. He’d learned a lot from helping with Wren, and he was damn proud to see October taking an active interest in the boy’s care as well.
Raith was already half in love with the kid, and his mate didn’t seem to be far behind him. What the hell were they going to do when Kaito left?
Chapter Eight
Propping himself up against the tiled wall in the shower, October groaned at the feel of the hot water that rained down on his aching body. There were so many things awaiting his attention, but though he’d stayedin bed for nearly twelve hours, he’d gotten very little sleep.
“How on earth does someone so tiny take up so much room?” he asked when Raith stepped into the stall behind him. “And where is the little contortionist?”
Raith’s breath stuttered over his nape as he laughed. Sinewy arms wound around October’s waist, and Raith’s chin came to rest on his shoulder. “Gideon is making him breakfast. He really wasn’t that bad.”
“He took up the entire bed,” October protested. “I was in a ball with only a corner of the blanket.”
“Aww, poor baby.” His lips fluttered up the side of October’s neck. “Do you need me to kiss it all better?”
What Raith was proposing sounded wonderful, but they really didn’t have time for it. “We have to meet Nicholas and Jonas.”
“They’re having breakfast with Kaito.” Raith’s hand began sliding down his chest and over his clenching abs to his groin. “We have plenty of time.”
“I can’t think when you do that.”
“Good. I don’t want you to think. Can you do that for me? Can you turn it off for just a little while?”
Could he do that? There were people waiting on him. Tasks needed to be accomplished. There were transcripts to go over, paperwork to sign, checks to write, interrogations to conduct, a home to find for Kaito, and numerous other things that needed his attention. What kind of leader would he be if he just blew off his responsibilities for steamy sex in the shower?
Raith’s chest rose and fell against his back as his lover sighed wearily. “Never mind.” Then he released October and stepped back to reach for the soap on the upper shelf. “Jonas said a little of the red stuff in Kaito’s juice every day will be fine for now. I asked Gideon to handle it when he fed him.”
“Good. He won’t need to feed every day since he’s a hybrid, but he does need more than what his father was obviously giving him.” He had the feeling that Tanaka hadn’t been supplying Kaito with the proper nutrients for some time, which would explain the child’s smaller than average size.
They washed and rinsed in silence after that, not even touching except for a casual brush of skin when they switched places so Raith could reach the spray. The quiet stretched on while they dried themselves and even after they exited the bathroo
m to begin dressing.
Octoberdidn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if they were fighting, if Raith was angry with him, or what had happened. Did the man truly expect him to drop everything for a bit of carnal delight when there was so much to be accomplished? They lived together. They slept in the same bed. It wasn’t like they couldn’t go for a roll in the sheets at the end of the night.
“Did you remember to call Wren?”
“Yes.”
“Didyou get everything smoothed over?”
“Yes.”
What was happening? Not ten minutes before, everything had seemed fine. Now, Raith was acting as though he couldn’t get away from October fast enough. “Are you going back to Casper this weekend?”
“Yes. I thought I’d take Kaito with me so he can meet Wren.”
“Would you like me to accompany you?” It hadn’t escaped his notice that he’d been left off the invitation list. He could understand if Raith wanted to spend time alone with his family. However, his exclusion just then felt more like a slap in the face, and he had an idea it was meant to feel that way.
“No, that’s okay. I’m sure you have a lot to do around here this weekend.” Raith finished lacing his belt through the loops on his jeans and buckled it. “I know you’ll want guards to take us there, but there’s enough security at the Council house. They don’t need to stay.”
That was open to debate, but October would save it for another time when Raith wasn’t so moody. Yes, there were Enforcers living in the house in Casper, and even Council members for that matter. They weren’t October’s Enforcers, though. If Raith didn’t want him there, that was fine, but his and Kaito’s safety was top priority, nonetheless.
Flattening out the collar of his button-down shirt, October stared into the mirror over his dresser as he combed his hair so that it would fall just the way he liked it over his forehead. The menial task wasn’t easy, either,since he couldn’t stop sneaking glances at the reflection of the man sitting at the foot of the bed.
“Are you ready?”
“Let’s get this over with.” Rising from the mattress with a grunt, Raith looked like he was preparing for battle rather than going to interrogate a prisoner.
“Okay, what’s with you?” He’d thought he could let it go and hope the bad mood would pass. Raith’s sour attitude was grating on his nerves, though. Plus, he felt guilty, as though he had caused the shift in disposition, which would have been fine if he felt he’d actually done something wrong.
“I don’t want to fight with you right now.”
“I’m not looking for an argument, Raith. I just want to know what crawled up your ass and died.” Have mercy, being mated was a damn job in and of itself. October wouldn’t call himself an expert on the subject, but he didn’t think two people who were fated to be together should have to work so damn hard just to have a civilized conversation. “Is this about sex?”
Raithsnorted rudely. “You would think that.”
“Talk to me or don’t. I’m not going to play these ridiculous games with you. Stop acting like a child.” He wasn’t going to beg and plead for Raith to tell him what was wrong. If the man wanted to talk about it, October wanted to listen. He wasn’t going to wheedle the information out of his lover, though. They were both too damn old for such immature games.
“I didn’t want this,” Raith exploded. “I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted to be left alone, but no. That was unacceptable to you.” His voice softened, and his shoulders slumped dejectedly. “You make all the rules. You say when, where, why, and how. I don’t even know how to make this work, Tober. I really don’t.”
“So this is about me turning down sex.”
Raith didn’t look angry at the comment. His eyes were so sad when he lifted his head to stare back at October that it pierced straight through his heart. “The fact that you believe that only proves this isn’t going to work. I’ll deal with Phillip, and then I’m going back to Casper.”
“So, that’s it? Things get hard, and you’re just going to run?” Why did it surprise him? Raith had a long history of running from his problems. Why should a little turbulence in their relationship be any different?
“Things didn’t get hard.” Raith shuffled over to the door, placed his hand on the knob, and sighed. “Things just never got better.”
* * * * It was easy to see by the expression on the vampire’s face and the set of his shoulders that he wasn’t happy. Raith wasn’t trying to start a fight or play the blame game. He wasn’t being childish or hormonal or whatever other names October was probably calling him inside his head.
It truly wasn’t about the brushoff he’d received in the shower. The declination had perhaps been the catalyst which allowed him to realize they just weren’t compatible, but it wasn’t the whole reason. As with everything else in his life, sex was one more thing for October to control. Passion and excitement were a little hard to come by when Raith had to make an appointment so his lover could pencil in time to be intimate.
He wasn’t looking to take over or change his mate. Though he held a general disregard for rules, he knew how to follow orders. His position as an Enforcer was important to him, and he took the job seriously. He wasn’t looking to overrule October on the professional front. Hell, he didn’t even need total power in their relationship. However, having some say in their day-to-day lives would be nice. As it was, he’d be happy to just have more control over his own life.
A quiet knock rattled against the outside of the door, and Raith plastered on a smile he didn’t feel before greeting his small guest. “Hey, little man.”
Kaito had his hands hidden behind his back, and he looked a little nervous as he gazed up at Raith. “Are you fighting?”
How long had he been standing out in the hall? Raith’s natural instinct was to lie and shelter Kaito, to say there was no fighting and everything was fine. Things were obviously not fine, and the child wasn’t stupid. Even if he hadn’t heard the yelling, he could most likely sense the tension in the room.
“Don’t worry, Kaito. We were just having an argument, but it’ll be fine. Are you finished with breakfast?”
The concern lingered in his expression as he glanced back and forth between Raith and October. “I brought your picture.” He pulled his hands out from behind his back and held up the painting to Raith.
Surprisingly, the paper was damp when Raith took it, and he noticed there had been additions made since the previous night. Under the night sky were three people, two men, and a small child. They all held hands, and the boy smiled while the two adults looked up toward the moon.
A lump formed in Raith’s throat, and he coughed roughly to mask the emotions swarming inside him. Kneeling down on one knee, he pulled Kaito to him with one arm and hugged him gently. “Thank you, little man.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful, and I love it.”
Kaito’s tiny arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug. “Don’t be sad,” he whispered in Raith’s ear. “I used to be sad.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Raith held the boy a little closer. “Are you still sad?”
“No. I like it here. There’s lots of people to play with.” He leaned away and wrinkled his nose. “But you need more toys.”
Laughing under his breath, Raith rose to his feet and mussed up Kaito’s silky hair. “Well, we’ll have to remedy that, won’t we?”
“Will we?” Kaito asked in obvious confusion. “What is remedy?”
“It means we’ll get you some new toys,” October answered with an easy smile as he sauntered over to them. “Why don’t you make a list of the toys you like?”
“I don’t know how to write.” There was a clear duh tacked on to the end of that sentence, but thankfully, the brat was too well mannered to actually say it.
“Well, I guess you’re going to need someone to help you.”
“You could do it.”
“Well, I could, but I have lots of grown
-up things to do right now. I bet Gideon would be happy to help.”
Kaito’s eyes lit up, and he bobbed his head eagerly. “Oh, yeah. Uncle Gideon is good at stuffs like that.Gotta go.” He darted back out the door, but paused in the hallway to turn and point a finger at both of them. “No more fighting. Got it?”
“Got it,” Raith and October answered in unison while they smiled at the precocious little vampire.
“Well, you heard him,” October said casually once Kaito had disappeared down the hallway. “No more fighting.” He took Raith’s hand in his own and linked their fingers together. “No more talk of leaving, either. I need you here, Raith.”
“I want to be here.” He really did want to make it work. He just didn’t know how. Raith needed to have control of his life, while October needed to control everything. It was a conflict of interests, a clash of personalities, and he had no idea how to reconcile any of it.
“So what do we do now?”
October needed to understand that the sky would not fall if he didn’t micromanage every single detail of every single moment. Hell, he’d probably be a damn sight happier and less stressed if he gave up some of his rigidly held control. “I propose a deal.”
“What kind of deal, draga?” The vampire looked worried, and he probably should be, but Raith had a plan.
“I propose that you give me complete control of our relationship for the next seventy-two hours. You can still run all the day-to-day stuff with the coven. I don’t know anything about that, and I don’t even want to try. Inside this bedroom, or whenever it’s just me and you, I call the shots.”
“For seventy-two hours?”
“That’s it, babe. You’ll get one warning when you start to get bossy, but after that, you’ll be punished for each infraction.”
“Punished?” The look on October’s face hardened, and he appearedless inclined to agree with Raith’s plan. “How exactly will you punish me?”
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