He ran a hand back and forth across my stomach. “Actions always speak louder, they say.”
“Well, Sinc and Liam are going to be showing up soon and you haven't fed, so go ahead and call a donor. I’m fine." He kissed me and rose from the couch in the fluid way that only vampires could manage.
“Liam’s here. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” He flashed to the front yard to speak to Liam and then I heard the front door open and close. Three minutes later Liam was on the balcony sitting next to me.
“I put my things in the large room. Are you sure you don’t need it for Sinc?”
“She’ll stay in my room on the first floor so she doesn’t have the stairs to deal with.”
“Thank you. The hotel was fine but it was also boring and sterile.”
“Well, you keep us pretty sterile, but boring is not a word anyone would use to describe this crazy household.”
“I’m happy here with all of you, but I want to experience something closer to human.”
“I understand. Look down there at Sasha training Flynn. He’s having so much fun torturing the poor kid. I remember what he put me through the first time.”
“So that’s the young lion? Why is he here?”
“I invited him for a few days.”
Liam laughed at me. “You pick up strays like you’re already a mother. I haven’t eaten. Are you hungry?”
“I had a burger and Flynn had three, but I bet that he'll be your best friend if you cook. I’m always hungry these days and Sinc and Kyle might be hungry when they get here. But you should relax. You're off duty.”
“I like to cook. Let me make myself useful. Do you need anything?”
“I’ll come down and keep you company.”
I sat on a chair at the kitchen table sipping a caffeine free coke chatting about our hunt for a house tomorrow as Liam started dinner. Flynn came in half an hour later looking exhausted but not unhappy.
“Man that guy is in amazing shape. He doesn’t get tired. I learned a lot, but jeez I’m sore everywhere.”
“You’ll feel it even more tomorrow.”
Sasha had slipped downstairs to put away the wooden staffs and was back before Flynn had stopped talking. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that vamp speed shit, though.”
Heinrich and Will had followed Sasha upstairs. Heinrich, always interested in a little fun, walked right up to Flynn. They looked each other over, eye to eye. It was a little disconcerting having two giants in the kitchen. They seemed to take up twice as much room as the rest of us.
“So you’re a vamp too?” Flynn asked.
“Heinrich,” he nodded.
“Why aren’t you the second? You’re much bigger and tougher looking than Goldi—Sasha.”
Heinrich grinned at his nestmate who answered with a smile that sometimes made the hairs on my arms stand up. “Sash is over a hundred, but even if he was sixty like me, in a real fight, he’d take off my head in about a minute tops. That’s after he pulled out my heart and shoved it down my throat. It would only take him about five seconds to do the same thing to you. That’s why he’s Garrett’s second.”
“And Garrett’s even stronger than that?” Flynn's eyes had grown wider.
We nodded as Rick explained "Yeah, 'cause he can pull up magic like Jackie."
Flynn smiled broadly. “Well, shit. I definitely want to join this team.”
I looked at Sasha, wondering what he thought about Flynn's chances. “He’s not afraid of pain and he learns quickly so there’s a slight chance he might be good enough if he works his ass off.”
Flynn looked annoyed. “Yeah, well what about him?” He pointed at Will. “He doesn’t look like a fighter.”
Sash glared at him. “The team isn’t all about fighting, Simba. Can you hack a top security system? Can you interpret or write code? Do you know how to analyze forensic data?”
“No. Sorry, man. I'm definitely no Einstein.” He looked apologetically toward William who walked over and held out his hand. "I’m William, also a vampire, but not a fighter.”
“And who’s he?” He pointed at Liam who was wearing an apron and dishing out food. “The cook?”
The laughter was louder this time. I answered, “Liam is a fae warrior, the son of a fae Elder, and a very good friend who helps our team out when he can.
“He’s a fairy?”
“A Fae. You’re thinking along the lines of Tinkerbell and Liam is more of an Elrond. During that minute that Sasha was stuffing Rick's heart down his throat, Liam would have killed at least three Heinrichs.”
Liam looked Heinrich over. “Six.” Rick snorted derisively while Flynn looked at Liam with a lot more respect.
“I guess the fae are the shit, huh?”
Sasha scowled. “The males like to think so," then he grinned again, "but the females definitely are.”
The doorbell rang and Will went to open the door with me following close behind. I gave Sinc and Kyle a huge hug when I met them in the foyer. “Will, take Sinc’s bags into my room. She’s staying there. Liam cooked something, so why don’t you guys come in to eat with us.”
“Sure.” Sinc smiled but stopped Kyle from picking her up. “I can lean on Jackie and hop. I need to build up the strength in my supporting leg.”
"No prob. You need to stop eating those desserts, anyway." She grinned and shoved him good naturedly while he pretended to be hurt. I hoped that the camaraderie between them lasted.
When we got into the kitchen the room had grown quiet. She twisted her mouth into a scowl. “This is the one time you’re getting away with the awkward silence bit. I’ll have to be hopping around for awhile and I expect you to treat me the same as before. If you don’t, I’ll use my one remaining foot to kick your asses.” She saw Flynn for the first time. “Are you the new lion?” she smiled.
Flynn was pretty much speechless since Sinc was lovely, even in her weakened, just-got-out-of-the-hospital state. He managed to croak out his name and then said, “But I’ll be anyone you want me to be.”
Sinc beamed at the compliment while the vampires continued to chuckle. Will and Rick left to feed and the rest of us sat down to eat with Sasha enjoying a cabernet from the cellar. It was probably an expensive vintage, but Garrett had plenty more to choose from.
“Are you on the team too?” Flynn checked out Kyle dubiously. Kyle was 5’9” and slender, hiding his strength beneath the lean muscles of a martial artist.
“Yeah, I’m a leopard. Kyle.”
“I guess you’re not a fighter either.”
Sasha turned to Kyle, “Maybe you’d like to take over tomorrow’s training session, Kyle? I’m sure Flynn would enjoy learning how to survive multiple roundhouse kicks to the head. Of course he’ll be eating dirt most of the hour, but then he says he’s always hungry.”
“You’re the martial arts guy?” Kyle nodded and grinned, enjoying the joke at Flynn’s expense. “I keep saying the wrong thing, sorry.”
Kyle laughed and Sinc spoke up, “Kyle is a master at saying the wrong thing. You two should hit it off just great.”
Garrett suddenly appeared in the kitchen and Flynn nearly choked on his piece of garlic bread. Sasha patted his back. “We take some getting used to, kid.”
“No shit.”
When dinner was finished, Sinc and I hung out on the front porch and watched the vamps, Liam, Kyle and Flynn shoot hoops. Heinrich and Flynn had the reach and the height, but Kyle could jump like a gazelle and Garrett and Sasha were unbelievably fast, even without the vamp speed. Liam was the biggest surprise because he kept making the three pointers. His accuracy was unbeatable, although a little fae magic could have been involved. Will decided to sit out the game and spent his time on the phone with Bridgett. It’s good to know your limits.
Sinc sighed contentedly. “Thanks for taking me in, Jackie. This is great.”
“As you see, I’ve become a collector. Liam thinks it’s my mothering instincts coming into play.”
“They do flock to
you. You reach people in a way others can’t.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Well, let's see. Liam never connected to anyone but Garrett, even though we’d known him for ten years. Kyle opened up to you about his sister, Ethan says you practically saved him with your friendship, and now look at Flynn. Even Garrett’s nest has taken to you. They’d give their lives to protect you, especially Sasha.”
“It’s a nice theory. But, except for Flynn, it’s Garrett they’re loyal to. I’m just his mate.”
“Not true. And what about Garrett? He never mated in over two hundred years even though plenty of women tried to get him interested. Explain that away.”
I noticed that the ball had stopped bouncing and the raucous chatter had quieted over on the court. The boys were all smiling at me. “Stupid vampire, shifter and fae hearing,” I grumbled, smiling back at my friends and my mate. On cue they bowed like medieval courtiers and then went back to their game. Flynn looked confused while Sinc and I giggled.
Later when I was in bed and Garrett was kissing my neck and moving down toward my shoulder, he said, “Sinc is right about them loving you. You’ve won their hearts.”
“Sasha keeps calling me Mistress. I can't get him to stop.”
“He says it out of respect. He only called Eleanor Mistress when she tortured him. It took her three days to finally make him say it.
I looked him over and flattened my mouth, tapping my finger along my jaw. “Hmmm. So plenty of women tried to get you interested, huh?”
He shook his head. “And I thought the whole point of that sentence was that I’d never mated until you came along to enchant and entice me.”
He moved his kisses lower as his hand brushed over my body in a way that had me turning to jelly and completely losing my train of thought.”I seem to recall several occasions where you were doing the enticing.”
“Like now?”
“Umm humm.” I sighed, closed my eyes and smiled. “I believe that I’m totally ready to be worshipped.”
Garrett laughed, leaned over, lifted my tee shirt and kissed my naval, one of his favorite spots, now that Charlie had joined us. “As my Lady commands.” The next hours were spent in a wash of shared sensory delights, whispered affectionate words and huddled plans for the future, When I eventually slept in his arms I was very much at peace with my ever changing life.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I called Aaron the next day and told him about the baby and our decision to keep it.
“Are the fae pressuring you?” I reassured him that it was our decision and that we weren’t being coerced. “Uncle Charles would have been very happy. Garrett is a lot like him, personality wise. He was quiet and intelligent, but there was never any doubt about how much he loved his family, especially Garrett’s mom. She was full of life energy and loved music. He looks like her when he smiles. He smiles a lot more these days, thanks to you.”
"You have that same smile. You two could be brothers. What happened to your parents, Aaron?”
“They were traveling back to Ireland for a visit with her relatives and their ship sank. It was 1932.”
“I’m sorry."
"It was a long time ago and they were lucky compared to Garrett's clan.
"How’s Gabriel doing?”
“Gabriel is alive, but limping from all of the beatings he’s taken during training with Franklin. He doesn’t complain, even when I make him muck out the stables. We have a pack meeting tonight, so he’ll be meeting a good portion of my original pack. He’ll also have a chance to meet some of the unmated females."
“So you think there’s a chance that he can make a life for himself?”
“Yes, a good chance.”
“I still want him punished for what happened to Sinc.”
“If you saw what he goes through with Franklin, you might feel better. He’s broken a few ribs and one of his arms, but he heals quickly. He wasn't properly trained in pack law, but I've observed that he's bright and eager to learn.” Aaron hesitated. “I was going to call you later today. The trials will begin Friday night at nine. I’d like you and Sinc and Kaera to testify.”
“Sinc and I will be there. I'll have Liam tell Kaera's family.”
“You’ll stay overnight at my house. Cathy will love talking to you about dealing with an infant.”
“That would be really helpful. Why didn't you adopt children before now?"
"My first mate, Jeannie, died ten years ago in a car accident. She never wanted kids and I never pushed her. We were happy the way things were. I met Cathy five years ago. We've only been mates for three years."
"I can't wait to meet little Sammy."
“He's a handful. Gabriel’s asked me if he could call Sinc.”
“That’s up to her. She's staying with me. I’ll have her call you later, okay?”
“Sure. We’ll have to get together more often once the baby comes. Our boys can grow up together like Garrett and I did. You take care of yourself, Jackie. Don’t go getting into trouble like you always do.”
I laughed. “I’ll do my best. See you Friday.” We said goodbye and ended the call.
Sinc hobbled into the kitchen using a cane. I got her some coffee, scrambled eggs, sausages and toast and sat down to join her. Liam had left the food warming in the oven and was somewhere straightening up the house using his spooky fae magic.
“I spoke to Aaron. The trials begin on Friday. Do you feel up to going?”
“Yes, I want to be there.”
“Gabriel wants to know if he can call you.”
She watched me as she chewed her eggs and swallowed. “What does Aaron say about how he’s doing?” I told her exactly what Aaron had told me. She kept watching my face. “And how would you feel if I said I’d like him to call me?”
I looked down at my plate and started buttering a slice of toast, trying to avoid her scrutiny. “You’re the one who lost her foot. If you want to talk to him, then you should.”
She could tell I wasn’t happy. “I’ll tell him no. I don’t know what I was thinking. He would have let all of you die.”
“He told us he thought his mom was going to be killed…”
“Garrett would have died too, if he hadn’t kept his nest at home.”
I put my toast down and looked her in the eye, trying to understand. “Just tell me why you want to talk to him.”
She looked out the window and sighed. “He’s all I have left of my childhood. The good parts.”
“You still have your parents.”
“I spoke to Aaron two days ago. He thinks Jake will be executed.”
“And your mom?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Aaron will take her in.”
“You have a house, Sinc. A house she paid for.”
“She should be with a pack.”
“Or her daughter.” I understood what it was to grow up without a mother.
“Jackie, she chose the pack over me.” Sinc was angry, but I'd chosen to play devil’s advocate because I didn’t want her to lose out on a chance to reconcile with her mom.
I thought again about Adele. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Bridgett about her. I tried once more to persuade my friend to reconsider. “You might want to try to talk to her without Jake around. She still loves you.” Sinc shrugged, trying to act as if she didn't care, but I knew by her expression that she’d at least think about it. That's all I could ask.
“Ethan’s coming over in an hour. He’s driving me to the doctor. What are you up to today?”
“I’m going house hunting with Liam.”
Liam and I set out with excited expectations and we weren't disappointed. The third house we saw was perfect. It was only a few miles away from ours with a beautiful view of the coastline, a large garden in fairly good shape and a large, modern kitchen. The owner had no problem accepting a down payment right then and there, especially since Liam was paying cash.
"Faerie warriors get paid pretty well, I see."
"Livin
g fifteen hundred years has it's benefits. Investments eventually pay off."
"You could just glamour her into giving you the house." I shrugged and tried to keep a straight face.
He looked at me in shock. "Jacqueline, you can't honestly think I would steal..."
"You're so easy to tease." I gave him a playful shove.
He tilted his head and smiled. "I have a long memory. Be prepared for payback."
I’d taken lots of pictures, so after Sinc looked them over, the three of us talked well into the evening about where to buy furniture, how to decorate, etc… Liam was so happy, making the most of connecting to his inner human. According to Liam, Kellaine would be joining him at the house whenever she could get away from her duties in Faerie, and was also looking forward to helping decorate.
The vampires piped in with some ideas, including a huge flat-screen TV and a pool table. Ethan and Kyle told me over the phone that Liam should get an industrial sized barbeque and put up a basketball hoop in the long driveway. I promised I'd relay the message when I saw him the next morning. Whether Liam planned on it or not, some evenings the team would be stopping by to hang out with their fae buddy. Even Charlie got in on the plans, squirming around in my belly, reminding me that it might be wise to leave some extra diapers with Liam.
Later that night, we took Flynn hunting for the first time. I didn’t shift because of the baby, but I came along to watch and follow them through the lines. I’d asked both Lord Argon and Lord Caelen about the advisability of me traveling through ley line magic while pregnant, but they’d agreed that since the baby was half fae, it wouldn’t present a problem.
It took Flynn awhile to feel comfortable enough around us to let his lion loose. What a lion he was! His magnificent mane crowned an enormous head with amber eyes and a dangerous mouth full of sharp teeth. His powerful body towered over the rest of the felines as they greeted each other with the usual sniffing of faces.
Flynn was being cautious with the others, conscious of the difference in his size and maybe afraid to hurt anyone. Kyle got him into a more playful mood with a cuff of his spotted paw and a nip at his ear. Flynn whacked him upside the head and he went flying a few feet across the clearing, ending up sprawled in the dirt. He bounced up and had Flynn chasing him a minute later. Soon they were flicking their tails and pouncing playfully like enormous kittens, Ethan's cougar joining the fun.
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