by Jayda Marx
"Are you sure you don't mind running errands with me today?" I asked Izzy as we took the elevator down to the third floor. Aside from shopping at the grocery store, I had to stop at the bank to conduct business on behalf of the corporation.
"I don't care what we do, Daddy; I just want to be with you."
I leaned down and gave my sweet boy a long, deep kiss. The elevator doors dinged and opened, but I couldn't pull away from his lips.
"Well, good morning," an amused, familiar voice greeted. Izzy yelped and jumped behind me. But then he looked around my side and saw that it was Jett who stood before us.
"Oh, hi, Jett," Izzy greeted, coming out from behind me to give my friend a wave.
I led him out of the elevator and asked Jett, "What are you up to this morning?"
"I just came down to grab some breakfast," he replied, holding up the white box in his hand.
"What's in there?" Izzy asked curiously, craning his neck forward.
"Donuts. Happy Glaze has the best donuts in the city." He thumbed over his shoulder to a storefront down the hall.
Izzy's jaw dropped. "There's a donut shop here?" Damn. I completely forgot about the donuts because I never ate them.
"If you haven't already eaten breakfast, you're welcome to share mine." Jett opened the box to display an assortment of pastries and Izzy practically drooled.
"I already ate a bowl of cereal," he replied sadly.
"Just a bowl of cereal?" Jett asked me with an arched brow. "He needs more than that; he's a growing boy." He was teasing, but technically what he said was true; now that we'd bonded, Izzy would inherit some of my higher metabolism and would need more food to fuel him and his long life. Jett shook the box and told Izzy, "Take one."
“Can I, Daddy?”
“Of course.”
“Yes!” He reached into the box but stilled his hand. “Which one is your favorite, Jett? I don’t want to eat it.”
My friend practically melted as he smiled at my sweet boy. “I like them all; take anything you want.”
“Oh wow, thank you. I’ll take...this one.” He lifted a treat covered in a thick layer of powdered sugar and dug in right away.
“So what are you up to today?” Jett asked me as Izzy chowed down.
“We’re just taking care of a few things in town today. We’re headed to the grocery store so that I can buy my growing boy lots of snacks and treats.”
“Sounds like a good time.” Jett chuckled as he looked over at Izzy; my boy had sugar from his nose to his chin, and was licking his fingers clean. "Was it good, buddy?"
"So good. Thank you." Izzy giggled when I wet my finger and scrubbed his face clean.
"We better get going, little one."
"Yes, Daddy." He gave my friend another wave. "Bye, Jett. Have a good day."
"You too, Izzy. Make sure your Daddy buys you lots of goodies." Izzy giggled again and nodded his agreement. "You're blessed," Jett whispered to me. "Enjoy every moment with him."
"Thank you, my friend. I will." He winked again and entered the elevator to take his leave.
Izzy and I took the other elevator to the bottom floor and walked hand in hand to the parking garage behind the building. When we reached my black SUV, I noticed that it was blanketed in a layer of dust, even though it was covered by the garage; I rarely drove it, instead usually leaping or running about the city.
“I think we have another stop to make this morning,” I announced as I helped Izzy up into the vehicle. “I don’t want to drive my boy around in a dirty car.”
Once I buckled him in and took my place behind the steering wheel, we made our way through the city streets. Izzy turned on the radio, tuning it to a station with lively music with a catchy beat, and bobbed along in his seat. He had a pretty smile on his face, perfectly content with the simple things in life.
“Here we are,” I said as I pulled to a stop in front of an automatic car wash. “Have you ever been to one of these before?”
“No, Daddy.” I peeled my credit card out of my wallet and paid at a machine, selecting “Ultra Wash” before pulling into the bay and placing the car in park. “Don’t we need to get out?”
“Nope; we’d miss the show.” Izzy flinched when jets sprayed water onto the back of the SUV. “It’s okay, little one; watch.”
His jaw dropped as the jets came towards the front of the vehicle and sprayed over our windows. “This is so cool! It’s giving the car a shower.” I chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around in his chair, watching the water spray over the back windshield and bumper.
“I think the next part will be your favorite.” The sprayers returned to the front of the car, but instead of releasing water, they covered it in thick multi-colored foam soap. Izzy’s face didn’t disappoint; his eyes twinkled and his lips spread into a wide grin.
“Look at all the colors!” Once again, he spun around in his seat, following the machine on its journey. “It’s like a rainbow is melting on your car; it’s so pretty.” I grinned and rubbed my hand over his back; it was a joy to see the world through his eyes.
Izzy held his breath when the foam stopped, waiting in silence for what came next. Large poles closed in on us from the sides of the room and spun quickly, slapping the car with rubber strips and spreading around the soap suds. I cocked my head when Izzy began giggling and he explained, “I’m glad you don’t give me a bath like this.”
I laughed along with him as we watched the strips beat along the metal and glass. It smeared the dirt off of the car’s surface, turning the lovely melted rainbow into a mud slick and blocking our vision all together. Izzy was a little sad when the water jets rinsed us off and the wash ended, but he thought it was funny when the car got a blow dry.
“That was awesome!” he cheered as we pulled back onto the roadway. “How often does your car get dirty, Daddy? I want to do that again.”
I laughed and placed my hand on his knee. “I’ll bring you back as often as you like.” How could I deny him something so simple that brought him so much joy? He cheered again before I told him, “I wish all of our stops were that fun, but I’m afraid this next place might be a little boring.”
Just a couple of blocks later, I parked in the lot of Homestar Bank, where I’d conducted business for decades. When we walked inside, Izzy marvelled at the high vaulted ceilings which were covered in hand painted murals depicting the history of the area. There were paintings of the first settlers, along with the development of the area and its technologies.
“This place is too pretty to be a bank,” he insisted, and I smiled and squeezed his hand before he stopped in his tracks. “Daddy, is...is that you?” He pointed upwards, to a painting of myself and a few other members of my coven. I was shaking hands with a man in a long white coat; the mural symbolized the day the blood substitute was approved for use in both vampire and human species.
“Yes, that’s me. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Wow.” He stared at the painting several long moments before shaking his head. “I didn’t know you were famous. First I find out that you’re a prince, and now this.” I wasn’t sure that famous was the right word to describe me, but I knew Izzy meant it as a compliment, so I treasured it. “I’m so proud to be with you.”
“Thank you, little one. It’s true that I’ve done much in my long life, but the thing I’m most proud of and thankful for is being your Daddy.” He captured me around the waist and gave me a fierce hug. I kissed the top of his head and suggested, “Let’s go get this over with so that we can get to the snacks.”
“That’s a very good idea.”
We made our way up to the teller, and I informed her of the transactions I needed; to deposit a check into the business account, and to move around some funds in my personal accounts.
As she worked, Izzy continued to inspect his surroundings until his eyes locked onto a basket of suckers on top of the teller stand. He slowly licked his lips in a way that was totally innocent, yet sent my blood
racing.
My boy tugged on the sleeve of my sweater, and I leaned down so that my ear was next to his mouth when he whispered, “Can I please have a sucker?” He’d already had enough sugar to last him a week, but I couldn’t deny him a damn thing.
“You’ve been waiting very patiently and politely. I think you’ve definitely earned a sucker.” He kissed my cheek and excitedly grabbed an orange lollipop, unwrapped it, and stuck it in his mouth, humming at its flavor. I pretended not to notice when he stuffed a few more into his pockets for later.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” the teller asked.
“No, that’s it for today. Thank you.”
“Thank you. Have a nice afternoon.”
Izzy gave her a wave goodbye, and I tried my best (and failed) not to smile at the way his pockets crinkled with his stolen goodies as we walked back to the car.
But a pocketful of suckers was nothing compared to the treats Izzy picked out at the grocery store. Each new aisle we went down, he found something else he wanted to try. By the time we finished, we had a cart overflowing with cookies, snack cakes, pies, and candies.
He also chose things he’d like for me to make him for meals, like macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and Spaghetti-Os. Along with my selections of fruits and vegetables, I was confident I could give him the nutrients he needed while offering plenty of treats.
I loaded our shopping bags into the trunk while Izzy danced happily in the front seat, snacking on a bag of bite size chocolate chip cookies. He hadn’t had lunch yet, but I had one last stop in mind and I didn’t want my boy to get hungry.
“Where are we going?” Izzy asked when he saw that we were heading in the opposite direction of the coven house.
“I’ve got a little surprise for you.”
He clapped and anxiously watched out the window until I pulled into the lot of a tattoo parlor which I knew had an excellent reputation for cleanliness and customer satisfaction.
Izzy gave me a confused look. “Are you getting a tattoo, Daddy?”
“I’m not against the idea, but I had something else in mind for today; it’s your decision and I’ll be happy with whatever you decide-”
“I don’t want a tattoo,” he cut in, looking terrified. "I'm afraid it will hurt."
“No, no, baby; this place also does piercings. I thought you might want to get your ear pierced again. I know you loved the way it looked, and if it would make you happy-”
He cut me off again, but this time in the form of a crushing hug when he threw himself over the console. “Really, Daddy? Oh yes, I’d love to!” When he pulled back, I saw moisture dancing in his eyes. “I know it’s silly to be emotional; it’s just an earring, but...this means a lot to me.”
“I understand.” It was part of his identity that was taken forcefully from him in the past. I wanted him to be happy with his body and the way it looked, and would do anything to give him the confidence he deserved. “Are you ready to go in?”
“Let’s do it.”
I led Izzy inside the building which looked nothing like I expected; I don’t know what I was picturing, but it wasn’t the lounge vibe of the leather sofas and modern decor. Along the far wall, a young blonde woman was standing in front of a mirror, holding her shirt up a few inches and admiring a jewel in her navel. Izzy studied her curiously for a moment before taking a timid step forward.
“Excuse me,” he said quietly, and the woman gave him her attention. “Did you just get that done?”
“Sure did,” she answered with a smile. “What do you think?”
“It’s very pretty.” I swallowed down my jealousy and anger; I knew Izzy had no interest in the woman. He was just a sweetheart who was kind to everyone. “I really like the pink gem.”
“Pink is my favorite color and it’s my birthstone, so I thought it was perfect.”
Izzy nodded his agreement before asking, “Did it hurt?”
“Not really; it was just a little pinch. Are you thinking of getting it done?”
My boy’s cheeks flushed. “I really like it, but I don’t think it would work on my belly button; it’s an outie.”
“I think an outie would be adorable with a piercing.” Just as I was about to lose my shit, the woman bumped her elbow into mine and asked, “Don’t you think your boy would look cute with a pierced belly button?”
Her declaration of Izzy being mine washed away any lingering jealousy. “I think he’d be beautiful.”
She smiled and yelled, “Hey Ross, can you come out here for a minute?” She explained to us, “Ross is my brother; he owns the shop.” She flicked the ring in her navel and added, “This was my gift from him for my eighteenth birthday. I’m Mandy, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” Izzy and I both replied. I added, "My name is Nikolai and this is Izzy."
Just then, a tall man dressed in all black came around the corner. “What’s up?”
“I was just talking to this little cutie about getting his navel pierced,” Mandy told him. “It’s an outie; can you do it?”
“Can I take a peek?” Ross asked my boy. Izzy’s cheeks turned a little darker, so I squeezed his hand in support as he raised his shirt up a little. “Sure, that won’t be a problem. I’ve got time now if you’d like.”
Izzy turned to me. “Is that okay, Daddy? Can I do both?” At the sound of my name, Mandy clasped her hands over her chest with an adoring expression and Ross smirked at his sister.
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see how pretty you’ll look.”
“Thank you!” He gave me another tight hug as I chuckled.
“Aw, I wish I could stay and see how pretty you are too, but I’ve got to get to my birthday lunch with my boyfriend,” Mandy said with a pout. “I’m already running late.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Izzy told her. “Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thanks, buddy.” She gave her brother a hug and my man a wink before she flitted out of the shop.
“Ready to do this?” Ross asked, and Izzy gave a confident nod before following him back to a closed off cubicle with a reclining leather seat inside. “I heard you say you were doing ‘both’; what else were you wanting pierced today?”
“My ear, please,” Izzy replied, tucking his hair behind the shell of his unmarred ear.
“Okay, go ahead and hop up in the chair and we’ll start with that.”
Izzy climbed into the seat and asked, “Will you hold my hand, Daddy?”
“Of course.” I locked our fingers together as Ross pulled on a pair of black gloves.
“Okay, buddy; I need to clean your lobe first. It’ll be a little cold.” I watched closely as Ross carefully wiped an alcohol swab over Izzy’s ear. “Now I’m going to make a little mark with my pen.” He used a ballpoint to draw a dot in the center of Izzy’s lobe, and then lifted a small display box filled with different colored gems on posts. “What earring would you like? It will have to stay in for about six weeks.”
“Hmm. What do you think, Daddy?”
“They’d all look nice on you,” I offered, and he beamed.
“I’d like the white one. That’s like the one I used to have.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Ross loaded the earring into a piercing gun and held it up to Izzy’s ear. “Here we go, buddy; big poke.”
A loud clicking noise sounded and Izzy squeezed my hand. The scent of his blood hit my nose and set off a series of events I wasn’t expecting; my fangs descended and a menacing growl sounded in my chest. Another man had drawn blood from my mate, and my instinct to defend and avenge was taking over.
“Sorry, Daddy; am I squeezing too hard?” Izzy asked, looking up at me with guilt in his eyes as he loosened his grip on my hand.
I managed to stop the growl, but I couldn’t fully rescind my teeth. Poor Ross looked terrified when I said, “No, little one.” I didn’t want him to worry, so I looked at the gem glistening in his ear and said, “It looks wonderful.” R
oss gave him a mirror to look in, and my boy squealed with happiness.
I’d just gotten my anger under control when Ross lay my boy back flat and marked his navel in a similar way. Izzy picked out a glass gem that reflected colors of every shade when it caught the light.
When Ross slid the bar through Izzy’s skin and his scent once again hit my nostrils, I growled again and my hand moved on its own accord to grab Ross’s shoulder. Both men looked at me with concern, and I barely managed to pull it together. I released my grip and patted him instead, saying, “You’ve made us both very happy.”
Ross gulped hard at the sight of my fangs and stuttered out, “N-no problem.”
After we received the care instructions for Izzy’s piercings (and Izzy admired his new bling in the mirror), I paid the bill and gave Ross a generous gratuity to make up for my uncontrollable behavior.
Izzy nearly bounced up and down as we left the parlor, gushing about how much he loved his piercings, and how lucky he was to have a Daddy who let him be himself and loved everything about him.
I opened my mouth to argue that I was the lucky one, but fell silent when an uncomfortable feeling skittered over me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my fangs lengthened again. My fists clenched in preparation to fight.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “But something’s not right.” My sensitive ears picked up a scream in the distance. “Someone’s in trouble and I need to help. Stay here, Izzy; stay safe for me.”
When he nodded, I sprinted down a nearby alleyway at top speed. Another growl left my chest when I saw Mandy cowering at the end of the corridor, with two huge men harassing her. Even though they were in human form, the scent in the air proved they were coyote shifters.
"Hey sexy, let's see what you had done in that shop," one of the shifters snarled, grabbing at the bottom of her shirt.
"Please leave me alone," Mandy begged, trying to pull the fabric away from him. Her shirt tore up the center, exposing her stomach and her new piercing.
"Mm, very nice. What else have you got for us to find?" He ripped her shirt upwards, revealing her bra as the other man trapped her wrists.