by Lisa Oliver
“Yes,” Annabelle said, “And your magic will work just as well in fur as it will in your human body. You’re a true half-breed and I’m really proud you’re going to be my dad. Can you do me just one little favor?” She asked as she took Seth’s hand. Seth nodded. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t make me share a bath with my brothers. They have got a mischievous streak and I’m going to be a lot smaller than them.”
“I think we can sort something out, although knowing Ra he’ll insist on being in the bath with you all.” Seth grinned at the idea and he knew he was still smiling as light poured from his body and he soared through the mist. He had the brief impression of light and space before landing with one hell of a thump.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“I can’t in all decency leave my baby girl just lying there!” Ra yelled as he paced the room. Seth’s lips were still blue, the baby girl was calm, her eyes closed and her tiny hands flat on Seth’s chest. But what kept Ra from grabbing his daughter and wrapping her up; then tending to his mate’s body because fuck that was all that was left and he was just going to have to fucking accept it; was the glow that surrounded the pair on the bed. Farriday said it was magic and not to interfere.
“They’re connected,” Farriday said, juggling the two boys in his arms. “Something’s happening. Until that glow disappears you can’t touch her or Seth.”
“Do you know that for a fact?” Ra’s pain needed an outlet and the doctor would do. “Do you have the slightest clue what’s going on, because I sure as hell don’t.”
“No, I don’t and you know it, but for fuck's sake calm down. You have two beautiful boys here waiting for your attention,” Farriday joggled his arms as Michael started to fret. “You’ve named one. I heard Seth say Michael. What did you decide for your other son?”
“You expect me to think about things like that when my mate is dead on the bed? You’re demented.” Ra tugged at his hair.
“I’m not calling Seth’s death until the glowing stops, but in the meantime, you’re a father now. You have two boys and a little girl who’ll need you to be strong. They need names, damn it!”
“Sage,” Ra said, dropping on the end of the bed, his grief warring with his pain. “Seth chose the name for our second child and he wanted to continue the S tradition of his family. For a boy, he’d be named Sage.”
“Hello Sage,” Farriday said to the youngster who was watching him with avid eyes. “Your dad’s a little busy right now. How about we get you cleaned up and see if you can take a bottle? Ra, it would help if you could give me a hand. These boys need to bond with you.”
“The guys are over at Cams. Give one of them a call. Tell them what happened. Liam will come over and help. I can’t leave here, not yet.”
Farriday must have recognized the finality in Ra’s voice because he slipped out of the room, both babies still in his arms. Ra turned back to Seth, his hands longing to touch. He wanted to yell and scream and demand his mate come back to him, but if what Farriday said was true then one touch could shatter all that was going on.
“I wish I knew what the fuck was going on,” he whispered. “Are you helping him little princess or just prolonging the inevitable?” The baby’s, no his daughter’s skin was flushed and red in comparison to the paleness of his mate’s naked body. Seth’s eyes were closed and if it wasn’t for the blue tinge on his lips and around his mouth, Ra would swear he was sleeping. He looked down at the red slash across Seth’s belly and frowned. Farriday had cut from hip to hip, a six-inch incision.
Ra leaned closer, careful not to touch the glow which was pulsing, shards of sparks flaring through it every thirty seconds. He wasn’t mistaken. The wound was closing; slowly but surely leaving nothing but the faint trace of a white scar on Seth’s now flat belly. “Seth,” he whispered. “Seth, are you in there? If you can hear me, come back to me, baby, please.” Ra’s eyes widened as the wound completely closed and the little girl suddenly flailed her arms and started to cry. A pale pink covered Seth’s chest and then he gasped, he freaking gasped and to Ra’s astonishment, his beautiful mate opened his eyes.
Seth grinned and reached out, cuddling their daughter. “Hey Annabelle, sweetheart. Was that re-entry a bit tougher than you thought?”
“You’re alive.” Okay, Ra knew that was a stupid statement, but it was the only words in his head. “You’re alive, but I saw you and you were….”
“In limbo, not dead,” Seth said, the smile still solid but tears in his eyes. “I am so sorry I left you for a bit. But please, come here and meet Annabelle. She released my magic and pulled me back. She said you were getting a bit impatient.”
“Impatient! I watched you die and there was nothing I could do,” but he crawled up the bed and settled in by Seth’s side, his finger gently tracing their daughter’s arm. “You talked to our princess out there, wherever you were?”
“Her name is Annabelle and yeah, I saw her as the beautiful woman I know she’ll grow up to be,” Seth said softly. “The boys, are they okay?”
“Michael and Sage,” Ra grinned, his first true grin in what felt like a lifetime although his eyes were a little moist too. “Farriday was going to get them cleaned and fed. I told him to call the guys. We’ll be lucky if we get a look in.”
“Then I’ve got a minute to do this,” Seth said, cupping Ra’s face. His lips were soft and warm and just as Ra remembered and while Ra knew he’d have nightmares at seeing his mate give birth, his tiger purred, reaching out to their new daughter.
“Annabelle tells me you’ve had a rough time of it lately. Not just today, but since my sperm donor visited.”
Ra twirled the curls on Annabelle’s head. She had settled and snuffling softly on Seth’s chest. “If you had to be taken from me, I wanted your last days to be happy,” he said at last. “I knew there was a risk; me, the guys and even the doc, we all tried to find a fae that would come and help with the birth. I just didn’t want to dwell on what might happen. It’s not as though we could change anything, none of us. I didn’t want you burdened with it as well.”
“Oh Ra, I’m not upset with you. Do I wish I could have shared your burden? Of course. But you gave me the best damn honeymoon a man could ask for. I’m not going to take that away from you.” Seth’s hand forced Ra to look up. “Just tell me we’re in no danger from that sperm donor of mine. You wouldn’t tell me the details. I guessed he was dead, but I was never sure. Tell me he won’t come back and be a danger to our children.”
“You are going to be a wonderfully protective father,” Ra kissed the end of Seth’s nose. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“Good,” Seth stretched his neck and wiggled his shoulders. “Now, is this where I can get demanding? I’ve just given birth you know. Died a bit and that was a freaky experience. I need fluids, food, a bath,” he looked down at his body and wrinkled his nose, “Some clothes that fit and the chance to hold my sons before the uncles spirit them away and start teaching them to ride a bike or something equally dangerous.”
“Hand me Annabelle and let me take her out to meet the guys. I’ll see if Farriday has a shower and put in an order for food at Cam’s.” Seth kissed Annabelle on her bright curls and handed her over. Now the danger was over, Ra could feel a sense of awe sweeping his body as he studied his little girl. He was thankful he was lying down because after the stress of the last hour, he wasn’t sure his legs could hold him.
“I owe you my life,” Ra whispered, covering Annabelle’s face with soft kisses. “Thank you for bringing him back.”
*****
Seth groaned a little as he rolled out of bed hearing a plaintive cry. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said softly, his eye’s half open. He stumbled into the children’s bedroom, a soft night light guiding his way. “Which one, oh, hey Liam. Did you manage to make the formula up?”
“Yeah, I think Sage is stirring. I’ve got Michael and there are two bottles on the dresser already warmed.”
“Th
anks.” Seth covered a yawn and shuffled over to Sage’s crib. Sure enough, the little guy was wide awake, his chubby arms flailing as he saw Seth. “Hey little guy,” Seth said, picking him up carefully. “At least you didn’t wake Annabelle.”
“She’ll be awake soon,” Liam grinned. “These three are so in tune with each other already, it’s amazing to watch.”
“Yeah, it is.” Seth sat on the couch next to Liam and settled Sage in his arms. Moments later all that could be heard was slurping and Liam’s soft breathing. Seth rested his head on the couch and tried to stay awake.
“I’m really glad you didn’t die,” Liam said suddenly, jerking Seth’s eyes open.
“I’m kinda glad I didn’t either,” Seth said, looking at his new friend. “I know you all knew about the possibility. It must have been rough.”
“I wanted to tell you,” Liam said, his eyes glued on Michael who was coming to the end of his bottle. “When Lucien told me, he and I argued in like the first time in forever. But Lucien said it was what Ra wanted and basically, I couldn’t go against him.”
“You know, I think you all did the right thing,” Seth said thoughtfully. “I can understand you wanting to be honest with me, and I totally appreciate that,” he added when he saw Liam’s mouth drop open. “But, if I’d known I had a death sentence hanging over me then all the excitement over having the babies, spending those precious days with Ra; I would have missed that.” Seth smiled at the kindly lion. “You’ve done an amazing job on the nursery,” he said, looking around at the colorful walls, and the soft chairs. There was a mobile above every crib, featuring animals of all kinds and someone, Seth suspected Lucien, painted a gorgeous mural on one of the walls. The large trunk in the corner was already stuffed with toys and games, ready for when the little ones started moving around on their own.
Liam blushed and shrugged. He eased the empty bottle out of Michael’s slackened mouth and gently hefted the boy onto his shoulder, the rubbing motions on Michael’s back a practiced motion. “I never had stuff like this as a kid,” he admitted. “It’s nice being around little ones again because it gives you an excuse to be a kid yourself.”
“Good, you’re on movie duty. You can take the kids to see all the new cartoons,” Seth said. Sage finished his bottle too and Seth knew he needed burping although Annabelle was starting to stir. He looked down at Sage and then across to Annabelle’s crib, wondering if he should wake Ra. The poor stressed tiger collapsed by the time they made it to bed and Seth was reluctant to wake him. He was saved by shuffling footsteps and Brutus stuck his head around the door.
“Is the Princess waking up? Oh, goody,” Brutus headed straight for the baby bed and picked up Annabelle. “Your brothers have been eating without you, you poor precious. Let Uncle Brutus take care of that for you.” Swiping the bottle from the dresser, Brutus settled in the rocker, Annabelle tiny against his massive biceps. “There you go, Princess, can’t have you missing out.”
“I didn’t know you knew anything about babies, Brute,” Liam said, keeping his voice low. Michael was almost asleep.
“I happen to love children, thank you very much, and stop calling me Brute. I don’t want the babies getting the wrong impression about me.” Brutus went back to cooing at Annabelle who seemed to be lapping up the attention.
Seth covered his laughter by shifting Sage to his shoulder. The baby settled peacefully as he rubbed his back. The quiet of the room was punctuated by murmured nonsense from Brutus and slurps from Annabelle, with the occasional burp from Michael and Sage. Ra was snoring heavily in the next room and the rest of the house was quiet.
Thank you, Seth thought to whoever would listen. Thank you for my most amazing life.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ra glared as he hurried to answer the pounding on the front door. Five days in, the babies were finally settling into a routine although Annabelle didn’t seem to need as much sleep as her brothers. Ra had just put her in her crib and was hoping to let his tiger out for a stretch. Seth promised to go with him and was in the kitchen grabbing a sandwich.
“What?” He growled as he opened the door to an older handsome fae in a suit that probably cost more than the house. “If you’re here to help, you’re too freaking late.”
“I assure you, I haven’t got a clue what you are talking about,” the man said in the same arrogant tone Ra remembered from Aeron. “I am looking for Seth Carmichael. Is he here?”
“My husband, Seth King, is currently having lunch. Who should I say is calling?” Ra could take on a fancy tone when he wanted to.
“Darnation, I do wish someone had informed me of the marriage before I got this contract drawn up,” the man said pulling a sheaf of papers out of his inner jacket pocket. “Seth King, you say, but just to confirm, he is the only fae shifter rabbit living in Arrowtown?” He asked, his hand poised over his papers.
“Yes. My fated mate.” Ra said cautiously. “Who are you and what do you want? My mate spent over twenty years living without fae interference and now you are turning up on the doorstep.”
“Seth King, there, that’s better,” the Fae said studying his papers before looking up and confronting Ra. “Right, I’m Joran Stone, Personal Assistant to President Brach of the Concordance Group. I’m here to speak to Seth King about his fae daughter.”
Ra sighed. “You’d better come in,” he said with a snarl, wondering if there was any spare space wherever Simon and Brutus buried Aeron.
Joran wiped his feet on the mat inside the door as he looked around. “Basic but it has a quaint sort of charm,” he said.
“I’m sure you didn’t come to critique the décor.” Ra led Joran into the living room. “Please take a seat. I’ll let my mate know you’re here.”
He hurried into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Seth was at the table with Lucien and Simon. “Good, you’re here,” he said to Simon. “We’ve got another fucking fae in the living room looking for Seth. Claim’s he’s Brach’s PA.”
“I’ll get the cuffs,” Simon hissed. “Try not to attack him before I get them. Remember what that other bastard said about the sparks.”
“You can’t just go killing someone because they’re fae. Let’s at least hear him out first,” Seth said quickly, standing and abandoning his sandwich. “Lucien please ask Liam and whoever else is around to guard the babies. You,” he said pointing at Ra. “Come with me and let’s see what this one wants.”
Ra followed Seth into the living room, his tiger on full alert. Seth didn’t seem too concerned, greeting Joran and taking a seat opposite him. “My mate tells me you have papers for me from the Concordance Group, can you explain what that’s about, please?”
“Certainly, Mr. King,” Joran said, nodding his head. “You probably haven’t heard but President Brach recently received news his only son met a violent end.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Seth said, “but I know nothing about that.” His straight face had Ra glad he’d never shared the details of Aeron’s demise. “I only met my father once and it wasn’t a pleasant encounter.”
“President Brach has had so much trouble with that boy. You just can’t imagine,” Joran shook his head and then seemed to remember where he was. “Anyhow, as his son is now deceased and you’re half shifter, President Brach instructed me to bring you papers outlining plans for your daughter, Amanda, is it?”
“Annabelle,” Ra growled.
“Damn Seers can’t get anything right,” Joran muttered as he waved his hand over the papers again. “Right. So, Annabelle, as the President’s only living relative….”
“Annabelle is one of triplets,” Seth said angrily. “That means President Brach has a grandson he refuses to acknowledge and three great-grandchildren.”
“But only the fully fae ones count,” Joran said, looking at his papers as though they held all the answers. “I can assure you these papers only relate to Annabelle. If you’re seeking financial assistance for the other two….”
&nb
sp; “Excuse me,” Seth stood up and Ra’s tiger bristled. “I don’t recall asking for financial assistance from my grandfather or anyone else. I was legally adopted by the Carmichaels; I have been claimed. My husband and I are now legally married. Why on earth would I accept financial assistance from a man who doesn’t acknowledge me?”
“This is all for Annabelle’s benefit,” Joran said, waving his papers. “As the heir to such a huge fortune, she’ll need to go to the right schools, get the proper training. These papers provide for a nanny and include her enrollment at a very exclusive private boarding school. The President has put a lot of time into this. He’s even sent profiles of three possible marriage partners as clearly we’ll want her betrothed to one of the best fae families as soon as possible.”
“Give me those papers,” Seth said firmly holding out his hand. Taking them, he flicked through them quickly. From the bits Ra could see, Brach planned out every move Annabelle would make from now until she reached maturity. The schools he wanted Annabelle to attend, her after school activities, which social events she was to be made available for and yep, even her betrothal. No wonder Aeron turned out to be such a troubled idiot.
“You’ll excuse me if I want to show these to my lawyer first, won’t you?” Seth said, his face still giving nothing away.
“Well, I was hoping to be back before nightfall, will it take long?”
“Not at all. Simon,” Seth yelled.
Simon strode in, his face like thunder, cuffs hanging from the belt loops of his jeans. Ignoring Joran, whose eyes widened, Simon planted himself in front of Seth. “What do you need?”
“A lawyer,” Seth handed Simon the papers. “Check these over and let me know if they are valid and applicable in this town, would you?”
“This man’s a lawyer? Surely, not,” Joran protested. “I can call the office, find someone we deal with who’d be more suitable.”
“Why? Because they wear a suit, sparkle and listen to whatever Brach tells you? Lawyers are meant to be independent and work for their client’s interests. Seth and I trust Simon,” Ra growled. Joran shut up, eyeing Simon cautiously.