As we sat down at the table, Leila had poured me a cup of coffee and had it setting on the table for me. Then, she placed homemade pancakes and a bottle of syrup on the table, and a Sippy cup with blood in it for Jase. She handed it to him and he started drinking it down immediately. A moment later, Leila joined us and we had our first family breakfast in our own home.
“That was delicious,” I said, pushing myself back from the table. “And it looks as if someone else enjoyed it, too.”
Jase had made a mess of his pancakes and was wearing most of them, but it was obvious that he had enjoyed it immensely. “Good!” he said, as if right on cue.
Leila laughed as she reached for him. “You go ahead and do what you have to do. Jase and I are going to clean up.”
I stopped her. “No; Angela and your beauty squad will be here shortly.” I took Jase out of his highchair. While we were away, Angela had taken it up
Everyone laughed as they waved their goodbyes at the door. “I’m so lucky to have such good people,” I said as I closed the door.Leila laughed. “You mean, we are lucky.”“I stand corrected.” Suddenly, Jase started cooing from the bedroom. He rarely cried. “I’ll get him, but I have something that I want to show you.”I headed toward the bedroom to get Jase and heard Leila laugh from the kitchen. As I walked into the bedroom, standing in his crib was Jase. “Hey, little man. Want to see something special?”He cooed excitedly and clapped his hands as I lifted him from the crib.“And what, pray tell, is that?” Leila asked from behind me.I laughed as I dressed Jase. “You are worse than a child at Christmas, are you not?”She snuggled to my shoulder. “Hum … I like it when you talk ‘knight’ to me.”I laughed.
Everyone laughed as they waved their goodbyes at the door. “I’m so lucky to have such good people,” I said as I closed the door.Leila laughed. “You mean, we are lucky.”“I stand corrected.” Suddenly, Jase started cooing from the bedroom. He rarely cried. “I’ll get him, but I have something that I want to show you.”I headed toward the bedroom to get Jase and heard Leila laugh from the kitchen. As I walked into the bedroom, standing in his crib was Jase. “Hey, little man. Want to see something special?”He cooed excitedly and clapped his hands as I lifted him from the crib.“And what, pray tell, is that?” Leila asked from behind me.I laughed as I dressed Jase. “You are worse than a child at Christmas, are you not?”She snuggled to my shoulder. “Hum … I like it when you talk ‘knight’ to me.”I laughed.
Leila nodded, understanding. “You still want to become human again, don’t you?”“Yes,” I said. “Then, after I’m human, we can disappear and live a human life with our children.”Leila smiled. “Well, semi-human,” she said, thinking of the blood that Jase and Sirena would need to survive.I shrugged. “Amy is a dhampir and she lives a human life.”“As much as she can,” Leila corrected, remembering her involvement in the Werewolf-Vampire War. She was on our side, thank goodness. I cringed at the memory. Because of her, I was able to find Leila in time, and Amy had stayed with her until I could find her. I quickly pushed the thought aside. “When would you like to interview the nannies?”“I thought we could do that this afternoon, but do not make any plans for tonight,” I said, rubbing Jase’s back absently. He had fallen asleep on my shoulder
When I walked back in, Leila was sitting on the couch, sipping her blood, and in dire need of a nap. “I phoned Amy while you were out,” she said. “She can see me tomorrow.” Then, she thought for a moment. “When are you going back to work?”I picked up my long-stemmed glass filled with blood, sat down beside her, and took a sip. “Not until you and Jase are settled.” I slid my arm around her and looked into her eyes. “I want to make sure that you’re safe first.”“But what about your business at the hospital with Drake?” she asked as she took another sip of blood.I shrugged. “He can handle everything while I’m gone. He’s keeping the deliveries coming here from the hospital. I’ll go in soon to finalize what I need to when I can.”Leila took a deep breath. “Lance, you don’t have to do that.”“Shush,” I said, placing
I smiled. “Keep that up and we’ll be eating in tonight.”She raised an eyebrow seductively. “Sounds good.”I rolled my eyes. “You, my wife, know all the right strings to pull with me, do you not?”She laughed. “Only when it counts.”I smiled, shaking my head. “Whether you know it or not, you, my dear, have the power to make me or to destroy me. You know that, don’t you?”She shook her head and placed a hand gently on the side of my face. “You have the same power over me, as well.” Then, she looked deeply into my eyes. “But I would never hurt you.”“Nor I, you,” I replied, as my lips brushed across hers. She parted her lips, allowing me entrance, as our tongues danced and explored, until our breathing quickened. Then, I scooped her into my arms and looked into her eyes. “We have time for a quickie.”She laughed. &ldqu
He quickly squirmed out of my arms and ran off to play, squealing with delight when he saw the toys. He walked right over to the horse and looked up at me. “Ride?”“Of course,” I said as I placed him atop the antique, wooden horse. “But be careful.”He nodded. “I will.”“Did he just answer you?” Leila asked as she entered the room, dressed in a baby doll beige dress, loose fitting at the waist, but short, showing off her splendid long, shapely legs.I nodded. “He said a full sentence, too.”We talked a bit back and forth about Jase when she said, “Well, if you don’t want to be late for dinner, then you need to get ready.” She looked down at Jase and smiled, and then sat down on a nearby club chair. “I’m here. Go get ready.”One corner of my mouth curled into a smile. “Getting bossy now, are we?”She laughed as she ra
“Leila, you remember Xander Reed and Elias Samuelson, of course,” I said, indicating the two gentlemen as everyone went on with their own conversations, while Aaron told jokes.Xander and Elias both nodded. “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Xander said.“The pleasure is mine,” Leila returned. Then, she turned to Elias. He had light brown hair and looked a lot like a younger version of his father. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Elias.”He forced a tight smile and gave her a sharp nod. “The pleasure is mine.”Xander shot him a warning look, and he quickly recovered. The blonde young lady between them appeared to be no more than twenty-five, and it looked as if she was there with them both. It was common for werewolves to share, but it was rare between Alphas. Xander gave her a warm smile and turned to me. “This is Kalyssa Carran. She’s a new member of our Pack.”
As if on cue, Aaron Murdock told a joke and the table roared in laughter. Even though he was an old Vaudeville comedian, he didn’t look a day over twenty-five. His career was short lived when his fans began to notice that he wasn’t aging. We had to literally force him to “retire”, faking his death and bringing him into hiding. It would be safe for him to go out into public now, so many years later, but I guessed that he was so used to being in the castle and he found no reason to leave. Around a crowd, he didn’t know when to quit entertaining.I smiled to myself and handed Jase to Leila. He immediately laid his head on her shoulder, and I knew that we would have to leave soon. I wasn’t sure how much more he could take. Then, I stood and tapped my fork against my glass. It pinged loudly, ringing throughout the dining hall, getting everyone’s attention. A moment later, it was quiet and all eyes were on me.I raised my glass. &ldq