I had taken a cab from the airport to the industrial area of Chicago and got out two blocks from the Elder’s headquarters and walked the rest of the way. I saw Andre standing outside and we shook hands before I headed inside.“Sire Ryder, thank you for joining us on such short notice,” Elder Michael greeted me.We were in the same room where I had met them the first time before merging with Abeloth. Lucas was there as well as another man that I didn’t know. He didn’t seem pleased to be there and I now I was really stumped.“This better be good Elder Michael, I was in Mexico following up on leads with regards to Megan’s death,” I said and he gave me a small smile.“Ryder,” Lucas said as he joined us and Elder Michael left us alone.“Dad.”“Is Kurt also in Mexico?” he asked me.“How would I know?”“Don’t fucking lie to me Ryder,” he said with irritation.“He was.”“Where is he now?” Lucas asked me.“Dead. He killed himself and now I’m back to square one with no leads on Megan,” I said a
“You’re back!” Emily said when I opened the front door and caught her coming down the hall with a bowl of popcorn.“Is that Ryder?” Link yelled from the living room.“Hey Ems,” I said and kissed her cheek as we hugged trying not to spill the popcorn.“Who’s this?” Emily asked as Link joined her. Ava stood slightly behind me, a nervous smile on her face.“This is Ava, that’s Emily, my cousin, and Link, my second,” I said.“Nice to meet you,” Ava said as both of them stared at her.“Come on,” I said to Ava and headed upstairs with the first two suitcases.I stopped on the second floor and led Ava to the guest room. I placed her suitcases in front of the dressing room and switched the bathroom light on for her.“For the time being this will be your room until we’ve figured everything out,” I said as she looked around the room.“You mean until you have proof that you’re the father,” she said.“I don’t mean it like that,” I said feeling awkward just standing there.“Thank you,” she said no
Ava was now ten weeks pregnant and we were patiently waiting for the results of the paternity test. People were speculating about her; she was living in my house after all. We ate together in the dining room and that was about the total amount of time we spent together.I had put a stop to Linda training her until we knew the paternity of the baby. I hadn’t spoken to Rylee yet and neither Lucas nor Chase could tell me anything. She hadn’t reacted when Lucas had told her about Ava and that scared me.“Grey,” I answered my ringing phone.“Sire Ryder, I have received the results of the paternity test,” Peter said.“And?”“Congratulations Sire,” he said and I closed my eyes.I ended the call without saying anything else and just sat there with my hands in my hair. It was official, I was going to be a father and now I had to do the right thing. I looked at my phone and called the Elders’ headquarters.“Elder Michael speaking.”“Good afternoon Elder, it’s Ryder,” I said.“Sire Ryder, how ca
“Look what the cat dragged in!” he said loudly as he walked towards me.“Yeah and I’m still better looking than you,” I said as we hugged.“And who’s this?” Chase asked as Ava stared at him. I hadn’t told her that we were identical.“This is Ava, this is Chase, my brother,” I introduced them.“Mom’s ready to castrate you,” he said as he shook hands with Ava.“At least I’m already pregnant,” Ava said and Chase started laughing.“She’ll fit right in,” he said as he placed his arm around my shoulder and his other arm around Ava. “I always love it when you’re the culprit.”“Aww is Melissa mad at you again, not getting any?” I asked him.“Piss off little brother,” he said and smiled.Melissa walked inside with Lucas and Rylee and Ava suddenly gripped my hand. Rylee didn’t look at me and I made the introductions as everyone stood around awkwardly. “We’re set up outside,” I said and led the way to where Chase had already downed a beer.“So how did you two meet?” Rylee asked.“We met Mom, end
I picked up my phone and dialed the Elder’s number. It rang and rang and then disconnected. I dialed their number again and tapped my pen against the daily planner in front of me. I was only patient when hunting and I almost ended the call.“Elder Victor speaking,” he finally answered his phone.“Elder, we have a problem,” I said. “It’s Ryder by the way.”“What problem might that be Sire Ryder?” he asked me.“I can’t go through with this bonding ceremony,” I said.“Sire Ryder, all the facts have been established …”“I’m not fucking doing this!” I said angrily.“Sire Ryder, let me get this straight, you’re refusing to bond with Miss Ava?” he asked me.“Yes.”“Why?”“Because it’s not real,” I said to him.“Sire, I understand. The bond will appear after the ceremony as it does with chosen mates, the girl is pregnant with your heir, you cannot claim him or her otherwise,” he said gently.“What are my options here?”“We will have to convene with both families present and see if another agr
Felix was in the fourth cell, strapped to the bed, a bucket in the corner, the bare mattrass was stained with his blood and sweat. He was alone and I quickly popped the vent covering off and dropped down to the floor.“Felix,” I whispered as I held his head in my hands.I pulled out the knife that was strapped to my ankle and flicked it open. I cut the bonds on his arms and legs and then I cut my wrist open and held it against Felix’s mouth. It was exactly five seconds later when his hands gripped my arm and he started drinking greedily.The colour returned to his face and I could feel his grip tighten as he regained his strength. I pried my wrist away from his mouth and his lips were stained red with my blood. The wound healed and Felix opened his eyes.“Took your bloody time brother,” he murmured as he wiped his mouth.“I came as soon as I got your message,” I said and put the knife back in its holster.“I’ve been sending you messages for months fearing that you were dead,” he said
“Felix!” Elio yelled as the front door slammed open.We missed part of their reunion because Felix had zipped inside and they were hugging, laughing and crying by the time we joined them at the front door. Marlo stood to one side, looking like herself, a small bump on her stomach visible under her shirt.“Ryder,” Elio said emotionally as he grabbed me in a hug as well.“I know,” I said.“Marlo,” Felix said as he gently hugged her.“We missed you so much,” she cried.“Trust me not as much as I missed you all,” Felix said.“I think it’s time you two moved to Springfield,” Basil said to Elio.“Why?” Felix asked.“My coven’s there, we can all be together,” Basil said.“I’m going home with Ryder,” Felix said.“We still have work to do,” I said.“And that’s why we make such a great team,” Felix said determinedly.“We’ll come with you,” Basil said.“No Basil, you’ve got a coven to care for. Elio needs to be with Marlo. This is something that Ryder and I have to do, this is much bigger than j
“Gentlemen, I must say I’m surprised that you’re all here,” I said.“Sire Ryder, you did claim that there will be no bonding session between yourself and Miss Ava,” Elder Cliff said.“Which is total bullshit,” Anthony said.“Ryder’s right, there can be no bonding session,” Felix said.I had told him everything that had happened, he was my brother after all and we used to share everything. Even Abeloth was calmer and his bloodlust wasn’t as active since we’d found Felix.“Who the hell is he? This is a private matter,” Anthony said.“This is Felix Sherwood,” I introduced him.“That still doesn’t explain his presence,” Anthony said rudely.“I studied supernatural law,” Felix said and sat down on a chair making himself comfortable.“As I was saying, the bonding can’t proceed because Ava’s human, a fact you omitted from the Elders,” I said to Anthony.“Is this true?” Elder Victor asked him.“What does that matter? He impregnated her, she’s carrying his heir,” Anthony said.“This isn’t real
The door of my bedroom opened after two knocks and a young girl with a shy smile peeked inside the room. She looked down when I turned around where I’d been standing in front of the windows and she reminded me of Ally, innocent, with an aura of hidden magic.“There are clothes of your size in the cupboard Sir. Mr. Reese has asked that you freshen up and he will escort you to meet with the King in half an hour,” she said with her head still lowered.“Thank you, I’ll be ready,” I said and she smiled again and closed the door.The suit in the cupboard fit me perfectly and I looked at myself in the mirror. Abeloth was strangely quiet, he wanted us to fight our way out, die a warrior’s death if it came to that. It was the first time in our lives that we disagreed about something so important.“We can take them,” he had hissed on the plane.“No more bloodshed Abeloth,” I said and blocked him off.Another knock came at the door and Mr Reese, I presumed, opened the door and nodded. I followed
We had left Aurora two days later and driven back to Hartwell. We arrived late at night but Mary-Joe had cooked for us and she and Simon had waited up. Their were hugs and some tears, especially from Mary-Joe and Nova, as we stepped back into our house.“It’s good to be back,” I said as Simon and I shook hands.“It’s been too long Mr Ryder,” Simon said.“We’re not leaving again any time soon,” Nova said.After a very late dinner we all retreated to our bedrooms and I knew that nobody would be up early the next day. The air smelled different in Georgia and I felt a sense of calm when I drove into Hartwell. We were home.I was up early the next morning, my internal clock always woke me up before five am. It was summer holidays and I left the house at seven am after a jog and a shower. I was going to surprise everyone with breakfast from the bakery. A little family celebration that was well deserved.I also planned on talking to the boys about their future during this breakfast. They’d b
“Morning,” I said to Nova as I walked into the kitchen two days later.“You okay? You’re usually up a lot earlier,” she said with a smile as I kissed her cheek.“Late night,” I said and sat down as she started making more coffee.“Have you talked to Luca?” she asked me.“He’ll be here at lunch time,” I said and she smiled even more. “Might take a few days to hand everything over.”“We’re finally going home,” she said with a dreamy look in her eyes.“Listen …” I stopped talking as Nova gasped and I stood up as I saw her put down the newspaper on the counter, her hands shaking.“He’s dead, I can’t believe it,” she said almost breathlessly.“Who’s dead?” I asked her and grabbed the newspaper.“International French businessman, Marshall Covington, found dead in his room in Illinois.”I scanned through the article and it described how they found his body in his bed and his head in a nearby dumpster. Police had no leads, there had been no forced entry into his room, no fingerprints and no d
Nova and I sat in the audience as Wynter and Milo graduated from high school. They would turn eighteen in a few months and we couldn’t be prouder. They had both grown up tremendously in the past two years.They might as well have been twins even though they didn’t really look alike. Milo had Ava’s brown eyes, Felix’s dark brown hair and he wasn’t really pale like Basil and Elio were but lightly tanned from being outside so much.Wynter’s hair was a shade lighter than mine, almost as if Megan’s blond hair had mixed with my dark hair and produced his. He had my green eyes and his skin was darker than Milo’s. They were both tall, well-built and cheeky as hell.Abigail favoured Megan down to a tee, from her golden blonde hair to her blue eyes and Megan’s smile. She was a beautiful girl and I knew she would be stunning as the years turned her from girl to woman, something I wasn’t quite ready for.Alexis was ethereal with a fairy like beauty, her brown hair had a glow to it that made it se
I stood in a back room with Rev as the top floor of The Drake filled up with lair members. Most of them didn’t know me, the younger generation had never met me and everyone else had forgotten the real me. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me and I wouldn’t instantly have their trust or respect.Rev and I walked through the lair members to the raised dais where the Elders were already seated. Nobody made way for me and they nodded their heads at Rev whilst completely ignoring me. I reached the podium and looked at my people. They were all talking among themselves and Rev stepped forward but I stopped him with a look.“Dragonkin of the Grey lair,” I said and switched my aura on. It flowed from me over them, silence greeted me as they all bowed their heads under the pressure. I was so much more powerful than them that even the Elders bowed their heads.“I realize that you don’t know me, that you are worried about the future of this lair and I won’t try to convince you of what I’m
Three days later we held their funeral ceremonies. I kept it short because I knew that at any moment I would break down and I couldn’t, not in front of their lair. I still didn’t think of them as mine and I’d yet to have that conversation with Nova.I broke later when everyone was asleep and I sat in the dark room looking out of the windows, letting the tears fall silently. I’d never fully understood Lucas mourning his parents for so many years, but I got it now, I really got it now.“We need to talk,” I said to Nova the following morning as I sat on the couch that faced the windows.“What about?” she asked me.“Staying in Aurora, doing the right thing,” I said.“Being their Sire …” she replied softly.“There is no one else,” I said.“Look at what happened, even before saying you’d take over as Sire,” she said with worry in her eyes.“That was one man, thinking he could take this town,” I said.“Yes and who comes looking for him?” she asked me.“Nova, don’t make this harder than it is
Nova drove in front with the girls and I followed with Wynter and Milo. We kept up a steady pace and stopped twice, once for gas and once to eat. We reached Aurora by nine pm and I overtook Nova as she followed me to the house.The front door opened and I saw Rev as I parked the car and climbed out. “It’s good to see you Ryder,” he said as he slapped me on the back as we hugged.“I want to know everything you know,” I said as the kids climbed out.“Hi, I’m Nova,” Nova introduced herself and shook hands with Rev.“Rev,” he grunted out and looked at my family.“Ryder?” I turned and looked at Hannah as she came down the steps.“I’m so sorry Hannah,” I said as she hugged me tightly and I felt her tears against my neck.“Look at them all so grown up,” Hannah said once she had released me. “Come inside, let me show you where you’ll be sleeping.”“There’s a folder on Chase’s desk,” Rev said as I threw the keys to Wynter to unload the bags.I left Nova and the kids with Hannah and followed Re
The days passed without incident as the girls got accustomed to their dragons. Scylla and Chusi were different shades of silver and I laughed heartily when I realized that Chusi was exactly like Shae, bossy and care-free.“What’s going on with you?” I asked Wynter one evening as I found him standing on the porch, looking out onto the lake.“I don’t know Dad, something feels off,” he said.“What does Echo say?” I asked him.“Not much but he feels it too. It’s weird, I feel like something’s going to happen,” he said.“Like what? We’re lone dragons, nobody knows about your sisters,” I said.“If I knew don’t you think I’d tell you?” His voice was laced with irritation.“Easy tiger, I’m trying to help you,” I said.“I’m sorry, it’s just frustrating as hell,” he replied.“Wynter, things in life aren’t always what they seem. You have a destiny, we all do, you’ll find yours,” I said.“Where? Like you said, we’re lone dragons, nothing ever happens here in this shit hole,” he said.“Watch your
Five years later …Nova and I had gotten married a month later on the farm, our close friends and family present. It was a small, intimate wedding and we’d gone to the Bahamas for two weeks afterwards. Lucas and Rylee had stayed at the farm with Mary-Joe and Simon to watch the kids.Lucas and Rylee loved Nova and in return she loved them as well. The kids were happy with our union and Alexis and Abigail were now truly sisters. Nine months after our honeymoon, Shae was born. She had a full head of black hair and the most beautiful pair of blue eyes that reminded you of the sky.We lived our lives in peace, albeit sometimes boring but always loving. We were happy and Nova was a great mom to our five children. The boys were fifteen and the girls were turning ten with Shae at almost five. Shae ruled over her brothers and sisters with a strong mindset, a strong will of her own and she had me wrapped around her finger.“It seems you’re happy to see me,” Nova said as I turned towards her and