I smiled, glad to see that she was in such good spirits, especially after the day we had, and headed into the bathroom. Soon, I emerged from the shower, refreshed, with just a towel wrapped around my waist.
“Hum,” Leila said, sitting in a club chair in the living room, adjacent from the bathroom, “you look good enough to eat.”
I laughed. “Now, don’t you dare get that started.”
She laughed as she finished the last of the blood in her glass and I headed toward the bedroom. I came out a few minutes later, wearing a dark gray suit, black Versace shoes, with my dark brown hair combed back, still wet from the shower.
Leila gave a low whistle, smiling.
“Don’t start,” I said, grinning as she laughed.
“No, I don’t want you to be late for your meeting,” she said, smiling seductively, “but maybe later.”
I shook my head. “Leila, you need to rest.&rdquo
I walked over to her and gave her air kisses over both cheeks. “You didn’t tell me you were coming, but thanks for being here.”She looked at me seriously. “What happened last night affects us all, but I also came for a reason that I will divulge later.” Then, she gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “But when it comes to yours and your family’s safety, I will always be here.”I pulled her in for a slight hug, and she gave me air kisses over both cheeks, careful not to smudge her red lipstick. “Thank you, Raven.” I then walked to the head of the table and addressed everyone in the room. “Thank you all for coming tonight. You may be seated.” They all complied, but I remained standing. “As you know, we were attacked last night. I asked you to come here tonight so we could exchange information. If you know anything at all about anything that I am about to tell you, please let me know. In exchange, I wi
Then, I turned to everyone in the room. “There are horsd'oeuvres and wine. Please help yourselves. Thank you all for coming. I will keep you apprised of any developments. Please, do the same if anything happens in your covens, or if you discover any leads.”Then, I walked over to Drake. “May I speak with you privately?”Drake nodded and followed me into a small conference room. I pulled out my checkbook and laid it down on the table. “Drake, I apologize that I haven’t to the hospital lately, but Leila isn’t well. I appreciate you keeping the deliveries coming, though.” I started writing and added a few more zeros than usual, since I hadn’t been to the hospital for a while, then tore it off and handed it to him.“Thanks, Lance,” Drake said, slipping the check into his pocket. “I’ll make sure that the hospital gets this.”I nodded. “Thanks, Drake. I sincerely app
I nodded. “Thank you for coming. Kellen can show you out.”“I would be happy to,” Kellen said as he stepped up beside me and ushered them out.“Well, Lance,” Xander said, smiling as he slapped me on the back, “although I haven’t known you long, every time I see you is always an adventure.”I laughed, giving him a man handshake. “That it is, but I can tell you that I’m looking forward to sharing some quieter times, my friend.”Xander laughed. “You and I both.”“Well, we really must go,” Elias interjected. “Please tell Dr. Ryan and your wife that I will be here in the morning to begin work.”I nodded. “I will, but I’m afraid that it will be just you and Dr. Ryan, but if you need any assistance, I will be here, so just let me know.”“Well, one thing I know, we’ll need is a guinea pig; someone to test t
When she saw how relaxed we all were, even Adeline joined in the fun. “I’ll clean this up in the morning when I come,” she said, laughing.I laughed. “No need. I’ll have the cleaning crew take care of it in the morning,” I said, taking Jase into my arms. “As long as you all are happy, we can always clean the house.”“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Leila said, and then threw another piece of popcorn at me as everyone laughed.Jase laughed, too, within my arms. “Mommy funny!”“Oh, yeah?” I asked, tickling his belly as he laughed. Then, I leaned down and blew on his neck, making a loud noise as he squirmed within my arms.“Well, I think that’s our cue,” Amy said, and then looked over at Adeline. “Shall we?”Adeline nodded as she got to her feet, laughing. “I’ll be here in the morning,” she said to me.
He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Lance, what’s up? Is everything all right with your wife?” he asked as concern filled his voice.I took a deep breath. “Actually, that’s why I’m calling,” I said, pausing for a moment, wondering how to ask, but thought that the direct approach was best. “Do you think that Kalyssa could come over and sit with Leila for a while? I’m going to be helping Elias and Amy today.”There was silence at the other end, and then Xander came back on. “You’re going to help them to create the cure for vampirism?”Lance nodded, even though Xander couldn’t see me at the other end of the phone. “Yes.”Xander took a worried breath. “You’re not volunteering to be their test subject, are you?”“Xander, please …” I said, ignoring his comment.“Lance, Elias said that if you take the cure and
She took a deep breath. “Then, let’s do it,” Amy said, picking up a syringe. “Lance, the way that the cure works is much like the Sunlight Serum. You’ll need a series of shots. With each shot, the transition should take you closer to becoming human. Theoretically, it will take approximately three shots for the transformation to be complete. However, if you fail to take the last injection, then your body will revert back to its vampire state. But if you complete the third shot and everything goes well, then your body will complete the transformation and you will be completely human. Do you understand?”I nodded. “What happens if I take the last shot and I’m still not human?” I asked, intrigued.Amy thought for a moment. “Then, you may need another shot to help complete the process. But you must understand that these shots will work directly with your DNA. Therefore, there is a fine balance. If by some chance, w
Amy waited patiently, and then asked, “How are you feeling now?”I nodded. “Better,” I said as I straightened. Then, I noticed something different about my body. “I’m starting to feel different somehow.”“Here,” Elias said. “Give me your hand.”I did as he asked and he cut the palm of my hand with a knife. “Man! That hurt!” I said, unable to believe it. Normally, a cut on the hand would have tinged a bit, but would not have actually hurt.“Look!” Elias said. “It’s not healing!”“You mean I’m becoming human?” I asked.“You aren’t fully human yet, but it definitely means that we’re on the right track,” Amy said. “We’ll need to observe you to see how long these affects last.”I nodded in agreement. “How long do you need me to stay?”Amy sighed. “At
As I started toward the penthouse, I realized that this was the first time that I had clowned around with Amy. Since Jase was born, she had been letting her hair down a bit more, and I think that being around a baby had a lot to do with it. If I knew Amy, it probably wouldn’t take much to get her to move into the castle … permanently. I smiled to myself, making a mental note to ask Lorenzo later if he was available.Channing and Blake were standing outside the front door. “How is everything?”“Fine, sir,” Channing said, and Blake gave me a nod of agreement as I passed.“Thanks, men,” I said as I opened the front door.From the hallway, it seemed eerily quiet, but when I walked in, Leila was sitting in a chair with her feet curled up under her, laughing at something that Xander had just said. Kalyssa punched him lightly on the arm as he feigned injury, but we all knew better. It was funny that I hadn’t
LeilaJase started toward me, but Selestra held up her hand, stopping him. โWait!โโSelestra,โ Lance growled, his eyes flaring a brilliant green. โIf you do not release the children now, I will personally tear you to pieces.โโAs a show of good faith, Iโm giving you back the children,โ she replied. โBut Raif is crazed with vengeance. I couldnโt take his abuse anymore, and I left him and took your children with me.โโItโs a lie!โโLance, wait!โ I held my hand up, stopping her. โWhat if sheโs telling the truth?โ Then I turned to Selestra. โSo, give us the children. Once theyโre safe, then weโll talk.โSelestra nodded. โAgreed.โ She motioned for Jase and Addie to go to us, and they both rushed toward me and hugged me.โSheโs alone,โ Addie whispered, keeping her voice so low only I could hear.I nodded once. โJase, Sirena, go home with Raven. weโll talk when we get there.โJase looked between us and said, โBe safe.โLance pulled them both in for a quick hug, making it look good. But he ki
LeilaโI spoke with Kellen,โ Lance said, quickly crossing the room. โHeโs called an emergency and is locking down the castle as we speak. Heโs also agreed to stay with Sirena and Emma, too.โ He let out a deep breath, placing his hands on his hips. โIt may be overkill, but I donโt care. Sirena needs all the protection we can give her.โA moment later, there was a knock on the door.Lance held up his hand to me and quickly crossed the room. He looked through the peephole, opened the door, and extended his hand to Emma. โThanks for this. Iโm so sorry we had to phone you on such short notice.โโNot a problem. Iโm glad to help.โ She walked in dressed in a pair of jeans, a floral shirt, and boots, similar to what I was wearing. I was sure she had come prepared to fight, too.โThank you so much for this.โ I pulled her in for a quick hug. โAfter Kellen locks down the castle, heโll come stay with you.โEmma nodded. โThatโs fine.โ She pointed down the hallway. โIs Sirena in the family room?โI
LeilaโWhat do you mean โtheyโre missing?โโ Lance demanded, taking a step closer.Raven took a deep breath, the most flustered Iโd ever seen her. โAfter dinner, they were dismissed and were in their common rooms. One of the other students said that Jase got a call... from you.โ Her head snapped up toward me. โSo, he stepped out into the hallway with Addie and never came back in.โโFrom me?โ I asked in disbelief, shaking my head. โIt wasnโt me.โโWell, the student said your number popped up on his phone.โ Raven shook her head. โIโm so sorryโโโWho was the student?โ I asked.Raven let out a deep breath. โKian Medine. The Medine family is important in the witch community and very trustworthy.โI nodded. โCan you do a locator spell on him like you did last time?โโThatโs what I planned to do.โ She looked into Lanceโs eyes. โI knew you would want to be present.โLance nodded. โThank you.โ He gritted his teeth. โIf Raif and Selestra have them, there will be no place they can hide. Iโll tear
LeilaI nodded. โI know you will.โ I rose to my feet and pulled her in for a hug. โMy husband and I will discuss this and will get back to you. Thank you for coming.โโWould you like to meet our daughter before you go?โ Lance asked.Emma nodded. โYes, please.โ Her eyes brightened. It was clear that she loved children.I nodded. Whether or not we hired her, what harm could it do to introduce Emma to Sirena? โRight this way.โI walked down the hallway, and Emma walked beside me as Lance followed behind. When we entered the family room, Sirena was playing Chess alone, switching seats at each turn. It was the funniest thing Iโd ever seen. Then guilt filled my chest for not having anyone her age to occupy her. โSirena, honey, Iโd like you to meet someone.โSirena looked up and smiled, her game forgotten as she crossed the room purposefully toward Emma and thrust out her hand. โHello. My name is Sirena. Whatโs your name?โโMy name is Emma.โ She tilted her head to the side, smiling. So, you
LeilaEmma sat on the edge of her seat and smiled, folding her arms on her lap. โMy name is Emma Fitzroy.โ She had the type of British accent that I could listen to all day.Lanceโs head snapped up, a crease between his eyes. โFitzroy? As in โthe bastard son of a king?โโโLance!โ I scoffed, unable to believe what he had just said.โPlease, pardon me, both of you.โ Lance looked over at me and smiled. โThe word was more commonly used in our time. Please, forgive me.โI nodded cautiously. โItโs okay.โBut Emma smiled, unaffected. โItโs okay. I used to hear it all the time years ago. But not many people know the meaning or connotation today.โLance nodded. โSo, who was your father?โShe let out a deep breath. โMy father was King Henry I, and I am one of his illegitimate children.โMy eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but miraculously, I maintained my composure. โCould you explain that to us? I mean, how did you come to be in our coven?โShe nodded. โI was born the twenty-sixth of June, i
LeilaLance let out a deep breath. โAfter hearing everything, the Council agreed with my reasoning. They couldnโt believe all the threats Raif had leveled against you and the children, and they agreed that if he defeated me, he would also take over the Council, the vampire world, and the rest of the supernatural creatures. When I told them he wanted to be king, they agreed that we canโt let that happen.โโWell, letโs eat, and then you can take a shower before Emma gets here.โ I made a sandwich out of a biscuit, an egg, and a slice of bacon.Lance laughed. โWhat are you doing?โโI used to do this all the time when I was human.โ I picked it up and took a bite. โYou should try it! Itโs good!โโCan I have some?โ Sirena asked, looking at my biscuit sandwich with curiosity.โSure!โ I slid her onto my lap and made her a sandwich with the other biscuit, egg, and bacon. Lance got up and made another one for me and warmed up a bag of blood for her.โHere you go!โ I handed her the biscuit sandw
LeilaLance raised up and kissed my shoulder, smiling as he laced his fingers through my hair. โWhy donโt you shower, and Iโll fix the coffee?โ He traced lazy circles over my body, raising my nipples to peaks and sending chills over my body. โI would take a shower with you, but Sirena will be up in a few minutes, and her seeing her mommy and daddy naked may cause unnecessary trauma.โ He chuckled. โItโll cost me a fortune in therapy for the rest of her life.โI laughed, running my fingers through his dark brown wavy hair. โWe really need to find her a nanny.โHe laughed. โYes, we do.โ Then his lips descended upon mine in a passionate kiss as my tongue swiped over his, all heat and desire. He pulled back a moment later and gave me one last sweet kiss. Then he slid out of bed and slipped into his sleeping shorts and a white T-shirt.โAhh,โ I moaned, reaching for him. โCome back to bed.โHe chuckled, one corner of his lips curling into a sexy smile. โYou donโt know how tempting that is.โ
LanceI nodded. โSo, what say you? I will poll each of you. An answer of Yay will be in favor of banning together to fight. An answer of Nay will be against.โ I looked around the room. โXander.โโYay.โI nodded. โDrake.โโYay.โโAnnette.โโIf he would go so far as to threaten you and your family and then take over the Council, then my answer is Yay,โ she replied.I nodded. โFelicia.โShe let out a deep breath, a crease forming between her eyes. It was clear that she was not making her decision lightly. โYay.โโSo, itโs unanimous. We will stand and fight. I appreciate your support.โ I placed my hands on the table as I leaned forward. โIโll coordinate with you and will let you know when we plan to attack. But as of this moment, we are at war with Raif Cavanaugh, Leader of the East Coven.โ I let out a deep breath. โI asked Chef Faustino to prepare a special buffet for you. So, please. Enjoy.โ I motioned toward the buffet lined up against the wall, filled with all sorts of delicacies incl
LanceLeila and I went through several applicants for Sirenaโs nanny but didnโt find anyone suitable. The successful applicant needed to be a vampire with fighting skills, capable of protecting Sirena during a crisis. He or she would also have to have good nanny and child nurturing skills. Not an easy combination to find in one person.โSo, did you have any luck finding a nanny for Sirena?โ A smile spread across Kellenโs face as we headed toward the main conference room for the meeting with the Supernatural Council, consisting of the heads of all the covens and packs in Las Vegas.I scoffed. โNo. Not yet. Itโs proving to be as difficult as it was to find a nanny and protector for Jase.โKellen nodded, stopping just outside the door. โI think I may have a solution for you.โโOh?โ My eyebrows shot up.โI know a young woman that reminds me a lot of Addie, but she was a little older when she was turned.โโHow old was she?โโEighteen,โ he replied. โI think Addie was sixteen when she was tu