by Erin R Flynn
“We got you, kid,” I whispered, hoping he understood somehow or that I was family. He smelled of fear when I leaned in, and slowly he seemed to ease down.
“I’ll get the records and find out his name,” Dain said, seeming to know what was upsetting me.
“Clayton doesn’t get to name him,” I grumbled, not wanting to get upset around the baby. “No, not after abandoning him, trying to sell him.” I thought about it and glanced over at Brian who was driving. “What was your grandfather’s name again? You told me once, and I thought it was the coolest name.”
He glanced at me in the mirror, not hiding his shock. “Grammy’s husband? Topher.”
“Yeah, Topher. It’s a cool name.” I wiggled my finger, smiling when the baby did. “You want to be Topher? We can figure out the last name later to keep you safe, but I think Topher would give you some swag when you start walking, right?”
“I like it,” Emilio chuckled. “He looks like a Topher.”
“I love you, babe,” Brian whispered, sounding emotional. “That would be awesome.”
“Yeah? I didn’t mean to like name him after your gramp. I never met him. Hell, I don’t know my grandparents’ names. I just thought it was a cool name, and you said he was a good guy. It could be a good name for him too.” My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I saw it was Alena, hurrying to answer it. “I’m sorry for the problem I’m dumping on you.”
“Reagan was vague, but he couldn’t hide his concern for you,” she muttered, sounding tired. It was just before six in the morning, so obviously he’d woken her up. “How bad?”
“I’m a mess,” I admitted, trying to figure out what to say. “The previous Zeno showed up outside the club with a situation I don’t know how to handle.”
She was quiet a moment and then started swearing in Greek when she figured out I meant my birth father. “Why now?”
“He wanted money. Oh, do you know much about jaundice?”
“Oh dear,” she whispered, putting that together as well. “I will wait for Reagan to arrive, but do not be surprised if your father comes back with them.”
“I fell apart, and I’m not handling this well,” I replied quietly. “I’m terrified, Mom. I don’t think I can do this, and I’m not sure how to do it to keep everyone safe. You know people will want what I have.”
“Yes, undoubtedly. Let me speak with Dain. There might be a way we can help.”
“I love you.”
“We love you too, and you will be fine.”
I nodded, handing the phone to Dain, glad someone else would be the adult. “Ask her if she likes the name Topher.”
He did, chuckling after she answered. We heard her answer, but Brian didn’t. “Topher is another name for ‘Christopher,’ which is Greek and was the name of Eva’s younger brother that passed. She loves it.”
“Ask Eva if it’s okay. I don’t want to take a name Melicent or anyone else planned on.” I shook my head. Was that how people did things? Was that the mom thing to do?
Dain reached over and rubbed my shoulder. “Topher is great, my love. Please do not worry about this. Look, he is smiling. If he doesn’t like it later, we can change it, but I think it’s perfect.”
“Okay, Topher it is,” I decided, feeling relieved that he at least had a name. Maybe it was a weird thing to focus on, but he was four days old and didn’t have a name. Our father was calling him “it.” That was about the worst thing ever.
Dain talked to Alena a few minutes more and then said he sent a general list to Luca so the matter would be kept quiet since the elf was still at the club. He made another call though. “Maya, it’s Dain.”
“Dain? It has been a long time, child. How are you?”
“I am well, but there is a matter I need you for. Would you come out of retirement for a while?”
There was a pause. “You have had a child?”
“No, it is a human child. The situation is complex and must be kept quiet. The child needs protection along with help. I beg you to please come and hear me out.”
“Dain, I would do just about anything for you, but I have to think of my family too,” she said gently. “If others found out I was working for you—”
“The queen has restored my status and not with my family,” he told her. “I am still Dain Morton, but I have mated to Princess Seraphine Thomas of the wolves, the daughter of the Dorcuses in Greece.”
“Alright, I will come. Where?”
“Chicago. Jonik is in town helping Princess Sera. I can have him make whatever arrangements for you in case you worry about my parents.”
“I have not spoken to them in many years,” she replied. “I don’t worry about them. I’m retired, and I do not wish any issues on my children. If you are no longer listed as disowned, there is no worry for that.” She was quiet a moment. “I am sorry. You deserve better than people worrying about that.”
“I know, but your children don’t deserve any issues because of what my family did,” he forgave. “Thank you, Maya.”
“I will see you soon.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Dain, not even asking the question, knowing he could feel it.
“She was my nanny. The nanny for all my siblings,” he explained. “She is the very best, and even if retired, one human child will be a breeze for her and at least for a bit to help.”
“Okay, if you trust her,” I agreed. Dain was over six hundred years old. That was a nanny with some really serious experience. I mean, I didn’t think we’d find one better and could feel emotions like fairies could. I was glad he was already jumping on things because I was still fairly panicked.
Fine, I was seriously panicked and thinking I would kiss Noah later for getting my SUV that was practically a tank.
2
“Yes, the baby is jaundiced, but I’m not concerned,” Dr. Sloan told me. He was one of Simone’s panthers and head doc at the paranormal hospital. He’d done a lot to help the boys through their recovery… And he’d saved my life after my abduction, which had been a miracle on its own from what everyone said. “I’m still going to do a blood test and run him through the paces since I didn’t deliver him.”
“We’ll work on getting his medical records,” Dain promised. “But assume he was born in America and would have had the standard inoculations. We were told he was vomiting regular formula.”
Dr. Sloan gave him a hard look, but then sighed before glancing at me. “If I couldn’t smell he was related to you, Sera, this would be a problem for me. You understand that, right?”
“Yes, but I’m also FBI, doc,” I drawled. “I’m terrified of babies, not nabbing them.”
His lips twitched. “Fair enough. I would guess it’s because he’s lacking nutrition because he couldn’t handle the formula, but we’ll make sure. It’s mild jaundice, which is fairly common, so I’m really not worried, I promise.” He waved me over. “I need you to hold him while I take some blood and run tests.”
“Thanks, doc.”
He gave me a wink. “Thanks for the apartment. The one I stayed at while treating you was worlds better than my normal one, so I was thrilled for the upgrade.”
“You might rethink it now that I have a baby and never even changed a diaper,” I muttered, picking up Topher and giving him a smile, making sure my thoughts were of making him feel better. He stayed calm but then cried when the doc stuck him with the needle, which I thought was pretty common. “He is hungry.”
“Luca has already purchased what we need to start,” Dain promised.
We just finished as Axel came through the door, giving me a worried look but then chilling out when he saw I was okay… Until he saw Topher in my arms. “You have a baby?” He shook his head. “I would have known you were pregnant. You can’t have kids.” He pointed at Topher. “That’s a baby, and he smells like you.”
I didn’t even get a chance to answer before Eugene came in, the stern dire wolf having almost the exact same freaked out response.
I s
till didn’t get to answer as Hagan came in, giving me a soft smile. So clearly he’d talked to his twin. He ignored the freaked out Axel and Eugene and came over to me, smiling brightly as he teased Topher’s hand with his finger until the baby grabbed it. “Hey, little guy. You are just too cute.” He smiled at me. “What’s his name?”
“Topher,” I answered, swallowing loudly as everyone acted like I was his mother. “I’m going with Topher.”
Tears filled Hagan’s eyes, and I didn’t understand as he leaned down and kissed Topher’s forehead. “Mom used to always call Dad Tophie when she had the rare glass of wine or they were being cute.”
“Wow, that is one loaded name you liked and picked,” Emilio muttered, giving me a shocked look.
“Wait, you—that’s not why?” Hagan asked, quickly wiping his eyes.
“No, I forgot,” I admitted. Then I frowned. “No, I didn’t know. Everything I’ve seen about your parents was Chris and Tammy.”
He smiled. “Yeah, Christopher. Others called him Chris, but Mom thought he was too sexy to be a bland Chris and called him Topher.”
Brian cleared his throat. “My grandfather was actually Topher. She didn’t name the baby after him, but was a bit panicked he didn’t have a name and remembered my grandfather had a cool name. I guess Eva’s younger brother was Christopher too.”
“I wouldn’t not have named him after your dad,” I added, hating that he’d thought it was a thing and I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Hagan leaned in and kissed my cheek. “It’s fine. I think it’s perfect. There are a lot of everyone watching over him then. Three nice guys now have a Topher to be guardian angels for.”
“Thank you,” I breathed, happy he could give me the pass when I was still freaking out. Hagan took him from me, and Emilio cleared his throat, nodding over to Axel and Eugene. I shrugged. “I’m with them. Hagan comes in here all smiles and relaxed, even Brian, and I’m right there with them freaking the fuck out because there’s a baby and like people will expect me to handle that.”
“I don’t know how to change a diaper,” Eugene worried.
“Babies terrify me,” Axel added.
“Yup, me too on both accounts, and there’s more levels to this,” I admitted, scrubbing my hand over my head before glancing at the doc. “So we’re good?” I swallowed loudly and tried not to panic. “I can take him home?”
Because he would now come home with me. I now had a baby.
What the fuck did I do with a baby?
He glanced among us. “As long as someone here knows how to take care of a baby and he sleeps on his back, not his stomach.”
“I know,” Hagan promised. “Reagan and I babysat half the pack and neighborhood when we were younger.”
“I know as well, and a professional nanny is coming who is a fairy,” Dain added.
“I can handle feedings, but it’s been a long damn time since I’ve changed a diaper,” Brian muttered, finally having this sink in as he shot me a glance. He’d been so focused on my freaking out that he hadn’t had his own yet. “There’s an army of us. We can do this.”
I slapped on the best smile I could and nodded to the doc. He gave me a worried look and came closer, studying me a moment. “Sera, you’re not fully recovered. Let them help, okay? Don’t mess up all my hard work to save you. We need you to protect all of us.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “I will take all of the help, I promise. I did with the boys. I know when I’m out of my league.” I winced. “I shouldn’t even be around him as a new wolf.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” he agreed gently. “But you have your shift on lock. I’ve only heard of you losing it and shifting once, and you had valid reason and handled it. If you get close to that, put the baby down and back away. You can do this if you have help.”
I swallowed loudly again and nodded. Sure, right, I could have a baby.
Who was my half-brother.
And a more powerful clairvoyant than me.
And a baby.
Yeah, I threw up in the parking lot.
“You know, if I get to be Uncle Emilio, I would totally hang with the cute bugger once a week,” Emilio told me as he took the carrier and we climbed into my SUV. “I love kids.” He cleared his throat and winked at the baby. “My own wife died giving birth to our child who didn’t survive when I was human. It was so long ago that I’ve healed, but I always wanted a child, but turning a fledgling isn’t the same.”
“I think Uncle Emilio would be cool,” I told him, bumping his arm to thank him for the support. I knew that was hard for him to admit, as most vamps didn’t like talking about their human lives when they were super old, but also to remind me that there would be lots of help.
Or freaked out people.
Carter met us in the parking garage of the building and simply blinked at the baby before looking like he might throw up next. “You have a baby how?”
“Upstairs,” I muttered, knowing I couldn’t hide it from him especially, as he was head of our security and had been taking the role incredibly seriously. Axel and Eugene along with several others pulled in next, a range of looks from them. I glanced over at Topher, who looked worried, and had another mini freak out. “I don’t know any English lullabies.”
“He’ll love them in any language,” Hagan assured me, he and Dain seeming to be handling this the best. “It’s your voice and that you’ll hold him. We can do this, Sera.”
“We can do this,” I repeated, trying to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t just me. It felt like it was all on me though. I was his sister. I was Alpha.
I was now his mother. Like yeah, I thought a freak out or thirty was valid.
Alok and Tasar were already at my apartment with Luca and the boys since they’d been working with them on cooking class and guarding them. They honestly adored the boys like they were their brothers too and were a huge help since the six rabbits I’d adopted would always be hunted and targeted.
“Oh my gods, you are totes adorbs!” Tommy whispered as he went over to Topher. He smiled brightly at me. “I used to watch all the babies at one of the group homes I was at in between getting dumped with families.”
I shook my head, sharing a look with Leo to see he was probably feeling what I was. “I always did as many chores as I could to help so I never got stuck with other kids. I would do anything to get out of bath duty.”
Leo and Alvin both nodded, looking as freaked out as I felt.
“I need to learn how to make baby food,” Jared muttered as he pulled out his phone as Cory muttered about getting baby tracker clips and Ben offered to paint the nursery.
“You guys are so awesome,” I rasped, wiping my eyes and leaning against Dain when he hugged me. “Thank you, and I will accept all that help. I just keep freaking.”
“A lot of that was your father showing up, babe,” Brian said gently, hugging me from behind as well.
I cleared my throat and pulled away, not wanting to be upset around Topher even if he was too young to understand all he was feeling and seeing. “So his name is Topher and he’s my half-brother. We’re not sure how we’re handling this, but first, he’s jaundiced and needs to eat.”
“Already got it,” Luca promised, taking the baby from Emilio and giving him a bottle. “Aren’t you just perfect?” He glanced at me as he sort of sway danced with Topher. “You had his eyes when human? They’re very pretty.”
“Yes, thank you.” I told them the rest as I drank a bottle of water, feeling dehydrated and guessing more tears were going to come before I got a handle on myself. Always good to just accept that and prepare for it.
“So not your kid,” Axel muttered, seeming to ask but not.
“No, half-brother, but yeah, my kid now,” I whispered, swallowing loudly before wishing the water was a very large drink. One appeared in my hand, and I glanced at Dain.
“Sera, you’re not a new mother breast feeding. You can have a drink or ten after getting this dumped on y
ou,” Dain said gently. “Right now, you need to calm down, as you are seconds from a panic attack or fainting.”
“I feel that bad,” I chuckled, taking a long sip of the whiskey, wincing as it burned its way down. I glanced at Carter. “What do you think from a security standpoint?”
“Get the baby as far away from you as possible, as it will undoubtably be a reason people target you,” he answered, not understanding what I had asked.
“He is not an it,” I seethed, catching myself before I launched the glass at his head. “He’s a baby and not some freak that—”
“Not what I meant,” he said gently, holding his hands out in surrender. “It was just a slip. Right, you said Topher, and I can smell he’s a boy.” He waited until I nodded. “No one thinks you’re a freak because you’re clairvoyant, Sera. We don’t care the kid is either. Others will, is what I’m saying.”
“Yes, but he won’t have us to protect him if he’s not with us,” Dain reminded Carter, holding up his hand to quiet him. “The baby is staying. She’s decided, and it was never up for debate. Accept that and answer her question.”
“I don’t understand the question then,” Carter admitted, looking frazzled for the first time since I’d met him. “Kids scare me and are too fragile.”
“Fine, then you won’t babysit, but answer her from your security role,” Dain drawled, several people giving Carter amused looks. “I will handle the legalities and get her father to sign everything over to Sera. She will become his parent. I have to look into where Clayton was living and the laws going over state lines, but if we need to, we do it in Greece where Sera has dual citizenship.”
“Plus, there are closed adoptions all the damn time,” Brian added. “And child abandonment is a class 4 felony, and her father left the state, so the clock stopped. He also tried to sell Topher, so there are a lot of reasons we can get a judge in chambers to sign off on what we need.”
