Frost was pulled into hugs, first by Kai and then the others, all congratulating them on the son each of them had become enamored with as soon as they laid eyes on him.
Soon, the others became impatient, all wanting a turn holding and talking to Silas. And their son charmed the entire group, who had their turn holding him and cooing at him. Quite a sight—an entire group of assassins could become a puddle of goo when it came to his son, but Xander was in the same boat so he didn’t tease them, much.
Hungry.
Both he and Frost looked at each other. They hadn’t thought that far. They looked back at Silas, this time in Liv’s arms, before they looked back at each other. They had no idea what to do. A typical baby would breast feed or take a bottle, but at their son’s request, they were suddenly at a loss.
“Why don’t you just ask Silas what he wants to eat?” Liv provided helpfully.
Frost lifted Silas in her arms and walked toward the kitchen with him close behind. “Would you like breast milk?”
Xander could have sworn that he heard “eww” coming from Silas. Frost laughed and hugged Silas close to her. Xander loved her laugh.
He opened the cabinet they had stocked with baby food and formulas, unsure of what Silas would need, but prepared in case. Most books recommended complementing breast milk with baby food at four to six months old, but again, Silas wasn’t a typical baby. He was an immortal and only he could tell them what he would like and wouldn’t like.
Frost slid Silas to her hip and Xander pulled out the formula first and got another annoyed look for their efforts. He pulled out pureed carrots, peas, apples, until he reached the pears, which Silas nodded at. Xander took Silas and placed him in his high chair as Frost opened the jar and grabbed a baby spoon. She put a tiny amount at the end of the hard plastic spoon and held it close to Silas’s mouth. Without hesitation, their son opened and took the bite, humming at the taste. Frost kept feeding him little bites until the jar was empty and Silas’s eyes drooped.
“Is this normal?” Xander had known Liv hovered close.
Liv shrugged. “What’s normal for an immortal? This is just as much new territory for him as it was for you when you transitioned. He’s the first baby born to immortal parents and because of this, you two are going to have to learn as you go. But we, all of us, are here to help.”
Liv bent down and kissed Silas on the forehead and they all watched as a smile formed on his face.
“He can communicate with us, and that’s more than most parents could hope for. The rest, we’ll figure out, I promise.”
Frost kissed Xander, smoothing away the creases that appeared on his forehead whenever he was concerned. She lifted Silas into her arms, his head settling comfortably against her shoulder, and he fell asleep.
“I don’t think he liked the diapers. He was fine with the onesie, but I have a feeling that he’ll want to potty train as soon as possible.”
Xander smiled at Frost, who beamed back. He moved in for a fast, but intense kiss. When he pulled back, he slid his fingers through her hair, but before Xander could place another kiss on her lips, Ghost’s phone rang. He didn’t pay much attention to the call, but when Ghost threw the phone against the fireplace, he turned in surprise. Ghost never let anything get to him.
Silas, sensing his uncle’s distress, put up his barrier that everyone could feel in the house as soon as it was created. But instead of protecting only those he could see in the kitchen and living room, he had conjured a barrier that covered the entire house. They could see the faint shimmer right outside the window and they all looked at Silas in awe.
“Ghost?” Kai sounded concerned.
Ghost shook his head and glanced at Frost, who held Silas in her arms. Ghost had melted, along with the rest of them, and now he placed his large hand over Silas’s head, gently. “Anzû wants me to deliver Frost to him. He said, that in exchange, he would give us all we wanted to know about the immortals’ origins.”
Frost scoffed. “That stupid fucking idiot doesn’t know when to quit. Like we couldn’t figure that out for ourselves.” She paused and glanced down at Silas. “Please don’t repeat—well, just to be safe—any of the words that Mommy just said.”
Silas giggled, the first time he’d done so, and Xander found himself smiling down at his son, despite the threat that had come through minutes before.
“You know Frost is the key to our origins, right?” Liv said.
Most of the group looked at Liv with a smile. Xander didn’t. He wanted to know why she thought so and was grateful when she continued.
“I had an inkling when I spotted the distinct pattern in Frost’s eyes and seeing Silas only confirmed my theory. I believe that the first immortals, vampire and shifter alike, were born, not created. And they were most likely born from half-human, half-immortal beings like Frost, those who didn’t know they had shifter genes. She’s an immortal, but her body isn’t in the same stasis that mine is, or Ara’s, Aubrey’s, or Jade’s.”
“But aren’t I in the same stasis that the women are?”
“And there’s where I believe Frost is special. There’s no way to test it, like I ever would, but if a half, or shifter mix as Frost likes to call herself, mated with another immortal mix, they could produce an immortal with powers, such as Silas has. That immortal would be able to turn others with a bite, injecting their venom into the system of humans, turning them immortal. Not all the time, though; most humans die with our venom in their system.
“I believe she was able to free you from your stasis, only for a short time, which is why she hasn’t glowed since your first time. I believe that her body knows when a pregnancy is viable, and that’s how she was able to become pregnant. And because Frost was able to conceive after her transition, I believe that if you chose to, Frost could have more children. But she could only have children with her mate. I can test Silas’s blood when he’s older, but his eyes, the combination of Frost’s curious ones and Xander’s, makes him unique.”
They grew quiet as the group studied Silas, who had gone back to sleep during Liv’s explanation.
“We’re going to have to come up with a plan. Anzû’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants, which is Frost and control of Dark Company.”
So, for the next few hours, they settled in the living room, Silas sleeping in the arms of the immortal who wanted to hold him, as they bandied about a plan to lure Anzû to them, using home advantage when confronting him. Between Kai, Reaper, Ara, Jade, Hunter, Gunnar, Ghost, Ax, Kane, Thomas, Isaac, and himself, they had no idea how to do that without dangling Frost as bait, which Xander had vehemently refused.
They decided in the end that investigation and hunkering down was their best and only option. Jade and Gunnar would do recon on Anzû and identify any associate he had. The rest would add more sensors and cameras to their properties and would review footage in case they caught anyone they didn’t recognize on camera. The sooner they ID’d the men associated with Anzû, the more they could learn about the enemy and use that information to destroy them.
Xander knew exactly where Frost and Silas were at every moment, so when they stood from making their plans, he found her laying on the couch, snuggling Silas on her chest, both sound asleep.
Anger rushed through his limbs and up his chest, before the feeling clogged his throat. He had no idea what would happen if Anzû captured Frost, but Xander would kill him before that happened. He was off his fucking rocker and they would find a way to destroy him.
Not one of the assassins had ever fought another immortal to the death. Most immortals wanted to be left alone, to do as they pleased, and learned not to kill humans and bring a spotlight on their existence. Some of them banded together, like Ghost’s company, but more for companionship than survival. Anzû wasn’t only jeopardizing his own family, but to pick on someone as strong as they were, he had to be crazy. And that would lead to him being destroyed.
Xander felt exhaustion over every inch of his body, s
o he bid everyone goodnight and lifted Frost in his arms. Her hold of Silas was secure, so he made his way up the stairs. When he reached the room, he laid Frost down first. He tucked Silas into his crib and scanned for anything in his crib that might pose a danger to him, before he kissed his son’s head and joined Frost in bed.
“What are you worried about?” Frost’s sleep-laden voice reached him as he lay down.
“I’ve been extremely lucky these past few months. Lucky to have found you and now we have Silas. But now this one shifter has threatened everything that matters to me. That’s the only reason I’m thinking about ways to kill him, once and for all.”
“But you aren’t alone in the fight. Whatever force he has, I know you guys can defeat him. Ara, alone, is more destructive than any other immortal and you are effectively trained fighters, having an advantage even against immortals. Trust yourself and the others, and everything will be fine.”
He pulled her close and kissed her. “How do you feel?”
“Every time I look at Silas, I feel a wonder that I’ve never experienced before. Physically, I’ve healed completely, but I’m still a little tired and feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“I’ll take care of everything until you feel better. I’ve never loved anyone more than I love both you and Silas. Thank you for being in my life.”
“I think we’re lucky to have found each other. We have a beautiful and powerful son, and no matter what happens, I will never regret a moment of it. Love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, Frost.”
Xander watched her fall asleep and smiled at the sound of her deep, even breathing. Soon, he followed her into oblivion.
Chapter Fifteen
Frost
Silas was close to a month old and of course, Liv had been right about everything. Silas grew no faster than a typical human baby, meeting the standards and weight that Liv tested him for once a week for the last four weeks, but his powers had grown exponentially. His barrier could stretch as far as he wanted it to, and nothing could get through the barrier. They had tried gasses, liquids, and even tried to break through it using explosives. Despite the fact that the experiments scared the shit out of Frost, Silas thought it was hilarious. Especially when they shot at it and Axel had tried to break it down using an ax. Nothing worked.
But he also had a strength that scared her a bit. He could easily move an object, like a heavy dresser, by using only a small amount of force.
That had taken everyone by surprise.
He’d been sitting on the floor of the bedroom—Frost had figured it was easier to change the diaper there considering he’d been busy burrowing under the blanket in the first place—when he placed his hand on the dresser leg and sent it skidding five feet against the wall. After that, she became more aware of where he was and who he was with. She would have to kill Ax if he taught her son anything dangerous.
And they had learned, over the last few days, that Silas could, if he wanted to, manipulate emotions. When Kane had been thinking about his mate, the one who had been killed several years previous, Silas pushed feelings of happiness and love to him, until Kane hugged the boy close. He used it sparingly, usually when someone was frustrated or angry, and he was quick to make them happy. And being only a month old, happiness was at the top of Silas’s lists of emotions he believed everyone should feel.
They had also learned a bit more about Anzû and his company. He had thirty or so shifters on his payroll, mainly hiring men out as temporary bodyguards or the type of muscle that paid well. The men weren’t loyal to Anzû, he was a means to an end. Ghost hadn’t recognized any of the shifters as asking for a job with Dark Company.
Anzû and his cronies had gone quiet, not issuing any threats or contacting them in any way, which led the assassins to occupy their time with Silas. Each day, their little man grew and learned. And with each of the assassins, he had his own routine.
Jade loved to play peek-a-boo with him, laughing whenever she came in the room. Silas loved Ax in his lion form. He said he was fuzzy and comfy, something which Ax tried hard to fight, but gave up when he saw it made Silas happy. Whenever he was with the assassins and he grew tired, you could find him curled on Ax’s paw, fast asleep.
When Silas sat in his bouncer, the one she bought for him, he would roll a large ball of string around the room for Hunter’s panther to chase. He brought it back after swatting it around for a few minutes, and after dropping it on Silas’s lap, and Hunter would nuzzle her son until he laughed. Hunter would purr loudly whenever that happened.
Liv loved talking to him through their mind link, both silent and intent on their conversation, sometimes with Seth joining in. Liv told Frost that she showed him pictures of her past, like her sister Molly. She also told Silas how important he and his mommy were, and that she was so glad his daddy found his mommy.
And the vampires would take turns as they ran around outside, with Silas wrapped in their arms. He loved their speed and their agility. They would tell him about their lives and what they enjoyed about being immortal and Silas would always listen with rapt attention. And Kai, who Frost had believed to be closed off, spoke most to Silas about everything that happened in his life from the moment he became an immortal to when he met Liv. He had a gentle nature with her son and she loved him for it.
But Xander’s time with Silas made her smile. He read to Silas every night before bed, always choosing a different book and reading until Silas fell asleep, only to pick up where he left off the next night. Xander had expressed the need to sleep during the night and be awake during the day. He said Silas was a growing boy, but again, Silas had differing thoughts on the matter.
He wanted to be around both his vampire and shifter aunts and uncles, so he compromised. He would go to bed around three in the morning, having already adjusted to it when he had been born, and then wake up sometime the next afternoon. He was always rested, and because he was a baby, still took several naps during the day, usually when the excitement became too much.
Most nights Xander would tuck Silas in his crib, but soon, Silas would call for Xander until his dad lifted him from the crib and laid him between them. He would be spoiled, but she couldn’t bring herself to care much about that.
Silas had his blood taken about two weeks after his birth, and that’s when they learned that he healed faster than a typical immortal. Liv confirmed that he was full immortal shifter and when the time was right, his body would allow him to shift.
Mommy.
She blinked and turned to Silas with a smile. She lifted him from his crib as he rubbed his eyes, still waking from his nap. “Yes, baby?”
You won’t leave Daddy or me, will you?
She kissed his already longer white hair. “No, baby, I would never leave you and Daddy.”
Xander wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her back against his chest. “We’ll always be together, little man. No one is going anywhere.”
I…I heard a strange man’s voice outside. He said that Mommy was his and that he would kill everyone to get her.
Frost held Silas tighter as Xander tightened his hold.
“Did you talk to this man?” Xander’s voice was tight with tension.
No. He wants to hurt my family.
Curses flooded her mind and did nothing to quell the panic inside her. Soon, the panic transformed into pure rage and she handed Silas to Xander.
Give me a minute, will you?
Xander nodded and pulled Silas tighter to him, explaining through their mind link that she was fine.
She stalked out of the room and spotted a wooden training dummy in the hallway. Not even questioning why it had been placed there, she closed her fist and centered her punch in the middle of the main support. With satisfaction, she heard the creak of the breaks that spread through the rest of the stand until it collapsed.
Do you feel better?
A bit. Frost reached for Silas and kissed him on his cheeks before nuzzling h
is neck with her nose, all while Xander laughed.
Chapter Sixteen
Xander
Xander was horrified that Anzû had gotten close enough for Silas to hear his thoughts, but not close enough to trip any perimeter alarms. But they had just discovered a huge advantage: Silas could hear him.
Xander had been able to communicate with his fellow assassins for years, but he’d forgotten how much effort it took to open a mind link with someone new. No one wanted their mind invaded, even if they could only listen to what he had to say and not hear every thought, and even by someone they trusted.
So when Ghost had introduced the idea, everyone scoffed at it. Ghost reasoned that it would make them a better team and they all eventually acquiesced. Training to mind link had been more exhausting than combat, weapons training, and tracking combined. He would rather be out in the cold for weeks on end, tracking a target that was well trained in diversion and evasion tactics, than mind linking with another.
With Frost close to his side and Silas in his arms, they headed downstairs to relay this new information to Ghost and the others. When he had finished explaining, some of them, like him, were pissed that Anzû had tried to get so close. Most of them thought it was great that Silas could hear the fuck, giving them a bigger and hopefully ultimate advantage.
Jade and Ax walked in and they looked as though they had gotten their asses kicked.
“The assignment was compromised. There were several shifters laying in wait, and it was a hell of a fight.”
Ghost left the room, probably to call his contact and ask about the specifics of the contract.
As Liv pulled out one of the first-aid kits, one of many that were stashed around the house, Frost started to clean Ax’s injuries.
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