by Brenda Trim
“I’m no’ going anywhere before I eat. Elsie outdid herself on the menu this time. I think I’ve eaten a dozen taquitos in the past half hour. She kicked me oot of the kitchen because her enchiladas were aboot done and she knew I’d eat them all,” his brother confessed, nodding his head. If there was one type of cuisine Elsie had mastered, it was Mexican, and Zander especially loved her homemade guacamole.
“Well, it seems you’re in luck, Nate and the staff are bringing the food oot. Better get in line,” Zander prompted, pushing his brother in the direction of the meal. Bhric made his way over to the tables and Zander walked to the steps with a robe for Elsie and towel for Isobel.
“The two most beautiful senoritas on the planet,” he boasted, kissing Elsie on the lips as he helped her slide on the robe.
Isobel giggled when he pulled a pair of maracas from behind his back, shaking them to the music. He offered them to his daughter and she instantly mimicked his action, smacking Elsie in the head. Isobel had grown and matured faster than anyone had expected, but it wasn’t unheard of for powerful supernaturals.
“I see those are going to be dangerous,” Elsie joked, smiling at Zander as she tried to dry off their little girl. “Come on, Izzy, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” she announced, wrapping an arm around Zander’s waist and walking towards their guests.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I’m verra horny. You’re turning me on in that silver seduction, a ghra,” he groaned, smacking her ass.
She jumped and squealed simultaneously, “After a few more ‘ritas, I’m certain this silver seduction will be on the floor of our bedroom,” she murmured, winking at him.
“You can count on that,” he grinned, tugging on a lock of her long, wavy hair.
As they approached the Rowan triplets, Elsie let out a squeal, “Pema, you didn’t tell me you were pregnant. That’s wonderful news!” she shouted, hugging the witch enthusiastically. The female was definitely pregnant, Zander noticed, with a round belly protruding underneath her sweater.
“I wanted to tell you in person. And you look fabulous. I hope I look that good after he’s born. Thanks for breaking Jace in, he’s a wonderful obstetrician,” she offered, smiling over her shoulder at Jace.
“Congratulations, a boy! I love the idea of our little ones growing up together. I’m hoping Cailyn is next, hint, hint,” Elsie teased, nudging Jace as he approached their group.
“What we need is some alone-time so we can at least practice. I’m willing to try multiple times tonight if she’s interested,” the sorcerer replied, grabbing Cailyn and claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, Zander shared a knowing look with Jace and knew those two would be making up for lost time later on.
“Look at you, Princess, you’re getting so big,” Isis exclaimed, looking at Isobel. “Pretty soon you’ll be running around with Donovan, ain’t that right, Son?” she asked the boy beside her who was licking an ice cream cone.
Donovan was Braeden’s son, but his mother had left him when he was little and ever since Isis had mated with Braeden, she’d taken on the role of his mother, embracing him with her heart and love.
“Mama, is she an angel?” the young cambion asked, completely mesmerized by Isobel. Isis looked to Isobel and back to the stripling curiously.
“This is Isobel, Zander and Elsie’s daughter. She’s a vampire like your Uncle Caine,” she informed him, ruffling his curly brown hair that fell over his eyes.
“She’s the most prettiest female in the whole world,” Donovan declared, staring at Isobel. Elsie leaned down so that Donovan and Isobel were eye level.
And that’s when his daughter reached her tiny little hand towards him and blurted, “Mine.” Elsie’s jaw dropped and she stared up at Zander. He didn’t know what to say, he was just as shocked.
“Her first word,” Elsie whispered, moisture forming in her Loch-blue eyes. He squatted beside them, wiping an escaped tear from her cheek. This was one of those rare moments that could never be repeated and he was so happy they were sharing it together.
“Aye, a ghra, it would appear so. Honestly, I’m more concerned aboot her choice of word,” he admitted, watching his daughter closely. Isobel was a very special stripling and they still didn’t know the extent of her powers. Was there meaning behind what she had said?
“Mine,” she repeated, reaching for Donovan’s ice cream and Zander burst into laughter, feeling more relieved than anything. The young male grinned mischievously, swiping his tongue across the top of the frozen treat.
“Och, I think we will have to keep these two apart, I smell trouble brewing here,” he exclaimed, spurring nods of agreement. Breslin approached, carrying a cone that she offered to Isobel.
“Here, Princess, it’s your favorite, strawberry,” she stated. Isobel clapped and giggled, taking the ice cream and showed it to Donovan.
“Strawberry is my favorite, too,” he confessed, placing his pink treat beside hers.
“So much for eating dinner before dessert,” Elsie acknowledged, shaking her head. “All right, everyone, let’s get some food while it’s hot. I’m starving,” she announced. Zander led the group to the long table of food and made plates for him and Elsie while she took Isobel to one of the empty tables and sat down.
As soon as Zander sat down to eat, Nate walked over, “Elsie, the outdoor arrangements are in place and ready to go,” the dragon shifter announced. “Just holler when we you want to begin.”
“Oh, thank you for taking care of that. As soon as everyone eats, we’ll make our way to the water,” she responded, face bursting with excitement.
Zander pinned her with a glare. “A ghra, I thought we agreed fireworks were no’ a good idea under the circumstances.” Having an indoor pool party was one thing, but to have Isobel out in the open raised the hair on the back of his neck in alarm. With Ramiel gone it seemed like the target on Isobel had tripled in size. He agreed that it was time for the angel to leave, but Zander had to admit his presence had soothed his fear of keeping her safe.
“I know, but Isobel will love the show. She’s never seen them and I really want to do this. I understand why you’re being overprotective, but I refuse to live in fear of the demon’s next move. This is our home and I feel safe. We have a houseful of warriors, not to mention, a dragon living under our roof. You’ve tripled and quadrupled the protections around the property. It will last fifteen minutes tops, we’ll be fine,” she reassured, reaching over and placing her warm palm to his cheek.
She smiled that smile of hers that melted his heart every time and he knew she’d have her way. “Alright, we’ll do it this time, but later I get my fireworks,” he husked, kissing the palm of her hand. She blushed and her honeysuckle scent washed over his body, arousal following its path straight to his cock.
“Deal,” she husked, rubbing her leg against his underneath the table. Zander took another bite slowly chewing his food then licked his lips sensuously. Their after-party was going to be far more explosive than any fireworks display and he was suddenly anxious to get the show started.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Elsie huddled in the plush robe, seeking warmth from the large bonfire crackling nearby. Cursing herself for not considering the cool Spring temperatures in Seattle, she cuddled Izzy closer. At least the weather had taken a detour from its normal rain, but that didn’t stop her from questioning her decision to have fireworks by the water’s edge, especially when she felt Isobel shiver against her skin. Tightening her hold, Elsie rubbed her little back and arms through the thick towel wrapped around her tiny body.
Elsie shuddered and goose pimples rose on her skin for another, more pleasant reason when Zander’s lips brushed against the back of her neck. Leaning down, he whispered, “Last chance to cut oot of here. I’ll race you to the bedroom,” he husked, wrapping his hands around her middle then pulled her against an erection that refused to be ignored.
“All in good time, my love, all in good time,”
she murmured, turning her head to place a tender kiss against his warm lips. Out of the corner of her eye, Elsie saw her sister and Jace cuddling on one of the chaise lounges and she was glad to see them spending some much-needed quality time together. In fact, all of the mated couples of Zeum were taking advantage of the cold air and snuggling together.
Just as Elsie was about to ask Nate to get the show rolling before some of them snuck away for a private party, several pops echoed through the night sky followed by a deafening boom. Elsie pointed up above as a shower of vibrant glitter spiraled overhead. Isobel’s eyes widened and Elsie saw the spectacular display reflecting off of her pale skin.
“Ooooh,” her daughter’s sweet voice whispered followed by the biggest grin Elsie had ever seen. Her baby was mesmerized as a green waterfall of light tumbled down to meet the water.
The next round was three starbursts shattering into a thousand sparks of blue, scarlet and gold. Tiny hands clapping faster than a hummingbird’s wings made Elsie’s heart swell to the point she thought it might explode. This was definitely worth suffering through the cold.
Elsie finally understood what her parents had told her about the love they had for her and Cailyn. The deep, abiding love she felt for Izzy was different than anything she’d ever experienced before. All encompassing and completely unconditional. A fierce protectiveness had been born along with Isobel and Elsie was beginning to understand Zander’s Neanderthal behavior better.
She was a mama bear that would die protecting her cub if need be. Nothing meant more than seeing her baby happy and loved. She would do anything, go through anything to see her daughter smiling and clapping like this. Glancing over her shoulder to see if Zander was watching Isobel’s enjoyment, she noticed his eyes weren’t on their daughter at all and Elsie’s blood heated another degree at the way he was undressing her with his sapphire blues. Bad vampire. She might have to spank him later.
“Damn, you are so verra sexy. Come here,” he demanded, spinning her around to claim her lips.
Arousal, hot and demanding, shot through her veins and raced to her core as her heart pounded against her chest. Nothing ignited her like Zander’s skilled tongue exploring her mouth. The kiss deepened as their breaths quickened to pants, leaving her helpless to his dominance. Squirming in her arms broke the heated moment as Isobel struggled to watch the show above.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, mommy gets very distracted when daddy is around,” Elsie admitted, winking at Zander.
Another splatter of color lit up the sky, eliciting more claps from her daughter. Elsie glanced to the small crowd of family and friends, noting there wasn’t a single face without a huge smile. Fireworks had the power to turn any frown upside down.
Memories of her childhood flashed through her mind. The Fourth of July was her mom’s favorite holiday, and she would make her famous berry truffle dessert. All year her dad would put his spare change in a large jar and her family would take a road trip to buy fireworks to put on a show for the neighborhood kids. Elsie and Cailyn were always in charge of handing out the sparklers to the older kids and poppers to the little ones, but it was the grand finale of the fireworks that always made her soul burst with glee.
Commotion at the water’s edge brought Elsie out of her musings. At first she couldn’t tell what was happening due to residual smoke and debris from the fireworks. Peering closer, she realized there was something coming out of the water, rushing towards them.
Countless Sheti poured from the shore like a disturbed ant mound, frenzied and scrambling in every direction. Apparently, they were still working for the demons. It would be nice to have just one celebration free of interruption from the enemy, she thought. Not a chance, apparently as the warriors quickly went from relaxed to battle-ready, drawing weapons and charging the attackers. But it wasn’t the Sheti that snared Elsie’s undivided attention. It was the evil demon in the middle of the pack. Kadir.
The seven-foot malevolent being towered over the reptilian creatures and his bright red hair was as vibrant as the pyrotechnic display they had been watching in the sky. Elsie knew all-too-well the strength that lay behind his long, black claws as she remembered their last encounter. The pointy tips had pressed into her rounded belly as Kadir demanded that Zander hand over the Triskele Amulet. Kadir was the force behind every single problem she’d ever had and she loathed the beast.
Elsie hugged Isobel closer, trying to remain calm as she whispered, “Remember how mommy said to call Rami only if it’s an emergency?” she asked. Isobel held her gaze, but Elsie couldn’t tell if she understood what she was trying to say. “This is one of those times. Please summon Rami now, okay, sweetie?” she pleaded, praying to the Goddess that her daughter’s Guardian Angel would appear.
“Doona worry, this piece of shite willna harm my family again. Stay oot of the fight, Elsie. Let us protect you,” Zander ordered. His thick, Scottish accent demanded obedience and Elsie had never seen such rage erupt from her mate. If anyone hated Kadir more than Elsie, it was Zander.
“Feel the freeze, motherfuckers!” roared Bhric and chaos ensued. The warrior extended his palms and missiles of ice shot forward, blasting the Sheti and freezing them in place. In the next wave, Breslin called upon her power of fire to incinerate the crystalline sculptures. The twins were two halves of a whole and worked seamlessly together.
A blur whizzed past Elsie and she scrambled to safety. Her eyes followed the movement and when it came to a stop, Kyran appeared behind one of the lizard men. He swung his sword, removing its head then sifted to the next creature and repeated the action. Mack mirrored his movements, eliminating just as many as Kyran. Knowing Mack, she probably saw this as another competition between her and her mate and would be determined to claim victory. She had never been more appreciative that her friend had joined their ranks.
Orlando shifted to his snow leopard, tearing through the crowd and latched on to throat after throat, leaving behind a bloody mess of decapitated limbs. Elsie spotted blasts of magic exploding on the shoreline and she noticed it was Jace and Gerrick eradicating Sheti as they broke through the water’s surface. The ones who managed to slip by them were greeted by sheets of fire from a dragon’s snout, courtesy of Nate. The Rowan sisters had gathered the remaining females and Donovan, surrounding them with a protective shield that Elsie prayed kept her sister and friends safe from harm.
Suddenly, Rami appeared on the scene, standing right beside her and Elsie couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her throat. The angel was no longer wearing the brown toga nor did he have brown wings. He was bare-chested, wearing only black leather pants and boots, his bronzed muscles glistening in the moonlight. But, what captivated her attention were the enormous black-as-night wings.
Curiosity peaked over what had caused Rami’s transformation to the threatening sight he posed. Where Illianna and her brother’s wings had always seemed a beautiful extension of themselves, Rami’s appeared to make their own decisions, reaching toward the demons surging from the lake.
The sound of metal against metal was loud despite the chaos when he extended his wings. Doing a double take and peering closer at his black feathers, she realized the tips were tiny razors, silver and jagged. Finally meeting his gaze, she was dismayed to see his beautiful blue eyes were gone, as well. Now, red eyes blazed against a stoic face. Ramiel was lethal, unrecognizable even.
Gone was the man she once knew, and, standing in his place, was an Angel of Retribution. The sight inspired awe and total fear. Any being in its right mind would run screaming from one of these angels. Thankfully, Rami was on their side instead of seeking vengeance against one of them.
Frightened, Elsie tightened her grip on Isobel as her daughter reached toward him. “Rami!” Izzy shouted, her blue eyes sparkling with joy. The angel smiled and Elsie relaxed slightly, noting the man she knew was still deep inside this warrior. He would always defend Isobel, even if it meant his death.
On a side note, Elsie wanted to know why her daugh
ter’s second word was Rami. Weren’t a child’s first words supposed to be mama and dada? Elsie couldn’t help but shake her head at that thought, because apparently, Isobel had her own way of doing things. Not surprising given her stubborn father.
“Aboot fucking time,” Zander barked, claymore in hand. He had taken stance several yards away, prepared to fight any attackers that got close to them. Elsie knew it went against his fighting soul to stand with her and the baby and not rush headlong into the battle, but he would never leave her holding Isobel without protection. The demon had the ability to sift and if Zander moved too far from them, Kadir wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage.
“This little girl knows she can count on me and that’s my only concern,” Rami countered, eyes cutting to Zander. “Your opinion is null and void,” he added before looking back to Isobel and tugging at her hand. “Elsie, keep her in your arms and stay behind me, no matter what, understand?”
Elsie could only nod as words became trapped in her throat. Rami’s red eyes were terrifying, and yet, hypnotic. She wondered if he had the power of trance, as she felt compelled to obey his command. He turned away and she was finally able to blink several times, clearing her mind. Whatever mojo Rami wielded now, it was powerful as hell.
