The Medici Queen

by Emily Bex

  Shade was pleased with the new warriors. His team from Florence was working hand in hand with the new recruits, making great progress towards his goals. Leaving camp, he walked up the path to the house when he saw Cory up ahead. Shade picked up his stride, catching up easily.

  "You are in a big ass hurry son, what’s on your agenda?"

  Cory felt Shade's arm go around his neck and he laughed. "My stomach!"

  Shade punched his arm playfully as they came stomping into the house, rough-housing with each other. Shade watched as Cory headed to the kitchen. Shade took the steps two at a time as he headed for their bedroom. He found his beauty, mid-term in her pregnancy, her long red locks hanging loosely around her shoulders and wearing a sundress that left her shoulders exposed. Her feet were bare, and her toenails painted red. She gave him a soft smile that beamed just for him.

  "A sight for these tired sore eyes. Come give your savage lover a kiss. Your warrior is home, woman!"

  Kate allowed herself to be swallowed up in his embrace, happy to have him home. "Did I hear Cory come in with you?"

  "Si, but his stomach was making demands on him. That boy is going to eat us out of house and home. I never saw a mortal eat that damn much! He is not even a warrior and he consumes a lot. He is so fucking skinny. Where in the hell does it all go?"

  Kate laughed. "He’s like every teenage boy, still growing and always hungry. His rooms are ready. I was waiting for the two of you. This is a big day. Your son will officially be moving into his own rooms. We sort of skipped over the whole nursery and going to school stuff with him. How do you feel about this? Are you adjusting? Is he adjusting?"

  Shade looked down and shuffled his feet. His guilt at missing most of Cory's life up until now was still a sore spot in his heart. "We are both adjusting mi amore, he still refers to me as Shade sometimes, and that is fine. I try to call him son when we are alone and Cory when we are among the warriors, so as not to make him feel out of place. The warriors are adjusting better than we are it seems. They rib him a bit, but not as much as I thought, and always good-naturedly. They like him, have bonded with him long before this came about. As for me, I am proud to have him living here."

  Shade kissed her soundly on the mouth, as he heard Cory coming up the steps and stand in their doorway, taking another bite of his apple.

  Cory cleared his throat. "Excuse me, don’t stop on my account, but get a room!"

  Kate laughed. "We have a room, a lot of them in fact. But more importantly, you now have your own rooms. Are you ready to see them?"

  Cory grinned. "Hell yeah, they’re ready?"

  Kate led the way, letting Cory follow her. Shade walked behind them both, eager to see Cory's reaction for himself once inside what he was sure to be rooms fit for the son of a king.

  Kate led them up the new staircase to the third floor, which had been entirely given over to Cory. The stairs opened into his living room, with the large sectional sofa, shelving for books and video gaming equipment, and the huge 70" flat screen TV. The walls behind the sofa featured a gallery wall of art, all provided by Luca. Paintings of warriors from the camp, the horses in the field, a painting of the main house at Bel Rosso, portraits of Shade and Kate, as well as a portrait of Cory, and Cory's mom. The ceilings had been left to show the exposed beams and pitched roof, which added to the masculine feel of the rooms.

  Cory stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The room was large, and decorated in neutral tones of beige and brown, the exposed wood making everything feel homey. The lighting was amazing with windows and a skylight. His eyes went to the huge flat-screen television.

  "Sweet!"

  Shade chuckled. "Damn, this room is bigger than Kate's old condo in D.C."

  Cory walked around the large room, his eyes getting bigger and bigger. His mom's old house wasn’t this large, and he’d never had anything this special of his own. He looked at the wall over the sofa and spotted all of the paintings and his eyes lit up. Walking over to them, he stood there staring. He saw himself and even his mom. There was one of Kate and Shade, as well as some group images of the warriors. He could clearly recognize Marcello and Raven in the action scenes.

  Turning, he looked at Kate. "These are Luca's paintings! I mean, this is one of my mom."

  His hand slid slowly over the painting of his mom. He hoped her new living conditions would be this luxurious. He knew Shade would take care of her as he’d promised. Cory rolled his eyes to Shade and they locked eyes with each other. Shade could feel his emotions, how overwhelming this space was for him, his surprise that this was actually his.

  "It's all yours, son. This is where you live now. This is where you deserve to live. And the things you need will be provided for you."

  Shade walked over to where Cory stood, putting his arm around Cory's shoulders. "Luca has a great talent. Look at your madre in this picture. He has captured her love for you in her eyes. Just like you can make leather into something artistic, Luca can do the same with a canvas."

  Kate stood back and watched Shade with this man-child. Too old to be held, and yet needing so much to make up for all the lost time. She’d asked Luca to paint the portraits and made sure to include Cory's mother, letting Cory know he belonged to all of them now. This was his family. Her heart melted as she watched them together and knew their bond grew stronger with every day. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Okay, well do you want to see the bedroom now?"

  Kate led them from his large living room into the bedroom. The stone fireplace was the focal point in the room. His new bed was King-sized and layered with a feather bed and luxury down-filled linens, in shades of light brown and a brown tartan plaid. The windows gave him a bird's eye view of Bel Rosso from the third floor. The new hardwood floors gleamed and a large antique Persian rug covered the floor for warmth. There were side tables and overstuffed leather chairs. He had a huge closet that Kate had filled with the new jeans, high-top Converse sneakers, t-shirts, and the plaid long sleeve shirts he wore routinely. He had a small desk area, with a laptop, and a new iPhone.

  Cory followed Kate into the huge bedroom and he couldn’t take in everything fast enough. He walked around in a large circle looking at everything.

  "That’s my bed? Just for me? I never had..." He felt the tears well up in his eyes and he went to Kate and embraced her. "I never had my own room, my own bed. It was a mattress on a floor. Living in the barracks was a luxury for me. I really don’t know what to say. I feel like I don’t deserve this, I love it so much."

  He let go of her, feeling a bit awkward and then his eyes landed on the far wall and he yelled, "No way! My boards! You hung my skateboards on the wall. Fucking sweet!"

  Walking over to the wall, he pulled his favorite board down and looked at Shade. "You know we’re building a board ramp and some other stuff at the camp. I’m teaching Raven how to skateboard. He’s good, but he can’t touch my skills."

  Shade shook his head. "Great, Raven on a fucking skateboard. That is all I need!"

  "Do you want to see the bathroom? This way." Kate led him to the bathroom which had a long counter made of reclaimed lumber, against a stone wall. There was a large sink mounted into the counter and a big shower stall.

  Shade stood in the doorway of the bathroom, arms crossed over his chest and winked at bel.

  “Cory went to the middle of a huge bathroom that was his alone, and ran his hands through his long dark brown hair. "I feel weird because I don’t know what to say, but I have a few questions."

  Shade nodded. "Questions are good, let’s sit in the living room and talk a bit."

  Taking bel's hand, he led her back out to the large sofa, pulled her to sit next to him and watched as Cory sat cross-legged on the other end.

  "Speak your mind, son."

  Cory stared at his newly found parents. "I know I can come and go whenever I like. You said I could have company. Kate doesn’t want feeders in the house, and I know that’s for real. So, I gu
ess I’m asking if I use the feeders at the compound?"

  Kate looked at Shade, then back at Cory. How did they get here so fast? She had no experience at being a mother and the first thing she had to do was have the sex talk!

  "Cory, this is your home, and I want you to feel at comfortable here in every way. You’re free to bring your immortal friends here. If you bring mortals, we need to know about it before hand, so we’re careful and don’t expose ourselves. That’s for our safety. Understand? The only mortals who come here now are Shannon and your mom. When you need a feeder, then I must insist you go to the compound. Someday, when you meet someone, when you have a girlfriend, someone you feel attached to, then you may bring her here. But no feeders inside the house."

  Cory stared at Shade. Shade nodded. "This is her decision because I have to live here with her Cory, she is my queen. Feeders are something we have decided on together, and I will not go against her wishes. But I want you to be able to voice your opinion. If ever there are other things you don’t agree with, do not just disobey them. Voice your objection to them from the beginning, when the decisions are made, then voice why you disagree. It is the only way to be heard."

  Cory listened intently. "I agree. But can I bring the warriors up here if we want to play X-Box and watch movies?" Cory leaned back against the sofa as he blushed. "I don’t have any girlfriends or anything like that."

  Kate laughed. "Of course! Bring all the warriors...well maybe not all the warriors, bring your friends. I know you’re friends with Raven and Marcello. They’re all welcome here. And use the kitchen whenever you want. Gi knows to keep it fully stocked. I forget to cook anything since I no longer eat human food, but if there’s something you want, I’ll be happy to cook for you. Just tell me. I’ll fix it for you. And don't worry about the girlfriends, they’ll come with time, trust me. You have your father's looks and his charm, so it won't take much, believe me."

  Shade nodded. "Son, just do not bring mortals here without talking to one of us first. We have to keep a low profile. And don’t be skateboarding in this house."

  Cory laughed along with them, feeling appreciated here. "I feel love here. I never had anything like this. My mom did the best she could, but I never got to be myself, I was lost, and I didn’t make it easy for her. I feel like I’ve found myself here, and now I can allow myself to feel emotions. Before, I had to shut everything down, so I didn’t feel. It was too much when I was on the streets and at the clubs, and what I had to do to survive. I like this me. I want to be a Medici and I want..." His eyes locked onto Shade’s, he could feel the tears roll down his cheeks, and he didn’t feel embarrassed. "I just want to be your son."

  Shade felt his heart scream with emotions as he watched Cory's tears fall, and his words made Shade's heart burst. He held out his arms and beckoned Cory to him. Cory flew off his end of the couch and into his arms, burying his head into Shade's neck, sobbing. Shade slid his hand up and down Cory’s back, his own blood tears spilling forth.

  "You are my son. You are Medici and I do love you."

  Kate laid her head against Cory's and wrapped her arm around his back. He was enclosed now in their embrace. Her own tears fell, for this child that had suffered so long, had now found his place, and for this man, who had a heart with so much capacity for love.

  "And I love you, Cory. I’ll love you as much as the children I’ll bear for Shade. You’re home now."

  Shade had no words, his emotions overflowed for a child he never knew existed, born into a world where he wasn’t wanted and now loved beyond all means. Wrapping his arm around Kate, he held them both. "Si, home. We are all home now. Familia."

  68

  It was a soft, summer evening and Rissa teleported with Hyde out to Bel Rosso. The sky was brilliant in glorious hues of peach and pink over the mountain range, as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. They teleported into the stables and Angelo had Biondo saddled and ready for Rissa to ride. She’d made it a routine to come out and ride at least two evenings a week, interchanging it with her rigorous gym workouts. She felt amazing, her stamina was better, and her body was still feminine and curvy, yet stronger to take on the demands of Alec’s sexual appetite.

  Hyde mounted one of the other horses to ride with her and they took off riding a few trails, moving at a slow gallop to warm up the horses. Rissa loved this part of the ride. She felt such freedom and it relaxed her. It was the only time she could be alone without the press who were beginning to follow her wherever she went. Alec was right. This was her down time, her stress free zone where she was fully protected.

  After riding several miles at the base of the mountains, they headed back to the open fields near the stables to practice some basic trick riding that Angelo had taught her.

  Once back inside the fenced in field, Angelo had set up a series of jumps. Rissa encouraged Biondo, using her thighs and heels to get the horse to jump and make sharp, quick turns. Every time they successfully completed an obstacle, it built more trust between rider and horse. Hyde sat atop his horse and called out commands and advice to her, getting her to repeat the jumps and obstacles until she and Biondo worked together as a team.

  Riding over to where Hyde sat along the fence line, Rissa’s smile was wide as she patted Biondo, praising her. "I think we have that last jump down. It’s high, but she understands what I need her to do."

  Hyde nodded and smiled at Rissa. He’d seen less aggressive behavior from her lately and she listened to his directives. Riding the horse, here in the beauty of Bel Rosso, was where she was the happiest.

  "Put your heels down even harder Rissa, let her know you mean business."

  Rissa looked at Hyde and shook her head, "I’m going to dig my heels into your sides if you don’t let her have a chance to take a break."

  They both laughed, and it felt good to relax, when movement caught Rissa's peripheral vision. She turned to see Kate and Shade walking along the path from their house and she noticed how much Kate was showing in her pregnancy. Rissa observed as Shade walked with her, holding her hand, not able to take his gaze from her and Rissa only wished Alec would give her half that much attention.

  As Kate walked with Shade on his way to the camp, she needed to catch up with Fee and finalize some of the plans for the feeder compound. She saw Rissa and Hyde. She waved at Rissa and tugged at Shade's hand. "Come on, we need to stop and say hello. Angelo says Rissa comes out about twice a week to ride, but I rarely see her."

  Kate led Shade over to the fence where Hyde and Rissa were both mounted on their horses. Kate stepped up on the first rung of the rail fencing, Shade grabbing her waist, steadying her.

  "Careful, mi amore.”

  Kate giggled at him. "I'm not going to break, Shade." She turned to Rissa. "You look good out there on Biondo."

  Rissa observed their closeness and was green with envy. Shade was so protective of Kate. Biondo let out a loud snort and whipped her head back and forth. Rissa realized she’d been tightening the reins in her hands. She was envious of their love, the attention he paid to every breath Kate took. She wondered if Alec ever really loved her and shook it off. Of course, he loved her, he chose her as his mate.

  "Thank you, Kate. She’s a beauty! Easy to train and she takes commands with such grace. I’m actually thinking about joining up to ride and play in a few charity polo matches. My skills are getting better now that I’m riding again. You look, uh, quite radiant in your pregnancy. When are you having that... When is the baby due?"

  Kate ran her hand over the growing swell of her belly and felt Shade's hand cover hers. "He’s due in late November, but I often wonder if he'll wait that long. He seems very eager to get here. I still ride Bravado, but no jumping for me. I have to be content with a gallop or Shade will ground me altogether. But you look skilled at jumping, and Biondo would probably make a great horse for polo. She has great speed, and she's not intimidated easily around the other horses."

  Rissa smiled at her comment, knowing Biondo was no polo h
orse. "Well, I wouldn’t ride Biondo in polo, I’d never want her damaged in any way. I’d choose another horse for that type of event." Rissa looked at Hyde. "What do you think, am I ready for polo yet?"

  Hyde reached over and pushed her calf down hard. "Heels down, Rissa, if you don’t remember, your precious ass is hitting dirt. But I think a few more lessons and you can try a run at polo."

  Rissa smacked his hand away. "Never good enough. Push, push, push!" Laughing, she looked at Kate. "He’s a grueling protector. I’m sure yours is as well. He just never lets up!"

  Kate laughed. "Trust me, between Shade and Luca, I’m surprised they let me walk up the stairs unassisted. I’ll be glad when the baby is born, and we can return to being normally obsessive instead of overly obsessive about my safety."

  Shade kissed the top of her head. "I will be as obsessive as is necessary when it comes to your protection, as well as our son's."

  Looking up at Rissa, he noticed her boots. "Rissa, if you decide to compete at polo, you seriously need to change your boots. You would do much better in the stirrup. Does Alec know you are playing polo? He hates riding and I know he hates those damn polo matches."

  Rissa grinned. "Well, you just answered that yourself. He has no clue, nor would he care what I did, as long as it is good press. He’d only be worried about whether our team won."

  Rissa laughed softly but it was a laugh she didn’t feel. Alec had no desire to know what she did. He rarely ever accompanied her to events any longer. Hyde was now her only companion and that made her feel sad. She watched as Shade nuzzled softly into Kate's neck, his hands always caressing and touching her. Alec rarely touched her except when they had sex. Seeing Shade and Kate together made the differences between her relationship with Alec starkly apparent, and that pained her.