Her Brother, Her Mate

It’s been a week since the episode with Carli. She has gone mostly back to normal, at least around us, but I can still sense the underlining turmoil in her. Parker, the poor guy, has been working overtime to handle pack business and continuing the search for Aiden, all while closely monitoring Carli and trying to always keep her in his sights.

There has been no sign of Aiden anywhere. He seems to have just disappeared and I selfishly keep hoping that he ran away and we won’t have to worry about him any longer. Cathal said that that is just not possible in his current situation. He has no money since the fairy knights put a freeze on his accounts, and he also doesn’t know many people outside of the fairies. If he was in the kingdom of fairy, any of the kingdoms, Queen Aisling’s decree to turn him in would force anyone conspiring with him to hand him over to the knights. He would be compelled to hand himself over, since her magic influences everything in their world.

That means he is out here somewhere, broke and desperate with a flying horse. An old and ailing flying horse that needs magic to survive. If the horse dies because of his selfishness, Aiden will surely face the death penalty by his own kind if our kind doesn’t find him first.

Casey has been leading the investigation and searches for him, freeing up much of Parker’s time. Parker’s father has been helping in the packhouse too, helping run the business side of things, and the previous gammas, Tommy and Elena, are assisting at the warrior center to cover for Carli and Matt, while Matt works with Casey. It takes a village, but everything is still running smoothly, even without Carli at 100%.

Her scent has been changing over the last week, and I suspect that she is pregnant, which is probably why her emotions are so out of whack. She doesn’t seem to know herself yet, so I haven’t brought it up, but Parker’s worry and the way his hand sometimes lingers on her abdomen lead me to believe that I’m right.

He talked her into stopping breastfeeding since Rosie was almost a year old. That was a fight I didn’t want to witness, but Carli eventually tearfully agreed after Vincent helped. Vincent, being a stronger vampire, can compel people to believe what he wants them to believe. It doesn’t work as well on werewolves, but he can alter emotions slightly. He was able to reign in her anger and replace it with acceptance.

Vincent is also great with Rosie, which surprised everyone, even him. Rosie had been choosing him over everyone else, flirting with him in her little baby way, cooing and smiling brightly at him whenever he was in the room. He is currently sitting with her on the recliner, rocking back and forth, trying to get her to sleep. Now I know why Carli always jumped Parker’s bones whenever he was affectionate towards their daughter. It’s such a turn-on watching a man in that dad role.

Vincent and I are babysitting tonight so Parker can take Carli out for fresh air. She is getting stir crazy, we can all tell.

“I’m hungry,” Carli whines, looking into the fridge for the fifth time in the last few minutes.

“You’re about to go out to eat, girl. Get out of the kitchen and go get ready,” I shook my head at her.

“I am ready,” she tells me, still scanning the contents of the fridge.

“You are not wearing that,” I scolded her choice of jean shorts and a plain, baggy t-shirt.

She looks down at herself and then back at me, “Why? What’s wrong with it?”

I look up towards the heavens, silently thanking the goddess that I don’t have her fashion sense. I pushed off the couch and made my way over to her, “Come on. That isn’t date night attire.”

She scoffs, “We’re married with a kid. I don’t need to impress him anymore.”

“Hey, you always need to try and impress him. Don’t let the magic die.”

“Magic my a*s. The dude farts in his sleep,” she mutters.

“And you don’t? I’ve shared a bed with you before,” I challenged.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“At least I don’t talk in my sleep like you. You’re a shopaholic even in your f*****g sleep. Throw this in the cart. Don’t buy that, it’s coral, not pink,” she says, mocking my voice, “Lucky you got a loaded mate who can maintain your addiction.”

“I can maintain my own addiction, thank you very much,” I turned my nose up to her, “I got a credit card and a job.”

“I don’t mind, my love,” Vincent whispered loudly from the living room, trying not to wake a now sleeping Rosie, “What’s mine is yours.”

I blow a k**s to him, and he catches it, placing it over his heart.

“Y’all are so f*****g cringy,” Carli looks at us with disgust.

“Your outfit is cringy,” I threw back at her, “Come on. I’m not letting you leave looking like that.”

I take Carli to her bathroom, strip her down to nothing since the chick still refuses to wear underwear, and dress her like a lifesize Barbie. I can’t talk her into underwear, but I do talk her into a more date-worthy sundress and strappy sandals. I sat her in front of her mirror and ignored her protests as I styled her hair and applied a thin layer of make-up.

By the time I’m done, she looks hot and ready for a night out in Miami with her mate. Parker is home and talking with Vincent in the living room when we come out, and he does a double-take when he sees my handiwork.

“Wow,” he manages to sputter out after gawking for a minute, “You look….wow.”

“You’re drooling a little there, bud,” I laughed at him, pointing to the corner of my lips.

He ignores me and stands to approach a now shy Carli.

“You look gorgeous, babe. Did you get ready for me?”

She bites her l*p and nods at him. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I resisted. I had to literally make her get dressed up, but I’ll let her have this moment with her mate.

I looked over at mine, and he was looking at me the same way Parker was looking at Carli. I felt a blush spread across my face. His heated eyes told me that if we weren’t babysitting tonight we would be making a baby of our own.

“Ready to go?” Parker asks Carli.

She nods, still not finding her voice. Parker is the only one who can make her feel shy or embarrassed like this. Probably because she cares what he thinks of her more than anyone else. Carli and Parker walk over to Vincent and Rosie, and each place a k**s on Rosie’s cheek before heading out.

When they’re gone, I walk over to sit on the arm of Vincent’s chair, “Want me to move her to her bed so you’re not stuck here while she naps?”

“I’m okay. I like the way you look at me while I’m holding her,” he smirks at me.

“Maybe if you lay her down, you might get more than a look from me,” I told him suggestively.

“What a bad babysitter you are, trying to seduce me while on the job,” Vincent tuts his tongue and shakes his head.

I laugh softly, covering my mouth with my hand so I don’t wake the baby. “I’m an excellent babysitter,” I tell him after collecting myself, “I just want to show you what else I’m excellent at.” I stand up, make an obscene gesture with my hand and mouth, then lick my lips sensually, causing him to g***n with want, “But you’re right. We have a job to do right now. I just hope I’m still in the mood to taste you later.”

“I will make sure you are,” he whispered darkly.

Rosie wakes up from her nap about 30 minutes later. It’s almost dinner time, so we decide to take her down early with us so we can get her seated and situated before the rush comes.

Simon and Laura join us, while Carlos and Stephan are at warrior training with some of the friends they have made among the warriors here. It’s encouraging to see everyone getting along so well.

Right when we get our dinner, and after the kitchen fixes us a kid’s plate of pureed veggies and baby meat sticks for Rosie, Casey, and Matt, along with Lilly, join us too. Trevor is sitting with the warriors who just came in. It was most surprising to see him becoming good friends with Carlos and Stephan. The former Betas were not as close-minded as the former alphas, but Jessica Reynolds, Trevor’s mother, was a little snobbish and over-opinionated about certain things. Trevor showed no hostility towards the vampires, welcoming them as much as everyone else.

Rosie doesn’t allow anyone but Vincent to feed her, turning her head away stubbornly when someone else tries. Laura and Lilly are swooning with me over the adorable way Vincent is handling her, and I can see by the looks on their faces, that Matt and Simon are not pleased with this. Soon, both of them are fighting for Rosie’s attention too.

“Losers,” Casey shakes his head while watching them, taking a big bite out of his steak sandwich, “Knock your women up and have your own babies if it bothers you that much. f*****g pansies,” he says with his mouth full.

“I wouldn’t mind you putting a pup in me,” Lilly teases Matt, who shuffles back to his chair with a big smile on his face.

“A baby with your eyes would be adorable,” Laura flutters her eyelashes up at Simon.

While everyone is laughing at them, Vincent leans over to me, “Does this mean we get to talk about having babies too?”

Before I could answer and tell him how much I’m okay with having his babies, a couple approached our table, stopping right behind Rosie’s high chair as they looked down on her with adoration.

“Alpha Jared, Luna Mary,” Matt, Lilly, and Laura all nod in polite greeting. Vincent, Casey, and I glare at the couple while Simon looks at them with apprehension.

“Can we help you with anything?” I asked them, though from the apologetic look on Alpha Jared’s face, and the wanting look on Mary’s, I can guess why they’re here.