Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Winnie

The events of the next evening revolved around our mission to retrieve Sage’s mother. Not being able to trust anyone, we broke our team up into four groups, each one leaving at a different time, telling a random story of where they were going.

Luka, Sage, and myself were in the last group. Our story was we were going to Luka’s house to retrieve some things. As the final team to depart, we had more than an hour remaining before we had to leave.

Settled into the comfortable rocking chair at Luka and Sage’s cabin, I balanced my laptop on my thighs as I combed through a collection of VRC files, meticulously reviewing each one. Unbeknownst to Luka, I was hoping to find something specific on what that doctor did to him.

Sage was in the shower and Lyric had taken her “morning” run with Erik. They usually left right before the sun went down, and came back not too long after I woke up, so I knew she’d be back in about thirty minutes.

Annie barked, then Chewy hissed at him. “I thought they couldn’t live together?” I asked, watching as Chewy swatted Annie in the face.

“Too damn bad. They’re going to have to get used to it.”

“So, was last night your first time fucking on the roof?’ I asked, wiggling my brows.

Luka snickered. “Shut up, Winnie.”

“That was fucking loud. Or loud fucking. Same difference.”

Luka chuckled lightly, then pushed himself back into the couch, plopping his feet up on the coffee table as his smile faded. “We didn’t have sex.”

With a subtle tilt of my head, I shot him a disbelieving look. “The moans echoing through the forest says otherwise.”

Luka’s distant eyes seemed to carry a heavy burden. “I assure you we didn’t. I took care of her, but then we stopped.”

“You or her?” I subtly asked.

His eyes locked on mine and the torment in his face was evident. “Me.”

I straightened my expression, letting sincerity replace my sarcasm. “You were probably tired. You’ve been through a lot of shit.”

“No, I just . . .” He shook his head, crossing his arms in front of him. “I was in VRC for a long time, Winnie. Lying on a cold table, not in the warm embrace of a woman. Shit happened to me. Bad shit.” He inhaled sharply, releasing a hard breath. “Her lure was so strong, I knew she wanted it, and I wanted to please her, so I did. But once it was my turn, I backed out. I told her she looked tired from my venom and we should just go to bed, and we’d fuck tonight. She was in such a haze, she didn’t even realize something was wrong.”

“Fuck, dude. That’s some serious adult shit.”

He chuckled at my light joke and both our heads whipped toward the door when two scents filled the air.

“Who’s that?” Luka asked, sniffing the air.

“Zeke’s wife, April and their baby. I’ll get it.” I hopped up and opened the door. “Come on in.”

April moseyed her way into the living room, the baby asleep in her arms, and Annie was sniffing curiously. “Hey, Luka. it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“Do you know where any of the girls are? I need someone to watch Scarlet while I shower real quick, and Zeke left with Marcus and Drag to help them at Drifters.”

Lie number one.

“Sage is in the shower and she took two razors with her so she’ll be there awhile,” Luka said and I laughed.

April’s gaze went to me.

“Lyric is out running with Erik. They’ll be back in like twenty minutes. We can watch her until then if you want,” I offered before remembering how much I hated changing diapers.

“Are you sure?” April asked, a guilty expression on her face.

“We’re sure,” Luka said with confidence. “We’ve been around Drag’s nieces and nephews their whole life.”

“Thank you.” April slid Scarlet into Luka’s arms, then held her bag out. “She just ate, so she should be good until I get back. If she starts crying, just rock your hips. She loves that. The pink blanket is her favorite, so keep that one on her, but if she spits up on it use the green one. That’s her second favorite.”

Luka nodded. “We got this. Go have twenty minutes of self care.”

April’s tense shoulders sagged. “Thanks again.”

She left the cabin and Luka rocked the baby in his arms. “It’s crazy how tiny she is.” Scarlet stretched, a bunch of farts exploding in her diaper, and Luka stopped moving. “That doesn’t sound good.”

The smell hit me like a ton of bricks. “Geezus. That’s worse than Drag’s farts were that night he was in the chili eating contest.”

“Oh, god, I can’t.” Luka turned his nose into his shoulder, his eyes watering. “I can feel her poop bouncing off my hand.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Eww.”

Annie sniffed, then ran off, and I burst out laughing.

Once Scarlet was done handling business, Luka laid her on the couch. “Change her.”

My brows arched. “Why do I have to? You’re the one who agreed to watch her.”

“Actually, that was you.” Luka picked up the diaper bag and handed it to me.

“We aren’t friends anymore,” I said, snatching it from his hands.

Even though I hated changing diapers, I’d mastered the science, and was able to do it in less than a minute.

After getting out a diaper and some wipes, I rubbed my hands together, warming them up. “Time me.”

Luka said nothing as I quickly unzipped her onesie and pulled her little legs out, not letting the cuteness of her tiny toes distract me from my mission. I undid her diaper, lifted her legs and wiped, then wiped again, and then again, all while Luka made a gagging sound. For such a small thing, Scarlet could really drop a load.

With one hand, I rolled up the old diaper with the wipes in it, setting it aside and slid on the new one. Then I latched it up, zipped her onesie, and she was smelling fresh again.

“Time?”

“Thirty-seven seconds.”

“Hell yes! New record.” I pointed to Scarlet, who yawned, but remained sleeping. “Watch her while I wash my hands.”

I yanked the diaper up and headed to the kitchen, sealing it in a ziplock bag before dropping it in the trash. That thing was horrendous.

After a quick scrub, I came back and picked the baby up. This time, I took a seat on the couch, laying her across my thighs. I couldn’t stop staring at her. Her tiny nose, her pink cheeks, her red hair. She was perfect.

“Babies are so lucky, bro. They have no worries, their soul is still pure, and they have someone to wipe their ass for them.”

“Are you wanting someone to wipe your ass?” Luka asked, and I popped my head up.

“I don’t think Lyric is the ass wiping type.” We both laughed and I turned my attention back to the baby. “I think I love her.”

Luka took a seat next to me and brushed his hand over Scarlet’s head. “I just met her and I already love her. Well, as long as she doesn’t shit again.”

“I meant Lyric.”

His eyes bulged, his hand falling away. “That’s huge for you.”

I nodded. “I know. And I didn’t want to, but it just happened.” I glanced back at Scarlet. “Lyric is going to want kids when she gets older. I can see it in her eyes. She’s so loving and nurturing. She was born a mom and doesn’t even know it.” I shook my head with a sigh. “I don’t want to break her heart or take that experience away from her. And I think that’s why I tried so hard not to love her. And probably why I haven’t told her.”

“Sage told me she loved me, man. I knew it already, but it’s a whole different vibe when someone actually says it to you.”

A hard breath left me. “She’s just too innocent. I can’t hurt her.”

“Are we talking about the same woman here?” Luka asked, tightening my brow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Did you see her at VRC? I only got a glimpse of her, but she was blood-soaked and made it out without a scratch on her. Which means she’s tougher than you think. Maybe take her off that pedestal you put her on and give the girl more credit.”

My eyes darted to him, mouth agape. “I just want to protect her from getting hurt.”

“It’s okay to protect her, even worship her. However, thinking she’s weak is a mistake. Given her ability to kill a man or even a vampire, I’m sure she can endure the pain of a broken heart if it happens.”

A snicker left me. “Where the fuck were you a month ago?”

“Waiting for my friends to rescue my ass.”

We both chuckled and I turned my attention back to Scarlet as I thought about Luka’s words. They were one hundred percent accurate. Lyric had the most pure soul, and deep down, I wanted to shelter her because of it. Even during our sparring sessions, I held back, refraining from using my full strength. Despite my hesitation, she always pushed forward, throwing out strong kicks and punches.

She was a warrior and I made her a princess.

As my mind reeled with this new revelation, I started to list some of her bad qualities. Though low, I came up with a few.

“You know what, maybe I shouldn’t have her on a pedestal. She leaves hair ties everywhere. I found one in the refrigerator once. No clue how it got there. Oh, and water cups. She has at least one in every room. I’m starting to feel like I’m trapped in that movie where water is the aliens’ ultimate weakness. It’s like Lyric’s waiting for an invasion.”

Luka laughed, shaking his head. “Sage bites her fingernails and picks her cuticles when she’s nervous. The sound drives me nuts. But I love her anyway.” He slapped his hand on my shoulder. “Welcome to a real relationship, man.”

Just as the scents hit me, Lyric and Erik barged through the door.

“Hey, oh, you have the baby?” The sound of Lyric’s squeal echoed through the room, and I couldn’t help but share a smug glance with Luka, silently confirming my previous statement. “I gotta wash my hands so I can hold her.”

Erik plopped down in the chair, leaned forward and whispered, “You gotta start running with her. I can’t keep up. She’s like deer, galloping through the woods, never getting tired.”

Lyric came into the room, and Erik leaned back in the chair with a heavy sigh. She set a water cup on the table and held her hands out. “My turn.”

“Hold up, mama, I need to say something.”

Lyric eyed me, seemingly confused, and I let every thought I had burst out my mouth.

“I know you love your braids, but I literally found a hair tie in the fridge and one in my shoes. I also hate that you leave your water cups lying around waiting for the aliens.”

Her face turned confused, her eyebrows arching upwards.

“Regardless of that, I plan on being with you forever, unless you stay human, then I’ll be with you until you die.” I shook my head. “I can’t really tell you what I’ll do after that, because my heart hurts even thinking about it.”

I glanced back at baby Scarlet and she smiled in her sleep. The cuteness gave me just enough courage to say what I needed to without shying away. With a deep breath, I met Lyric’s eyes.

“All I’m saying is, I never want to spend a day without you. And if that means I might have to steal you a baby in the future, then I guess that’s what we’re doing. Because I love you more than anything, including hacking, and that’s actually crazy. So, yeah. I love you, mama.”

With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, tears filled Lyric’s eyes. “I hate the way you cut your toenails in bed. It’s disgusting. And don’t get me started on the way you talk to your computer like it’s a hot girl.” She shook her head. “Regardless of your ease with kidnapping, I plan on being with you forever because I love you.”

She leaned down, pushing her lips against mine for a brief moment.

“Also, there’s no reason to steal babies when so many need homes. If we decide we want one, we’ll figure it out.”

Her genuine and comforting smile spoke volumes. Although my words weren’t poetic, Lyric understood me as a person, confessing her love the same way I did, and he made me love her even more.

The door opened and April rushed in. “Thank you for giving me time to shower.” She made her way over and stopped next to me, peering down at the baby. “Was she good for you?”

“She was an angel.” I looked down at Scarlet and took her hand in mine, giving her a fist bump. “You can hang out with Uncle Winnie again later.” I carefully lifted her and she extended her body, arching her back as I held her out. “Time to go back to your mom.”

April sucked in a breath as she took her.

“Is she okay?” I asked, my brows narrowing, concerned I did something wrong. “I’m not good with babies, but I was gentle with her. I did change her diaper earlier. And if you think baby shit smells bad when you’re a human, try being a vampire.”

I stuck my tongue out, making a gagging sound.

“It’s just,” April’s voice trembled as she choked back tears, “no one has ever called me her mom before.”

“Oh.” My gaze darted across April’s face and I realized how huge of a life-changing event this was for her. “Well, I’m not in charge of anyone or anything, but you knew what blankets she liked, so I’m pretty sure you’re her mom.”

“I’m her mom,” April whispered, eyeing Scarlet. “It sounds so weird to say aloud.”

A smile tugged at my cheeks as April began to sway her hips. Lyric peered down at the baby, a radiant smile lighting up her face, and I knew no matter what challenges life presented, we’d make it together.

With a deep sigh, I glanced at my phone, noticing that it was Lyric and Erik’s turn to leave. I sent him a text, reminding him.

A minute later, he said, “Hey, Lyric, are you still going to ride with me?”

“Where are you guys going?” April asked curiously. “I need to go to the store to get diapers and a few other things. I’d really like to check out the baby aisle myself to make sure I’m not missing anything.”

“We’re headed to do a property check on our grandparents farm,” Lyric said. “We’re concerned that the storm might have caused some damage.”

Lie number two.

“That’s okay. I can try getting a ride from someone else.”

Lyric and Erik left for their mission, April took Scarlet back to her cabin, and Luka went to check on Sage because we were set to leave next. He came back a few minutes later with her in tow.

She let out a hard sigh that echoed through the small cabin. “I’m not ready for this.”

“I told Lyric I loved her,” I blurted, attempting to take her focus off the nerve-wracking mission.

Sage smirked. “About time, Asshole.” She gave me a genuine smile, then sighed, heading outside, Luka trailing behind her.

With a deep breath of my own, I stepped out the door, pulling it shut behind me. Descending the porch, the moon’s eerie red glow caught my eye.

Must be a blood moon.