18. Ellis
Ellis
The scent of bacon, coffee, and eggs greets me as I descend the steps the next morning. Somehow, Cade, Kai, and I slept all through the rest of the day, and the following night. Sterling joined us at some point, and I didn’t even hear him climb into bed. When I left the room, Cade had already turned to Kai and they were snuggled with each other under the covers.
“Good morning,” Shari says with a smile, whisk in hand. “Hungry?”
“Actually, I could really use some coffee.”
“Not a big breakfast eater?” She digs through the cupboard and hands me a mug with the words “Ew, people” printed in large black letters.
I shake my head. “No. I rely solely on coffee first thing in the morning.”
She smiles and hands me the mug. “Cream is in the fridge, sugar on the counter. I have to run a few errands, but the bacon and eggs are done, and there are fresh muffins in the oven. They’ll be ready in a few minutes. Do you need anything while I’m out?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks though.”
She leaves and I stand in the kitchen, inhaling the steam from my mug and letting it warm me from the inside out. When the oven beeps, I find an oven mitt and place the muffin pan on top of the stove to cool. They smell amazing, nice and golden brown on top with blueberries bursting inside. Shari sure can cook.
“Oh,” a soft voice says behind me.
I whirl around to find Cade’s sister standing in the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around her. Her brown hair is matted and tangled, hanging in a clump well past her shoulders. Her blue eyes are wide in her sunken eye sockets.
“Hi,” I say, standing up straight and tucking a curl behind my ear. “Chloe, right? Would you like something to eat? There’s muffins, bacon, eggs. And coffee.”
Her throat works on a swallow and she eyes the mug in my hands. “I haven’t had coffee in … a very long time.”
“Coffee it is, then.” I smile and find a second mug for her. “Do you want anything to eat? These muffins look really good.” I hand her the mug, noticing how skeletal her hands look as she cradles it between them.
Instead of answering, she does the same thing with her coffee that I did with mine. She lifts it to her face and inhales. When she opens her eyes, I swear I see tears shimmering along her lashes.
As she opens her eyes, Cade steps into the kitchen and stops. His eyes widen as they land on his sister. “Chloe,” he rasps, stopping to clear his throat. “Are you okay?” He grimaces and shakes his head. “I mean, that was a stupid question. Of course you’re—” he cuts off with a muttered curse, heat creeping up his neck.
I watch their encounter with my heart in my throat. I know how important this is to Cade, to finally have his family back. But, will they ever truly be ‘back?’ I have the same thoughts when I think about my sister, and I have to squash the despair that tries to overwhelm me.
Chloe gives Cade a small smile. “I’m … okay.”
He nods and glances around the room, like he’s searching for something to do or say. His gaze lands on me and his shoulders drop, his feet bringing him toward me, probably on their own accord.
I give him an encouraging smile. “I’m sure Shari has some tea somewhere in this kitchen. Would you like some?”
He nods, but before I can turn around he pulls me against him. “Thank you,” he whispers in my ear.
“Don’t thank me. I’m happy to do whatever you need.” I pull back and kiss him, just a quick peck since his sister is watching. “Is Kai still sleeping?” Turning for the cabinets, I search through them for tea.
“Sleeping like the dead,” Cade replies, a slight smile to his voice.
I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see with my back to him. “You are hilarious,” I say drily.
“Oooh, my mom made muffins?” Cole asks as he joins us in the kitchen.
“She did. Do you guys have any …” I trail off as I turn around, my question about tea forgotten when I take in the room.
Cole is frozen in the entryway to the kitchen. His body is tense, still like only a predator can be. Even though he’s in his human form, I swear I can see his hackles raised along his neck. His icy blue gaze is locked on Chloe. Each breath he takes sounds loud and harsh in the sudden silence. He takes one step back. Then another. His pulse thrums under his skin hard enough even I can see it in his neck.
I glance at Chloe and frown. She’s staring at her hands clasped tightly on the table in front of her, her eyes wide and filled with shock. Blue sparks, the same color as Cole’s eyes, fizzle and hiss at her fingertips. They are weak and almost sickly looking, like she hasn’t recovered her magic fully from whatever has been blocking it. Cade is tense, glancing between the two.
“Cole?” I ask, stepping around Cade to approach Cole. Cade stops me with a firm grip on my bicep. “Are you okay?”
He shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opens them again, he swallows. “She’s my mate.” His words rasp through the kitchen, and we all snap our attention to Chloe.
She lifts her head, blue eyes impossibly wide. A startled gasp escapes her open mouth.
Cole takes off, shoving past Cade and me, knocking a chair over, and finally pushing through the back door. He’s already shifted into his black wolf before he hits the grass behind the house.
Chloe stands, her chair scraping across the linoleum, the sound loud in the silence. She rushes out of the kitchen and up the stairs without a word. Cade tries to follow, but I stop him.
“Give her some space,” I say numbly and tug him to the living room. “Give her time to … process that.”
“Mate?” he repeats. “What the hell?”
"I just passed Chloe upstairs," Kai says, descending the steps. "Is everything okay?"
Cade shakes his head and rubs his eyes. Something between a groan and laugh climbs up his throat. "Fucking mate?"
Kai glances at me, sitting on my other side. "Is he okay? Does he need more rest?"
"Apparently Chloe is Cole's mate," I say, leaning against Kai's shoulder.
"Whoa. Really?" Kai looks around me toward Cade. "And you're not freaking out about this?"
Cade shrugs and huffs a breath. "I mean, she's been captured for so long, I don't feel like I have any room to say anything."
"She's still your sister, Cade. Now more than ever you should be protecting her," Kai counters. “She’s been locked away for over 80 years. You think she’s ready to take on a mate?”
I frown, brows pulling low over my eyes. "Wait a minute." I hold up my hand toward Kai and stand up so I can look at them both. "You're not going to do anything," I say to Cade. "It's her life. It's her decision to make. Neither of you will say anything to her to try and sway her decision." I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my gaze at them.
Kai smirks before tugging me back down onto the couch. "Of course it's her choice. But it's also Cade's place as head of their family to make sure Chloe is safe. That doesn't mean he wouldn't let her be with Cole."
I sit back and bite my bottom lip. Ever since Cole announced Chloe was his mate, questions have been swirling inside me.
Kai bumps my shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself thinking so hard."
"Don't be an ass." I elbow him hard enough he grunts. "Is it ... is it possible for other races to procreate with each other? I mean I know mages can’t with non-mages."
Kai stiffens and Cade whips his head in my direction. They both stare at me with wide eyes and open mouths, and I'm pretty sure neither of them are breathing.
"Um, should I not have asked that?" I glance back and forth between them, nerves suddenly fluttering to life in my belly.
Before either of them can answer, Sterling enters the house, surprisingly wearing a shirt. He notices us in the living room, and snags a piece of bacon before sitting across from us in the chair.
"How are you feeling Cade?" Sterling asks, eyeing the mage.
"Better. But, apparently my sister is your brother's mate."
Sterling nods. "Yeah. Cole called me. I just got back from talking with him."
"Is he okay?" I ask, leaning forward. "He seemed really upset when he left."
Sterling huffs. "He will be. Cole has a girlfriend. They've been dating for a few years apparently. But the moment he laid eyes on Chloe it was all over for him." His icy blue eyes land on me, shining with an inner light. "I know that feeling well," he says quietly.
On either side of me, Kai and Cade nod their agreement. My heart flutters like it always does when I realize the depth of their love for me.
"Before you got here, Sterling, Ellis had an interesting question for us," Kai says, his gray eyes piercing me like a sharp knife.
"Oh?" Sterling raises one silver brow and settles into the chair.
Cade looks at me while he says, "She wants to know if it's possible for other races to procreate."
I learned first hand how the child of a mage and a shifter is essentially human. But what about vampires and shifters? Or any other combination?
Sterling whips his head in my direction, his expression matching Cade and Kai's when I asked the first time. "Why are you asking, Ellis?"
Heat warms my cheeks and I duck my head, using my hair as a shield. "I was just wondering," I mutter, picking at my nails and refusing to look at any of them.
"Just wondering, huh?" Kai says, grabbing my chin in his fingers and forcing me to meet his gaze. "You're wondering about our future, aren't you?"
I swallow, my throat tight and mouth dry. Shrugging, I pull my head free of his grasp and look back at my hands in my lap. Honestly, I hadn’t been. Until now. I was just curious about Cole and Chloe. But Kai’s question makes me wonder what will happen to us after we deal with Sam. I hadn’t ever really thought about children. The brief window of peace I had with Sam didn’t last long enough for me to dream. But now? With my Shields?
Sterling gets up and kneels in front of me, a small smile spreading across his face. "We've all thought about that, kitten. A lot." He waits for me to look at him, ducking his head slightly to meet my gaze. "And we all want it."
Kai squeezes my thigh and Cade rubs circles on my back. Some of the tightness in my chest eases as I realize I'm not the only one who’s thinking about a family.
"But is it even possible?" I ask. "Cade is a mage, he can't have kids with a non-mage."
Kai sighs and sits back on the couch. "I can't either. Have kids with a non-vamp that is."
My heart sinks. That's two out of three. Two of my guys who I can't have children with. I force a smile to my face. "Well, it was just a thought anyway."
"What about shifters?" Cade asks Sterling.
Sterling watches me carefully. "Wolves have a higher chance of procreating with different races. Well, with humans and other shifters that is. Our pups are strong and stubborn, so it's more likely to be a successful pregnancy." His words don't give me the hope I think he wanted them to. "Don't forget, kitten, you're not normal by any means. I doubt there is any information about harpies and how it works with them. When this is all over, we can talk with Agatha. She might be able to give us some advice."
I nod and bite my lip, forcing my emotions deep inside. Not only will Kai pick up on them, but now is not the time to even be thinking of this. We still have so much to deal with. Starting a family should be the least of my concerns.
A knock on the front door and Allie popping her head inside luckily draws everyone's attention away from me. I hop off the couch and make a break toward her, desperately glad to see her at this particular moment.
“Allie!” I give her a hug, almost knocking her backward. “Thank gods you’re here,” I whisper so only she can hear.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, untangling herself from me.
I nod, heat creeping into my cheeks once again. “Yes. Just glad to have a distraction right now.”
She raises one brow and gives me a look that says I need help, but she lets it drop. “How’s your mom and sister, Cade?”
“Chloe is awake. She was downstairs not too long ago. I haven’t checked on my mom yet.”
“Okay. Well, let’s go see if your magic did anything to help your mom yet. Ellis, come with us.” Allie links her arm through mine.
I stop Cade before he can climb the stairs. “Are you up to it? You haven’t eaten anything yet.”
“You haven’t eaten?” Kai’s tone is laced with concern, and his gray eyes narrow on Cade.
“I’m good,” Cade reassures us. “I’ll eat in a little bit.” He pushes past me and Allie and disappears upstairs before Kai can say anything else.
Upstairs, Chloe is sitting on her mom’s bed, placing a fresh compress on her forehead. She glances at us, and I notice her relax when she realizes Cole isn’t here.
“Hi Chloe. How are you feeling?” Allie asks, getting down to business.
Chloe shrugs. “I’m … as okay as I can be.”
“Can I scan you again?” Cade asks, purple light flaring around his arms.
“Sure.” Chloe closes her eyes, and as Cade’s magic flows through her, she sighs. “It feels like dad’s magic,” she whispers.
Cade jerks back like he was burned. He clears his throat and steps away. “Is your magic coming back yet?”
I hate how awkward he feels around her, and I wish there was something I could do to make things like they used to be between them.
Chloe studies her hands with a frown. “A little. It’s like there is all this fog inside of me, and getting through it to my magic is almost impossible. But it does seem like it’s getting better. Slowly.”
Cade nods and heads toward his mom’s side of the bed. “I’m assuming it’s the same for mom, then.” His magic flows through her body, making her groan, which leads to a coughing fit.
Allie bites her lip. “I’m going to up her antibiotics and give her something else to help reduce the fever.”
“Chloe, do you need anything?” I ask. “You didn’t eat this morning. I can bring you some food.”
“Actually, would it be possible to take a shower or something?” She fingers the matted nest of her hair and grimaces.
“Absolutely,” I say, bustling to the attached bathroom to make sure everything she’ll need is ready. When I come back out, Cade is hovering over her, looking like he wants to help but is afraid. “You,” I say, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the door, “Go away.”
“But—”
“No. I don’t want to hear a word out of you. Shoo.” I wave my hands and nudge him closer to the door.
“Ellis.” He narrows his eyes at me, jaw clenching.
Placing my hands on his chest, I stand on my tiptoes and brush a soft kiss to his lips. “We’ll be fine, Cade. Go downstairs and eat something before Kai comes hunting for you and drags you away to force feed you.” With that, I give him the final shove out the door, and close it in his face. I turn around with my hands on my hips. “Now. Where were we?”