Chapter One #2
“Then we’ll have to make sure that we do it a lot.” Rhys flushed. “I mean.” Rhys stuttered, embarrassed at what his comment implied.
Moe smiled. “I know what you meant. I’ve told you this before, we’ll take this mating at your pace. You let me know what you’re ready for.”
Rhys breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. It’s not that I don’t want you, I wake up so damn hard some mornings, dreaming about running my tongue over your tattoos, I think my dick will fall off.”
Moe stumbled over his own feet and looked down at his mate.
Rhys grinned at him wickedly for a moment before the light faded from his eyes. “I’m afraid of what might happen in the heat of the moment. I don’t know if I trust myself yet.” Rhys sounded so sad.
“There are other things we can do,” Moe said simply, and smiled at the surprised look on his mate’s face.
Without any further explanation he held the diner door open and they walked inside. They hadn’t taken a couple steps when a small body launched itself at Rhys.
Moe smiled at his bewildered mate as he was strangled by their Alpha Mother. He looked around the diner to see that Rebecca, Sebastian and Ashby had pushed three tables together to hold the car seats with their sons nestled inside, and they sat at the table between the room and their children.
“I’m so happy to see you out of the coven house and with your mate!” Rebecca bounced, jerking Rhys’s head around.
“Becca,” Aleks said cautiously.
She whirled around, still partly dangling from around Rhys’s neck. “What? He’s addicted to shifter blood, I’m the only one safe around him.”
The declaration fell flat in the diner with a giant thud. Moe looked over to Rhys, whose mouth was twitching. Ashby slapped his hand to his forehead, shaking his head, and Sebastian rolled his eyes. It was Liam who broke the silence with his laughter.
Rebecca looked around, confused. “What?” She looked to Rhys questioningly.
“Nothing, ignore them. I’m happy to see everyone too.” He kissed her cheek.
Rebecca glared at Liam, who was still chuckling, and walked back over to where her son gurgled happily in the car seat next to his friends Arthur and Lucian.
Moe walked with Rhys and they sat at the table close to the children.
He hadn’t had a chance to see much of the babies.
They were absolutely adorable and so big already.
Shifter babies grew much faster than human ones.
He could see that they were already sitting up, moving their heads about and tracking movement.
He smiled at the different parenting styles evident with each child.
Baby Arthur, Ashby and Gabriel’s son, had matching argyle car seat cover and diaper bag.
His clothes were immaculate from his baby corduroys to his tiny, plaid, sweater vest. Even the baby’s fine downy hair seemed to be perfectly combed.
His demeanor was quiet as he looked out at the diner floor solemnly.
Baby Lucian, Sebastian, Kent and Liam’s baby, had brightly colored mismatched jungle-themed accessories.
He had on a sensible Osh Kosh B’Gosh snap-up jumper with a long-sleeve T-shirt.
A lion blanket lay draped across a nearby chair in case the baby got cold.
He played dutifully with Kent, sticking out his tongue as if on cue.
Rebecca’s baby was giggling and waving his tiny hands about.
He had a Dexter’s Laboratory diaper bag, a Pooh Bear car seat and a Toy Story blanket featuring Woody as sheriff.
His shoes were off, his shirt was inside out and one sock was missing.
He had a smear of what looked like carrots or sweet potatoes on one cheek.
But, more than the other two babies, baby Aidhan exuded love. Moe couldn’t help but smile when looking at the tiny baby. He stared at Aidhan’s bright purple eyes. He looked over to where Aleks sat comfortably waving a tiny stuffed bear at Aidhan, making his son laugh and growl.
Aleks caught his look and nodded.
“We were surprised too. For thousands of years Arkadions have always had dark brown hair and green eyes. Until Rebecca.” Aleks smiled warmly.
Rebecca rubbed noses with her mate and kissed her son on the top of his head before sitting down next to her mate. “You have been upgraded,” she said in a robotic tone. Behind the counter Connor laughed.
“I think his eyes are awesome. Personally, I’m hoping any children Madison and I have get her pretty blue eyes.” Connor winked at his mate who blushed.
The diner bells chimed and a dejected-looking Rian and an exasperated-looking Damian filed in and sat down.
“What’s the matter Rian?” Moe asked.
Rian turned and glared at him. “As if you don’t know.” Rian continued to give him the evil eye.
“Ignore him, Moe. Rian has been in a foul mood for weeks. Personally, I think he just needs to get laid,” Damian volunteered.
“I would, except he broke my gaydar!” Rian pointed in Moe’s direction.
Rhys raised an eyebrow, his eyes shining with laughter.
“You did what now?” his mate asked.
Moe spread his hands in front of him in confusion.
“All those years I thought he was straight. Wasted!” Rian exclaimed.
“Rian I…” Moe started.
“All those years I could have been indulging in my fantasies of rubbing all those luscious muscles!”
“Rian!” Damian looked at his best friend, shocked, and then over to Moe and Rhys.
Moe just stared. He had no idea Rian had felt that way. Quickly, he looked over to his mate to see him chuckling.
“Now, I’ll never know what he’s packing!”
“Rian, dammit, his mate is sitting right there.” Damian moved a hand over Rian’s mouth.
Rian looked over to Rhys who waved away Damian’s concern.
Rian batted Damian’s hand down.
“Are you really okay Rhys?” Damian asked, concerned.
Rhys just nodded. “The reason why he’s so upset is because he’s regretting missed opportunities, which just proves to me that he doesn’t poach.”
Moe, stunned, took a deep breath. “Rian, buddy, I’m sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.”
“I don’t know if that makes things better or worse.”
“I thought you were like me. I never dated anyone in town, because breakups would have been too awkward in the long run.”
“I am, but I would have made an exception for you. Now, I can’t trust my instincts. I’ve known you for years.” Rian pouted.
“If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t exactly straight. I was bi,” Moe explained
“Me too.” Rhys smiled.
“I still should have been able to detect that.” Rian shook his head.
“Aren’t most vampires bi?” Sebastian asked.
Rhys nodded. “Back before blood banks, we had to use our mental abilities to make feedings a pleasurable and erotic experience for humans. The older you were, the better your abilities. Which means if you were really young you often paired with an older member of the coven to feed or you would starve. This led to a more open sexual outlook, which encouraged ménage encounters and a bisexual lifestyle. If you restricted yourself to only feeding off of women, you’ve cut your available feeding possibilities in half,” Rhys explained.
Moe was so proud of his mate. He was now able to discuss feedings and blood without getting upset. He took his hand under the table earning him a bright smile.
“Rian, you should come hang out with David and I at Purgatory then we can test your gaydar,” Daniel offered.
Rian looked over to Damian, who nodded. “I’d do anything to get this silly notion out of your crazy head that your gaydar is broken.”
“We’re in.” Rian smiled.
“Wicked,” Daniel and David said together. Roman shuddered.
“Moe, hun, you have to be hungry. What can I get for you?” Ma asked, interrupting the conversation.
“I’m starving,” he admitted.
“You’re always starving.” Ma chuckled.
“I’m a growing boy.”
“Yum,” Rhys, Rebecca, Sebastian and Ashby said in unison. Aleks, Kent and Liam growled. Gabriel simply leaned in and nipped Ashby’s neck, causing the small man to turn crimson when he moaned.
Aleks gave his son the toy bear and kissed his mate thoroughly. When the Alpha Mother came up for air she was swaying slightly in her chair.
“Time for me to head back to the station. Aidhan, watch after your mother.” He smiled down at his son. Aidhan growled for a second, which turned into a squeak.
“Good boy!” Aleks turned to the room.
“He’s not growling at me anymore,” he announced proudly, then kissed his mate again and left the diner.
Aleks had no sooner walked out of the diner when Jacinda walked in. She licked her lips at David and Daniel, who paled and scooted closer to Gabriel. She sat down at a nearby table and looked over the menu.
Aidhan’s lips began to tremble. Moe could see that he was reacting to the change in the atmosphere in the diner. Aidhan’s eyes filled before his tiny mouth opened, his tongue curled and he started to cry.
“I think he may be wet,” Rebecca said, picking up the diaper bag.
As she lifted, the strap caught around one of the chairs and the contents spilled out.
Moe watched as Rhys was up in an instant and helping her to pick up her things.
Calmly, he laid out the changing pad and arranged the items he needed around it clockwise starting at nine o’clock.
First was an opened disposable bag for the used diaper, then wipes.
To the right of that, a dry cloth, then diaper rash cream.
Finally, on the right, at three o’clock was a fresh diaper.
He picked up baby Aidhan and laid him down on the changing pad.
He had the snaps to the pants undone in seconds.
Quickly he removed the diaper and placed it in the opened bag.
He then wiped the baby down with wipes, and dropped them in the opened disposable bag with the soiled diaper.
He patted the smiling baby dry, applied the diaper rash cream, and was fastening the new diaper before most of them could blink.
He snapped the pants back together and bounced Aidhan in his arms for a second, getting new giggles before he tucked him into his car seat.