Chapter 21 #3
“This is my mate Carnage, and I’m Carolena,” the woman said.
“We’re Tempest’s grandparents. Lily is our daughter, and Boon of course is our son,” Carolena said, indicating a handsome male, almost as big as Carnage was with many of the same features.
He was big and bulky, but his skin was a paler color, with more of a slightly softer silver undertone.
His horns were almost identical to his father’s, but instead of being bald like Carnage was, he had thick, shoulder-length, dark silver-gray hair, with lighter streaks of silver running through it.
His demeanor seemed much quieter than either his father or his mother, but not rude in the least.
“Hello, Boon,” Daisy said.
“Hello,” Boon said, giving her a flash of a smile and inclining his head in recognition of her, then went back to trying to not be noticed.
“I remember hearing about you,” Daisy said to Carolena and Carnage. “Tempest is very proud of you both. She’s told us stories of her grandfather’s achievements as General Elite of the Royal Army of the Sovereign of Sentries.”
Carnage was shocked to hear this girl he’d never met speak admirably of him. He puffed his chest out and raised his chin just a bit while he grinned at her, his fangs fully on display.
Carolena chuckled as Carnage started strutting just a little at the mention of all he’d been in the past. She hugged him from where she stood beside him, smoothing her hand over his huge bicep. “Oh, that’s so sweet. We’re very proud of her, too,” Carolena said.
“Hmm, let me see,” Daisy said, “You haven’t met everyone, so I’ll run through it quickly.
It’s a lot, so don’t hesitate to ask later if you don’t remember who they are.
Everyone here is either a shifter or human, except for Tempest of course.
Where do I start… okay, let’s start with Brandt and myself.
These are mine and Brandt’s parents, Bane and Janie. ”
“Good to meet you,” Bane said as Janie smiled welcomingly.
“And you,” Carolena said.
“And next to them are our Uncle Bam and Aunt Everly.”
“Hello,” Everly said from her perch on the arm of the sofa beside Bam. Bam gave them a wave so they could see who he was.
“Their daughters are Emmalyn who is right there,” she said, pointing at Emmalyn who was sitting beside Barron, “and Analise, who is right there,” Daisy said, pointing to Analise who was in the kitchen filling glasses with sweet tea and lemonade and putting out anything else she could find to snack on.
“Hi!” Analise called out.
Tempest’s family waved back politely.
“That’s Kaid and Delilah, and their daughter Tessa. Kaid and Delilah are the original Alphas of the clan.” Delilah performed a quick curtsy to Carrik.
Carrik in turn, bowed to Delilah, recognizing her status as a Dragon Queen, though she was so much younger and less powerful than he was.
“That’s Barron, sitting beside Emmalyn, he’s her mate, and he’s Kaid and Delilah’s son.”
“Analise who is in the kitchen, is mated and married to Havoc.”
“Right here!” Havoc said, seated with a little girl on his lap. “This here is our daughter, Harley.”
“Hello sweetheart,” Carolena said.
Harley grinned at the nice lady. “And I got an orange iguana named Gerald, but Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me bring him today.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’d like to meet Gerald one day,” Carolena said.
“You see?” Harley asked, turning to smirk at her father.
“Hush,” he whispered, while still trying to smile at Tempest’s people.
“Havoc’s parents are Maverik and Valerie,” Daisy said, pointing them out. Maverik lifted a hand and gave them a wave. “Glad to meet you,” Maverik said.
“Hello,” Valerie said, as Daisy continued with introductions. “And they have four more children, but the only other one here at the moment is Hellen. Havoc and Hellen are twins.”
Hellen raised a hand. “But I’m the nicer twin,” she said.
“I don’t think so!” Havoc insisted.
“They’re competitive, too,” Daisy said. “And that’s Hellen’s mate, Lucien, right beside her,” Daisy said pointing out Hellen and Lucien.
“A’gator!” Carnage exclaimed.
“Really?” Carolena asked.
“”Es! A’gator!” Carnage insisted.
“He’s actually very pleasantly surprised. Some of our best friends back home are Alligator shifters,” Carolena explained to Lucien.
“Nice,” Lucien said.
Carnage nodded enthusiastically.
Lucien gave him a thumbs up, and Carnage gave him a thumbs up right back.
“Ho! Look at those claws,” Lucien said.
Carnage nodded and smiled coldly. “’Goyle,” he said, wiggling all his fingers adorned with lethal claws for Lucien to see.
“Hellen?” Lucien said still staring at Carnage.
“Yes, my love,” she answered.
“Should I be concerned that a Gargoyle is waggling his claws at me?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him before today.”
Carnage started laughing and shaking his head.
“I think you’re good. He thinks you’re funny. Just be on your best behavior,” Hellen said.
“Let me see, who have I forgotten?” Daisy said.
“Oh! This is Kiernan and his wife Abby, and their babies. And this is Kiernan’s brother Shaun — his mate is Bailey and she’s Tempest’s best friend, but she’s at work.
And Abby has a sister named Addie who is Christian’s mate.
Christian is on duty in New Orleans, he’s finishing his residency at one of the hospitals.
And this is Remi. His parents are Avaleigh…
” Daisy said pointing out Avaleigh who smiled graciously at the three of them, while Daisy paused looking around the room for Daniel.
Suddenly the front door opened and Daniel walked in followed by Angelle.
“There you are! Daniel. Daniel is Avaleigh’s mate, and I think that’s Angelle hiding behind you, isn’t it? ” Daisy asked.
“Sure is,” Daniel said, looking around at everyone.
“This is Tempest’s family. Her dad, Carrik, her grandparents Carnage and Carolena, and her Uncle Boon.”
“Ah, okay. Hello. I’m Daniel. I’m Avaleigh’s mate, that’s our son Remi,” he said, pointing out Avaleigh, then Remi, not realizing Daisy had already introduced them, “and this is our daughter Angelle.” Daniel looked behind himself, then pulled a young woman gently to the forefront so they could all meet her. “Say hi, baby,” he said.
“Hello,” she said softly, without really making eye contact with anyone.
Boon suddenly stepped between his parents. His head canted back and forth slowly, his eyes wide, while he focused on Angelle.
“Boon?” Carolena asked.
“It’s her,” he whispered to his mother.
“Her, her?” Carolena asked. “Are you sure?”
Boon nodded slowly, as he simply watched the young woman Daniel had introduced as Angelle.
Daniel didn’t miss the sudden interest in his daughter, and made it a point to keep her on his far left as he made his way across the room to get to Avaleigh.
“Did you see that?” he murmured right in Avaleigh’s ear.
“No, what?” she asked.
Angelle looked up to see what she’d missed. When she did, her gaze landed on Boon. His gaze was locked on her, his dark gray-blue eyes practically unblinking.
Boon took a half-step in her direction, but stopped himself, and offered her a gentle smile instead of approaching.
Angelle quickly looked down at the floor, but just a second later, she glanced up, found Boon still looking at her, and gave him a shy smile before she looked down again.
“I saw that, though” Avaleigh said quietly. “She actually smiled at him. She doesn’t smile at anyone but family.”
“Okay, I think that’s everybody. Oh, except my mate, who is stuck at the office today. I’m sure you’ll meet him later,” Daisy said.
“Great. Since everybody’s been introduced now, can somebody tell me how my mate is?!” Brandt demanded angrily.
Daisy went directly to her brother and hugged him until she felt his heart rate slow down. When he was breathing a little easier, she smiled encouragingly. “She’s fine. Her mother is with her, and I’m telling you, Brandt, there is nothing her mother can’t fix.”
“If you think Tempest is strong, you haven’t seen anything yet. Lily holds more power twenty times over,” Carrik said.
“Why was she hurting so badly?” Brandt asked.
“Lily said the baby is turned, but she’s fixing it.”
“That’s not good, Daisy! Is Tempest okay? She’s got to be hurting! Is the baby okay?”
“Of course, she’s hurting,” Janie said. “She’s having a baby.” Janie looked at Bane with an expression that said, ‘that’s your son’.
Carolena turned to Janie and nodded in a show of support.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all,” Brandt grumbled, running his hands through his hair.
“Hey, it’s okay. Lily helped her fall asleep and now they’re both in a bunch of mists and I was dismissed to go smooth things over out here,” Daisy said.
“But the baby will be fine. And Tempest will be fine, and I’m willing to bet whatever her mother is doing took all the pain away because she fell asleep. ”
“You should be back in there. We’re fine out here.”
Daisy canted her head just a little and looked at her brother. “Are you, though? Are you really?”
Carnage laughed. He slapped his chest. “My like frower,” he said, snickering.
“Frower?” Daisy asked.
“You. Your name is Daisy, like a flower,” Carolena explained.
Daisy smiled brightly. “I like you, too. But you’re a little intimidating.”
Carnage winked at her.
Daisy laughed.
Carnage grinned at Daisy. He liked her.