Chapter 21 #2
“We burned the building down.” I smirked, and she let out a full laugh, one that had me smiling further. I had to admit, I was totally starting to consider Eve a friend. Which was a bit mind-blowing, because being the mate to Death and friend to Life seemed like a bit of an epic accomplishment.
“How have things been here?” I asked quietly, not wanting the kids to hear. I briefly wondered where Order was because he so rarely left Eve’s side, which meant that she either gave him the slip or the situation was bad enough he couldn’t leave.
Eve hesitated. “Bad enough I fear it will escalate soon. I’m glad you sent the intel about the weapons—that could have been disastrous.”
I nodded, knowing that the intel required far more of a conversation, but not right now. Instead I looked up at her with curiosity as I remembered our new guests. “How are Peace and Love? Did they settle in?”
Eve’s eyes lit up. “Love is good. Peace… Well, that one is a bit interesting.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling a pang of concern.
Before she could explain, we stepped into the elevator, somehow managing to all fit.
Although, considering it was five times the normal size, that wasn’t exactly surprising—it was a freight elevator, the size large enough to carry down an entire car, if necessary, as well as an array of other supplies.
It would also allow for a mass evacuation out of the institute if necessary.
Caught up in my thoughts, I didn’t realize we had traveled up five floors until the doors opened and Isla was speaking to me. “If you’re okay with it, I would like to get them to medical and then food, clothes, and tucked in for the night?”
I turned to all six of them and examined their expressions. The more time they spent away from the human facility, the more they seemed to relax. “Are you guys okay with that?”
I knew I needed to have a million meetings about the threat outside, but I had also promised that I would take care of these little nightmares. I’d told them that they were under my protection, and I didn’t take that lightly.
“Sure.” Synthia nodded, looking confident despite the slight concern in her gaze.
“Will you come visit us?”
Three’s question had me frowning. “Visit? I live here! You’ll be seeing me so much you’ll get tired of it.”
Nia let out a small giggle.
“Please, please keep them safe and away from other nightmares for now,” I whispered to Isla. “At least until we can get settled further.” And until we could make sure that all of them would be welcomed by the other nightmares here and not bullied out of some stupid need for dominance.
I would have been especially worried about Nia, knowing what she was, but considering she was so young and I had grown up here perfectly fine without the knowledge of my heritage, I felt pretty confident in her safety.
But overall, I felt like it was a good measure to keep them isolated for a bit longer.
“Of course.” Isla nodded and then looked at her mates. “You guys ready?”
“Ready for what?” Wyre asked.
Isla offered the little nightmares a small smile. “To get some ice cream.”
Obviously, they were a huge fan of her plan—I mean, what kid wouldn’t?
Ice cream two times in a row? I watched with a smile as Isla, her mates, and the children walked down the hall.
When Nia looked back at me, I offered her a supportive smile and nod, her eyes flashing with assurance before continuing to follow.
I turned back to my mates and Eve, who was staring at Saint with an amused smile as he glared back at her.
“What’s going on between the two of you?”
Eve offered me a big smile. “He’s just pissed there are so many god terrors here.”
“It’s my fucking territory,” Saint growled as I patted his chest in a comforting move.
Instead of getting involved, I turned and walked the opposite way towards the doors that led to my father’s office.
I had a feeling that rather than his normal office near the containment room, he was in the big professional office that he rarely used.
When I reached the door, I didn’t even bother knocking.
That was a mistake.
“What the hell?!” I stopped in the doorway, shielding my eyes from the sight in front of me.
That sight was my dad and Irina kissing.
Sorry, not kissing, literally making out.
His hair was even all messed up, and she was sitting on his lap, luckily in more of a sweet way, not overly sexual… But what the actual hell?!
“Arabella!” Irina hopped up, completely relaxed, as if this wasn’t weird or awkward at all. “You made it back.”
“Breathe,” Eve reminded me, because I was totally freaking out.
“What’s going on?” Razar rumbled behind me. I looked towards my dad, who was attempting to fix his glasses and adjust his coat.
It was not making any of this better. I had never seen my father hug someone outside of Razar or me, and now he was kissing Irinia?!
Saint suddenly chuckled. “Oh shit.”
“What?” Damian demanded as I looked back at my mates, needing to look away while I sorted out my thoughts.
“They’re clearly mates. Well, he’s her mate since she’s a god terror,” Blackwell reasoned. I blinked and looked back at my dad, who was cleaning his glasses as Irina looked at him with affection.
For a minute, I truly felt like I was in some odd twilight zone.
“Dad, is Irina your mate?” I looked at Irina. “How is that possible?”
You know, since he was freaking human.
“Well…” My dad cleared his voice. “That is a bit complicated.”
Cy made an amused noise and walked into the room, grabbing a chair and relaxing into it.
I stayed in the doorway as the others spread out through the room as well, Eve staying next to me in solidarity.
Normally I would have taken time to appreciate the gorgeous office with dark wood built-ins and a span of windows that overlooked the training grounds, but not right now.
Right now I was hyper-focused on figuring out what the hell was going on here.
“Complicated how?” Zain prompted since I seemed unable to talk.
“You’re human,” Amun stated, but it sounded more like a question.
My dad looked at me and stood from his desk, walking over until he was standing in front of me. Ignoring everyone else, he put a hand on my arm and spoke quietly. “I’m glad you’re back safe, I was worried about you.”
Any shock I’d been feeling was replaced by emotion as I covered his hand and squeezed it. “I missed you too, Dad.”
After a small smile I arched a brow. “Now, are you going to explain what’s going on?”
My dad cleared his throat and stepped back, motioning to Irina, who almost seemed a bit nervous now.
“I am Irina’s mate,” my dad said before looking at Amun, “but I am not human.”
“What?” What on earth was he talking about?
“I’m a neo terror, specifically a genesis version. It’s how I run a place like this,” my dad said. “I can shift and change according to the connection I have to every internal and external technological system.”
My mouth opened in shock. “And you never thought to tell me this?!”
Honestly, I wasn’t mad—seriously—I was just in absolute shock. It took a lot to surprise me but, this revelation was bulldozing me.
“I never wanted you to feel bad about being a human,” my dad explained softly before tilting his head and looking at Irina. “Although apparently you are not just that.”
“I don’t feel like you are actually surprised by that,” Razar said, my dad looking over at him and nodding in agreement.
“I’m not, and it explains a lot, but we do need to do some research into it, especially since you brought another one to the institute.”
I nodded slowly, nearly wincing as my dad narrowed his eyes on Ashur. “Who is this?”
“Ashur.” I hesitated. “He’s one of my mates.”
There! I had said it. I had said it, and my dad was totally going to have to come to terms with an awkward reality like I just had to.
One that was probably a bit worse since I was his daughter and with eight men…
But also, I had just walked in on him making out with someone.
I didn’t know how I would ever recover from that.
I knew it was silly to be all ‘ew’ about it, considering I was in my twenties, but… it was my freakin’ dad!
“One of them?”
“I have eight.” I cleared my throat, both of us a bit uncomfortable now.
“Well, this is sort of fun,” Eve trilled. “You guys are super awkward about this.”
“Just a big change,” I offered before looking at Irina and smiling. “I love my dad, and I know I don’t know you well, but if you make him happy, then I love that you’re together.” Even if I was scarred from seeing them kissing.
Yes, I realized I was being totally dramatic, and I didn’t feel bad about it.
“Thank you.” My father squeezed my hand again.
“Okay.” I clapped my hands and looked at everyone. “We need to have a meeting, but for right now, I am going to go upstairs and try to…process?”
“Then what?” Eve questioned.
“Then we talk about War,” I said softly.
Because if war was what our enemy wanted, then that was what he would get.