Chapter 17
Marcello
“You’ve been moody again.”
I looked at Vincent and nodded. “I’m not moping around the villa though.”
Vincent shook his head. “No, but you’re moody, and I’m not the only one who has noticed.” Vincent gave me a pointed look. “There isn’t trouble between you and Abel, is there? After what happened with his father?”
I snorted. “Not even a little.” I smiled as I remembered what Abel had said to me before Uriah had been dealt with.
“My beloved wanted his father to suffer for what he did to him. He mentioned that if he could do what he did to his own son, he would be willing to do it to others. Abel had no love for his father, and he’s had no issues with me since that day. ”
“That was a week ago,” Vincent said. “It’s not the thought of impending fatherhood, is it?”
“No. I’m excited about the babies. Abel is trying his best to hold on to the fact that we don’t know what we’re having. He wants it to be a complete surprise, but now that we’re even closer to them being here, he’s struggling with not knowing.”
Vincent stared at me for a long moment and shook his head. “That’s not what’s causing your mood. There’s something else. Something you aren’t telling me.”
I thought about avoiding the subject for a moment but knew it was useless. “It isn’t anything to do with my relationship with Abel. That is strong, and there are no issues there.”
“Then why the mood shift? You should be excited and happy. I haven’t seen that. You always look incredibly thoughtful and possibly a bit resigned.”
I nodded. “Things…I don’t regret what happened with Uriah.
I appreciate all of your support and your offer to deal with him for me.
That isn’t the issue. I am struggling because I’m torn between my loyalty to the coven and to my beloved and children.
I do not wish for this life to touch them.
Inevitably, that is what is going to happen eventually.
It will…” I paused, gathering my thoughts.
“The thought of anything happening to any of them, I know there would be no stopping me if any of them were ever hurt because of the family. I know we protect our own, but things are different with beloveds and children now. Abel isn’t Mazzi.
He doesn’t have magical powers to help protect himself. ”
Vincent nodded slowly. “May I ask that you wait before making any final decisions? I understand your position. I truly do. I have thought about the situation in which you are referring to and ask that you please just wait. I’m looking into some things.
It will mean a lot of changes for all of us, but I’ve been working on something since Naldo and Mazzi announced their pregnancy. ”
He had? And he’d not said a word to me? “You didn’t think to say anything to me? I’m your number two.” I scowled at Vincent.
“Yes, but at that time, and until I took matters into my own hands, you were unbearable to be around. I felt you weren’t in a place to discuss such things with. And it comes down to the fact that ultimately, I run this coven and have final say about what happens.”
“Of course,” I said. Anything else I was going to say was interrupted by Vincent’s phone ringing. He held up a finger, indicating for me to wait. “Ciao, Nikolai. Un minuto.” Vincent looked directly at me. “I need to take this call. Please keep me updated about Abel and the twins.”
“Of course.” I stood and left the office, quietly closing the door behind me.
“Mio angelo? Dove sei?”
“Uh, I got only half of that, Marcello. Is your meeting finished? I’m on the back terrace with Mazzi and Tulio. Rio is here as well.”
I chuckled. “I apologize. I was just talking with Vincent. I had asked where you are, and you answered even without completely understanding. I will be right there to join you.” It only took minutes to get to Abel and the others.
When I opened the door that would lead me to the back terrace, I found Abel sitting with his back to me, but like the others, he heard the door and turned.
The smile was instant, and I returned the gesture.
I leaned down, placing one hand on the back of his hair and the other on his chin to move his face up to meet mine.
I kissed him quickly and pulled away, smiling. “Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked.
“I am. We’re talking about labor and what is to be expected.”
“That sounds important. Do you mind if I join you all?” I looked at the others, and Mazzi snorted.
“As if you are going to leave him even if we say yes,” Mazzi said. “But it’s probably a good thing if you’re here for this conversation. Abel is going to need your support.”
I nodded as I pulled out the empty chair beside my beloved. “Yes, I’m aware that Abel is going to need my help and support. I wasn’t planning on leaving him to do everything on his own. I only left him alone this afternoon because I was in a meeting with Vincent.”
Mazzi’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were going to avoid your beloved,” he said.
Abel placed a hand on my arm, and immediately, I relaxed. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I was asking Mazzi if he wanted to be there when I had the twins,” Abel told me. “Ideally, it would be Sandro, but he’s not returned yet.”
“We’re working on that,” I told them. “We think he’s on Capri, but he’s just not responding to any messages. He turned his phone off and left it in his room here so we can’t trace it.”
Abel tilted his head. “My father was hiding in his fox form. How is it that Master Vincent found him but can’t find one of his own vampires?”
I opened my mouth to comment but stopped. That was a valid point. “You’re correct. I’m not sure about that, exactly. I’ve not really been overly involved in coven things for a while.”
Abel suddenly looked guilty.
“Don’t feel bad,” Mazzi said. “Naldo and I took off and actually left the coven for an entire month when we first claimed each other. You and Marcello are supposed to have your time together.”
Abel smiled. “Back at the council, one of the guys that works with Lewis just mated with one of the hellhounds last winter,” Abel told us.
“Banner started calling that time his matemoon, and I think it’s the sweetest phrase.
” Abel shrugged. “Humans have a honeymoon right after getting married, so it actually makes perfect sense that we have a matemoon right after claiming our mate.”
“Why haven’t you mentioned that to me before?” I asked.
Abel shrugged again. “It’s not that important, really. I mean, we spent time together, and you took all of that time off.”
“Yes, but I like your idea of a matemoon. I should have taken you away,” I told him.
It was too late at this point. I couldn’t take Abel out of the villa until after he recovered from giving birth at this point.
The twins were due in just over two weeks, and there was no hiding Abel’s pregnancy.
“We will have to go away once the babies are born, and you are up for it. There is a whole lot of Italy that you haven’t seen,” I said.
Abel rolled his eyes. “I haven’t seen any of Italy except this compound. You can call it a villa all you want. And it is gorgeous. But there is a wall around the entire place. It might be a hedge, but it’s still a wall,” Abel said. “I understand why. I do. But it’s still a compound.”
I looked at the others, unsure how to respond to that. “He has you there,” Mazzi said.
“Yes, well, if the two of you need a traveling companion that is of a magical sort, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Italy again,” Rio said. “Of course, I would understand if you didn’t want someone else tagging along.”
“I wouldn’t take Abel and the children out without at least one other person,” I told Rio.
The thought of having a warlock with us was certainly positive.
“Abel is very much comfortable with you. And although I am certain the idea of traveling with a mated couple with two young children isn’t exactly your idea of a good time, I certainly wouldn’t mind taking you up on that offer if my beloved was agreeable to it. ”
“I wouldn’t mind Rio joining us, but I think he’d be bored.
I mean, I have the twins to be looking after, and I’m not sure how well they will be about sightseeing.
” Abel sighed wistfully. “I’d love to see Rome though.
And the Trevi Fountain is definitely on my list of things to see.
But there’s the Colosseum and Pantheon, and Mount Etna down in Sicily.
” Abel looked at me with wide eyes. “You have so many things to see. All the things!”
I smiled at my beloved. “Yes. We can make sure we make time to see all of those places eventually.”
“It can be done in a weekend,” Mazzi and Rio both said. Abel and I looked at the others.
“Sure. The two of you have magic and can get from place to place with ease. We’re not exactly able to do that as the two of you are,” I told them.
“I’m perfectly capable of getting all of us from place to place without being seen. I might not be as old as Mazzi, but I am still a powerful warlock,” Rio said.
“If everyone is agreeable, we could make it a group trip. Naldo, Tulio, and I could join as well,” Mazzi said. “I’ve traveled here, but it has been some time.”
“I was reading about Madrid, and there are so many places to see there as well!” Abel said.
“There are,” Mazzi said with a smile. “I’m sure that getting away to Madrid for a day or two, perhaps a long weekend, isn’t something your beloved would be against,” Mazzi said while looking directly at me.
Way to put me on the spot. I liked Mazzi though.
He’d meshed with us so perfectly I sometimes forgot that he was from Spain and not Italy.
“That would be fine. I can either go, or the two of you could go have a run. I know that Naldo and I could manage the babies for a weekend,” I said. Mazzi and Abel both looked at me with wide eyes, and Rio started laughing.