Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Eli
I look down at my limp mate in my hands.
Cyrus pulls his face from her neck, her blood running down his chin, before he wipes it away with his thumb.
His eyes take on a slightly crazed look.
Vampires shouldn’t feed on other vampires; it can be addictive.
And he’s drained her, making me slightly worried by the savage look in his eyes.
“Don’t doubt my ability to stay in control, Eli. It was necessary.”
I nod. It was necessary. She has been a whirlwind of emotions, and soon the teether to what little control she has will snap.
She is a ticking time bomb; all newborn vampires are.
Though she has held herself together so far, I know the shock will wear off, and when it does, she will be a force I am not sure we will be able to control.
Once she properly feeds, her strength will be hard to contain, even for someone as old as Cyrus.
“I can keep her in line. No need for the cages,” Cyrus says, and I cock my head to the side.
I never said that out loud. “I didn’t say that out loud,” I tell him.
“No, but I know that’s where your mind went. I may not be able to hear you, Eli, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how you think,” Cyrus says, and I nod, passing her to him.
I watch as he presses his lips to her cheek before gently setting her down next to the basket that holds our son.
“We can replace everything, so just leave it. We won’t be going home for a while until we have Pete in order,” I tell Cyrus as he changes his clothes. He nods to me, and our son stirs, so I pick him up.
“Hey, little man,” I coo, loving his baby scent.
One thing I never pictured; it always seemed so far out of reach having a son. Now I can’t picture life without him, and he has only been here a day. Still, I feel we are complete now and that he has always belonged.
“What about Taylor?” Cyrus asks, and I know he is nervous about how that will work.
Debbie would pitch a fit when she finds out her daughter is now Lycan. What are the odds of having twins that turn into opposite species and from a hunter’s bloodline? I shake my head; at least she isn’t dead, and Maya can keep her mother.
“Porter will keep an eye on her till we get back,” I tell him.
Cyrus looks at me funny, and I realize I have never told him. Though I thought it would be rather obvious with how Porter suddenly turned so helpful and offered to help babysit her.
“Please tell me that’s a joke. The last person I want to continue to deal with, and now for him to be family… Fuck that!” Cyrus says.
I raise an eyebrow at him. “He isn’t so bad. Maybe she will calm him down.”
“You can say that, you are his Alpha. And he didn’t stick a spear in you when I first met him,” Cyrus says.
Hearing the chopper, we both look up.
“She is early,” I tell him.
“At least she isn’t late,” Cyrus says, turning to grab Addie.
We have barely got out the door before Emery comes running over to me, the chopper behind her in the arena.
“Give him here. I will take him,” she says, holding her hands out excitedly.
I smile because she loves kids, and I hope she and Calum will work out by the smile on his face.
He is just as excited as she is as he peers over her shoulder to look at our son.
He pecks her cheek, his hands on her hips.
I will be happy to call him my brother. He is a good man and a good match for my sister and her craziness.
“You named him yet?” she asks, and I shake my head. We are completely stuck on names.
Cyrus comes over with Addie and pecks my sister on the cheek.
“Sis,” he comments before walking toward the chopper with Addie in his arms. Calum steps in front of her, pulling some ear muffs from his pocket and placing them over my son’s ears.
“Come on, we need to get back,” Calum says.
I go to take my son, but she turns, and I smirk, knowing she isn’t handing him over anytime soon.
Addie will have to pry him from her whenever she visits.
I follow them and find Addie on Cyrus’s lap as he clips them both in.
Calum jumps in next to the pilot, while Emery and I get in and take our seats.
“How is Taylor, her sister?” Emery asks, stroking my son’s nose with her finger, who is completely oblivious to what is going on as he remains asleep.
Cyrus chuckles.
“What?” Emery asks.
“Nothing but you can no longer kill Porter,” Cyrus tells her, and her face slips.
“No, please. God, no. That jackass is not her mate,” Emery says with a huff.
“Yep, apparently you gotta keep him now,” Cyrus laughs.
“Still kicking his ass, though,” she growls.
The trip takes an hour before we land on the rooftop of the council where we will be staying.
“What about when Addie wakes? Then what? If she can’t control herself here, they may lock her up,” Emery says nervously, looking at Addie.
“I will keep her in check. Worst case, Latham will help,” Cyrus says.
“You sure it’s best she stays here, especially with him? You can always stay with me,” Emery offers, but this is safest for now.
Besides, Addie and our son will need to be registered with the council anyway, so either way, this is where we have to be.
“It will be fine,” I tell Emery, taking my son from her, and she pouts but hands him over.
Hearing the rooftop door open, I see Latham step out.
His long hair is braided down his back, and he looks like he’s stepped out of another era with his long ceremonial robes, indicating he has just stepped out of the courts.
Yet he is a close friend of ours and also happens to be the demon in charge of the supernatural council.
“Finally, I get to meet the woman behind all the drama,” he says, coming over to us.
He slaps me on the back; he always smells of burning embers. His scent wafts up to my nose as he hugs me.
“And what have we here? Another Colten?” he says, stroking my son’s hand that escapes his blanket.
He walks over and sniffs Addie, a smile on his lips. “She smells good enough to eat,” he mutters, and Cyrus gives him a pointed look.
“Eyes off. She is ours,” Cyrus tells him, and Latham smirks.
“I will keep my hands to myself, Cyrus, yet she may have a hard time keeping her hands off me,” Latham taunts before kissing Cyrus’s cheek.
Cyrus’s eyes flicker before he groans. Then he shakes his head, ridding himself of Latham’s magic before glaring at him.
“Latham!” I warn him, and he puts his hands up in surrender.
“Want me to unknot those panties for you?” Latham asks at my tone, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Just show us where to go,” I tell him, annoyed.
“This way,” Latham says walking back to the door.
“Good luck with him,” Emery mutters.
“Heard that, Emery,” Latham calls, and she smirks.
“You were supposed to,” she calls after him, and he turns, smiling at her over his shoulder, showing off his perfectly straight teeth.
Emery kisses my cheek before getting back in the chopper, and I follow Latham inside. Cyrus is already following him.
“So, where did you put us?” I ask him.
“Where else? It will be like old times,” Latham says.
“Latham!” Cyrus growls.
“I promise I won’t touch her unless she asks, or you do,” he purrs at Cyrus.
“We are not fucking,” Cyrus says, pushing past him and down the stairs.
“We’ll see,” Latham says, and I chuckle at their banter but also worried at the same time.
Addie may not be able to resist his charms. Fuck, even Cyrus and I struggle to keep our heads off him.
Latham has always had a thing for us, and this is exactly why I have kept Addie away from the council until now.
If Latham wants something, he will get it.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to the man; he looks like a Viking god, and Cyrus and I have always enjoyed fooling around with him.