Chapter Fifteen
Zaldi
“We’re just going to walk in there,” Lulu’s eyes bugged out, “Just like nothing happened.”
I swallowed my laughter once again, “They can’t read your mind, love.” Her shoulder’s dropped in relief. “Just your scent.”
Her jaw dropped and she swatted me hard. “Zaldi! I’m trying to be serious. I’m nervous.” She fidgeted at my side, her gaze leaping past me to the couple of incubi who were lingering at the doorway of the home next door to my grandmothers.
“First time?” One called tentatively.
Lulu gasped, gripping my hand hard. “What? I mean…”
“Don’t worry,” I called back, “Not a virgin, just new in town.”
“Zaldi, I’m going to kill you,” Lulu growled, just as the door swung open. Standing there, surprise in every line of her face, was my grandmother.
She carefully took in my face, the grip of Lulu’s hand in mine and, finally, my little human mates horrified expression, “If you kill him, at least do me the favor of doing it further from the rugs.” She stepped back into the home, “They are incredibly hard to clean.”
“I’m dead, I have to be. There’s no way,” Lulu whimpered at my side as I laughed, releasing her long enough to wrap my grandmother in a tight hug. Slender arms held me tightly, “This is her?”
I nodded, pulling back until she could look into my eyes. Her dark gaze, only lightly clouded by age, bored into mine. I let her see me, I let her see everything. My fears, my worries, but most of all the endless amounts of love and hope I had for the woman at my side.
Mine, I told her with every ounce of heart I could, she is mine.
Slowly, my grandmother’s face transformed. Releasing me, she stepped up to Lulu and gripped her hand in one of hers. “Come child, leave this idiot outside until he understands how to treat his woman.”
And then, without a backwards glance, she dragged Lulu into the interior of our small home, shutting the door sharply in my face.
Incubi have very little capacity to be embarrassed, but today, I felt it.
I looked sideways, noticing the same couple still watching, now with little smirks on their faces.
I raised my hand again. “Hello there. Nothing to see.”
The male turned to his mate, not bothering to quiet his voice as he spoke, “Definitely his first time.”
I groaned.
Sometime later, Antheia opened the door wide, my younger sister’s smile pure mischief as she gave me a long look. “Can I come in?”
“Hmmm,” Antheia leaned on the door jam, one long nail tapping her lips, “I’m not sure.”
“Antheia….”
“Fine,” Antheia said, “But, it was more fun with you outside.”
I ducked inside, immediately finding Lulu who was sitting at a chair alongside my grandmother in our small kitchen.
I moved to her, sliding my hands over her shoulders as I glared at my family.
Other than Antheia, Rifa, my eldest brother’s mate, was there, a broad strap of fabric across each shoulder, from which a tiny red head poked.
“My niece is here and you dared to lock me outside,” I moved around, ignoring Rifa’s eye roll as my hands hovered over the swaddled and wrapped youngling.
“I just got her to sleep, which I should’ve known would immediately produce another Aunt or Uncle to hold her,” Rifa shrugged out of the wrap, letting the youngling squirm a little against her chest before I was able to slide my hands under her armpits and pull her from her mother.
“This,” I curled the tiny body up against my chest, holding the youngling with one hand as I reached for the blanket Rifa had waiting, “Is Jamai. The newest and most charming member of our family.”
Lulu’s eyes were the size of boulders for a minute straight, taking me in, watching me hold the infant before her arms suddenly snapped wide. “I want to hold her so badly, but I don't know anything about babies.”
Silence fell and I gnawed at the inside of my mouth as my human mate watched my sister and Rifa with those shocked, confused eyes. Rifa finally spoke up with a shrug. “I don't know anything about them either, but from what I can tell, she’s a good one. You’re welcome to hold her any time.”
Grandmother chortled, “But only after me. She’s always screaming when I’m around.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Antheia murmured, still leaning against the counter just behind the table.
Grandmother huffed, but didn’t correct her as I cradled the baby up to my face, so I could brush my cheek over her downy head.
“Albtraum is going to be unglued if you keep scent marking her like that,” Rifa said, taking a small sip of the cup in front of her.
I rumbled an answer, still pressing my face against the small incubus. “She sees you all every day, I just want to be sure knows who I am.” I lowered my voice, “I’ll be your favorite Uncle.”
Rifa laughed, “She’s only a few months old, Z, she’s only interested in warmth and food at this point.”
I felt a very distinctive rumble in the little girl's belly, “And clean pants,” I said quietly. “Maybe you can…”
Antheia and Rifa stood at the same moment, “No, don’t look at me. You wanted to hold her, you get to care for her.” Rifa laughed, moving towards the door. Before she slipped out, she looked to Lulu. “It’s nice to have you here, Lulu. I hope you know how to change a diaper.”
Antheia disappeared after her, leaving Grandmother, who suddenly had something important to do in the back of the home.
It left only me and Lulu now, plus Jamai, who was very much in need of a new change of pants. “I’m going to go get her changed,” I said, suddenly feeling strange as Lulu stared at me. My niece whimpered against my throat, making my head drop reflexively to keep her close.
“It’ll only take a moment.”
I carried Jamai to my room. Each sibling had been issued a standard set of diapers and Jamai care items for when she was around. To my surprise and pleasure, Lulu followed me, her hands twisting at her sides. “Can I help?”
I laid Jamai down, ignoring her disgruntled squawk. “I’d love that.”
Humming a senseless tune, I laid out everything we needed and began to remove the soiled cloth diaper from her little body. Lulu stood at my side, her warmth seeping into my body as she watched, occasionally helping, occasionally just running her finger over Jamai's chubby little fist.
"I've never seen you like this," Lulu said softly, leaning in to help tuck in the last of Jamai's swaddle.
"Like what?"
Lulu shrugged, "I'm not sure, you just...you seem so comfortable. You're completely yourself. You are funny and sarcastic and you hold babies and...."
I laughed at that, scooping the infant up and holding her out to Lulu. "Maybe it's just that this is the first stretch since we've met that we haven't been in an immediate crisis?"
Lulu's gaze dropped to the infant. "So, you're always like this?"
"This is who I am."
She nodded, slowly and carefully taking the baby.
Then with an awkward little movement, settled the baby in the crook of her elbow.
"I like it." Jamai's dark eyes blinked slowly up at Lulu.
Moving slowly, Lulu offered Jamai a finger to hold.
"I don't really like babies. You know, on principle. But, I like this one."
My chest grew tight, but the feeling immediately settled. Just before I opened my mouth, Lulu spoke again. "I would like ours, too."
"You would?"
Lulu's eyes crinkled as Jamai drooled on her arm. "I would."
It was hard to breathe, "Good to know."