Chapter Thirty-Six
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A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED since the Mad Prophet had turned up so suddenly.
Zoe felt a bit miffed at having another oracle living in their base, but she kept her insecurities to herself.
“Why do I even have the ability to see into the future if Queegly’s talent is so much stronger than mine? ” she murmured to Arakiel.
Her son wriggled on her shoulder as she gently patted his back to get him to burp.
She’d just finished feeding him after eating dinner herself not long ago.
A tiny burp came from the baby and Zo cradled him in her arms. “I love you so much, little man,” she whispered.
His black eyes were locked on her face as he studied her intently.
He waved his little fists like he was trying to fight against the slumber that was trying to claim him.
Grace quietly entered the nursery and came to a stop next to the rocking chair. “He’s grown so much,” she marveled. “Wynter is due to pop out her kid soon.”
“Time flies,” Zoe said, then rose to her feet. She put Arakiel in his crib, then hesitated.
“What’s up, Zo?” the kid whispered, sensing her bestie wanted to talk to her privately.
The seer walked over to shut the door, then they huddled together. “Do I look less attractive now that I’m a mom?” Zoe asked, hating how vulnerable she both felt and sounded.
“Nope,” Grace refuted. “You’re even more gorgeous now, mama bear.”
“Then why won’t Amaros touch me?” Zoe asked in confusion and hurt.
Far wiser than her years, the teen guided her matriarch over to the rocking chair, then knelt in front of her. Taking one of Zo’s hands, she looked up at the older cambion. “You look exactly the same as the day I met you, except for your huge boobs,” she said solemnly.
Zoe snickered and Grace giggled along with her. “I just don’t get why my mate doesn’t want me now,” Zoe said as despair welled up again. She was masking her emotions from the bond she had with her mate and son so they didn’t feel how upset she was.
“Amaros wants you, that’s obvious to all of us,” her tiny friend said.
“Some guys get a bit weird when their females have their first baby. They’re not sure whether you want them to sleep with you or if you need more time to recover.
Amaros has never been in a real relationship before.
I’m sure he’s just waiting for you to give him the green light. ”
Zoe’s face flamed red at that thought. “I’m not really the type to make the first move,” she confessed. “What am I supposed to say? Hey, Amaros, take me to bed and rock my world?”
They cracked up again, laughing as quietly as they could.
Grace checked to make sure no one had moved closer, then put some thought into it.
“I could talk to Amaros, if you like,” she suggested, but her best friend shook her head in horror.
“Okay, that’s out,” the kid said. “How about we go with a subtle tactic that I’m sure will give him the hint? ”
“Tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” Zo vowed, trusting Grace implicitly.
“I’m going to find you some sexy lingerie your mate hasn’t seen yet and I’ll leave it on your pillow,” Grace said.
“Wait until Amaros is with you before you strip down and try it on. Ask him what he thinks of it and if you can still pull off something so sexy now that you’re a mom.
I guarantee he’ll get the hint and your sex drought will be over. ”
Zoe already felt embarrassed about posing in sexy lingerie, but she was willing to try it. “I just need a reason for my mate to join me in our bedroom,” Zoe said. “I’m usually asleep by the time he comes to bed.”
“Leave it to me,” Grace said confidently. “I’ll set everything up so you two lovebirds will have some time to be alone tonight.”
“Thanks, short stuff,” Zoe said, standing up and pulling her bestie to her feet. They hugged, then the teen sauntered out of the nursery.
Grace loved it when she had a secret task to perform. She enjoyed helping her family out whenever they needed assistance. Zoe was good at hiding her feelings. Grace hadn’t even known their matriarch and patriarch weren’t knocking boots.
She entered the room where they had racks and shelves full of women’s clothing. Sinai had created a ton of stylish clothes after getting rid of the gear that didn’t suit her fashion sense. Grace perused the lingerie section and sensed someone approaching.
“What are you up to, shorty?” Xanthia asked when she strode inside.
“Secret mission,” the kid said, glancing over her shoulder. Xan was sorting through the most colorful clothing on a rack that had garments in her size. “I’d go with the purple shorts,” she suggested.
“Semi likes purple,” the electronics wizard agreed with a wink, then grabbed a pair of tiny shorts that would show off her legs. She didn’t ask what Grace’s mission was. The teen could be a vault when she wanted to.
Humming beneath her breath, Grace found a sheer black one piece that was big enough to accommodate Zoe’s boobs, but wouldn’t be too baggy on her slender frame.
“Yeah, this is the one,” she decided, then folded it up.
Using the speed that not even the knights could match, she appeared next to her bestie’s bedroom door a moment later.
No one was inside, so she entered and put the lingerie on the pillow.
Next, she went in search of her favorite knight. “Hey, kiddo,” Cam said when Grace strolled into the females’ gym. He was spotting his mate, who was lifting a ridiculous number of weights.
“Hey, guys,” Grace said casually. “I heard Jac wants to challenge the boys to a gaming championship with one of those fighting games.”
“When?” Camriel asked, instantly onboard. “Tell him I’m in!”
“Here we go,” Vic said with an eyeroll. “We’re all going to have to watch our mates virtually fight each other to the death now.”
Grace snickered, then sought out Jacquin. He and Tor were near the lake. Tori was shooting lightning bolts at boulders. “Hey, Jac?” Grace said innocently.
“Yeah, little sister?” Jacquin asked, grinning at the adorable teen.
“Cam said he wants to kick your butt at that fighting game you’re obsessed with,” Grace said. “I heard all the knights want to try to beat you.”
“Lord, girl,” Tori complained when her mate’s chest puffed out. “That’s like waving a red cape at a bull.”
“No one’s going to beat me at that game,” Jac vowed, abandoning the love of his life so he could defend his gaming honor.
Giggling beneath her breath, Grace used her skill to get ahead of the pair. Amaros was playing pool with Queegly. The Mad Prophet gave her a knowing look, as if he was aware of her plan. “Little lady,” the human said in greeting.
“Hi, guys,” the kid said. “Hey, Amaros, the boys want to have a competition to see who’s the best at one of those fighting games. I know you hate them, so maybe you should challenge Jac first to get it over and done with.”
Amaros grimaced as he sensed the knights converging on the great room. They’d used telepathy to contact each other. “Thanks for the heads up, Grace,” the commander said. Grace winked at the Mad Prophet, then picked up Amaros’ cue, taking his spot at the pool table.
Taking a seat on the gaming couch, Amaros picked up one of the controllers. He gave his men a smug grin when they arrived. “Aw, I wanted to challenge Jac first,” Cam complained.
“Let’s go, boss,” Jacquin said, plopping down onto the couch next to their leader. “Prepare to get your butt kicked!”
“Help me make some drinks and munchies?” Vic said to the females. They headed to the kitchen, since they knew they’d all be stuck in the great room for the next few hours.
Queeg moved closer to Grace and gave her a quick grin. “That was a good plan, little sister,” he murmured in his southern accent. “I’m sure both Zoe and Amaros will thank you for this.”
“They’ll owe me big time,” the kid whispered back to him.
Zoe’s face was flushed when the females returned with the snacks.
They moved chairs and couches around to face the gigantic TV that was mounted on the wall.
Amaros didn’t game as often as his brothers and was the least skilled.
It was already obvious he was going to lose.
At Grace’s nod, the mystic casually got up and headed to her bedroom.
Seconds later, Jac’s avatar knocked out Amaros’ avatar and the game ended. “In your face, boss!” Jacquin crowed.
Amaros growled and tossed the controller to Cam, who was next in line. “Where’s my mate?” he asked, looking around for Zoe and seeing she was absent. Their bond was slightly muted and he couldn’t pinpoint her location.
“I saw her heading for your bedroom a few seconds ago,” Grace said, then sank her ball.
Amaros grumbled beneath his breath as he went in search of his female. He’d had the feeling Zoe was unhappy and he needed to get to the bottom of it. His mate was holding sheer black lingerie when he opened their door.
“Someone left this on my pillow,” Zoe said, then held it against her gorgeous body. “Should I try it on?”
Instantly going rock hard, Amaros shut the door, locked it, then muted their bedroom. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door. “Please do, female,” he invited her.
Blushing like a maiden, Zoe peeled her clothes off, making him ache for her even more. She tugged the fabric over her engorged breasts and met his eyes. “Am I still beautiful even though I’m a mom now?” she asked.
Seeing how vulnerable she was, he realized he’d done this to her by giving her the distance he thought she needed.
“You grow more beautiful with each day that passes, love,” he said huskily, then crossed to take her in his arms. Their kiss was just as passionate as ever.
“I won’t wait this long to make love to you the next time you give birth,” he vowed.
“I was ready for this a few days after I had Arakiel,” she confessed, then gasped with desire when he tugged the fabric down and put his mouth on her breast.
Hours later, Jac defeated his final brother and stood up to take a bow.
None of them had noticed Amaros and Zoe were still missing.
Grace had checked on Arak several times and had fed him when he was hungry.
“I’m the reigning champion of fighting games!
” Jacquin declared. Tori clapped and whistled while the knights gave him disgruntled glares.
Semiaza scowled even though he always beat his brother at the other genres of games they played.
It was late by now, so Queegly headed to his cabin and everyone retired to their bedrooms. Unable to sleep, Grace got up just before midnight. She stepped outside to watch for a gold comet, but saw nothing. She detected someone approaching as she pulled the front door shut again.
Amaros was waiting for her when she returned to her bedroom. He opened his arms and she stepped into them, surprised, but pleased by his sign of affection. “Thank you, Gracelyn,” he said with deep gratitude, then bent down to kiss the top of her head.
“For what?” she asked.
“For everything you did for Zoe and me tonight and for always knowing what everyone in our family needs,” the knight said gravely.
“You’re welcome, boss,” the kid said, then he let her go and returned to his mate.
Feeling like she was floating on air, Grace entered her bedroom. Her talents weren’t flashy or impressive like everyone else’s, but even subtle skills could make a difference.