Page 109 of Vengeful Mates

My baby beamed with pride, tired from all the exercise, her voice gone from shouting, cheering, singing, and telling us off for doing the moves wrong.

“Want a drink?” Zethan asked Mia, herding her into the kitchen.

Slade collapsed into the sofa and waved me over. I sank into his arms, burying into the crook of his arm, inhaling his smoky, whisky, molten steel scent. Alaric folded onto us and snuggled. Castor sat at the end of us, taking off mine and Alaric’s shoes and rubbing our feet.

“You can massage me more often, Daddy.” Alaric playfully nudged my foot out of the way, and I wrestled him for a spot in Daddy’s palms.

“This is home, Nurse A.” Slade nuzzled into my neck.

I rubbed his arm, needing to feel his rough skin beneath my palm. “Yes, it’s home, Mr. Vincent.”

For how much longer, we didn’t know. One night. Two? A thousand? I just hoped this wasn’t our last. If it was, it was the best night ever. One I would never forget.

“Good.” He combed my hair with his fingers.

My eyes drooped with the contented glitter tingling along my scalp.

Daddy’s fingers sharpened into his ibis claws, and dragged along mine and Alaric’s soles.

“Fuck that’s good,” Alaric murmured.

Right then, Mia entered the room with Zethan. “Five bucks for the swear jar, Alaric.”

Alaric pretended to grumble as he fished out a note and reached out to give it to Mia. At the last moment, he snatched it back. “Wait. I want to put it in the swear jar. How do I know you won’t sneak it to school and buy yourself a sweet?”

Shit. I hoped she didn’t do that when she was diabetic. Her blood sugar had to be closely monitored. A major reason I was strict with the foods we ate.

Mia smiled at him like the devil. A smile only Slade could teach her. “I’m a good girl.”

Slade barked out a laugh that made her smile widen.

“I don’t believe you.” Alaric popped her on the nose.

“Bad girl,” Castor coughed into his hand. “Very bad girl.”

Mia loved all the attention and swayed her hips from side to side.

I loved it even more when they made her the center of their world. This was a glimpse of what our life would be like with our babies… only crazier, busier, and crowded with four more bodies.

“I’ll put it in the jar.” Zethan held out his palm.

I’d trust Zethan with my money. Hell, I trusted him with my heart. Trusted all of them with it.

Alaric tucked the note to his chest. “I don’t know if I trust you, either. You’ve got a shady face. You might buy an egg and bacon roll with this.” He waved the note.

Mia snatched it and raced off with it, giggling.

Zethan hurried after her, calling out, “Stop, thief. Police!”

Mia giggled and hid somewhere in the kitchen while Zethan played hide and seek.

This moment of pure joy burned into my brain. I loved my family and feared losing it. If Colton took them from me, I wouldn’t let him live. I would take everything from him and break him the way he shattered us.

CHAPTER36

Alaric

Anxiety clawedat my chest at the clash of activity surrounding me. Senses overwhelmed, my hawk shrieked, gaze darting from rider to rider, unable to keep up with the sea of potential predators. Hundreds too many people for me to gauge any threats emerging from the crowd of riders. Curtains of bikes, men, and women to disguise a shooter. Aches thumped in my forehead from all the scans performed by my god’s eye, checking for guns, concealed weapons, or malicious intent. Locked onto one after the other, I caught the bulges beneath jackets and cuts of some of the bikers, my eye honing in on less obvious ones in sidecars and underneath suit jackets.

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