Page 73 of Nocturnal Desires

“Mate?” she asks, her voice higher than before. “Since when do you have a mate? Last time I saw you, you said, and I quote, ‘I think I found my mate and he’s in trouble.’ What kind of person doesn’t tell her own sister that she found her mate?” Aqua demands, rushing into the bedroom and leaving the door slightly ajar.

“I think we should make some breakfast, don’t you?” I whisper to the kids as I hear the sisters talking in hushed tones through the open door.

“Won’t Pearl be mad we’re using her food?” Zach asks.

“I won’t as long as you make me some too,” Pearl calls from the bedroom, making Zach’s eyes widen, he obviously thought he was quiet enough that she wouldn’t hear him.

“You heard her, we best get to work,” I tell him, bumping his shoulder.

When Pearl and Aqua emerge from the bedroom, the three of us are coated almost head to toe in flour and there is a sheet pan in the oven full of chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes.

“Mmm something smells good,” Pearl says, coming over and placing a soft kiss on my lips.

“We made choco chip and blueberry,” Amelia supplies, rising on her tiptoes to see over the kitchen island.

“My favorite is chocolate chip, but Aqua likes blueberry. What about you?” Pearl asks Amelia.

“I like choco chip too.”

“And you, Zach?” His eyes widen like he didn’t expect to be asked, and he clears his throat.

“I don’t know,” he replies honestly, another reminder of all the time that was stripped from us. We should’ve been in the kitchen together every Sunday, making breakfast for our family. Instead, he wasn’t allowed to look at me or talk to me after he started showing real magic at the age of five. Only on very rare occurrences was he able to spend time with me and never alone. The food the coven liked to make was never fun. If there were pancakes, they were plain.

“That’s okay. You’ll just have to try them both and see,” Pearl says, and I give her a soft smile of thanks.

“And next time we could try and make a bunch of different ones just to be sure,” I tell him, reaching into the oven and flipping over the pancakes.

“My dad makes really good banana pancakes,” Aqua says, coming into the kitchen and grabbing five plates to set the table.

“He really does,” Pearl agrees, grabbing the silverware and passing the forks to Zach. “Would you mind putting these on the table for me?”

“Sure,” he says, spinning on his heel and marching over to the table, placing a fork next to each plate as he goes.

“Knock. Knock.” Another feminine voice calls out from the front door, and I turn seeing both Skarlyt and Phoebe standing there with another petite blonde woman and a large, towering man.

“Andres!” Amelia exclaims, rushing to the screen door, throwing it open, and launching herself into the big burly man’s arms.

“Should I be worried about that?” I whisper to Pearl, who chuckles and shakes her head.

“That’s Andres,” she responds.

“The dragon?” I ask, looking back at the big man in a new light. I don’t know how I didn’t realize it; Amelia couldn’t stop talking about him last night.

“I had some of Ryker and Riley’s old clothes put away and Drusilla had some of River’s old clothes as well. They might be a little big, but Sarah is already making Amelia some nice dresses,” Phoebe says, and I notice for the first time that all three women are carrying in at least two garbage bags.

“You didn…” I begin, but Pearl cuts me off.

“Thank you.”

I clear my throat. “Yes. Thank you.”

Phoebe holds out the two bags in her hand to Zach.

“These are for you.” He looks from the bag to her face and then to Pearl who nods before he reaches out and grabs the bags from her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. The blue bag in Skarlyt’s hand is also for you but I think they might be a little big yet.”

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