Page 33 of Witch of My Heart

“If you must know, I’m adding him to the family tree. He doesn’t have to give me his birth surname. Hell, for all I care he can put down Hemlock-Knight or whatever.”

“Hollywell,” Cord said. “It’s not a secret. My dad and grandparents went by a lot of names depending on who they were talking to, but they kept our surname. We used to be a rather large colony of cats – the group, not the conquered land sort. Time and wars sorta wore down our numbers.” He yawned and stretched his arms high above his head before he spoke again. “I don’t know if we’re going to hyphenate. Hollywell-Hemlock-Knight might be a bit much to attach to any kid’s name.”

Cord stretched again, arching his back and raising his belly toward the roof. His back snapped and popped before he settled back down, scooting closer to me.

“We can figure that out later,” I yawned, once again catching it from him.

“Damn you both,” Duke yawned and lay his phone aside on the nightstand.

“Yawning’s good for you. It oxygenates your brain,” Cord chuckled.

“I don’t know about all of that, but I hear you on the triple hyphens.”

“Huh?” Cord said, twisting on his side and laying his head on my chest.

I kissed the top of his head as if his hair called my lips to them.

“Duke Knight-Moonscale-Darnell. All three of them. Two bios and a stepdad who was there more than most parents,” Duke yawned.

“Oh, yeah. You’re the kid of the Grim Howler dude. I’m surprised Liam hasn’t pummeled you for an autograph,” Cord laughed, rubbing his cheek against my bare chest.

“I’m not in the band. I was never in the band. Hell, except for the occasional reunion record there really isn’t a band anymore. Micah’s still around, but Xander and his mate, Zoey, moved out to the Raven Hollow Wolf Pack Territory.”

“And his other dad started Glitter Bomb. That’s a big night club in ---”

“The Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory,” Cord finished my sentence. “Everyone knows about the place.”

“Though, he’s more family oriented now,” Duke said.

“That must be nice,” Cord grinned.

“I’m sure it is for his true-mate and their spawn,” Duke shrugged. “After I was five or six, I only ever saw him a few times a year. Before you start in on it, I’m okay with that. I’m glad he was a dad to someone. He didn’t even know about me until I was two. I talk to him a lot and whenever I’ve needed something that no one else could get he was there. He even flew in for the opening of my business.”

“The Grim Howlers performed the weekend you opened Haven,” I pointed out.

I waited for Cord to say something, but I glanced down and he was out cold.

“We’re talking to ourselves, cousin,” I said, swallowing a laugh so I didn’t wake up my sleeping mate.

“Is there some mystery reason that Fred stayed away that I don’t know about?” I asked him. “I wanted to ask you for a while, but I didn’t want to drag something up if it would be dramatic for your carrier or something back home.”

“Not with my carrier, but occasionally Fred had trouble keeping it in his pants. Lotus got paranoid. It’s why I flew out to visit them so much instead of him coming to us. Don’t ask me how that works when you have a true-mate. I don’t know. It’s just what it was. He never slept with my carrier again. Dad would never do that to Jonah, but Lotus worried about it and since he was a dickhead he had to appease her. Look, before you say anything, I never said he was a great mate. He was shit at that. Ruined Dad and Lotus’s friendship and that’s why your dad doesn’t really talk to her much anymore either. I just said Fred was a decent dad, okay? He filled in the gaps I needed the most.”

“You still deserved better,” I sighed.

“I had better. Maybe it would’ve bothered me more if Jonah wasn’t around, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s my sire. Why do I take up for Fred? Because we’re still family and it’s complicated. I missed him sometimes, but he was there when itcounted. With the way I was conceived we were never going to be one big happy family. I’m glad my carrier and Jonah met. That was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me until this day.”

“I never said it wasn’t, cousin,” I said and let out a long slow breath.

“So, quit calling me Fred. I get that he’s annoying, but I’m not Fred. Cousin, I’m going to tell you something and I swear to Frost if it leaves this room, Cord will have to go hunting down books from that human worshiped goddess that put her husband back together after his evil twin tore him apart. I’m not Fred Moonscale, because I won’t have a kid out of mateship. I’ve done plenty to ensure that too,” He said and rolled over onto his back.

“Dude, using condoms isn’t something to be embarrassed about.”

“It’s not condoms, cousin. I’ve just kept it in my trousers.”

“What?” I asked a bit too loud.

Cord stirred in his sleep, and I kissed the top of his tortie-colored hair to settle him back in.

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