“I made sure you had no other choice,” he rumbled as he leaned over and nuzzled my neck.
“I had choices; I just couldn’t think with you around. Still can’t,” I said wickedly.
“If you keep smiling with that damn grin on your lips, I’m going to fuck you.”
“That’s a bad thing, how?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Several hours later, we bathed in the tub together. He hadn’t promised marriage, but I had a plan to wear him down and make him so in love with me that he couldn’t live without me. Danu’s words played in my head as we headed to one of the smaller meeting halls which the men had set up recently.
Being in the human world for as long as they were, they had begun to appreciate the gathering and meeting places that had been set up for them there, like Sidhe Darklands and Nightshade.
The room was decked out with nightclub lights, and the men were gathered around a small bar where, of course, Vlad stood behind it laughing at something Adam had said. I smiled and took in those in the bar. They’d all become important to me. I wasn’t sure when it had happened, but these men were my family.
“Flower,” Ristan said as he sifted in beside us.
“Demon,” I replied with a subtle nod of acknowledgment.
“How are my nephews?” Savlian asked with twinkling eyes and a wicked grin.
“Your nieces are growing,” I countered, “and planning on how to drive you all insane for messing with their mother. You have been warned,” I replied with a brilliant grin of my own. I was going to curse them all, and give them girls that would drive them insane while trying to keep up with them. My kids would be awesome, and sassy.
“Twin girls,” Savlian said with a look that teetered on panic.
“Yes, so that Uncle Savlian…and the rest of you can chase them. Just think about it, when they start dating…” I stopped abruptly. If I did have girls, they’d have all these men guarding them, and dating was going to be crazy for them. Poor darlings.
“Yes, you just think about that thought,” Savlian said, victorious.
“Well, shit,” I said after a moment of picturing it inside my head. Poor girls!
“Vlad,” I nodded at him as we sat at the bar and he poured me a glass of sparkling water.
“Hey you, long time no see,” he joked.
“Yeah, you gotta get out more,” I chimed back. “They all make you serve drinks, makes a boy boring.”
“Boring is good,” he replied. “Besides, they start manifesting their own drinks and it just gets weird. Not to mention, I enjoy it. Good spot to see what’s going on around you.”
I looked around the bar and noticed he was right. He could see everyone, and watch everything going on without anyone noticing that he was doing so. “Adrian?” I asked.
“Chasing Alden,” Vlad replied and hurriedly supplied the answer to the question burning on my tongue. “Got word he had info for us, and Adrian offered to go and get him. It’s too dangerous for him to stay inside the Guild now. Ristan got in with one of the librarians there. She seems to become tongue tied with him around, and gives it up easily.”
“I hope you are talking info, and not something else,” I said, placing my hand absently against my abdomen.
“I am,” he smiled and flicked a fang as he leaned against the smooth bar top and folded his hands together. “I would discuss sex in the presence of a beautiful woman, but I do have manners,” he replied. “Adrian’s doing well, Syn. He’s improving on the hunger and moving on. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. I will watch him and protect him now.”
“That’s good,” I said before taking a big drink from the glass.
“It is,” he said as he turned away to fill Sevrin’s drink.
“Synthia,” Sevrin said with a nod of his head and a smile playing along his lips.
I nodded at him and turned to watch Ryder, who had left the bar to talk with Ristan at one of the small tables. The entire group was happy and congratulating Ryder. Silas had been invited, and nodded as I walked past where he stood on my way to the guys.
“Oh I don’t think so,” Adam’s voice sounded from behind me as he twirled me around and smiled down at me. “No hello for me?” He sounded wounded, but I knew better.
I smiled and fell into his waiting arms. “How did it go with your dad?” I asked. He’d sifted back to fill his father in on what had happened soon after the fight.
“He’s kicking himself in the ass for leaving before the fight started; he’s been dying to see a little action. He would have loved to have seen you come into your own last night,” he shook his head and laughed.
I watched from beside Adam as one after another, Ryder’s brothers began approaching him and pledging their loyalty and devotion to him. It wasn’t something I understood, but in the end I wouldn’t have missed it.