“I like that. As my sister, can I ask you a question?” She nods. “Amery said I needed to experience life more before I should consider getting married, do you think that’s true?”
“There is a lot to be said for life lessons, but those lessons are a lot easier to deal with when you have the right person by your side to help you through them.” She smiles, and I follow, dreaming of the perfect moments that I hope are about to become reality.
CHAPTER 17
Ryan
We haven’t even had sex yet, and we already have three kids to take care of. Not exactly the day I had planned, but I am willing to make the most of it. Besides, I have kind of missed the kids. I wake up early thinking I will need to take care of someone, but Skylar is already up and setting the kids up with breakfast. She dances around the kitchen, humming like a fairy tale princess. “Um, hey, I am sorry about agreeing to take the kids. I promise I will make it up to you.”
“Are you kidding?” she says, picking up Jael and snuggling her. “I love this. They are all so cute and wonderful. I don’t know which one I adore more,” she gushes. I shake my head, looking down at Nicky who is doing the same.
“Women,” he says.
I laugh and sit down at the table. “So, what’s for breakfast?”
“Pancakes!” Brayden announces, dancing in his seat with a rolled up pancake dripping syrup all over his hand. I rush to get a towel to clean him up, but before I can get there, Skylar is already taking care of him.
While I eat, I watch her dance around the room, humming, cleaning kids up, and feeding Jael. She kisses each of them every time she wipes their hands. I notice Nicky purposely not using his fork and getting his hands dirty. Every time he holds his hands up, she comes by, cleans him up, and kisses him on the cheek, and he smiles wide. The last time, I eyeball him until he looks my way. “What? She’s hot,” he whispers.
“Yes, she is, little man,” I say, putting down my fork and using my hands. I take a big messy bite while Nicky laughs. “Uh-um, Skylar,” I say, holding up my hands. She looks at me oddly before smiling, cleaning me up, and giving me an incredibly enjoyable kiss on my lips.
“Better?” she asks, sitting down in my lap.
“Very.” I say, smacking her ass as she gets up. I wink towards Nicky who gives me a sideways glance. I lean over to him. “Don’t worry little man, one day you’ll find your perfect hottie and you can rub it in my old, decrepit face.”
“Yeah,” he laughs.
“Yeah.” I rub his head. “So, what do you want to do today?”
Skylar smiles wide. “Let’s do something fun. Do you think Nick and Kayla would mind if we took the kids out to the park or something?”
“No, I don’t think they would mind at all.” She gets excited, picking Jael up and taking Brayden by the hand to go get them ready to go out. Wow. I never thought of her as a mother or anything other than the warrior that I have come to know. I guess she was someone else prior to being my guard. I forget that there is still so much I don’t know about her.
Skylar is so content and happy playing house with me and the kids. I feel as if we are married already. I’m not sure I am ready for this picture of us. I was just getting used to the idea of getting serious with someone; I really didn’t want to start replacing the dreams I had created with Sam with Skylar so soon. I try to make the best of it as we go throughout our day, at least the kids seem to be enjoying themselves. We even brought Shadow and Lily with us so they could run and play. Skylar hands me a bag, and I look at her, not understanding what to do with it.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Take the blankets out and lay them out for me while I get the baby.” I sigh, doing as asked. She sets everything up, removing the packed lunch from the bag. Everyone is happily eating and playing, enjoying themselves, but I just want to go home. I apparently huff and sigh a few too many times. Skylar grabs my arm to get my attention. “What is your problem?”
“Nothing, just enjoying this beautiful family time.” I smile obnoxiously. Skylar puts Jael back in her stroller as the kids play, and then, she approaches me. I lean away from her, and she jerks me back to her with a fist full of my shirt. “Hey, damn. What is your problem?”
“You are being a jerk for no good reason.”
“And you’re being ridiculous with all this mommy crap. These aren’t your kids, Skylar, and I’m not your husband, so stop acting like we are the picture perfect family. You’re not even related. You could be gone tomorrow and never see them again, so you better not get too attached.” I turn away from her to check on the kids. I expect her to retaliate in some way, but I don’t hear anything, and I don’t feel anything either. I glance back in her direction and find her cradling Jael close to her with tears in her eyes. “Oh no, don’t start crying. I’m sorry, but I am not ready to be married and tied down with you right now. We are still getting to know each other.”
“You’re right. I have no right to pretend anything with you or your family, but please forgive me, because for the last few years, I thought I would never ever get a chance to be happy again, forget ever having a family or enjoying anything like this. So excuse me if I take advantage of the moment and ignore your stupid man issues.” She gets up and takes Jael to the swings, leaving me alone to think about what an insensitive jerk I am.
“Wonderful. Now I guess I need to do some groveling or something.” Lying back on the blanket, I look up at the sky and then towards a man who seems to be innocently walking along the pathway. I don’t know if it’s that man or what, but something is suddenly bothering me, and not just my stupid man issues. I thought nothing about taking the kids out to the park with Skylar. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and there are plenty of people around, yet something is wrong. I check the area carefully a few times, but I still can’t shake the feeling. I find Skylar playing with Jael in the little swings. “Ryan, watch. She is so cute when she laughs.” Skylar pushes her, and sure enough, Jael giggles adorably.
“She is very cute, but I think we need to go.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know exactly. It’s just a feeling I have. Where are the boys?”
“They are playing in the maze.”
“Stay right here until I get back with them.” I go to the maze to search for the boys and find Nicky at the end, waiting. “Where’s your brother, Nicky?”
“He’s still in there. He wouldn’t follow me because he wanted to do it on his own.” He shrugs.
Sighing, I go in and try and find him with Nicky following behind me. I look everywhere until I find him in Marius’s arms.
“Put him down, Marius, you don’t want to harm him.”
“Harm him? Of course not, how could anyone want to harm such an angel as this,” Marius says as Brayden begins to tear up, realizing he isn’t with who he should be.
“Put him down, Marius. I’m not going to tell you again.”
“Of course,” he says, slowly lowering him to the ground but then throwing him back up in the air, scaring him. I race towards him to grab Brayden but forget about Nicky standing at my side who grabs hold of Marius and forces him to the ground. The little guy is stronger than he looks. Marius looks shocked but not at all angry or upset. If anything, he looks pleased. With Brayden in my arms, I grab Nicky’s collar and pull him back before he does something we can’t explain to the Council.
“Stay away from my brother!” he yells at a smiling Marius.
“Come on, kid. Let’s go home.” I take Nicky’s hand while Brayden cries on my shoulder. We find Skylar ready to go with Jael.
“What happened? Is he okay?” she asks looking over Brayden.
“Yeah, Marius scared him.” She looks shocked. “We need to go now because he is up to something. I don’t know what it is, but I am not putting these kids in anymore danger.”
Before we can get everyone packed in to the car and leave, Marius stops by with a few of his men. “Leaving so soon?”
I ignore him and help get the kids into the car safely, reminding Nicky to be good and stay put next to his brother and sister; however, I forget to remind Skylar. She attacks Marius and ends up taking him and his men on. “Skylar, damn it!”
“You stay away from those kids or I will destroy you!” she yells, easily taking on their attacks, bringing two men down and keeping Marius on his back using his own power against him. The scuffle is unique to watch. With one motherly woman taking on so many men with little trouble. She stands up and kicks Marius in the ribs before straightening her clothes and hair and walking back to me. “Okay let’s go.”
“Okay. Kayla would be proud, and I think I am falling in love.” I smile at her the whole way home, and eventually, she smiles back.
Skylar finds me later that evening with a softer touch. “The kids are safe and asleep in their beds. I didn’t think Brayden was going to let go of you.”
“Yeah, he is a little attached to Nick and has a hard time falling asleep without him. After today, I am sure he needed a little reassurance. I don’t mind though. I love those kids.”
“You are very good with them. It was kind of nice to see.”
“I have been around them since they were born, and I had to help Kayla a lot with the boys when Nick was gone. You, however, seem to be a natural.”
She sighs, “Don’t start. I told you I enjoyed being someone else for a day. Yes, I have always wanted a family. That is why I got married, but things don’t always work out like you expect them to.”
“No, they don’t.” I take hold of her and pull her to me. “But that doesn’t mean that our lives can’t still be good.” I lean down for a kiss, but she plays hard to get. “Alright, I’m sorry. I was a jerk.”
“You were a huge jerk.”
“I know. I said that already, but I can make it up to you.”
“Yeah? How?”
I lean down, kiss her cheek and her neck, and nuzzle her ear. “Come to bed with me and let me show you.” She smiles, giving me the okay to take her by the hand and lead her back to my bed. Laying her down with a kiss, I remove my shirt and instantly get to enjoy her warm hands rubbing against my chest. I take the initiative and work my hand up her shirt, releasing her bra and freeing her breasts. I smile wide as she removes her shirt, allowing me to bury my head in between them. For the first time, I get to kiss them, press them against my face, and enjoy them fully, but I want more. I kiss down her stomach and release her pants, opening them up to black panties, but before I go much further, she pulls my face back up to her.
“I want to make sure we are clear on how hard you are going to have to work to make it up to me, ‘cause I am still pretty mad at you,” she says, lying back with her hands behind her head. “You may continue.”
Nodding, I take hold of her black, lacey panties and rip them right off, along with her pants. I kiss her ankles all the way up to her inner thighs before pushing her legs up in the air and kissing her ass. Pushing my hand between her legs, I make room for my mouth and relish the soft wetness that she provides for me. She tastes so good. I moan my enjoyment against her bright pink softness and Sky loses control.
Gripping my hair, she calls out, “Oh Ryan,” and squirms away from me.
“Where are you going?” I pull her to the edge of the bed and get down on my knees, pressing my fingers inside of her. I feel for her spot and know I have found it when I hear my name again. “Don’t you go anywhere. I’m not done yet.” I continue to play with one hand and remove my pants with the other. My cock is so hard it breaks free before I can fully remove my underwear. Damn, I fucking want her so bad. I lick my fingers clean and rub my pulsating member against her quivering pussy and down into her. Wrapping my hand around her ass, I move her up on to my dresser and drape her legs around my waist, kissing, rubbing, and throbbing inside of her all the while enjoying looking at her ass in my mirror.
Skylar holds my face in front of her suddenly. “Thank you for saving me and giving me a reason to live.”
“Oh, Sky, I am going to give you all kinds of reasons to live.” Taking hold of her lips, I caress her body closer to me and take her back to my bed where I remind myself of how much of a woman she really is. Her body is mine and I take all the time I need to become familiar. The sounds of our heavy breathing and erotic pleasures fill the room around us, and neither of us are surrendering easily. Moving in, I look down into her eyes as she reaches back behind her head and cries out with a cum-calling moan. I release all I have inside of her and am instantly met with a warm embrace and tender kisses. “Mmm … you enjoyed that huh?” She smiles, kissing me again. “I guess that means you forgive me?”
“Come here, and let me tell you how much I forgive you,” Sky urges, entwining her legs around me and holding me to her incredibly sexy, nude body.
Marius has sent word through one of his aides that he wants to meet with me and talk about things. He requested I come alone, but I’m not stupid, and I do what I want. With Sky at my back, Terrence at my side, and a soaring dragon above me, I sit down with Marius at a quiet place away from prying eyes. Mr. Ego reclines back in his chair, loving every ounce of himself.
“I thought I said come alone?” he reminds me, as if I had forgotten somehow.
“You did, and I ignored that request, and from what I can tell, so did you.” I direct my eyes to the four men he has positioned around us.
“Very well. You can never be too careful. Even as young as you may seem, you’re still a Jayzon.”
“Get to your purpose for this meeting, Marius.”
“Very well.” He leans over to offer me a drink before pouring one for himself. I shake my head, and he continues on. “I know your brother and Gideon are conspiring against me and trying to remove me from my realm, and I think that’s the wrong decision.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I might be willing to switch sides,” he says, causing me to laugh instantly. He must think I am stupid.
“And what side might it be that you are switching from, Marius?”
He smiles uncomfortably. “The details aren’t what’s important here. What matters is I have information that can help you against Rein.”
“Rein Lorid, Lord of the eighth?”
“Rein Savage, and you and everyone else knows it. He’s Dennis’s brother, there’s no doubt about that. He changed his name to separate himself from his brother, but he’s looking for a way to make amends with him.”
“How in the world could he possibly do that Marius?”
Marius sits back in his chair with his typical cocky attitude. “Well, that’s the real question, isn’t it? Or maybe, it’s not how, but what—what he plans to do.”
He’s beginning to infuriate me, and even with Terrence at my side, I am starting to lose my temper. I slam my fist down on the table and begin to inflict my power on him. “I have had enough of your games, Marius. Tell me what I need to know or find someone else to help you from falling into the depths of irrelevance. And you know as well as I do you are inches away from that fall. With Nick and Gideon talking to the Council, there is no way you will win that one.”
“Step back, kid. You don’t want to fuck with me,” he threatens, grabbing my collar and mistakenly meeting me eye to eye. I lose it and send him spiraling backwards onto the ground. He fights his way back to his feet and starts to charge me when Blade shoots down from the sky towards Marius, who is smart enough to run.
“Blade!” He looks back at me and obeys, but not before he opens he poisonous mouth and sends out a vocal warning at Marius, a warning that will be ringing in his ears for some time. “Let’s go,” I snap rushing Terrence and Sky out of the area. The drive back home is silent, and we all begin to realize what Marius was really after, to find out where Blade was and if I have control of him.
“He got what he wanted, didn’t he?” Sky asks. I nod. “Is there any chance he will be able to get Blade from you, Ryan?”
“I don’t know for sure,
but I think he has to kill me to take control of him.”
CHAPTER 18
Elijah
I can’t believe I agreed to this. What the hell am I doing? Married, I don’t want to be married. I need to run … I open the door as Nicky walks in. “Where are you going?”
“I was going to go check out the … water temperatures.”
“Uh-huh. This is no time to get cold feet, Eli. If you run now, you will lose that woman forever, and I know you don’t want that.”
I sit down. “Maybe if I talk to her we can postpone until we can get this all figured out.”
“Figure what out? Her father? He can’t touch you, Eli, I promise. I already approved the marriage with the Council.”
“It’s not just that. It’s that Mahlah told me that she saw my death and that it’s coming soon. How can I do that to Cat, marry her and then leave her as a widow with no family to return to?”
Nicky sits down next to me. “Mahlah can only see what is expected until changes happen, and we are going to change what is expected to happen. As far as Cat’s family, your family is now going to be her family.”
I look at him as if he must be joking. “That’s not funny; everyone in my family is dead.”
“Damn Eli, we may not be blood, but you have been my brother since we met, and I would die protecting you as much as I would for Ryan. I know you would do the same for me. Hell, you have done the same for me. I owe you everything for taking care of my family the way you did, and I will do the same for you.”
I smile, trying not to tear up and embarrass myself. “Well that was partly because I had the hots for your wife.”
“Yeah, I know, you didn’t hide it real well, which is why I really need you to get married as soon as possible. Otherwise, I might have to kill you.” I laugh along with him.