‘Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!’ Adelaide said as they walked into the Shifter Council estate. Everywhere Elizabeth looked the house was tastefully decorated for the holiday. The smell of roast turkey, pumpkin and cinnamon had her sighing blissfully. All of the Alpha Unit members was able to make it except for Colton and the trainees, they had returned to their respective homes for the holidays. Adam, Adair and Ben sat talking with Byron. Adelaide was fussing over Noah and Jaxon in a motherly fashion and both young men were soaking it up. Darian and Keelan were checking out each covered dish excitedly and Aiden was trying to keep Meryn out of the food.
‘You never told me how much you loved Thanksgiving,’ Gavriel said nipping at her neck.
‘I love the food! It’s all my favorite comfort foods put together in a huge feast, how can you not love that?’
‘I was there for the first one remember,’ he teased. They sat at the dining room table enjoying the chaos around them.
Elizabeth noticed the subtle differences in her mate. To his disgust, none of his clothes fit him anymore. He had to have a tailor come to the estate for new measurements. He had grown two inches, putting him close to Colton’s height at six foot six, unheard of for a vampire. Where he had been lean and long before, he now carried more muscle but it was compact unlike Aiden’s larger, bulkier frame. To her, he was now walking sin. Every inch of him was sculpted, defined muscle. His hair was longer as were his fangs when he fully extended them.
In private he also admitted that he had to work with Aiden to create a new regiment for training. He was now working out using a routine similar to the larger fae. But the changes weren’t just physical. Elizabeth was starting to see what Meryn had meant about her mate being a charming gentleman. He rarely got surly anymore and smiled more often. The only thing left unchanged was his possessive nature, for which she was grateful.
‘Meryn, darling, we’re eating soon.’ Adelaide laughed as Meryn ran from dish to dish wanting to try a bite of everything. Aiden had given up keeping her out of the food after she informed him the baby wanted it, he was now telling her to try all his favorite foods.
Darian and Keelan were glued to Marius’s side trying to wheedle whole pies from the squire.
Ryuu was nearly back to normal and helping Marius in the kitchen. For a few days after the attack he had been stuck in bed while he had regained his strength. Ultimately it was not only the men begging him to act as a buffer between them and an uncaffeinated Meryn but also the nursing attempts made by Meryn herself that hastened his recovery.
‘Oh, I just remembered!’ Meryn said suddenly, looking at Gavriel.
‘Yes?’ he asked.
‘Can you please tell Elizabeth that I’m right? Neither she nor Sydney believed me when I told them what you said about that shifter commander going home after the battle where the Dark Prince saved his life.’ She made a face at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had to turn her head. She knew now that Meryn was right, since she now knew that Gavriel had actually been there.
Gavriel leveled his gaze at Elizabeth, his eyes twinkling. ‘You should listen to Meryn; she is getting to be an expert regarding paranormal history.’
‘Wait? What story? That is the first time I heard that ending too,’ Aiden said.
Meryn beamed up at her mate. ‘Gavriel said that after the vampires healed the shifter commander, he turned his back on the war and walked all the way back to Lycaonia to see his newborn son.’
‘Why weren’t we ever taught that?’ Aiden asked, looking at his father.
Byron shrugged. ‘It’s the first time I’ve heard it, too. Lots of stories were lost after the Great War; two whole generations were wiped out before it came to an end.’
‘Are you sure about this, Gavriel?’ Byron asked.
Her mate nodded and sat back. ‘The shifter was tired of fighting. He knew his mate had died giving birth to their son and to him it would dishonor her if he were to die before making sure the baby would be okay. Once healed he thanked every vampire who treated him and began walking. The Dark Prince knew that the shifter would never make it to Lycaonia on his own so he traveled with him. Many times the Dark Prince saved the shifter’s life on the long journey back to the shifter city. When they arrived, the shifter didn’t stop to rest, to eat or drink. He went directly up to the nursery to meet his son. When he asked the nurse if his mate had named the baby she shook her head and said that his mate had requested that he name their son upon returning home. The shifter held his son close, the tiny child was the last link he had to his mate. He looked up to the Dark Prince and asked him what he should call his son. The Dark Prince was honored to be asked such a question and answered with the name of the godson he had lost centuries earlier, ‘Mikhail’. Once father and son were settled the Dark Prince left promising that he would look after Mikhail and his descendants.’
Aiden chuckled. ‘Mikhail was my great- great grandfather’s name,’ he said before shoveling a small quiche into his mouth. Meryn elbowed him.
He looked down at her. ‘What? They can’t be the same. Can they?’ He looked around.
Byron was nodding. ‘Dear Gods, this needs to be added to our family journal,’ he whispered.
‘Let me get this straight, the Dark Prince from vampire legend saved my great-great-great grandfather’s life, named my great-great grandfather and promised to look after his descendants? Come on! It’s not like there’s a five thousand year old vampire sulking around helping to defend this family.’ Aiden protested then stopped as all blood drained from his face. He turned to look at Gavriel.
Her mate smiled and wiggled his fingers at him. Aiden collapsed into the dining room chair next to his father.
‘Holy shit,’ Jaxon and Adair whispered at the same time.
‘It’s why you volunteered to become a unit warrior isn’t it? I never could figure out why someone as strong as you would take orders from me.’ Aiden stared down at the table.
Adelaide walked over and pulled Gavriel in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you for watching after my son.’
‘He hasn’t been so bad,’ Gavriel teased.
Darian cleared his throat. ‘I thought you didn’t want anyone to know.’
Gavriel shrugged. ‘This isn’t everyone, it’s family. Besides, I have a feeling the ferals knew who I was, and that’s why I was targeted. It may only be a matter of time before my age comes out.’
‘They don’t stand a chance, not with you on our side,’ Keelan said smiling at Gavriel.
Her mate shrugged modestly, grinning.
Elizabeth felt her heart swell. Her mate had lived for thousands of years and had shaped the very fabric of their history. He had been fighting for so long and for the most part doing it alone. There was one thing she could give him that she knew he desired. The one thing that should anything happened to her, could possibly save his soul.
‘I want to have a baby!’ she announced.
Unfortunately she hadn’t counted on her mate taking a huge gulp of wine at that moment. Sputtering and gasping for air, he turned to her.
‘Do you mean that? Truly?’ The joy on his face made her wish she could get pregnant that night!
‘Yes, when the time comes, I want to have a baby!’ she promised.
He pulled her into his lap and held her close. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered against her neck.
‘We have all winter to practice making a baby,’ she said and winked when he pulled back to look at her.
‘Another baby! Oh, I can’t wait! I need to start on their blankets now!’ Adelaide clapped her hands together excitedly.
‘You’re going to have a Jackalope!’ Meryn said and collapsed against her mate giggling.
Elizabeth felt her jaw drop. ‘My baby will not be a Jackalope! Meryn, you take that back!’
Darian frowned. ‘Isn’t a Jackalope a bunny with antlers?’
Elizabeth shot him a look of death. He held up his hands defensively.
‘A bunny with killer saber tooth fangs! Awesome!’ Meryn said, smiling.
Elizabeth thought about it for a second, that didn’t sound too bad. ‘That’s actually kind of interesting,’ she admitted. She turned to Gavriel. ‘If anything happens to me you’ll need to stick around to make sure our little vampiric bunny grows up big and strong.’
Gavriel rested his head on her shoulder. Around them the festivities continued as Adelaide got the men to help Ryuu and Marius carry the food to the table.
‘You’re always thinking of me, of ways to save me. I’m supposed to look after you.’ He pulled back and looked into her eyes.
‘It’s my job to take care of you, no matter what,’ she said stubbornly.
‘My Bunny. My Protector.’
‘And don’t you forget it,’ she said pulling him down for a kiss.
He broke off their kiss and looked at her with heat in his eyes. ‘We’ll start practicing tonight,’ he whispered.
‘Sneaky vampire.’
