I’d never get tired of seeing my fearsome beast become a gentle one when he cradled our daughter like she was the most precious thing in his entire world. I hadn’t thought of what it would be like to watch him with our children, and it’s probably best I hadn’t.
My emotions sat perched in my throat at the thought of it, along with watery eyes that made me feel too much, too fast. Seeing him like this floored me and made my heart grow warm. I moved to place Cade in the crib as well.
“Ryder,” I said his name and then felt his magic as it washed over me. I had a scheduled playdate with my mother in the morning to figure out my abilities, since at the moment, I couldn’t even sift. The basics were gone, and I had to learn everything over again. It was like every time I figured out who I was, life would knock me down, and I’d get back up swinging.
This time, I could feel this most recent change was the last one I’d endure, but I wasn’t afraid of it. I was happy. I had my beast, and he loved me. I had beautiful children who would survive because there was no way I would let this world reject them. We were also on the brink of a massive war, but I knew in my heart that we would be victorious, because we had to be. The alternative was unthinkable.
I hadn’t spent half of my life protecting the world from these beings, to become one and let them wipe out the entire Human race. No; I was still me and I still had the same principles. Just because I was in their camp now and could see that they weren’t all monsters, it didn’t mean I’d allow them to consume the people I’d once protected. Which meant we had to win this fight, and quickly.
I looked down to find a beautiful white lace dress with a high imperial waistline, which had small flowers that matched the ring on my finger; it hugged my curves beautifully. I could feel the weight of the crown Ryder had fashioned on my head, and smiled since the beast had even done my hair for me. “Nice, but you forgot something,” I said as I lifted the dress to show him my naked feet.
“Maybe I like you barefoot?” he said. As I lifted my eyes to his, it was to find those beautiful golden eyes smiling.
“Maybe, but I still need my feet covered, Fairy.”
“As you wish,” he said, and I felt the cool touch of leather as it covered the soles of my feet. Next were the bands of silver that covered my biceps, and then bracelets that went halfway up to my elbows and jingled musically. Next he wiggled his fingers and a thin metal band slid over the soft column of my neck. I looked down at the thin band, and then back up at him.
Zahruk cleared his throat, and I smiled at Ryder, as if we were naughty children.
“Zahruk, is something in your throat?” Ryder asked him as he glamoured on his cloak, and his weaponry.
“No,” he said with a grin as he set Zander back in his crib just as Darynda walked into the room. The moment she did, his eyes slid longingly in her direction. But one minute his blue eyes were longing, and before I could even blink, they turned cold and indifferent.
I watched silently, observing Darynda’s own reaction to Zahruk’s presence. It seemed like Ryder and I were not the only couple in the room. Something was boiling between those two, and it was getting to a point that one of them was about to explode. My money was on Zahruk, because he was primal in everything he did, and I had a feeling Darynda was just as stubborn as I was.
“We’ve named them,” I announced, trying to cut through the tension in the room. “This is Zander, after his grandfather. We wanted to give him another chance at life, an un-cursed one,” I added quickly when Zahruk’s angry eyes seared into me. “This little lady is Kahleena, and this one is Cade,” I finished and watched as Ryder’s eyes dared Zahruk to say anything about Zander’s name.