“I want regular reports,” Lucian barked, drawing Drina’s attention again as he pressed the button for the elevator. He then glanced back. “And I want the truth. Help her if you can, but if you can’t, I need to know about it.”
Drina nodded reluctantly, and his eyes narrowed on her.
“This is a temporary gig, Alexandrina. Elvi’s already raised and lost a daughter. She and Victor were happy when I asked them to be in charge of Stephanie, and I won’t take it away from them now. They make final decisions until it’s safe to put the sisters together again.” He didn’t wait to see how she reacted to that, but turned and led Anders onto the elevator. “I’ll have blood deliveries set up for you while you’re here.”
Drina let out a slow breath as the elevator doors closed, and then glanced to Stephanie and Harper. “Well, that went better than I expected.”
“Yes,” Harper said dryly.
Drina chuckled at his expression and glanced to Stephanie. “How are you doing?”
Stephanie forced a smile. “Good. Tired though. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Well, there are three guest rooms in this apartment,” Harper said at once. “All of them have their own attached bath. Go take a look, pick which one you prefer, and have a nap, then we’ll figure out how to disguise you so we can see some plays and stuff while we’re in the city.”
“Plays?” Stephanie peered at him with interest.
“Yeah, I hear there are a couple good ones in Toronto right now,” he said easily. “And you’ll need a break from all the work Drina and I are going to make you do to try to learn to block thoughts.”
She nodded and started to turn away, then quickly whirled back and hugged Drina, mumbling, “Thank you for wanting to help me, and for my room at Elvi’s,” she added as she then hugged Harper.
Before either of them could respond or even hug her back, she was off rushing across the living room and away up the hall toward the bedrooms.
“Her room at Elvi’s?” Drina asked with confusion.
Harper smiled faintly and turned to slip his arms around her. “When I called about repairing the fire and smoke damage to Elvi’s house, I also arranged to have insulation, a wall of brick, and several different kinds of soundproofing and whatnot put in Stephanie’s room. I’m hoping that will help block thoughts and give her a quiet place to get away when it gets too much for her.”
“Oh.” Drina sighed and leaned against him. “You’re a clever man.”
“I like to think so,” he said lightly, rubbing his hands up and down her back. “I’m thinking I might do it to whatever room she chooses here too.”
Drina pulled back to peer at him with surprise. “But we’re only going to be here until the house is repaired.”
Harper shrugged. “I can afford it. Besides, that way she’ll be comfortable if we can bring her back to Toronto for visits. Elvi and Victor may be in charge when they return, but we can be the doting auntie and uncle figures who drag her off to the city for plays and shopping on occasion and give them a break.”
Drina nodded solemnly. “You’re going to be a good father.”
“I sincerely hope so,” Harper murmured, bending to kiss the tip of her nose. He then straightened, and asked, “I presume that means you do want children?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “Do you?”
“Definitely,” he assured her. Letting his hands slide to her waist, Harper lifted her up. When Drina instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, he began to carry her through the living room toward the hall Stephanie had disappeared down. “And where would you like to raise those children?”
“With you,” she said simply.
He smiled and paused at the start of the hall to kiss her, but then continued on, asking, “And where would that be? Where do you want to live, Drina? Your home and family are in Spain.”
“And your home and family are here in Canada,” she pointed out.
“Actually, my birth family are in Germany,” he said wryly, “but you’re right, Elvi and Victor and the others have become my family, and they’re here. As is Stephanie.”
“You consider me family?”
Harper paused, and Drina glanced around to see that they were halfway up the hall and in front of an open bedroom door. Stephanie stood in the middle of the room, her wide eyes on them.
“We’d like to consider you family if that’s all right with you?” Drina said solemnly.
“Oh, yeah!” She grinned. “Everyone needs family, and you two are pretty cool. Kind of annoying with your new-life-mate horndoginess, but still cool.”