shift happens 03 - no were to run (24 page)

“This is incredible,” I whispered in awe.

“I also baby proofed everything,” he informed with so much pride I giggled. “I had no idea what the hell that even meant, but my mother said I had to do it since our son was coming. Junior looked it up online and we baby proofed the living hell out of this place. I can’t even open the damn cabinets now.”

“I think I just fell in love with you a little more,” I said as I stared in wonder at the man I’d been blessed enough for fate to hand me.

“I can baby proof the entire compound if it will get me laid,” he offered with a wicked sexy grin.

“I’d have to say this is probably good enough to make your wish come true,” I told him as I picked up a stuffed dragon and hugged it to my chest.

“Wait. Does this mean I’m getting lucky tonight?” he asked with a laugh as he began to disrobe, obviously very sure of his odds.

“You are so getting lucky tonight,” I said as I dragged him toward the bedroom.

“More than once?” he asked as he picked me up and sprinted the rest of the way.

“As many times as you want, baby… As many times as you want.”

***

“Should I just talk to him like a regular person?” Nicolai asked as he paced the grounds while we waited for the arrival of Daniel, the Cows, Dwayne and Granny. “Damn it, what do I do if he doesn’t like me?”

“Yes, Nicolai, you just talk to him. He doesn’t bite. Well, not anymore. When he was teething he almost took my fingers off a couple of times, but we’re over that now,” I told him and laughed at his horrified expression.

“You’ll be fine,” Elaina assured her nervous son. “I’m more worried about accidentally getting downwind of the Cows.”

“And don’t forget we have Vampyres coming as well,” Seth reminded us.

“More than just Dwayne and Granny?” I asked as I scanned the horizon for cars.

“Hell, yeah,” Junior said. “The Cows are bringing their undead husbands.”

“Shut the front fucking door,” Maria snorted. “The Cows are mated to Vampyres?”

“Yep, and they eloped, which almost killed Dwayne even though he’s already technically dead,” I told the group. “He had adopted the Cows and was furious he didn’t get to plan their weddings.”

“Vampyres like to plan weddings?” Lenny asked skeptically.

“Dwayne does. Dwayne’s not your everyday Vamp,” I told Lenny cryptically. God it felt good to give him some of his own medicine.

Lenny waited for more and when it didn’t come he winked at me and gave me a thumbs up. I was taking after the old man and it felt good.

“Here they come,” Maria yelled as she ran toward the approaching caravan.

Dwayne, Granny and Daniel led the cavalcade in a brand spanking new, cherry red Hummer. I rolled my eyes. Essie had told me Dwayne liked to drive Hummers because he enjoyed being able to say the word hummer in polite company without getting in trouble. However, the Cows made the most spectacular entrance I’d ever seen. The Dragons watched with raised brows and amused expressions.

Eight huge, loud, and shiny Harley motorcycles trailed behind the Hummer each carrying one Cow and one besotted Vampyre. They waved to the crowd of open-mouthed Dragons and the cheering started. I marveled at the unbelievable irony. Never had Dragons partnered with any species other than their own. It was a new time and a new day.

“I thought the Cows were women,” Nicolai whispered in my ear. “I’d swear on a stack of bibles that each of those bikes are carrying two men.”

“They’re women,” I said as I watched them drive in. “Masculine, wonderful women.”

“Jesus,” Nicolai muttered with a grunt of disbelief. “They scare me and I’m a freakin’ Dragon.”

“If they offer you milk, drink it,” Junior advised under his breath as he waved at the incoming parade of strange.

“They brought milk with them?” Nicolai asked, confused.

“Dude, they are the milk.”

Junior laughed like a loon and he moved off toward the Cows as Nicolai slapped his hand over his mouth and gagged. This was going to be fun…

I ran over to the Hummer, yanked open the back door and smothered my son with kisses as he laughed and squealed.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I said as I unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled him out of his booster seat. “Have you been a good boy?”

“He certainly has,” Granny said with a big smile. “Them Cows don’t want to give him back. He’s got those girls doin’ his every bidding.”

“Me love the Cows,” Daniel said with a long put upon sigh. “I asked them to mawry me, but they are alweady mawried.”

“You’ve asked a lot of women to marry you in your four short years,” I said as I bit back my smile. “Do you think that’s wise?”

“Yes, I do. There are so many giwrls I wove.”

“Our boy is a Romeo,” Dwayne said as he bent down and gave Daniel a big kiss and a hug. “We’re going to miss having you around.”

“What do you say to Dwayne?” I asked Daniel.

“Thank you for letting me stay wif you, O Gweat Uncle Dwayne the Best Gaga Ever.”

“Seriously?” I gave Dwayne a look and he just grinned and shrugged.

“He only calls me that in public. At home I’m just Uncle Dwayne.”

I laughed as I put Daniel on the ground and took his hand.

“I have some very good friends I want you to meet. Would you like that?”

“Yep,” he said as he pulled me toward the waiting group. “Is Seff over there?”

“He is and he’s so excited to see you. His mom and his brother Nicolai are over there too.”

“Awesome,” Daniel yelled and squeezed my hand. “Will they wike me?”

“They’re going to love you,” I promised as we approached. “Guys, this is my son, Daniel.”

I introduced him to Maria who was thankfully able to rein in her dirty mouth. Elaina and Lenny gave him warm hugs and promises of letting him fly on their backs. Daniel was wildly ecstatic that he had a new grandpa
and
a cousin. Maria cried and Lenny just beamed.

Junior tossed my little man in the air and Seth took him in his arms and hugged him tight. The only one left was Nicolai. He stood off to the side not quite sure what to do. In the end he had to do nothing…four year olds were very good that way.

“Who are you?” Daniel asked as he walked right over pointed at Nicolai with open curiosity.

“Um…I’m Nicolai and I like your mommy a whole lot,” Nicolai said and held out his hand for a shake.

“I wike my mommy too,” Daniel told him and then lifted his chubby arms for Nicolai to pick him up. “You is huge. When I gwow up I wanna be big as you.”

“Well, you just have to eat right and…um, eat a lot,” Nicolai said and then rolled his eyes at his lame answer.

Daniel didn’t seem to care a bit. He was quite impressed with the big Dragon’s reply.

“How much do you wike my mommy?” Daniel inquired as he poked at Nicolai’s massive arm muscles.

“I like your mommy a whole bunch. Is that okay with you?” Nicolai asked with a grin as he flexed to impress my boy.

Daniel considered Nicolai’s statement seriously while he stared the deadly Dragon right in the eye. “I wike a lot of girwls and I ask them to mawry me. Will you ask my mommy to mawry you?”

I closed my eyes and stifled my laugh, but I was the only one who held back. The rest of my friends found my son’s lack of candor quite amusing—including Nicolai.

“I think that could definitely be arranged,” Nicolai said, swinging Daniel up onto his broad shoulders, much to my son’s delight. “In fact, maybe you should ask her for me. I might have a better chance of getting a yes.”

“I can do that for you, Nicowai. My mommy needs a big stwong man cause sometimes she cwies,” Daniel whispered the way a four year old does…loudly.

“Mommies cry sometimes, but how about I promise to only make her cry happy tears?” Nicolai suggested as he looked at me with so much adoration in his eyes that I almost proved my son correct by crying on the spot.

My big bad Dragon was a total softy.

“I think our little man needs a nap,” Granny said as she and Dwayne finished meeting the group. “Do you want us to keep him in our room?” she asked with waggling eyebrows.

“Nope,” Nicolai said as he started off for his suite. “Our boy is coming with us.”

“I’m gonna be big like Nicowai,” Daniel shouted as Nicolai trotted them off to the suite.

Daniel was going to lose his mind when he saw the surprises that Nicolai had gotten.

“Dima, I want to have a chat with you later today if you can find the time,” Lenny said as everyone went over to greet the Cows.

“Of course.”

“Meet me at two in your former suite. I’d like it very much for it to be just you and me.”

“Not a problem, Len…Grandpa,” I mumbled awkwardly, trying to get used to the word.

Lenny beamed and gave me a quick bow. “Till then,” he said and poofed away.

Shaking my head at his oddities, I waved to the Cows who were holding court with the Dragons. The semi-terrified Dragons, some of whom were covertly holding their noses as a precaution, were doing their best to stand directly in front of the Cows. The visual of the constantly dodging Dragons as the Cows unloaded their gear was absurd.

I turned and picked up my pace. I was ready to play trucks, trains and cars with my boys. Life couldn’t get much better than this very moment. I pushed aside the thought that tomorrow would be very different and decided to enjoy today to its fullest.

Today was the first day of the very happy rest of my new life.

Chapter 22

After rousing games of Hide and Seek, Candy Land and Old Maid, we consumed an enormous amount of both macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake, compliments of the chefs in the mess hall. Daniel was so wiped out he couldn’t keep his eyes open. We had family time at warp speed and Nicolai kept up just fine. I hadn’t heard my big deadly Dragon laugh so much in the entire time I’d known him and Daniel was in heaven. He’d found a new hero to worship and followed Nicolai all over the suite, copying every one of his mannerisms.

“I’m going to put Mr. Sleepyhead down for a nap. Lenny wants to talk with me. Will you watch Daniel?” I asked quietly as the little man in question fell asleep on my shoulder.

“Give him to me,” Nicolai whispered. “He wore my ass out. I’ll nap with him.”

I gave my baby a kiss on his head and Nicolai a soft kiss on his lips and then I handed Daniel over.

“I won’t be long.”

“Take your time. I have a feeling your guys are going to be asleep for a few hours,” he said with a grin and a yawn.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“No Dima, thank you,” he replied as he turned and walked back to our bedroom with my child cradled safely in his strong arms.

***

“Can I ask you a question?” Lenny inquired as he seated himself on the couch and sipped on the hot tea I’d made.

“Sure. Do I get to ask you some questions in return?” I bargained with pursed lips and raised brows.

“But of course.” Lenny laughed and placed his teacup carefully back in the saucer. “I might not answer them, but you are free to ask.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to him. “Shoot.”

“Your powers…have you tried anything other than transport?” he asked.

“I had no clue I could do anything other than that,” I told him truthfully. “My mother taught me to do it and I’d only ever done it once for practice before I did it in Chicago.” I froze. My stomach contracted like a hot knife had been shoved into it and I felt dizzy and ill. “That’s not true,” I whispered in a strangled voice. “There was one other time, but I think I forgot about it because it was…”

“When?” Lenny prodded gently. “When was the other time you transported?”

“It was the day they died. It was how I got away. She screamed for me to transport and I did. I left them all there to die.”

“Your mother told you to go?”

“Yes.”

I stood up and began to pace. I’d not spoken my nightmare aloud to anyone. Ever. But Lenny was my Grandfather. He had a right to know.

“Go on child. I need to hear this,” Lenny said as he sat forward and gently rocked back and forth.

There was no way to sugarcoat any of it. It was the most awful day of my existence and it would forever be with me.

“I heard yelling and screaming and I ran toward it. I knew it was my mother…when I opened the door all four of them were bound in heavy rope and chains and there was blood. There was so much blood and my father had huge knives and hatchets in his hands. He was hacking away at my brothers.”

“And were your brothers dead at that point?” he asked as he raised his tea to his lips with shaking hands.

“Yes…no, I’m not sure. There was blood everywhere. I focused on my mother because she was yelling at me.”

“To go?”

I nodded and sat back down. My knees had gone weak and my body felt as if it weighed thousands of pounds.

“I went in to try and save them, but I was so small and my mother kept screaming at me.”