Jacob’s laughter could be heard from the kitchen. “Hurt?” He hollered between laughter. “I think the death count was five, including the bitch twins.”
I raised both of my eyebrows at him. “Five?” That was kind of scary and impressive.
“I can only really claim four,” he said. “The second twin killed herself before I could finish my interrogation.”
Might seem harsh to most, but I didn’t care. I would have done the same thing if someone had hurt or stolen one of my Compasses. I probably would have killed more than five just in the first few days of raging around.
Through our bond I could sense Braxton following my bloodthirsty thoughts.
“The boys stopped me from completely losing my mind and soul. The moment you were gone, the world stopped spinning for me. I lost who I was. I became a mindless beast. I killed one of the twins in a blink of an eye, and the other only survived then because I knew I needed information from her. The bond with my brothers is the reason I’m still Braxton.”
I leaned up and kissed him hard. “You’re the sweetest mate any supe could ask for.”
I peppered more kisses across his face.
“Humans would think we were all homicidal sociopaths if they spent any time with us,” Grace said.
Saying that, she reminded me of Mischa and how odd my sister was at times. Being raised with humans sounded a lot like being raised with alligators, weird and dangerous. We sat for a while chatting and relaxed. All except Cardia who was a stiff, silent supe. After about forty-minutes Jacob emerged from the kitchen and he was bearing gifts. Beautiful, beautiful gifts. I didn’t hesitate, jumping to my feet and dashing into the dining room.
“Hello, old friend,” I said as I ran my hands along the stunning table.
If one could have a favorite piece of furniture, this was mine. Not only was it absolutely spectacular, it had been carved by my mate. My hand fell to my stomach. Was I pregnant? Would our child one day sit at this table and enjoy massive family dinners like we had? The thought had me both freaked out and filled with joyful anticipation. I slid into my usual seat. Generally, Braxton would sit on one side and Maximus on the other, but now that he had Cardia, I wondered if my vampire would move so as not to annoy her further.
Jacob was next to venture into the room. He placed two large platters into the center of the table before heading back to the kitchen and returning moments later with two more huge platters. Lucky it was a really large table, because he’d just dropped enough food here to feed a small army. Chicken, pasta, scalloped potatoes, sandwiches, and heaps of other bits and pieces filled the large plates. Impressive. If this was his definition of frozen meals, I’d love to see a home cooked feast.
The others filed into the room, but not Braxton. I briefly wondered where he’d ducked off to, but didn’t worry too much, he’d be back for the food. I had no doubt of that. Tyson and Jacob settled in across from me, and my heart kind of fluttered when Maximus took his usual seat beside me, Cardia sliding in on his other side. Grace hovered in the doorway for a bit before she finally crossed and sat next to Jacob. Tyson’s face was stony but he didn’t say a single word to the witch. Everyone grabbed a plate and started filling it with whatever food they could reach.
For some reason I hesitated. Where was Braxton? My stomach growled, and I was just about to jump up and find him when his massive frame filled the doorway. He grinned as he crossed to me.
“Jess, you didn’t have to wait for me.”
I had been waiting for him. What sort of sappy, love-sick, shifter spell did he have me under?
He slid gracefully in beside me, and without hesitation piled ninety percent of the remaining food onto my plate.
“You eat first. I’ll finish what is left.”
Sigh. Shifter males … every female needed to get one. They were the best.
It looked like Cardia felt the same. She narrowed her eyes and growled a little at Maximus. My vampire quad got that look on his face, a cornered predator. On the one hand he knew he was in trouble for something, and on the other he had no freaking idea what it was. Vampires were not like shifters, they didn’t have the same relationship with food, and they treated their mates special in different ways. Still, he was being extra dismissive of Cardia, fighting the mate bond for some reason, and his girl knew it.
Knowing Braxton would wait until I was done, I ate as quickly as I could and then transferred the rest of the food across to his plate. We chatted over dinner, light conversations about nothing in particular, followed by moments of silverware clinking and comfortable silence. I wished Mischa was here right now. I had missed her. I hadn’t realized how much until we were back together, until our bond was cemented again.
I had so many bonds now. Were one of them the reason I didn’t have a complete mating bond with Braxton? What would I have to sacrifice? What choices would I have to make in the following days that might change everything?
Chapter 15
After dinner we all dispersed. Most of us were exhausted. I was way past exhausted, I was wrecked. I’d barely slept in days, and tomorrow was going to be hectic. After hugs and good-nights all round – Grace was all snuggled into my old room; I thought it was a perfect fit for her – I followed Braxton up the stairs to the highest room in the three-story home. He had the entire top floor, which was much smaller than the two floors below, but still a massive expanse of luxury and workmanship.
The bedroom’s décor was cozy and masculine. A king-sized bed dominating the space, the bed base and headboard were both hand-carved, dark timber. There were some other large, heavy furniture pieces scattered about, expensive looking but practical also. The wide floorboards were stained timber, set off by a few thick cream-colored rugs. A fire was crackling in the large fireplace near the foot of the bed, and since I loved the piney scent of freshly cut logs, I took a second to breathe it all in.