Tsandor felt his heart give a strange little jump.
“Do you want me to guess what it is?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“No, honey. Just come with me. You’ll see.”
Wiping his hands on a paper towel and leaving his ornament to dry, Tsandor got up and followed Ms. Lola, wondering what was going on.
She took him out of the playtime area and around to the front of the constant care house. At first Tsandor thought the surprise she meant was inside the house.
Then he saw who was standing in the front yard of the house, looking at him.
“Patro?” he whispered, coming a little closer. “Sarah?”
His father grinned at him and Sarah smiled that beautiful, warm smile that reminded him so much of Maman’s smile.
“Come here, Tsandor,” Patro said. “Sarah and I have come to take you home.”
At first Tsandor couldn’t believe it. Then he remembered what Shad had told him—that he would see his father and Sarah really soon. And then Ms. Lola had said she had a surprise for him—was this it? Was it really exactly what he had been wishing for?
Joy overwhelmed him and he ran to them as fast as he could and threw himself into their arms.
* * * * *
Sarah laughed for sheer joy as she and Sazar held each other and Tsandor tight, in a big, family hug.
“Sarah! Patro!”
The little boy was wriggling like a puppy he was so excited. But after lots of hugs and kisses he settled down enough to ask a question.
“Is it true?” he asked, looking from Sazar to her and back again. “Am I really going home with you guys? Really-really?”
“Really-really,” Sarah assured him, smiling.
“It’s true, Tsandor.” Sazar’s pale eyes were suspiciously bright. “You’re coming home with us and you’ll never have to live here at the care house again.”
“And…we’ll all be together?” Tsandor persisted, as if wanting to be sure.
“We’ll all be together—one happy family,” Sarah promised. She felt a lump in her throat as she hugged the little boy tight. She’d felt a pull towards Tsandor from the first moment she’d seen him—almost as though she was meant to be his second mom. It felt right to hold him tight—as right as it felt when she hugged Sazar.
“What are we going to do now?” Tsandor demanded, wiggling like an eager puppy again. “Where are we going to go? Are we going to go home?”
“I thought first we could get a Christmas tree,” Sarah said, smiling at Sazar. “Can we?”
“I think they still have a few for sale at the open market,” he remarked, smiling back.
“And we’ll need some ornaments to hang on it,” Sarah said. “And then I think we’d better get some ingredients to make Christmas cookies.”
“You mean the red and green kind?” Tsandor made a face. “Because I don’t know if I like them.”
“Those are the boxed kind,” Lola said, speaking up from the side yard where she’d been watching their reunion with a wide smile on her face. She shrugged apologetically. “I’m afraid they’re not very good.”
“You have to make them yourself for them to taste right,” Sarah said decisively. She smiled at Tsandor. “Would you like to help me? I have to warn you—it might get kind of messy.”
His little face broke into a grin.
“I like messy!”
“I do too.” Sarah hugged him and pressed a kiss to his hot little cheek. “I have a lot of Christmas traditions to teach you and your dad because Christmas is tomorrow.”
“Is that when the elderly overweight male goes to every house in the world in one night and brings presents?” Sazar asked, frowning.
“Exactly.” Sarah grinned. “Come on—let’s go. We have a lot to do to get ready.”
They put Tsandor down and held his hands between them as they left the grounds of the constant care house forever.
Sarah had a warm feeling, like a glow deep inside that radiated outward as they went. She wondered briefly if Malinda, Sazar’s first wife, could see her holding her son’s hand from wherever she was. She wondered if Malinda could know how much she cared for Tsandor and Sazar and how badly she wanted to be a good wife and mother.
Then, for a moment, she had a brief flash of a slim, blonde woman standing beside someone else—another woman but one whose face was so beautiful it was hard to look at.
Was it Malinda and the Goddess? Somehow, Sarah thought so. And both of them were smiling at her encouragingly.
I’ll take good care of Tsandor, she promised them silently. I’ll love him like my own, I promise I will! And I’ll be good to Sazar too.
I know you will, my daughter. That is why I chose you, the voice of the Goddess murmured in her head. I will bless your union with Sazar with many other children but you and Tsandor will always remain close. And you and Sazar will grow old together in harmony and love.
Then the brief flash was over and Sarah was left to blot the tears out of her eyes and smile at her new family. For the first time in longer than she cared to remember, she was going to have a happy Christmas—a family Christmas with the two new men in her life and she would never, ever let them go.
Epilogue
“So you’re his Fated Mate? What does that mean?” Kat asked as she watched the kids running around the open park land of the Mother Ship’s common area. Because of the season, the intensity of the green sun at the center of the Mother Ship had been lowered enough to permit snow to fall and the result was magical.
Everywhere kids were laughing and playing, making snowmen and throwing snowballs. In the center of it all, covered in the densest blanket of snow and undisturbed, was the Sacred Grove—the temple sacred to the Goddess. A few of the priestesses could be seen peering out from the snow-covered branches of their grove and smiling as they watched the kid’s antics.
Sarah, who had been born and raised in Florida, was amazed by the gorgeous sight. She’d often wished to see snow as a child but this was her first experience with it. It made everything seem perfect and right and indescribably beautiful.
“Well basically it means we’ll live to a ripe old age and then die at the exact same time,” she said, trying to draw her mind back from the snow to answer Kat’s question. She wasn’t about to go into the fact that Sazar could also drink from the more sensitive parts of her anatomy and give her multiple orgasms by doing so. That was a little too embarrassing to share, even with her good friends.
“That’s wonderful! Sazar must be so happy he doesn’t have to worry about losing you the way he lost his first wife,” Sophie said softly.
“We haven’t talked about it much but yes—I think he’s really relieved.”
Sarah smiled as she watched her new mate sip hot cocoa and talk with Commander Sylvan and a few other Kindred warriors who were gathered by one of the many picnic tables set up around the perimeter of the common area.
“Right now we’re just getting used to being mated and being a family,” she added as Tsandor threw a snowball and ran away laughing when Shad threw one back at him. “But I have to tell you—I’ve never been so happy. Not since I was a kid myself.”
“It shows.” Liv smiled at her. “You’re positively glowing.”
“And what’s that on your finger, doll?” Kat raised an eyebrow at her, looking at Sarah’s hand.
“Oh…” Sarah blushed and laughed, looking down at the pear cut diamond solitaire on the ring finger of her left hand. “Sazar gave me that last night after we tucked Tsandor in bed. Kind of as a Christmas present slash engagement gift. He said that the other warriors told him Earth women liked them and he wanted me to be happy.”
“I’m guessing that’s not the only present he gave you, hmm?” Kat laughed and nudged Sarah in the ribs. “You don’t have to tell us—we know how it is when you’re newly bonded.”
“Oh, well…” Sarah felt like her whole face must be red but just then Liv put her fingers to her temples.
r /> “Oh dear! Baird just bespoke me—they want us to gather up the kids to start bobbing for tam-tams.”
“They want to what?” Sarah asked, frowning.
“Oh, one of those weird Kindred Winter Solstice traditions we told you about,” Sophie said. “They have this big tub of greenish-blue slime and they float little toys and prizes called tam-tams in it.”
“You have to put your hands behind your back and try to grab one of the prizes with your teeth,” Kat continued the story.
“But the slime is semi-sentient which means it thinks the toys are food—so it tries to keep the tam-tams away from you,” Liv finished.
“It’s kind of like bobbing for apples if the water in the tub was sticky and gooey and alive and kept trying to grab the apples away from you.” Kat shuddered. “We hate it—the slime gets everywhere.”
“But the kids love it,” Sophie said with a sigh. “And since we make our guys put up with all of our Christmas traditions, we really can’t complain about theirs.”
“I can complain,” Kat exclaimed. “You know how long I kept finding little pieces of live slime on my triplets' clothes and in their pockets last year? War and Peace were determined to keep some of it for pets and the little bits of it were creeping all over—it was like having a house full of living blue-green boogers! Ugh!”
Sarah couldn’t help herself—she burst out laughing helplessly.
“I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say when she got herself under control. “But Kindred brides have…have the strangest problems.”
“You’re one yourself now, doll,” Kat pointed out, grinning. “We’ll see how hard you’re laughing when Tsandor brings home a wriggling handful of blue-green ooze and wants to name it ‘wormy.’”
“Come on,” Liv said, hooking her arm through Sarah’s and nodding at Kat and Sophie. “Let’s show Sarah what she got herself into.”
Laughing, the four women made their way through the Christmas snow to gather up their kids. As they went, Sarah sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess. She had a man she loved, a little boy she adored, and a home she was safe and sheltered in.
Life was good and she felt overwhelmingly blessed. This was the happiest Christmas she could ever remember.
The End?
Of course not! There are always more Kindred books coming. I’m hoping to dive back into the main series and write Brides of the Kindred 21 in 2018 and I also still have lots of ideas for other Kindred Tales as well. Plus I want to write Alien Mate Index 5 and Cougarville 4 and the Goddess only knows what else.
In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Hugs to you all,
Evangeline
Christmas 2017
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**If you've enjoyed Healing the Broken, please take a moment to leave a quick review HERE. Good reviews are like gold for an author--they let other readers know it's okay to take a chance on a new series. Plus they give me the warm fuzzies. : ) Thanks for being such an awesome reader!
Hugs, Evangeline
PS—Do you remember a book I wrote called The Sacrifice? It was later picked up by a publisher who renamed it Sovereign’s Choice. Then, when that publisher (who shall remain nameless) suddenly stopped paying me royalties, I was able to get the book back, along with many others.
I want to let you know The Sacrifice is being re-released on November 18th as both an ebook and an audiobook. If you have already read it, there is no need to buy again but if you haven’t, give it a try. I like to say it’s kind of like a paranormal twist on the 50 Shades genre. Meaning, lots of hot, naughty BDSM plus witches and vampires. Yum!
The Audio version is being performed by the very talented Mackenzie Cartwright who also narrated my Alien Mate Index books as well as my Born to Darkness books and Deal with the Devil. She really brings The Sacrifice to life so if you’re into Audio (like I am) give it a try.
Here’s an excerpt to get you excited…
The Sacrifice
Chapter One
“So what are you wearing to the Glen tonight?” Lexy sounds thrilled, as though she can’t wait to offer herself up. Or maybe she’s excited about offering me. Since I’m finally twice eleven, (twenty-two in regular, non-witchy language,) I am finally eligible to be chosen as the Sacrifice. Not that the Sovereign would pick me, but still, it’s a coming of age rite.
“I don’t know…” I sigh and lean against the counter displaying some of our most potent magical herbs. The dry, fragrant scent of them fills the air around us, so much that sometimes I think I smell it in my sleep. This shop, The Witch’s Brew, has been in our family for generations and I’m the general manager. Not because I want to be but because I really don’t have much of a choice.
“Come on, Emma—you must have something picked out. You’re twice eleven now.” Lexy swishes her long auburn hair over one shoulder, still sounding excited.
“I don’t see why I have to come at all, let alone get all dressed up,” I grumble. “It’s not like I’ll ever get chosen.” Not that I want to be chosen of course—no one does. Being the Bloodlust Sacrifice for the Sovereign of the Tampa Bay supernatural community is considered a deep honor—but it’s also a hassle and a pain in the neck. And I do mean that literally—the Sovereign is a vampire.
“You don’t know that—you might be chosen.” But Lexy sounds doubtful. “I mean, you’re a member of an ancient family with a powerful magical lineage,” she continues, obviously trying to be upbeat. “Your mom was the head of the coven until—”
“Please, don’t.” I hold up a hand to stop her.
“Sorry.” Lexy looks contrite. She knows I don’t like discussing my long deceased mother. She died in a house fire when I was only eight but the memories are painful and I still miss her every day. “Anyway,” Lexy goes on, “I’m just trying to say you do have a chance.”
“Right,” I snort disdainfully. “Lexy, I have no chance—I’m a dud.”
Lexy puts one perfectly manicured hand on her slender hip. “Don’t call yourself that, Emma!”
“Why not? It’s the truth.” A “dud” is a person from a magical family with no magic of their own. That description fits me to a T. After my mother’s untimely death, I went to live with my aunt and cousins, of which Lexy is my favorite. We were all about the same age and as we grew, my cousins all began to exhibit signs of magical skill. Me, I exhibited nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Then when puberty hit us all, one by one, their powers grew. The onset of menarche is a powerful time for a witch. A time when her hair and eyes take their true and lasting shade and she comes into her own magically and physically.
All of my cousins came through puberty beautifully. Lexy, Trissa, and Delilah each have flaming red hair and brilliant green eyes. They’re all tall and slender and gorgeous—every supernatural creature with a penis within a hundred mile radius is attracted to their beauty and magic. A fact that Lexy and her sisters take full advantage of. In fact, Delilah, the most delectable of the three, even specializes in sex magic. Making love with a lot of different men isn’t looked down upon in the witch’s matrilineal society—it’s more like a status symbol. Lexy and Trissa are a bit more sedate but not much—they always have a date and often more than one lined up for Friday night.
And then there’s me.
Puberty had not been kind to Emma Krist. It doesn’t seem to matter how ancient my lineage or how powerful my mother was, the whole legacy just passed me by. I’ve been left with mousy brown hair, muddy hazel eyes, and debilitating menstrual cramps every time my period rolls around. Not to mention that I never got the tall, slender figures my cousins inherited. Instead, I’m short and curvy—way too curvy, unfortunately, with big boobs and even bigger hips. Add that to my lack of magic and the males of the supernatural community aren’t exactly beating down my door. Or any other males either, for that matter.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Lexy says, frowning. “You?
??re beautiful, Emma and you’ll come into your power eventually. I know you will.”
“Yeah, right,” I mumble. “And until then, I’ll just keep minding the shop while the rest of you actually practice the craft.”
“You don’t have to stay here, you know,” she points out. “You could get a job in the human world if you wanted to.”
I’m planning on doing just that, actually. I’m getting a degree in herbology and botany, taking classes at night whenever I can. But I’ve still got a few years to go before I graduate so in the meantime, the family shop is my best option. Besides, somebody has to run it and it would be a waste to have a practicing witch tending the shop when she could be out practicing the craft.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, wanting to change the subject. “Anyway, what are you wearing?”
“A sexy sheer little something I picked up at the last festival.” Lexy gives me a coquettish smile. “Guaranteed to get Alex’s attention and keep it.” Alex is the alpha wolf she’s been flirting with for the past few months. She’ll probably get him during the sacrifice ceremony but knowing Lexy, once she has what she wants, she’ll lose interest and move on to the next interesting male. “So what are you wearing?” Lexy demands, returning to her original question. “Something sexy I hope.”
Actually, I plan on wearing a nice long black skirt and a long sleeved silk shirt to go with it. Not very sexy and not very cool, considering the Florida heat, but black is slenderizing and the long skirt and sleeves will cover a multitude of sins. I can’t tell Lexy that, of course—she’ll have a fit. So I just shrug vaguely. “I’ve got something picked out at home—it’s no big deal.”
“Of course it’s a big deal—it’s your twice eleven!”
“I don’t know why you’re so excited,” I grouse. “It’s bound to be the same as always. The Sovereign will chose one of the fairy princesses because they’re the prettiest and sexiest and their blood is the most potent. Then everyone else will pair off and the whole thing will become one long orgy.”