Madison’s eyes widened and filled with tears.
“What the fuck, man! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Connor protested.
“Believe me, Griffin and I argued to postpone until after the holidays. But the lawyer said that Rhys is a threat that must be dealt with right away. The reason I’m calling is, I was that this might be easier coming from you.” Connor fell back against the sofa and closed his eyes.
“I’ll call Gabriel as soon as I get off the phone with you.”
“He has to be brought to the town square. That whining little shit said that he didn’t feel safe going to a house full of vampires.” Connor could hear the contempt in Baron’s voice.
“Fuck! We’ll have little kids out caroling.”
“Connor, you know if it were up to me,” Baron said, using Connor’s real name.
“I know. I’ll call Gabriel now, what time?”
“Around six.”
“See you then.”
“Bye, Professor, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, man.” Connor ended the call and looked at Madison. He could see sadness and anger in her eyes. He knew this brought up recent memories of being taken and abused. She and Rhys had bonded in that tiny cell.
“Madison.” She shook her head.
“There was nothing I could do. I tried. But that law is ironclad and for good reason. No vampire has ever come back, not after thirty days. It’s been nearly forty for Rhys.”
Shaking his head, Connor dialed Gabriel.
“Gabriel speaking.”
“Prince Gabriel, it’s Connor Arkadion.”
“Connor, perfect timing. I wanted to make sure you’re at the diner later. Ashby and I have a surprise for everyone.” Gabriel sounded jubilant. Connor hated that he had to be the one to tell him that one of his children was about to die.
“Baron called,” was all he was able to get out.
“Hold,” was the crisp ordered response. In the background Connor heard.
“Angel, I’m heading to my office for this phone call. You should take Arthur upstairs and pick out an outfit for this afternoon.”
“Okay. I love you,” he heard Ashby say.
“I love you too, mon ange.” There was the sound of walking and a door shutting.
“Who is Arthur?” Connor asked. He heard a sigh.
“Arthur is our adopted infant son. He was placed into our care last night. Today is supposed to be a happy one for my family. What did Baron have to say?”
“Damn it!” Connor yelled in helpless frustration.
“He’s coming isn’t he?” Gabriel asked.
“That conniving boot-licker Salsiby went before the council and insisted that Rhys was a threat and pushed to have his execution immediately. They’ll be here this evening, Gabriel. You have to bring Rhys to the town square by six for execution.”
There was silence from the other end of the line, he couldn’t even hear Gabriel breathing.
“Then I better make sure that Ashby enjoys this afternoon,” was the emotionless reply.
“If there is anything I can do,” Connor offered.
“I’m afraid there isn’t anything anyone can do. Thank you for being the one to call me, I know that it could not have been easy for you. But it made a difference hearing this from a friend.”
“We’ll stand by you tonight,” Connor promised.
“That would be most welcome. Until this afternoon.”
Connor was about to fling his cell phone at the wall when Madison’s gentle hand stopped him.
“All we can do is be there for them. I hope they let me try to say goodbye, and thank you. He suffered so much denying himself my blood. His willpower saved me.” Madison leaned her head against Connor’s shoulder.
“It’s not right. This wasn’t his fault.” Connor’s voice broke.
“Maybe this will end his torment.” Madison wiped at her tears and Connor wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.
“We need to head to the diner early. Ma planned a huge gift for Kate, Rebecca and Sebastian. But she didn’t know Ashby would have a baby too. We need to stop at the general store and pray they have another Pack ’N Play.”
“It doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore.” Madison pulled the afghan over her legs for comfort. Connor looked down at his depressed mate and decided that maybe she needed her Christmas gift early.
“How about you open a Christmas gift?”
“I’m not in the mood.” She sighed.
“How about that small square one. The one wrapped in green paper.” Connor suggested, smiling at his mate. She looked up and a grin started to tug at her lips.
“What’s in the box?”
“Open it and find out!” Connor said, nudging her leg with his own. Madison eyed the gift then looked at him, before her eyes wandered back to the small square box.
“Hmm I wonder what it could be?” Connor asked playfully.
“Argh! You got me!” Madison bounced off the sofa and sat in front of their tree like a kid at Christmas. Her eyes were still edged by sadness, but there was a sparkle back in her eye. She picked up the square box. She tore into the wrapping and stared down at the plain white box. Carefully she lifted the top. When she moved aside the tissue paper he watched as her face was transformed into a look of wonder.
“How?” she asked, her trembling fingers reaching out to touch the textured canvas before she thought better of it, and continued to stare. She carefully lifted the small painting out of the box and walked back over to the sofa to sit next to her mate.
Connor looked down and was still impressed by the pure beauty that he saw. Right after mating with Madison and hearing that her sister was missing, he had gone to Doc to see if he had any pictures of the three of them together. He had found one, the three of them as babies. Connor had then taken the photograph to Caleb and commissioned a small painting. Caleb hadn’t simply copied the photo. He had taken his own personal experiences with Doc and Madison, and stories about the missing Maddie, and he had brought them to life.
Little Maddie looked to the side of the painting with wide-eyed wonder, staring beyond her brother and sister at a landscape painting in the distance. Baby Maddox was staring at Madison, his tiny mouth quirked to one side, frowning slightly. Madison stared right back at her brother, her face full of laughter. In the background he had painted three white, Bengal tiger cubs. Caleb was truly a genius.
Madison couldn’t stop staring at the painting. She propped it up on the coffee table and sat back on the sofa, her eyes never leaving the small canvas.
“I hope you like it.”
“I love it. It’s the best Christmas gift I have ever received.” She looked up at him as the tears started to spill over onto her cheeks.
“Come here, wildcat.” Connor pulled her into his lap and held her close.
She pulled back suddenly and looked him in the eye.
“Do you want a baby?”
He blinked. “Like now?”
“I’m not sure if I would be a good mother, but I know you would be a wonderful father. I look at that painting and I can’t help but wonder what our baby would look like.”
Connor held her at arm’s length, his heart racing. He desperately wanted a child, but only when his mate was ready.
“I would love to have a child, but only when you are ready. I think you’d make a wonderful mother. I mean look how much you look after Giddey,” he said, smiling. Madison grinned back at him.
“Do you really think so?” He nodded.
“You live to protect and help people. I can only imagine what you would do for our child.”
“What time do we need to leave to head to the diner?”
“About eleven.”
She looked over at the clock and turned back to him, licking her lips.
“Let’s try. If it happens it happens. But I want you to know, I’m not against it.” Madison ran her hands down his chest.
“Wildcat, you have me so h
ard thinking about getting you pregnant.” Connor groaned when she reached between them to cup his hardening dick.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not wearing any panties under my nightgown and my pussy is dripping wet,” she said, leaning forward to bite his earlobe. That was all it took. Growling, he yanked the garment up over her head and attacked her hardening nipples like a starving man. She arched her back, thrusting her breast further into his mouth.
He stood, wrapping her legs around his waist, and then ran for the stairs. Through his T-shirt he could feel her damp, scorching hot pussy grind against his abdomen. He felt his eyes shift as he growled low and long. Tossing his mate on the bed he ripped his clothes from his body and descended on her.
She took one look at his advancing form and her eyes shifted to a light blue. She got on her hands and knees and looked at him from over one shoulder. Catlike, she arched her back before lowering her upper body to the bed, offering up her ass to him. He could see the moist, pink folds of her pussy beckoning to him. He had to grab the base of his cock to prevent himself from coming.
“I’m sorry, wildcat, I don’t think I can go slow,” he rumbled, climbing on the bed and taking up a position behind her. He slowly stroked his cock, looking down at her body.
“I don’t need slow right now, just you.” She wiggled her ass. Connor ran both hands over her perfect ass cheeks and pulled them apart. He could see her dark hole teasing him as her pussy dripped liquid down her thighs. He ran his thumb up her slit, sliding her juices to her sweet hole. He didn’t know what he wanted more, her dew-soaked pussy or her tight ass. Grinning, he decided to have both.
With his other hand he grabbed his shaft and began to push himself inside her slick folds. He waited until he was about halfway in and then slammed inside his mate to the hilt. She went wild beneath him the way he knew she would. She loved to have her cervix bumped. He hammered into her over and over again. He loved the way her body stretched to take his cock.
He knew he wouldn’t have long, his body was already primed. He reached forward and wrapped his fingers in her hair. He pulled backward until her back was bowed. She was keening her pleasure. Snapping his hips again and again he pushed his thumb into her dark star. She screamed and her pussy clamped down on his cock.
He saw stars explode behind his eyelids. He roared and pulled her hair until she was up and kneeling on her knees in front of him. He was still coming when he leaned forward and buried his canines deep into her shoulder. Her arms came up to hold his head. He impaled her with his thick cock one last time and was spent.
Breathing heavily, he retracted his canines and pulled out of her body. She simply fell forward onto the bed. On extremely shaky legs he got off the bed and went to the bathroom. He cleaned up and brought out a washcloth for her. She only moaned softly when he gently wiped her clean.
He went back to the bathroom and threw the washcloth in the hamper. He made his way back to bed and curled up around his mate.
“What time is it?” she asked. He looked over at their alarm clock and sighed.
“It’s ten.”
“Wake me up in half an hour.”
Yeah, fuck that.
Connor set the alarm and went to sleep himself.
* * * *
Connor barely had enough time to set up the fourth Pack ’N Play out on the diner floor when the new parents and babies started showing up at the diner. Rebecca had been eyeing the new doorway that Duncan had cut last week. He knew she was dying to see what was behind the new mysterious door. He could hardly wait to show them what they had done.
The entire idea started off with a sarcastic comment from him saying that if the group of new parents spent as much time at the diner after the babies as before, then there should be baby stations at the diner.
He remembered how his Ma’s eyes had widened and she got a decidedly wolfish grin on her face, despite being a bear. At that point it became “The Project.” Ma had told them what to build and what to buy and the Arkadion boys made sure it happened. Everyone except Aleks had lent a hand.
They had converted Ma’s extra office into Baby Central. On one wall was a long counter that had two microwaves and two sinks with bottle-drying racks. Under the long counter were three mini-fridges that he knew were stocked with bottled water and formula. The other three walls were lined with dressers interspaced with six cribs, two on each wall. On top of each dresser were multiple changing pads in multiple colors and warming baby wipe dispensers. There were five Diaper Genies and what seemed to Connor to be an endless supply of clothes, diapers, toys, pacifiers, bottles and blankets.
They had closed off the back doorway, making it one solid wall, and Duncan had cut a doorway which opened up right into the diner. He had David and Daniel order a security system for the door where you had to have a fob to get into Baby Central. That way the new parents could monitor the only entrance and exit, and the number of people able to get in would be limited. Today the new parents would get their fobs.
“Can I see now??” Rebecca demanded. Ma laughed and waved Connor over. Madison grinned and pushed him forward.
“We’re waiting on one more person,” Connor said, eyeing the doorway. He knew the surprise that Ashby had and he didn’t want to exclude him in this present. As if on cue, the bells to the door chimed and the vampires arrived.
Gabriel, David, Daniel and Ashby walked into the diner. He heard Rebecca’s gasp and knew that she had figured out what the tiny bundle in Ashby’s arms was.
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Rebecca for once was speechless.
“Ashby, is that a baby?” Kate asked, eyes bright. She had already pulled one of the Pack ’N Plays over and set Landon and Lucas in it to play. She held Merrick and Bran held Matthew.
Ashby nodded and beamed at his friends. Everyone gathered around to inspect the newest member of their family. Connor and Madison made their way over. Connor met Gabriel’s eye and the prince nodded. Connor nodded in return.
“Congratulations to you both,” he said.
“Ashby, how could you keep this from me?” Rebecca demanded, her hands on her hips.
“That would be my fault. I wasn’t able to tell Ashby himself until right before this little one was on our doorstep. His parents were killed by Drainers, and since he had no other family, the council awarded us custody,” Gabriel explained.
“He is so tiny! He looks like you, Ashers!” Rebecca said excitedly.
“He’s a fennec fox too, it’s why they gave him to us. There aren’t that many of us.” Ashby smiled down at the baby who had woken up and looked around with wide blue eyes.
“What is his name?” Sebastian asked, cradling his son against his chest.
“We have named him Arthur. How is baby Lucian?” Ashby asked. Sebastian grinned.
“He eats more than all our lions combined!” Sebastian laughed.
“Tell me about it! I have two. I don’t know how I’m going to keep up. When one isn’t hungry the other is, by the time you’re finished feeding one, the other one is hungry again.” Kate rolled her eyes.
“Oh let me see!” Ashby said, looking at the baby in Kate’s arms.
“This is Merrick, Bran is holding Matthew.” Kate turned so Ashby could see his face.
“Wow, he looks like a mini-Bran,” Ashby joked.
“They both have his hair, but it’s the eyes I love. They both got his amber-colored eyes.” Kate smiled down at her son.
“Shifter babies are different than human ones. You usually don’t know a human baby’s eye color until they are six months old,” Rebecca said as Arthur grabbed her finger and began to wave it about.
“Shifter babies are only slightly more advanced but definitely stronger,” Ma said.
“Thank goodness you have the Pack ’N Plays here. I can’t imagine hefting two about, plus four babies and diaper bags.” Kate smiled her thanks at Ma.
Ma looked over to Connor and nodded.
“And on that note. Can I have everyone’s attentio
n?” He walked to the back of the diner where the new doorway still looked out of place across the hall from the long serving counter.
“As you know we’ve had a bit of construction here lately. Now you will get to see why. David, Daniel, if you would?” Connor waved to the new parents.
David and Daniel split up. They handed fobs to each set of parents, including Ashby and Gabriel. Connor was willing to bet they worked double time last night to get those ready for today.
“What our technical geniuses have passed to you are fobs that will act as keys to get through this door. The only other people who have a fob are myself, Ma, and Pa.” Connor grinned. He deliberately waited, drawing out the suspense. He could see Rebecca practically coming unglued.
“Connor!” she wailed. He decided to take mercy on his little sister.
“Okay, Rebecca, we’ll let you go first. You can see what is behind door number one.” He bowed and gestured to the door. She quickly waddled forward and used the fob on the small black electronic box installed on the right. They heard a click as it unlocked and she opened the door. Behind her, Kate, Sebastian and Ashby followed, holding their babies.
“Welcome to Baby Central, your home away from home,” Connor announced.
The new mommies and daddies turned this way and that to take in everything that was in the room. Kate, then Rebecca, plowed into Connor to strangle him in a hug.
“You have no idea what this means.” Kate sniffled. Ashby wiped his eyes and Sebastian ran a hand along the smooth wood of one of the cribs, blinking back tears.
“This is your home too. I hope this means that you will be spending more time in the diner so I can play with those babies.” Ma grinned and Sebastian and Ashby went to her. She wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them in for a hug.
“For nap time we’ve tied the baby monitors into the sound system. Anything louder than a whimper and it will mute the music and you will be able to hear them,” David explained, then blushed when Rebecca kissed him on the cheek.
“Come on everyone, let’s grab something to eat,” Connor said. Everyone laughed and headed out of the new room.
“You and your family are amazing,” Madison said, wrapping her arms around his neck.