Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
It also meant that she wasn’t blending in. That made Hadriel’s job that much more important. And probably easier. But it also made the danger more palpable.
When entering the back wing where many of the larger rooms and apartments were housed, we heard, “Da-da! Da-da!”
The tottering feet of the princess thumped the floor behind us as she ran for her daddy. Her chubby little arms outstretched and pure joy raced across her little cherub face. “Da-da!”
“Oh gods, how precious!” Aurelia squealed as she caught sight of the little girl, one little tuft of hair caught in a pink bow on the top of her head. She quickly fell to one knee, her expression showing the same kind of joy as the princess, Tabitha. “Hi, little lady,” she said in a high, childlike voice. “Did you find your dada?”
The nanny waited back a little, knowing full well that when Daddy and daughter caught sight of each other in passing, they always stopped and cuddled for a moment before they each departed on their way.
Tabitha slowed as she noticed Aurelia, the child utterly fearless in most things but always wary of people she didn’t know. She walked closer, and Nyfain took a step toward her, his power promising pain to anyone even looking cross at his daughter.
“It’s okay, Daddy,” Aurelia said without looking up.
Unlike any other time she’d been in Nyfain’s presence, Aurelia had zero fear in her voice. In fact, it was almost like calm waves drifted from her, safe and comforting and happy. That was the mind-fuck Vemar was talking about, something she’d always done to some degree. When I first met her, it had so often been distress, and far less potent. With her newfound access to her wolf, it was much more powerful. Aurelia was creating a child-friendly environment and nothing mattered, save her interaction with the little girl.
“I won’t touch her. I just want to see her cute little face, don’t I?” Aurelia said. The last part was said to Tabitha as Aurelia smiled big, sitting down on her butt to be at the level of the little girl. “Ouch!” she said comically. “Silly Aurry just sat on a bunch of glass. Oh no!” She balled up her fists and pretend-cried.
A smile worked at Tabitha’s lips. The little girl stomped one of her feet and bent a bit, starting to laugh.
“She sat on glass, oh no!” Aurelia pretended to cry a little more before pulling her hands away, her smile so bright I couldn’t look away. “Did you come to see your daddy?” she said, slower than usual.
Tabitha stepped closer to point at a hole in Aurelia’s jacket.
Aurelia looked down at it, touching it with her finger. “Uncle Hadriel is going to be so mad. Look what I did to his jacket!”
Tabitha babbled solemnly. Though unable to say many words just yet, the tone made it clear she had something to say. Aurelia listened attentively, leaning forward, matching Tabitha’s seriousness perfectly. I noticed Nyfain looking at me, and spared my focus for a moment to glance over at him.
“She’s clearly good with children,” he murmured.
“That is because I just love children,” Aurelia said as though talking to Tabitha. “They are sweet and cross and sticky and judge a person solely on how that person treats them, not on what that person is. If they are angry, they get mad. If they are happy, they laugh. It is all very simple, isn’t that right, Tabitha?”
Tabitha babbled a reply, nodding very seriously.
“Yes, that is what I think, too.” Aurelia nodded adamantly before relaxing her expression and pushing to her feet. Blood spotted the floor. “Oops.” She stuck out her hand to prevent Tabitha from tottering over to her. “No, no, careful. This is dirty. Yuck! Don’t walk right here, okay? It’s icky.”
Tabitha looked at the floor and tried to edge around, grabbing Nyfain’s pant leg for balance, clearly not ready for Aurelia to go.
“I’ll see you again, okay?” Aurelia said, bending a bit, hands on knees. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you again soon.” She waited for Tabitha’s response with a wide, sparkling smile, before standing and sighing. She reached for the books Nyfain held. “She is absolutely glorious, Nyfain. You are so lucky. I’ll take these. Your baby girl wants a moment with her daddy. Sorry about your floor. But at least it’s wood, right? It’ll clean up.”
“It’s seen worse.” Nyfain handed over a couple of the books, giving the rest to me. She stepped away, waiting, and Nyfain turned and lowered his voice, murmuring, “Put a baby in that woman, Weston. She’s ready.”
Fire surged through me. I realized that I wanted to do exactly that. I knew, without any shred of doubt, that she was it for me. My mate. My life. My future. I had no reservations. I had no hesitations. To add children to that dream, to have a family to love and protect . . . There was no sweeter destiny, not for me.