“You sure?” I ask cowardly.
“Yes,” he says, and I peek up to see him holding her in his arms and she coos up at him, beaming like her life depended on it.
“Give her to me,” I demand.
“You sure?” he counters.
“She has to learn that I am not a threat to her, that I am still her mother. Give her to me.” I hold my arms out for her and he passes her over.
She scowls at me, her lower lip sticking out, but after I tut at her and hold her closer, she gives in and snuggles me back. “See, still Mama,” I croon at her. “Just a little different.”
I swear I hear her harrumph at me, but then she wails, and I hand her off to CK.
“Baby steps,” he says, knowing I am sad about her reaction to me.
“Yeah,” I say. “I had better go and find Devon. He is going to need me.”
CK nods at me evasively, knowing exactly what I mean by ‘need’. He disappears and I go off in search of Devon.
Instead of finding him though, I come across Remiel. He grabs my hand and Astrals me off without giving me a chance to protest.
“Wait,” I finally say when we land at our destination. I glance around and my eyes go wide. “Wait…” I say again, but this time for a different reason. “How did you fix this?” I gesture at my house in Buckinghamshire that Tiamat demolished with Her Dragon fire.
“Where do you think Xane got the spell from to erect his house?” he asks instead.
“You, obviously,” I say with a roll of my eyes.
“Precisely,” he says and takes my hand gently.
Once again, it makes me wonder what other powers he has in his bag of tricks. There doesn’t seem to be much he can’t do.
“Why did you do this?” I ask as he leads me into the house.
“I want a residence that is mine and Delinda’s,” he replies. “And yours, of course.”
Of course, seeing as it is my house. “You intend to bring her here to live?” I venture cautiously. Over my dead body, but that isn’t the way to handle things with him.
He gives me a curious look. “I would never take her from you, Aefre,” he says. “This will be our home to come to when we want to be together as a f
amily.”
“Oh,” I say with a slight blush. “So, you still think we can be?”
He gives me a searching look. “I still believe we are meant to be together. You are my Vampire charge.”
“But not your Dragon-mate,” I point out.
“No, but I fail to see that being a problem.”
“Is that why you have brought me here, to see if it is?” I ask slyly.
“Perhaps,” he answers, and leaves it at that as he takes me up to the master bedroom.
I gulp, not wanting to enter, as this is the room that Cole and I shared for many months. It, to my relief, has changed somewhat in design.
“I thought it might be prudent to adjust the décor,” he says, reading my thoughts.
“Thank you,” I say and let go of his hand.