Page 20 of Becoming One
All the men began to cheer and chant his name as Orion turned and walked away. He was glad his men couldn’t see his face right now. He wouldn’t look very much like a badass leader with tears in his eyes.
Orion got in his truck and started towards the coven house. He couldn’t believe all the strange faces walking the streets of Kaliss. Pulling up to the coven house, Orion parked his car and got out.
Guards surrounded the house and Ezra as he walked outside to greet him. “About time you got here. Jewel doesn’t do so well if he doesn’t eat about every two minutes.”
Orion laughed. “Well, he is eating for two.”
Ezra snorted, “The way my mate eats it’s as if he is eating for four.”
“Well for your and Jewel’s sakes, let’s hope that isn’t true,” Orion replied.
Ezra bumped shoulders with Orion, saying, “It’s not really how much he eats that concerns me as muchaswhathe is eating.”
Orion laughed. “Yes, Nelson told me that his taste in food has become a bit… odd.”
Ezra stopped walking and looked to Orion as he replied, “If you call eating a raw steak with a blueberry and carrot salad covered in ketchup odd, then yes, that is what I’m talking about.”
Shrugging, Orion said, “I can’t explain the ketchup covered thing, but the raw steak is normal for vampire women who are with child. I can’t see how Jewel would be any different.”
“Maybe not, but my poor baby cried the whole time he was eating it. He kept saying he was becoming a cannibal. It took me hours to calm him down,” Ezra said in concern.
“Isn’t that normal for a vampire child? I see the women of our coven doing the same when they are with child,” Orion stated rationally.
“I did try to tell Jewel that very thing and got a face full of raw meat for my trouble and it took me two hours to talk the stubborn man out of the bathroom,” Ezra said with a sigh.
Orion laughed. “Jewel can be stubborn. So what did you do to make it up to him?”
Ezra looked to the side, muttering, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Orion gave his Re and best friend a knowing look. Ezra’s shoulders dropped as he said, “I have night duty with the baby for the first two months, and there’s this thing he really enjoys during…” Ezra stopped, looked at Orion, and stated firmly, “Never mind… None of your business.”
Orion threw his head back, laughing in earnest.
“You do realize that Nelson is capable of having a child, right? This could be you one day,” Ezra replied sarcastically.
Shaking his head, Orion replied, “Nope. Nelson and I talked about it and we decided we don’t want any children. We are quite content with how things are and having the ability to just enjoy each other. It might sound selfish, but with my responsibilities to the coven and the fact that Nelson raised his brothers after his parent’s death, we just have no urge to have a child.”
Ezra lightly puckered his lips, then nodded. “Understandable. However, how will Nelson ensure it doesn’t happen? Are you two going to have a vas—”
“Hell no! No one goes near my balls or Nelson’s. I will rip the person apart who even thinks to go near my mate’s. There is an herb that Nelson’s mom taught him and his brothers about to ensure they don’t get pregnant unless they choose to. Pascal grows it in his and Zen’s store and makes sure his brothers get a regular supply every week.”
They made their way through the maze to the back yard where their mates waited for them. It was the one place that was guaranteed to have no one bother them while they spent time with their mates. “So what happens after Jewel has the baby?”
“What do you mean?” Ezra asked in confusion.
Shrugging, Orion asked, “Are you going to have more?”
Ezra replied, “Helio told Jewel and I that he can father a child every five years. He said if we choose not to have a child until a bit later there is something Jewel can take to stop it from happening until we decide otherwise.”
“Well butterfly dragons are like half-brothers to the Santorini foxes. I bet it’s the same herb that Nelson and his brothers take,” Orion replied.
Both men stopped, hearing Jewel whining, “Oh come on… Just one little pet for the pregnant man? Ouch, damn it Nelson, that shit was just mean. After all I went through creating that damn willow tree. I should at least get one little pet as a thank you.”
Orion and Ezra quietly stepped out into the center of the maze. Jewel was sucking on his finger as a black and white puff ball ran past. His fuzzy white tail flopping up and down. Leaping into a sickly-looking willow tree and jumping from limb to limb had Orion quickly making his way towards his little fox. “Cuddle bunny, come down from there before you fall.”
The tiny fox chirped with excitement quickly leaping into Orion’s arms. “Well, hello to you too. I see you’re enjoy the beautiful spring afternoon.”
The tiny horned animal nodded, and Orion’s heart melted as the cutie nuzzled closer to him, rubbing his soft fur under Orion’s neck.