Page 10 of Gifts of Fate (Kindred of Arkadia #7)

Ashby

“And then we didn’t know if the baby was going to make it. But I swear Fate herself helped baby Lucian. Nic, Rebecca and I talked about it after Sebastian went to the clinic, we think she responded to our prayer.” Ashby bubbled over with excitement.

“Every baby born is a miracle, but it sounds as though you experienced something truly beautiful, mon ange .” Gabriel held Ashby in his lap in his office at the coven house. Though his words matched the conversation, Ashby could tell his mind was somewhere else.

“You still haven’t been able to find a supplier, have you?” Ashby whispered.

Gabriel’s arms tightened. “No, not yet.”

“Gabriel, we live in a shifter town,” was as far as Ashby got before Gabriel started to shake his head.

“I never want to give our neighbors the idea that we look at them as though they were food. It could set back our relations with them in irreparable proportions. I’ll find a way, angel.” Gabriel sighed.

“What else?”

“Rhys is no closer to regaining his humanity than the day we brought him home. I fear he is lost to us.” Gabriel whispered and buried his face in Ashby’s blond curls.

“We’ll get through to him, you’ll see. I went down there yesterday…”

“Alone?” Gabriel demanded.

Ashby sighed at his overprotective mate.

“Of course not, Baptista was with me after he got back from visiting Kate’s babies. Rhys recognized me, I know he did.”

“He needs to do more than recognize you to stay alive. If his eyes haven’t shifted back by the time Baron comes back to Arkadia, he will be put down like a rabid dog.”

“It’s not fair! He didn’t ask for this. It was forced on him.” Ashby turned his face into Gabriel’s chest.

“It is our law.”

“It’s a dumb law!”

“The council has been very lenient with us, mon ange , they have helped us enormously.”

“How has the council helped us?” Ashby was confused. The shifter council rarely interacted with the vampires.

When Gabriel didn’t respond right away, Ashby looked up. Gabriel’s eyes were weary, and he gazed down at him nervously.

“Gabriel?”

Gabriel stood and set Ashby in his chair and began to pace in front of the desk.

“Gabriel you’re scaring me.”

“I meant to discuss this with you beforehand, but my request was processed so quickly and it just so happened that they had a need.” Gabriel stopped pacing, his back to his mate.

“What request?”

“I asked them to look into possible children that needed adopting,” Gabriel said, turning around.

Ashby felt as if all the air in the room were sucked out of the window. He gasped and grabbed his chest. Gabriel was instantly before him.

“I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t want me because I couldn’t have babies.” Ashby closed his eyes in pain.

“No! No, mon ange . I saw how much pain you were in and how hard you tried to hide it from your closest friends. I could feel it in your heart, the desire for a child of your own. How could I not move Heaven and Earth to make that happen for you? You are my very reason for existing.” Gabriel peppered Ashby’s face with kisses.

“What did they say?” Ashby asked, feeling like his entire world was spinning out of control. In the background he heard the doorbell ring.

“They found us a child, my angel. They are making arrangements to send the little one to us, possibly after the New Year.” Gabriel smiled and seemed to hold his breath.

“We’re going to have a child! We’re going to be parents!” Ashby yelled. The doorbell chimed again.

Ashby jumped up and started to pace the room, mimicking Gabriel’s earlier movements. Gabriel tried to walk alongside but Ashby seemed to start, stop and turn as new concerns or ideas popped into his head.

“How old? Is it a boy or a girl? Do you have any idea how much stuff we have to get!” Ashby ranted, waving his arms. He tried to get his breathing under control. The doorbell chimed again, and again and again.

“Someone get the damn door!” he screeched.

Gabriel visibly winced.

Beyond the office door they heard people stampede for the front door at Ashby’s uncharacteristic display of temper. Ashby took a deep steadying breath.

“They wouldn’t tell me anything except that the child’s parents had been murdered by Drainers and that they had no one in the world to take care of them.

As for supplies, we have plenty. The things in the spare room that you think are for Rebecca are actually early Christmas gifts for you. ” Gabriel pulled Ashby into his arms.

“Hey! Did anyone order a baby?” Daniel’s voice rang through the house.

Ashby froze and looked up at his mate. Gabriel looked as close to panic and shock as he had ever seen him. Ashby dashed for the door and ran downstairs to the foyer. Gabriel, with his vampiric speed, made it there seconds before him.

Ashby stopped a few feet from a small woman holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. She wore a tidy, tweed suit and sensible shoes. She looked like the quintessential British nanny.

“I am Prince Gabriel, who might you be?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m so terribly sorry, I assumed the council let you know I was coming.

Oh dear. I have brought the child they told you about.

There was a mistake on the paperwork for the adoption date, his foster family is going out of the country for the holidays and of course couldn’t take him with them. Will that be a problem?”

“No!” Ashby and Gabriel practically yelled, and the woman jumped and gave a nervous titter.

“I’m afraid he doesn’t come with much,” she said and eased the baby into Ashby’s shaking arms.

“Is that ours?” Daniel asked excitedly.

Gabriel nodded with tears in his eyes.

“David! David, hurry, we’re having a baby!” Daniel screeched, and coven members began to pour into the foyer.

“When?” David yelled.

“Now!” Daniel jumped around from foot to foot, trying to catch a glimpse of the infant.

“What!” was the bellowed reply from the landing before David tumbled down the stairs in his effort to get to the foyer to see the baby. Daniel ran over to help his twin.

Ashby felt Gabriel standing close behind him, peering over his shoulder.

With trembling hands Ashby pushed aside the blanket so they could see their son for the first time.

When he saw his son’s face he couldn’t stop crying.

He looked up at his mate to see that the Prince of all vampires had pink-tinged tears streaking lines down his alabaster cheeks.

“How?” Gabriel croaked and cleared his voice and spoke again. “How can he look just like you?” His voice broke. Ashby rubbed his cheek along the baby’s soft head.

“What is he?” Ashby asked in awe.

“We thought you knew, he’s a fennec fox. It was one of the things that weighed the decision in your favor since you are the same animal. Well then, my cab is waiting. Merry Christmas and congratulations to you both.” She nodded and let herself out the door.

Ashby felt his knees give out and his mate was right there to catch him. Gabriel eased them both down and sat Ashby between his legs on the foyer floor. He wrapped his arms around his mate to touch their son.

“I should be furious with you for making this kind of decision without me, I just can’t find it in me. Not while holding our son. You made this happen for us.” Ashby’s heart felt like it was about to burst he was so happy.

“A fennec fox with blonde curls, mon petite ange . My little angel,” Gabriel whispered.

“What will we name him?” Ashby asked, pulling the blanket back to inspect every finger and toe.

“How about David?”

“Or Daniel.” The twins glared at each other.

“It should be a regal name,” Roman commented.

“Powerful,” Baptista added, cooing at the baby.

“How about Arthur?” Ashby asked.

Gabriel nodded. “He was a fine man.”

Ashby’s head turned up to his mate his mouth open.

“You knew King Arthur?”

Gabriel just smiled.

“I think that is a perfect name.” Kurt, like most of the coven, was already smitten with their infant prince.

“Did you hear that? You are now Arthur Mikhail Fairfax.” Ashby held the baby close. He heard Gabriel’s breath catch.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Ashby nodded.

“That’s regal and powerful all right,” David snorted.

“You nailed it.” Daniel laughed.

“Welcome to our coven, my son,” Gabriel said, his voice thick with emotion.

“Welcome home, Prince Arthur!” The coven celebrated around them. Ashby turned an impish face to his mate.

“That will never, ever get old.”