Page 94 of His Retribution

You wouldn't know it by looking at my mate though.

Cora has been uncharacteristically calm through all of this. Since Andrej had the remains of her mobile fortress of solitude removed, and buried the stray used to make a most gruesome point, she has been at ease; happy even, and I'm concerned that my angel has either completely lost her mind or is in denial so deep she won't allow herself to grasp the magnitude of the impending destruction.

She assured me that she understands, follows each and every one of my overprotective and slightly ludicrous demands without question, but overall, Cora is acting as though everything is perfectly normal and that scares the shit out of me.

If I let her down, if I lose her...gods, to even think such things obliterates my heart all over again. I have done everything in my power to make sure she is safe, to try to prevent any harm, any threat, and though I've been successful to this point, I fear these last twenty four hours will send me to the edge of complete madness.

My eyes lift from the chronicles I've been dissecting, looking for anything that may be useful against Nero, and smile at what I hear coming down the stairs.

"And then Uncle Vok said 'But my angel, don't you see? I come to you each night not because I've been sworn to do so by mykapitán, but because my heart won't allow me to do otherwise.'"

My smile grows as I listen to my light retelling the moment I told her I was in love with her, that I had been in love with her since the first time I laid eyes on her. It was just before I shared that I am vampire, before I explained that we are mates and true to her nature; my Cora fought me still.

Daisy responds in some sort of baby gibberish—a very wet raspberry and a little giggle—to which my angel replies, "That's exactly what I said! I told Uncle Vok he was just doing his job, that the year before that was different because he came to me willingly then. And do you know what he said to me after that?"

Cora enters the dining room with Daisy on her hip, those big blue-green eyes completely fixed on my light’s face. Her face that brightens immediately when she finds me at the table, her electric sapphire gaze practically glowing as she smiles.

"Uncle Vok called me a mule."

I snort and shake my head. "I did not."

"I'm censoring.” She smirks. "I can't exactly tell this sweet little babe what you actually called me. Not when she'd most likely repeat it in front of any one of her uncles, or be encouraged to say it a thousand times, leaving me to be the one to catch the brunt of Allie's wrath."

I called her astubborn jackass.

That's what my love is censoring out of our love story.

"Fair enough, but do you recall what I said after I called you amule?"

My light is shining so bright this evening, even more so as she continues. "That's when Uncle Vok told me he was madly in love with me, that he used his influence to get put into the position of my night watch because he didn't want anyone else protecting me. He said that I was his to love, his to protect, his to cherish forever and always, and if I thought for one GD minute anyone else would do any of that I was completely mad."

“Exactly." I smile. Smile so hard as my heart flutters, the sight of my angel with a babe on her hip, the ease at which she interacts and cares for the young. "Then I told you I was a vampire, we are mates, and you didn't have a choice in the matter anyway."

Cora sits at the head of the table next to me with a grin, plants Daisy's diaper clad butt on the wood, leans toward her and whispers, "Boys can be super bossy. Especially the boys in this house. Take it from me, kid, if you don't push back against your uncles or even your daddy at times, they will stick you in a tower and keep you there forever." Then she plants a kiss on her forehead. "Give 'em hell, Daisy Mae; they secretly love it."

I shake my head with a grin. "And what would Andrej say if he heard you tell his daughter togive him helland push back against usbossy boys?"

At the mere mention of his name, Daisy starts into a string ofdada’sthat makes even my heart melt.

And my love apparently feels the same because she kisses the young at least a dozen times before responding.

“Nothing." Cora smirks. "Andrej would say nothing, as usual, probably give me the stink eye followed by a smile because he knows I'm right. Yes I am.” She leans in and rubs noses with Daisy who giggles. "Auntie Cora is always right and she's known your daddy and your uncles longer than anyone else. They listen to me because I'm the sister they never wanted, the evil little pixie they're all secretly afraid of. Yes I am. Auntie Cora is a scary little thing."

Now I'm full blown laughing at my light’s ridiculous, although slightly true, baby talk.

It's not every day one comes across a woman no taller than barely chest level, one hundred and fifteen pounds soaking wet that could tame wild horses, cuss like a soldier, and wield a battle ax almost as well.

Cora bewitched me instantly and it's safe to say my brothers were just as intrigued by her.

And yes, we all fear her wrath.

We've devoted much time to talking her out of murder, something two hundred and seventy-five years and ten lifetimes didn't change.

"Ahoj, moje kvetinové diet'a."

Daisy's head spins on her neck and her face breaks out into a huge smile as she hears Andrej's voice. He nods to me then lifts a brow when he sees the weathered book in front of me, but he just shakes his head and rounds the table, presses a kiss to Cora's temple and barely catches Daisy as she launches herself at him.

"Pobozkaj tetu a pod'akuj."