Page 26 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness (Grimm Cove #7)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mina

Dark shadows came up from the ground, right below Drac, swarming him, wrapping him in what looked like a mini-tornado. They did the same to the blonde Weird Sister that he’d called Teya.

She was ripped away from Temperance’s side.

I ran toward my daughter. I kicked a robed guy in the gut and snapped his neck on my way there. I was almost to Temperance when shadows came out of the ground by her and snatched hold of her. They lifted her, taking her high into the air.

“Temperance!” I screamed.

She shifted forms then, going to black mist and then to bats. She flew away from them and came for me. She reformed next to me, and I grabbed her, hugging her to me.

She embraced me back, squeezing me tight.

I patted her all over, looking for any signs of injury.

She let out a shaky laugh. “I’m okay.”

“Ohmygod, you’re so grounded!” I hugged her again and kissed her cheeks one at a time.

“Mom!”

The chaos around us seemed to die almost instantly. It was then I realized Drac and Teya had broken free from the shadows that held them. They were staring over at Temperance and me.

Teya was humming merrily. “Blood is red…the beaten enemy’s blue…death’s just a door…and she’s coming soon. But not today. She’s waiting to play until the other shows himself again.”

I wasn’t sure what she was going on about.

Drac’s eyes were wide. “Temperance? Mom?”

Temperance pushed in closer to me. “Mom, that’s, um, I don’t know his name. I call him Asshole. He kind of saved Hannah and me, so I guess I need to come up with a new name for him. Turns out, he’s not as bad as I thought he was.”

Unable to help myself, I teared up, having long ago given up ever being able to have my daughter meet her father.

Temperance grabbed me and hugged me again. “Mom, we’re fine. I swear it. He didn’t let them hurt us. Him and his friends, the three women…they protected us. Don’t cry.” She squeezed me tighter. “You never cry.”

I held her to me, breaking down more.

“Mom?” she asked, pulling back and wiping my cheeks like she was the parent in the situation.

Jonathan was near Hannah now, hugging her too. From the looks of it, he was holding her so tight she was fighting for air.

The black wolf snarled at him.

He grunted and loosened his hold on his daughter. “Thank you for protecting her, Lucian.”

“Mom?” asked Temperance as I looked where Drac had been.

He was gone.

My gut tightened.

There was a flash of black mist, and he appeared out of nowhere next to me. He stared at me for what felt like forever but was more like a second or two. Then he grabbed me and yanked me against his powerful frame. His lips crashed onto mine. His tongue greeted mine, and I moaned, tipping my head, deepening the kiss.

He growled into my mouth and lifted me.

My legs went around his waist.

We ate at one another’s mouths like depraved animals.

“Gag! Mom, get a room! Wait, yuck. No,” said Temperance. “I do not want to see my mom making out with anyone, let alone this guy. He’s bossy, puts his nose where it doesn’t belong, threatened to ground me for eternity, and he’s…”

I broke the kiss, my hand going to Drac’s chest, to the scar that was like mine. It was barely visible at the top of his shirt which had two buttons undone. I met my daughter’s gaze. “He’s your father.”

Her jaw fell open.

Drac searched my gaze. “Mina? Truly?”

Jonathan groaned, moving closer to us, his arm around Hannah protectively. “I should have realized it when Willa told me Temperance could shift into black mist and bats. Honestly, a piece of me might have suspected, but I really hoped Prince Dick-u-la wasn’t…”

I stiffened. “England, I like you. You’re good to my sister, and you’re a great father—for the whole two weeks, you’ve been one, but if you call him that again, you and I are gonna tangle. Did you hear Temperance? He saved her and Hannah tonight. You owe him a thank you.”

Jonathan sighed and nodded. He kissed the top of Hannah’s head and stepped away from her. He extended his hand to Drac. “Thank you, erm, Vlad.”

It was weird to think of him as anything other than Drac, but I saw something move behind his eyes when he inclined his head. He took Jonathan’s hand in his. “You are most welcome. Congratulations. Am I to assume you have claimed Mina’s sister?”

“Yes. Willa is my mate—my wife now,” said Jonathan, clearly uncomfortable near Vlad.

“Isn’t it so romantic,” said the blonde vampire as she spun in a circle as if dancing to music that only she heard.

Jonathan tensed at the sight of her.

“Teya,” said Vlad sharply.

She stopped spinning. “Yes?”

“Where are your sisters?” he asked.

She tipped her head. "Katarina is watching from the shadows, worried how Mina will receive her. She's carried the weight of what happened that night for twenty-two years—how she tried to save Mina in the cave, how her blood wasn't enough. She fears Mina blames her for failing to convert her properly.”

I realized then Katarina must be the dark-haired sister. “I don’t’ blame her. She tried to save my life. I’m grateful or her. For all of you,” I confessed.

Teya smiled. “Radmila is chasing after The Order’s foot soldiers. She was not done killing them.”

“Join Radmila. Kill only those who are true enemies. No college students and no allies,” said Vlad.

Teya stood straight, her gaze sliding to Bram as he approached. “And who might the allies be?”

“Vlad,” said Bram.

The men stood there, staring at each other, neither saying a word before they finally clasped forearms and did some kind of weird guy hug.

Teya grinned, and I realized she looked pretty damn sane at the moment—like she was happy the men were getting along. She turned and leaped into the air. A second later, she was white mist, and she was gone.

Bram’s attention moved to me and then Temperance. His lips twitched. “Ah, much makes sense now. There was something familiar about her—I could not put my finger on it. You know, for a bit, I worried she may be Morris’s daughter.”

“God help us all if he reproduces,” said Jonathan with a laugh. “His daughter is bound to be a hellion.”

Hannah smiled. “I don’t know who that is, but it’s safe to say Tempi counts as one.”

“Hey,” said Temperance with a wide smile. It faded as she looked at Vlad. “Sorry that I called you an asshole—more than once. And old. Sorry, I called you old.”

Jonathan laughed so hard he had to step away.

Bram even cracked a smile.

Vlad inclined his head. “Thank you. I am not sorry I told you to get off the chair. I am not sorry I wanted to pluck out the eyes of the males looking at you as you danced on it. I am not sorry I threw you over my shoulder and carried you from the party.”

I gasped. “Temperance! You were dancing on a chair at a party?”

She cringed. “Maybe.”

Vlad took my hand in his as he stared at our daughter. “Mina, she is beautiful and perfect. And if I catch men ogling her again, I will rip their heads off…slowly.”

Temperance laughed slightly, clearly unsure how to handle meeting her father.

I put my other hand out to her. “You can get closer. He won’t bite.”

Vlad eyed me in a way that said he would absolutely be biting me later.

“Gross, I can see you eye screwing my mom,” said Temperance, making a gagging noise.

I grunted. “Tempi.”

“What? He was totally thinking about doing you. Deny it,” she said. “I dare you.”

I shook my head. “I feel like fate gave me a version of myself so I’d see what everyone else had to deal with.”

Temperance smiled wide. “Cool.”

Bram chuckled. “I do not know if all the blame can fall upon you, Mina. I know her father well . He has been known to raise a little hell himself.”

Vlad licked his lower lip and nodded. “That is true.”

Temperance’s eyes widened. “Can I make rats eat demons too?”

Vlad stiffened.

I stared at him. “What is she talking about?”

“Nothing,” he said fast—too fast.

Bram snorted.

“Can you make rats eat demons?” I asked.

Vlad shook his head but said, “Maybe.”

“Gross,” I responded.

“It was super gross, Mom,” said Temperance before touching Vlad’s arm. “Can you teach me how to do it?”

I groaned.

Vlad grinned, his hand finding hers. “Of course.”

I cleared my throat.

He stiffened again. “Um, I mean, no. Rats? What are rats?”

Bram lowered his head, laughing hard. I nearly pulled my phone out to record it. “I have seen it all now.”

I licked my lips. “I’m not sure you… Mr. Bubbles should be commenting right now.”

He straightened fast and wiped the smirk off his face.

Temperance eased closer to her father. “You’re tall.”

“As are you,” he said.

“So, you’re Vlad?” she asked. “Like The Vlad? The Impaler guy?”

Vlad’s expression became guarded. “I am.”

Bram stepped forth. “Temperance, history is not always what you might believe it to be. Vlad is many things, but I do not believe for a second he is as history as described him to be.”

Temperance frowned. “Bummer. I was hoping he could teach me some cool impaling techniques. Can’t wait to learn the rat thing.”

I covered my face with my hands. “I’m so happy she wasn’t a twin.”

Temperance laughed. “Hey, if Marcy has any say in it—you’re not done having kids, Mom.”

“No offense, Bram, but I really hope your wife is just eccentric and out there—and not right,” I said with a smile. “I’m not sure I have the energy for more mini-versions of myself.”

Temperance laughed so hard she snorted.

“I find I myself am trying to adjust to the news I received before we came here,” said Bram.

Vlad looked confused.

I glanced at Bram, wondering if it was okay if I shared the news with Vlad.

“Oh, did Marcy finally tell you she’s pregnant?” asked Temperance. “Hannah and I have been at her for a week to do it.”

“You knew?” asked Bram, shock on his face.

Temperance nodded. “Buffy ran out of the bathroom holding the pregnancy stick. She brought it straight to me. Kind of gross, but whatever. Congratulations on the new baby.”

He nodded his thanks.

Vlad stared at Temperance, his hand still around hers.

She gave him a light punch on the shoulder with her free hand before shrugging. “You’re not so bad, Vlad.”

He grinned.

She stepped closer to him.

I eyed her closely. “Tempi, do you want to hug him?”

“Yes.” She nodded quickly.

Vlad yanked her into a tight embrace.

The moment left me fighting tears.

Even Bram looked a little choked up by it all. “Join us at my home, Vlad. You and your family are welcome there.”

“Really? You want him to go to the place you just assembled an emergency meeting in a war room to discuss how to handle him?” I asked. “Uh, no thanks. I never thought I’d see him again. Let’s not stake him.”

“Mina!”