Page 102 of Witchbane
“What’s emo?” Ari wanted to know.
Korissa made a pouting face. “Emo is sad.”
“Emo is Daddy?”
“No. I am not emo,” I protested. “I don’t think you two should hang out.” I reached for Ari. Korissa turned and hugged them tighter.
“I’ve always wanted a sibling,” she said.
“Since when?” I asked.
“Since you became my dad.”
“I’m not old enough to be your dad.” Hadn’t we had this discussion before?
“Guess you shouldn’t have picked the older man, then, eh?” She turned her head to kiss Ari’s cheek. “Sometimes a family grows in mysterious ways.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I was still bothered. “Your mom is here and giving Ari trouble?” Why hadn’t Liam kicked her out?
“A little. Your mother has been a bit more open. But everyone has been banned from leaving the house. At least not until our guests in the bunkhouse are gone. Even our mothers. Dad doesn’t want to chance something following them home.”
Was that why they were in the bunkhouse? I couldn’t imagine how they’d contained the vampires and Al, who was some sort of fae. Or what to do with the ones unclaimed because they belonged to Hugo. Liam was not going to let that vampire walk away to come back and bite us in the ass again. Neither was he the sort of guy to smoke them all and bury the bodies. And that would have been a lot of bodies. Maybe Robin had some ideas on what to do, if Wesley wasn’t getting the fae to respond appropriately. Liam seemed to think that Al was the fae’s responsibility, and because he’d been feeding fae to them, so were Hugo and his vampires. “Anyone seen Robin?”
“No.” Korissa said. “We’re supposed to alert Dad right away if he shows up. Minion is up in my room though. Too many people. I think he’s happier sleeping on my pillow away from everyone.”
“Kitty snuggles,” Ari said.
“You want some colors and kitty snuggles? We can hang out in my room for a bit. As long as you’re okay, Toby?”
“I’m fine. Cooking.” Toby liked cooking, even if he was extremely focused when he did it.
“I’m going to check on Liam, then I’ll come back and help,” I said. Toby really did need to have supervision when he was in his human form. Maybe part of that was my own anxiety over him, maybe it was Liam’s. Either way, he was pack and I wanted to keep him in my sights. “Let me go clean up a bit of my mess.”
My mess. Always my mess. Stupid fucking fae. Why could no one ever leave me alone to be me? I found a good thing and wasn’t allowed to enjoy it? Fuck all that. I tugged down the length of my bond, filling it with questions, not certain if it would all get to Liam, but hoping the intent was clear.
Liam sent back a burst of warmth and a call toward the bunkhouse. My mate was okay with me joining him and I suspected the bulk of the pack was there handling vampires. Since I had some shit to hold him accountable for, I’d step out to see what was being said. I had a few books in my camper I wanted to grab in case I needed to create some reinforced wards. I couldn’t imagine containing Hugo’s flock was easy. My mate had proven himself very adept with magic.
When I turned to head toward the back door, the door to the kitchen opened and Liam’s ex-wife came in.
“There you are. Everyone has been walking on eggshells worried about waking you. I hope you got the rest you needed,” Elaine said sounding full of disdain, like how dare I need rest.
Korissa flinched. I met her gaze and waved her off with Ari. “Better coloring book,” I told her. “If we don’t have something Ari likes, order some to be delivered and give them printer paper from your dad’s office.” She lit out of the room like she couldn’t get away fast enough. Toby turned back to cooking, which appeared to be fritters or something, and didn’t acknowledge Elaine’s presence at all.
“I am well rested, thank you. Feeling a lot better. When will you be leaving?” I asked Elaine as I headed for the back door, sliding into a pair of Liam’s oversized slippers. It wasn’t a long trek to the camper and then the bunkhouse, but I didn’t plan to freeze on the way. I couldn’t tell which coat was mine. I grabbed one and hoped it fit. Too big, but that was fine.
“Liam wants me to stay,” Elaine said like he’d told her she was going to be a permanent fixture back in his life. Knowing my mate as I did, that was not happening. Even if he thought having her closer was good for Korissa, which I didn’t think he did, she pushed Liam’s buttons too much.
“For the moment. While we deal with some stuff.”
“Like that child? Where did you even get it?”
“Them, not it. Ari is mine and Liam’s.”
“Two men can’t bear children, and certainly not ones who are half grown. And no one will call him what he is.”
“Who? Ari? Ari is not a he.” I wasn’t sure myself what was in Ari’s pants having not really focused on that as much as the fact that I had a supernatural god-like being for a child. It made me think hard about labels and why anyone needed to define a child into a box. Ari could be whatever they wanted. Boy, girl, a little of both, fox, and likely kitsune. I wondered briefly if they could change into a wolf too, but would have to ask to find out.
“Ari is a girl?”