“And then?”
“There’s nothing more to tell,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
“Hmm. Well, you aren’t very good at telling stories. Dad is far better,” she stated, snuggling down into the sheets.
“Yeah, well, he can tell stories next time. Unlike him, I’m not so old that I’ve got nothing better to do,” I replied, standing up and pulling the duvet over all three. I noticed how Skyla and Kataleya held each other’s hands in their sleep. This incident would always remain with both of them…
“Well, you aren’t much younger... but don’t worry, Kataleya is going to be fine. You can go now. With me here, even the devil himself won’t approach,” she said, yawning. I frowned. If only she realised we were up against some kind of devil…
“Well, night, little brat.”
“That’s what they all call me when they have no better comebacks…” she murmured, turning over. I frowned as I looked at her back. Sassy little brat.
Shaking my head, I left the room and saw El and Scarlett outside of Dante’s room. Their arms were wrapped around one another as they looked into his room. I guessed they were going through shit, too, no matter how much they tried to hide it. These kids were their grandkids, and they were Kiara’s parents…
I walked down the hall, lighting a cigarette.
“The girls are asleep. That pup of yours is fucking draining. No wonder you look so fucking old. She sucks the fucking life out of you,” I remarked.
“She is a notch above Kiara as a kid, for sure,” Elijah smirked. It was then that I realised Scarlett’s eyes were slightly red. She looked away, smiling faintly, always acting fucking tough.
“She’s entertaining,” she replied smoothly as Elijah kissed her, running his fingers through her hair. I could tell they were mind-linking, and Scarlett nodded.
“I can get someone else to sit with Kiara... if you two want to stay together, I can watch the girls,” I said quietly. Although I wanted to be by her side, I was willing to sacrifice my own needs to do what I knew Kiara would want… be there for our pups and for her parents.
Scarlett shook her head, looking up at me.
“No, you need to be by her side. I’m completely fine,” she whispered, despite her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She reached up, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You need the rest too.”
“I’ll fix this shit,” I promised quietly.
“We will, together,” she replied, tiptoeing as she yanked my head down and kissed my cheek.
Scarlett and I didn’t really have a mother-and-son relationship considering she was far too fucking close to my age, but despite the fact that there was no name to our relationship, she was Kiara’s mother, and that wasthe most important thing. The frown on Elijah’s face told me how fucking jealous he got of anyone Scarlett gave attention to, and I smirked, wrapping my arms around Scarlett. Who doesn’t like to add a little spice to Elijah’s irritation?
He frowned when Scarlett hugged me back. I gave her a quick squeeze, thinking I fucking knew how she was feeling.
“Your man’s fucking jealous,” I remarked, letting go of her. She rolled her eyes.
“Seriously, of your daughter’s mate?” She asked him sceptically.
“I wasn’t jealous,” he growled, pulling her into his arms and kissing her neck.Fucking possessive.
“Yeah?” I smirked, glancing into Dante’s room.
He was fast asleep, the red veins looking even more prominent as he slept. I re-entered the room, going over to the sleeping boy, and slowly took off the necklace that suppressed his powers. His strong aura filled the room, promising a truly powerful alpha when the time came.
“What are you doing?” Elijah asked from behind me.
“He once said he feels like it weighs him down. I know it won’t do anything, but at least he can feel a little lighter.” I glanced at him, and he nodded, moving back the blanket that lay on the mattress onto the floor before he dropped onto it.
“Makes sense.”
I gave a nod, leaving the room and shutting the door behind me quietly before returning to my own room. Kevin and Serena both looked tired yet alert. The empty pizza box on the side told me they had at least had food.
“Anything?” I asked
“No,” Serena sighed. I nodded emotionlessly.
