AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then they will be fine until my return. Let’s take that midnight stroll.”
“It’s not a midnight stroll.”
Except it became one as they strolled out of the warehouse and onto another forest path, never repeating one twice in a row. He held her hand along the way and made her feel like they were just out to enjoy nature, but there was no missing how his blue eyes observed his surroundings with the sharpness of someone who expected an ambush at every turn. She held off on the questions, then squeezed his hand when they were near.
“I can’t…”
“I will wait here,” he said. “I assume you are taking your son home?”
The ease with which he volunteered had her staring before she eventually nodded. To her relief, it didn’t take long to venture in and tell Aunt Leda they were leaving without an explanation being demanded. She hitched the sleeping Archie up in her arms, kissing the boy’s cheek. Aunt Leda assessed her thoroughly.
“Errands done?” the older woman asked.
“Yes,” she said, keeping her voice light to avoid betraying anything—aware of the vampire waiting for her just outside their territory. She was off before more questions could be asked, unfazed when the shifter guards on duty accompanied her as far as they could. She waved them away when they ventured too far off, walked as fast as she could…feeling her shoulders relax when the pale figure was still there, blending in the dark with his black coat.
Edmund surveyed the horizon. “Your folks almost spotted me.”
“They won’t hurt you.”
But she couldn’t promise that, not when some of her folks did what most did: subdue first, ask questions later. He didn’t seem to mind, looking at Archie when his survey was done. Then he held out his arms.
“May I?”
Dumbfounded, she could only gawk before nodding, then waiting as he tugged Archie out of her hands and rolling him towards his body. The boy stirred slightly from the movement and looked up, eyes fluttering open. She braced herself when their gazes met, then kept looking when Archie rested his head on Edmund’s shoulder and went back to sleep.
“Watch the flank,” he said mildly. “Let’s get you two home quickly.”
She did as asked and made sure she had a vantage point. She also watched the two, especially the man who held her son with the ease of someone who didn’t mind…no, who liked it.
And Alexa felt something deep and scary in her heart.
Chapter 12
“Good morning, Mr. Wilder.”
The greeting gave Edmund the same feeling whenever he got it: a kick in his heart, followed by the urge to just pick the speaker up and cuddle. He didn’t cuddle. He didn’t find a lot of things cute, and couldn’t figure out why people softened for so-called “cute things.” But he was starting to understand that when it came to Archie, there was just no resisting involved—and that included chipper morning greetings and wide, puppy-brown eyes looking up expectantly.
“Good morning, Archie. How many times did I tell you to call me Edmund?”
The boy wrinkled his nose. “You are older than me, and I was told to be respectful and call people the proper way. Calling youthatdoesn’t feel proper.”
Archie was also a smart-ass, but in a rather adorable way. Edmund fluttered his lashes. So did Archie until Edmund relented.
“What do you call your sister’s brother? The teenager?”
“Uncle.”
“Then would you like to call me Uncle Edmund?”
Archie considered it, then nodded. “Yes. It’s proper.”
His lips quirked. He watched the boy hop around and repeatedly glance at him, still expecting something. Used to the routine, Edmund held out his hand and waited until the hopping stopped, and the boy approached him to take it.
“Stroll?” Archie asked.
“Sure. Remember the rules.”
“No venturing off by myself, nowhere too sunny, nowhere unmarked by our clan,” Archie recited.
