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Octavius gasped. “Victim?! And what are you accusing me of, missy?”
“Nothing at all.” She grasped onto his arm, still laughing.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t believe you.” He sniffed. “Anyway! While you are all here, we should go to a club! Dancing!” He pulled free to dance around a bit. “Dance, dance, dance, yes!”
Henry smiled while the rest laughed a bit, nodding in agreement.
They may laugh, but they knew together they would dominate whatever club they ended up at!
He frowned when he realized that Turney was no longer standing by his side. Instead, the male was standing back a little just watching them talk. Octavius smiled at his fledgings as they started to talk again about old times. Instead of joining in, he slowly slipped away to his zombie’s side.
Octavius wrapped an arm around Turney’s waist. “You okay?” he asked.
Turney gave him a hesitant smile, gaze wandering off. “I’m not going to lie…I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’m not used to all this… As you know, I was in foster care a long time before my parents adopted me, but their time in my life was brief. And they didn’t have any other family besides Aunt Trudy. And after they were all gone…” Turney gave a small shrug. “I was alone.”
He smiled softly at him. “You aren’t anymore…you know that, right?”
The zombie gave him a real smile then. It wasn’t the biggest, but it was real. “I know.”
“And it’s not just me, you know? There’s Scarlett. And everyone at the office. I feel we are all closer now after everything, aren’t we?” His gaze flicked to Cormac and grimaced at the uncertain look on the young wolf’s face. “You too, Cormac. You are family now!”
The werewolf’s eyes widened and his face appeared to flush. He slowly reached down and pushed himself and his grotto back behind Octavius’ flock of fledglings. He sniffed—that was fine. Cormac would be captured in the family love eventually. It would take time, but he would fall.
He turned back to Turney, who was eyeing where Cormac had been with a brow raised in concern.
“Anyway, while I’m not sure you want them, my fledglings are your family now too. Even if you don’t, sorry but we're a package deal.”
Turney faced him, a soft chuckle slipping out. “Stuck with them, am I?”
“Yep, no take backsies,” Octavius said with a giggle, his gaze moving to the men and women who he’d grown to care for, to love, over the many centuries he spent with them. “This wasn’t normal for me either at one point. For almost three centuries, after leaving the reapers, I was very alone. I left my land for a while and went searching… I’m not even sure what I was looking for. But I came back. Of course it was not as it once was, the Romans had taken over, and much had been destroyed. Either way, I returned. That was when I came across Gaia… When I found her, she was dying…alone. She was eight. I’ll admit, changing her was purely selfish on my part. For the questions I asked her were cruel and even manipulative. What else would a dying child say when being asked if they wished to live? Being promised things I’m sure she always wanted. But I didn’t want to be alone any longer. I found her when the sting of emptiness was at its peak inside me. It was like the fates had put her before me, just when I needed her. Well, at least that was my mindset at the time.”
“Perhaps the action was selfish, but in the end, you did save her, didn’t you? And I’m sure you gave her the best life you could.”
“It was selfish. I came to terms with that a long time ago. And luckily, she held no grudge, and instead, only showed me love. At the time, when she first came into my life, I found it…startling, suddenly having someone to take care of. Even when I was human, it was not like I had ever cared for a child before. There was a lot of trial and error. But the first time she called me Father, I cried. And eventually, with her by my side, my life settled and I felt peaceful. She stayed for a long while. It was harder for women to go off on their own in the eras past, so it was safer with me anyway. The twins came…and eventually, she met someone, and left my side. You see, she wanted to have a family of her own. Which, at the time, I was definitely not as calm as I am now talking about it.”
Turney snorted. “I can’t say I’m shocked. She was your little girl. I imagine someone as dramatic as you would not handle it that well at first.”
Octavius pouted. “Living with dramatics is the only way to live.”
The zombie chuckled. “Of course.”
“Anyway! That didn’t last and she did eventually return.” He thought about his first child’s long buried lover, and grinned peacefully as he remembered how fun it had been to crush his world before taking his life.
“What’s that smile for? It’s…slightly creepy.”
“Oh, nothing. As I was saying, along the way, I met more people. Added more to my family. But the thing with family, especially with those that are like your children, they do eventually leave to live their own lives. As it is their right to. And while that did make me lonely at times, they always came back when I needed them the most. Or when I miss them too much. My family is years in the making, and you are now a part of it. Someone who I hope won’t ever leave my side though. As I definitely don’t see you as my child.”
Turney chuckled. “It would be very weird if you did. And…I don’t want to leave your side…even if you are very insane, and like to drive me up the wall.”
Octavius giggled evilly. “Hehe, you loveee me!” he teased.
“Yeah, yeah. I love you, you crazy bat.”
“Love you too, my zombie bun.” He kissed his cheek. “Anyway, as much as I love my family, and hope they feel the same towards me, I know they can’t always be with me like you can. Which is why I’m so happy that you are now part of my family. When the time comes that Henry sets off on his own, I won’t be alone. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’d still have Scarlett by my side…but sometimes, one needs more than friendship. I know some are fine without a lover, but I’m not built that way.”
He blinked when he noticed Henry now looking over at them.
“What?” he asked his youngest fledgling.
