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“Yeah, it does.”
“Well, I’m going to go see Rafe, and if I can’t sleep, I’ll go find the others.”
I grinned at her. “I never thought we’d get to raise kids. If everything works out, we’ll have seven of them running around us all the time.
Bella laughed. “Well, there’s eight of us, so technically we outnumber them. So that’s a good thing. See you later.”
Bella walked off down the hallway and I pushed open my bedroom door. Nate was crouched in his stone form, surrounded by gentle sunlight streaming through the window.
“Hello, my love,” I called out, knowing he could hear me. “It’s just me.”
I wandered over to the window seat and sat down on the comfortable cushions. “I like having you in our bedroom rather than in the living room, or on top of the library. I can see you whenever I like.”
I rested my head against the cool glass pane. We were on the second level of the main house, so they were safer from attack. “Everyone’s worried about the future. About your safety, and my stupid stepmother. And the kids. I can’t believe we’ve got kids to play with. It’s super cool.”
I was only twenty-five, but I loved little kids. A wave of tiredness passed over me and I got up to press a kiss to Nate’s stoney cheek. “I think I’ll have a bit of a nap to make up for some of the lost sleep we’ve had over the last couple of days.”
I slid between the cool sheets and shuffled into my sleeping spot. The last few days had been so crazy, and my birthday was only a couple of days away now.
The day I turned twenty-five, the lawyers would sign my entire inheritance over to me, taking away my stepmothers control, and her money.
If she was going to make another move, it was going to be soon. And I didn’t even know how to be ready.
Chapter 3.
CHRISTIANA.
The children were a beautiful respite during the day while our men slept. I was sure the girls and I would be going absolutely insane with the stress if we didn’t have something to take our minds off what was happening.
After a loud, boisterous dinner with six kids and a teenager, we all retired to our rooms for some quiet time. I loved Angelique, and her family was amazing, but after a very stressful couple of days, my head couldn’t take any more.
I went to the kitchen and took a couple of ADVIL for the headache that had taken up permanent residence in my brain, then shuffled back to my bedroom. We’d been given one of the largest suites in the huge country home; because Roman had been injured before we came here. The doctors had stayed all night that first night but had finally gone home today.
I was really hoping that after a second full day in shifter form, he’d be well when he awoke tonight.
We still had about half an hour until sunset, so I greeted Roman in his stone form with a kiss and headed off to the bathroom. I needed to sleep, but I also needed to wash away the stress and the stench of the last little while.
When I’d met Roman last year, I’d been in a bad way, financially and romantically. Even physically, in fact. I wasn’t safe with the boyfriend I was dating at the time, and Roman had saved me and brought me into a magical world where I’d been living my happily ever after for the last year.
After all the happiness we’d shared, I’d never thought we’d be here again. Once more fighting for our lives as people tried to kill those I loved. My man and his brothers had never hurt anyone. To be hunted and killed for being ancient shifters, seemed utterly cruel, and completely without logic.
There were real monsters in this world who needed putting down. Animal and human alike. Whoever was funding these attacks needed to put their money into saving humanity and should leave my family alone.
I had a long shower in the beautiful, updated bathroom. I needed every moment beneath the water to wash away the day, and the tears, and the worry. When I saw Roman, I didn’t want him to know how terrified I was.
