Page 102 of My Pleasure

Kiera looked down at Meryn’s belly, and very small stature. “You poor thing.”

Meryn snorted, then met her eyes. They stared at one another for a second, then they both started laughing.

Aiden and Hunter watched their mates, both men shrugged, then reached for bacon.

Genevieve handed Kiera a wax paper wrapped BLT. “I figured you’d want something easy so you could jump in the shower.”

Kiera took the sandwich and stood. For a second, her legs almost betrayed her. Meryn reached up and steadied her. “Easy there, soldier.”

“Thanks.”

Hunter was halfway to his feet to help her, when she waved him off. “I’m going to go get ready.” She took a huge bite of her sandwich. The bacon was cooked perfectly, and the tomato had just the right amount of tang. “Can I get one of these to go?”

Genevieve nodded. “Of course.”

Kiera walked toward the front stairs, then turned back to look at tiny Meryn again. She shook her head and kept going.

*****

Hunter joined her upstairs after her shower so he could get ready as well. Before she knew it, they were walking into the Elder Council building. Augustus met them at the door. “You two ready?”

She nodded as Hunter took her hand and led them inside.

Once inside she was surprised to see that there was an expansive waiting area outside the large double doors that led to the council chamber. Her uncle and his assistant were already waiting to enter.

Her uncle gave a short nod. “Kiera.”

“Uncle.” She then smiled at Augustus. “This is my uncle’s assistant Bryson Resho.”

Bryson also gave a curt nod, saying nothing.

Just when Kiera thought she couldn’t handle the awkward silence anymore, the doors opened. They walked inside. She, Hunter, and Augustus walked to the left, her uncle and his assistant to the right.

On a dais in front of them, the four Elders sat at a long wooden table. A robed attendant announced the Elders. “Elders Marshall Ironwood, Kal Galloway, Arnaud Barrat, and Geon Vi’Ilrey will now hear the petition from Kiera Sorrel for custody of Keran and Nicol Sorrel. Both children currently live with their paternal uncle.”

Elder Ironwood looked at the paperwork in front of him. “We have the original petition before us. Does either party have anything to add to their argument?” he asked.

Augustus stepped forward. “Elder, since the original petition hearing, we have secured the bank accounts held in trust for Keran and Nicol. I am submitting paperwork from the bank showing Kerr and Islay Sorrel’s desire for their eldest daughter to act as Trustee for the children. We believe this aligns with their wishes for Kiera to look after them as their guardian.”

Arnaud picked up the papers. “Why was this not included in the first petition?”

“Elder, we only just found out about the trust. For some reason when the bank tried contacting Kiera, none of the messages got through.” Augustus said, not quite implicating her uncle.

The vampire elder’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”

The fae elder looked to Kiera with a softened expression. “When did you lose them?”

“Five years ago, sir.”

Geon’s eyes went to Ellar. “That is an awful long time for messages to continue to go awry,” he observed out loud.

“Can you elaborate when you say you have secured the accounts?” Marshall asked.

Augustus passed more paperwork forward. “There were multiple attempts made by Ellar Sorrel to access the accounts resulting in the accounts being locked until Kiera could meet with the bank directly and seize control. She has been named not only the Trustee, but also the Beneficiary to the accounts set up for Keran and Nicol.”

Ellar turned to them, his face dark. “You what?!” he demanded.

Kiera fought to keep her voice even. “It makes sense, uncle. If something were to happen to either one of the children, I would be able to move the funds over to the remaining sibling. The bank has all my current contact information now. Ms. Leclair has promised to work with me one on one to create a growth plan for them both.”