What if it isn’t his? What if it’s Drake’s?
I STARED AT THE TREATY, relieved. Drake had approved all the changes we sent over earlier in the day. He quickly returned them, along with a note that requested I visit later that evening so we could sign them. Was that wise? Especially now that I was pregnant? Ethan and Mikey insisted they both be there. After an argument, I finally agreed. Taco, so irritated with the raised voices, set Mikey’s hair on fire, essentially ending the discussion.
It was a traumatizing experience for him. Ethan had to take one of the pillows and smack him in the head to snuff out the flames. Now I had to explain to Maggie how one of her pillows got ruined. I felt kind of bad, but then again, I seriously was not a fan of yellow.
When night fell, we drove to the Vampire mansion instead of just appearing there. Since I was nervous, I let Ethan drive. Would Drake be himself? What if he tried to kill one of us? Roark had confirmed his brother was in his right frame of mind...at the moment. I just hoped it remained that way the rest of the night. We really should lock him up, but that would start a war. Was it worth it, considering more lives could be lost?
It stressed me out to think about. Here we were, about to make history, but for what? To ignore what was happening right outside our door? I chewed on my bottom lip, debating. Should the Witches get involved in Vampire business? We never did before...unless it had to do with Witches. Vampires took care of their own. But what if the leader was the one causing all the trouble? What happened then?
A guard waved us through the gate. I glanced over at Ethan, whose face was a mask of concentration. He was all business. Not only were we in Vampire territory, but he now had to worry about the babies.
Gods. Giving me children is wrong on so many levels.
My mother mentioned the Ancestors blessed me. That, by the word of the Lady of the Lake, they deemed it had to happen. So, basically, I had no choice in the matter. I should have walked away from both Ethan and Drake when I had the chance. Instead, I fell right into the trap.
I frowned, gripping my hands together. What would Drake say when he found out? He was so hard to predict, I couldn’t even begin to think of his reaction. Now that it seemed the demon had returned, what did that mean for me? Would I have to raise the children alone?
My hands sweating, I wiped them down my skirt. Ethan patted my thigh and gave me a small smile, trying to offer me the encouragement I needed. I didn’t understand how he could be so calm when he might not even be the father. Was he freaking out inside that head of his? What happened if they were Drake’s? Would he leave?
Panicking, I opened the car door as soon as it stopped and scrambled out. I placed a hand on the roof of the car for support as I took several deep breaths. Mikey looked at me with concern.
You okay? he mouthed.
I nodded, but inside I was screaming, Hell no!
The doors of the mansion opened and Drake stood there, staring down at us with a dark expression on his face. He was so handsome, it took my breath away every time. Why did he have to be so perfect? Why did he have to be possessed by a demon? Maybe we could have worked things out before, but it was too late now. If the demon took over and the Ancestors ordered it, he would have to die by Ethan’s hands. Would I be able to cope with that?
Ethan walked around the car and lightly grabbed my arm. “Are you okay? We can reschedule this,” he said, examining my face.
Shaking my head, I turned toward the doors. “No. I have to do this for my people. If we put it off now, who knows what might happen.”
All three of us started up the steps. Drake had his hands shoved into his pockets, waiting. When we finally made it to the top step, he smiled. “Welcome back, Sophie.” He sounded normal. That was a good sign.
Taco appeared next to me, his wings flapping furiously as he circled around. He had been so quiet in the car, I had forgotten he came with us. The little monster was starting to behave. I hoped.
When Drake caught sight of him, his eyes darkened and a frown appeared on his face. He saw me staring at him, so he forced a smile. “Pet dragon?”
I nodded. “He’s a pain in the ass.”
Taco blew fire in my direction, then dodged Ethan’s attempts to swat at him. He finally landed on my shoulder, huffing smoke through his nose.
Drake led us through the house and to the ballroom, a table in the middle. There were a couple other people standing around, watching us approach. I assumed they were there to witness the signing. Originally, I wanted the media to be there and the Council to witnesses, but Drake was adamant about it being done right away, so we had no time to plan a large event. For now, I would have Mikey film it so we could show it to our people. We had an Intranet that was specifically for Witches. If anyone wanted up-to-date information on what was happening with the Council, all they had to do was sign on.
One of Drake’s men, the short guy who greeted me at the door before...I thought his name was Felix...set two sets of papers down. We spent a good hour and a half signing
