Stephanie buried her blushing face in Sebastian’s chest. While Sebastian shot a look of annoyance at their children. It did not silence them as he had hoped. Instead, it had caused all the children to break into fits of laughter and giggles.
Hearing this, Stephanie, with her head still buried in Sebastian’s chest, began to mutter to herself. “You’re their mother. You can’t strangle them just because they’re being little…” She didn’t say the last word, but Sebastian filled it in mentally.
Stephanie’s mutterings had amused him so much, he made the mistake of laughing. A thump of his mate’s fist had him looking down into an angry face. The golden peach colored skin of Stephanie’s cheeks was stained pink with a blush. Her full rose-pink lips were pressed into an angry pout that had him aching to kiss her again. The outer rings of dark molten gold, and the inner rings of light molten gold of her dual-colored eyes, sparkled with her anger.
“Ah mate, what can I do?” Sebastian said in a soft and loving tone, as he used one finger to gently stroke her cheek. “I’m so captivated by you, even your angry look makes me want to kiss you.”
Stephanie’s blush deepened and she let out an adorable squeak. She hit his chest with her fist again before scolding him. “You…behave yourself!”
Sebastian let out a deep chuckle, leading Stephanie to pound her fist three more times on his chest. Still chuckling, Sebastian grabbed her fist and placed a kiss on the reddened flesh. “Sorry my dear.” He placed another kiss on her fist. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Stephanie glared at him for a moment, before turning her face away with a closed eyed ‘humph’ and a frown on her lips. Sebastian knew his mate just wanted him to appease her. She wasn’t truly angry, just a little embarrassed and slightly miffed. Sebastian was more than willing to play along with his mate.
Sebastian wrapped his arms around Stephanie’s waist and drew her close as he buried his nose in her neck. “Truly I’m sorry my beloved. I would never intentionally seek to upset you.” He said, then nuzzled her neck before laying a gentle kiss on it. Stephanie felt sensual tingling all over, causing her to gasp. “Please forgive my transgression, my love.”
Being held so close to Sebastian, Stephanie felt it as he hardened. Sebastian knew appeasing his mate in this way had physical consequences, but he was willing to bear them. This was not the time or the place for them to become more intimate. Stephanie finally relented, feeling a bit of sympathy for her mate. Her mate was going to be in a painful situation till she could offer him relief tonight.
“Oh, come on, not again.” Groaned Nathen aloud.
Before Nathan could voice anything more, his mother whipped around in their father’s arms. The furious glare she gave him had him practically scooting into the backrest of the couch. He really regretted voicing his thoughts aloud. Sebastian held Stephanie back by wrapping his arms around her waist. Nathen’s siblings quietly chuckled at his expense.
“Now, now, my dear. Just ignore him. They’ll all know how it is as soon as they have their own mates.” Sebastian said, trying to sooth his mate.
Stephanie let out a frustrated growl, but relented, allowing her mate to draw her back into his arms. She liked being in her mate’s arms. They were warm and strong, they made her feel loved and protected. Their children could just deal with it. Sebastian was right, they would all find out what it was like when they met their own mates.
Stephanie’s mood was brightened further a moment later at another thought. Someday all these children will have children of their own. She was greatly amused at the thought of them having to go through what they just put their father and her through.
The anticipatory smile on Stephanie’s lips, as well as the amused chuckle she let out, had her children questioning life. Each of the siblings suddenly had matching looks of trepidation on their faces. Inside, they were all mentally screaming the same statement. ‘We’re dead!’
“Now that you have our children properly subdued, my love.” Sebastian said, amusement clear in his voice. “I believe it is time for explanations to be heard.”
Stephanie leaned her back against Sebastian’s chest. She took a deep calming breath in, then slowly let it out. It was a necessary cleansing of negative emotion. As she was sure more would build while Sebastian and her told their children about Alora. The topic was not easy to discuss. As it involved explaining some intimate details, they were not comfortable talking with their children about.
Having to explain brought them back to the fact that Kassandra was fast reaching her majority. With Asher not far behind Kassandra. This hit Stephanie hard enough to put her into a dazed emotional turmoil for a few moments. Sebastian felt her distress and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her back to his chest. The sudden contact from Sabastian was enough to startle Stephanie out of her daze.
“Annie?” Sebastian asked with concern.
“Her birthday is only three months away. She’s already able to find her fated mate, or mates.” Stephanie said with an emotionally filled voice.
It struck Sebastian like an anvil after Stephanie pointed it out to him. Kassandra was of royal Vampire blood. For some reason, Vampires of royal blood could sense who their fated mate was before they reached their majority. Or mates if there was more than one. It became especially easy to identify the fated of the royals if the fated was already past their own majority.
The reverse was also true for the fated mate, or mates, of that royal. It made it interesting when a royal found their fated before their majority. There would be a lot of muted tension involved. They could even engage in intercourse and mark each other. However, the complete bond would still not fall into place until the moment the royal reaches their eighteenth birthday.
Sebastian looked at his now second oldest child, his only other daughter, and felt another anvil of realization drop on his head. It seemed today was the day for him to be buried in anvil after anvil of emotionally laded surprises and realizations.
Stephanie looked at her husband and watched as his expression became increasingly dark. Through their bond she could feel his shock and deepening depression. As if something else important was being taken away from him. Thinking back over her words just now, she realized what was wrong. Stephanie’s expression reflected the sudden sympathy she felt toward her mate’s predicament.
Their children, seemingly forgotten for a moment, started to look at each other with questioning looks. None of them could figure out why their father suddenly looked utterly depressed, and their mother wholly sympathetic. Then the whispered questions started.
“Why does dad look like someone took his favorite toy?” Cathal asked.
“Is that what he looks like to you?” Daniel asked him.
“Yeah.” Cathal said simply.
“I don’t think Cathal is too far off. Only, I don’t think the item in question is a toy.” Nathenal commented thoughtfully.
“Right, dad is a little too old for toys.” Bryce agreed.
“If not a toy, then what?” Daniel asked.
“Not a ‘what’.” Asher said, gaining their attention. Then he looked at Kassandra. “It’s a ‘whom’.”
Everyone was now looking at Kassandra, blissfully unaware that their parents were watching them debate their own father’s state of being. Sebastian wondered how to take this when he felt a tingle of suppressed amusement through their bond. Turning to look at his mate, Sebastian saw that Stephanie’s lips were pursed with suppressed laughter while her eyes glittered with it.
All of Kassandra’s siblings were looking at her now. “Why would someone take Kass away from dad?” Cathal asked.
“To start a family with her.” Nathanel answered him.
“Who would take Kass away to start a family?” Cathal asked, unknowingly offending his sister.
Kassandra was now glaring at Cathal. Before she could open her mouth to say something, Asher was answering his question.
“Her mate.” Asher said in a somber tone. “Or if there is more than one, her mates.” There was a reluctance to Asher’s expression in that moment. As if he, like their father, was unwilling to accept Kassandra’s impending mate-ship.
Cathal finally got it after he looked at the gloomy expressions his older brothers all had. He looked at Kassandra with a downcast expression before letting out a despondent sounding, “Oh.”
Kassandra looked at each of her brothers' dark and gloomy expressions matching the one their father wore. She concluded a moment later that the males of her family were a bunch of drama-kings.
“Seriously!” Kassandra yelled at them, suddenly angry. “You all act like me, finding my mate or mates would be a major catastrophe!”
Stephanie put a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter that was trying desperately to escape. They asked for this when they all looked at Kass that way. She couldn’t blame her daughter one bit for this outburst.