Chapter 61

(**Sebastion’s POV**)

After peeling my sister off me, I help dry her tears before taking the painting to her study. I hang it for her in the spot I pointed out, and she is thrilled. We talk about what I saw that day to make me want to paint it. I tell her how I saw a new mother basking in the sun with her daughter.

How the look of pure joy on her face made me want to capture it for her. The way she just watched Callie sleep as she stared at the miracle in her arms. I think I did an excellent job capturing the essence of her joyful feelings. The knowledge of how I made my sister feel with my painting makes me happy.

It also reminded me that during that small period of time the two of us were not fighting.

Gia was busy with Jace during the time Callie was born. That was about the only time she was maternal to him. This took her out of Arianna’s view, which took her out of her mind as well. So many of the fights I have had with my twin were because of Gia, but also because of Arianna.

Neither woman made any effort to get along with each other. I always understood why Gia stopped trying to be friends with Arianna. What always hurt me was the fact that my sister never attempted to get to know Gia in any way.

Would they have been friends if things were different? I highly doubt it. Now I ask her a particularly important question. Can she see beyond the past to what the future holds? So many of the reasons she has fought against Irina being my mate have been because of the past. A past that has nothing to do with Irina.

“I know she isn’t Gia. Irina is so much stronger than Gia ever was.”

“I am glad you see that now. What are going to do to make amends?”

We walk to my office as we talk about this.

“I am not sure if anything I say to her will get through. Not after all the horrible stuff I have said to her. What do you think I can do to show her I am willing to get to know her?”

“Talk to her, Ari. Find a common thread that you both can relate to. Family, your children, or that both of you are pregnant. Find something that has nothing to do with me or what is going on outside this pack.”

“What are some of her interests?”

That question makes me pause as we get to my office door. Aside from her love of gardening, I know little about Irina’s likes and dislikes. Hell, maybe I need to take my own advice and get to know my mate better.

We have shared our past trauma, drama, and history of our families. I have shared with her my love of painting. Yet out of all our conversations we have not really gotten to know each other. I think it is far time we do that.

“When I learn what she likes for myself, I will let you know.”

We spent the next few hours in conference calls, checking in with Tori, and going over financial reports. All the stuff we have neglected to do for the last several weeks. More on her end than mine. We run Drakos Enterprises as a team, so I am pitching in to pick up the slack. I also need to do some damage control with a few of our vendors.

Running a business, being my pack’s leader, and dealing with Treadstone has taken its toll on me. Some things slipped through the cracks while others became the focus of my attention. I need to do a better job of prioritizing. Drakos Enterprises is one of the primary sources of revenue for my pack. I can’t let things slip any more than they already have.

After what felt like years, we end our last call for the day. The growling of our stomachs makes me look up at the clock. It is now five p.m. which means that I missed picking Jace up from school. I bolt out of my chair to find Irina. Sending her a message through the mate link.

I find her, Zasha, and Jace in the indoor herb garden. Jace has dirt all over his face, hands, and clothes. Zasha is in the same condition as he is except she has managed not to get dirt on her face. The sound of their laughter makes me smile as I watch them from the doorway.

This is my family. A family that started out broken and in two pieces. Now it is whole and healing. There are still cracks in the foundation, but I think over time we will fill those cracks with happy memories. Irina looks up at me after she sets the kids up with two more pots of soil. The smile she gives me takes my breath away.

I ask myself all the time what I did to deserve her. What made the Moon Goddess decide to pair us together? Two broken souls twisting in the vortex of life. I thank her for making that choice more and more as time passes.

“What are you guys planting?”

“We are fixing the herbs, Daddy.” Jace tells me. He looks up briefly before he goes back to happily digging in the dirt.

I give Irina a questioning look as she walks towards me. There is a small streak of dirt on her left cheek and a clump of dirt in her hair. I am guessing that they have been having a wonderful time in here.

“I am so sorry for not picking him up. We lost track of time during our meetings today.”

I wipe the dirt off her face when she stops in front of me, then pull her in for a brief kiss. The sound of children giggling makes me look over her shoulder to see our kids watching us. I wink at them before I give her another kiss before we walk into the hallway.

“It is fine, Sebastion, I was on my way back here and swung by and pick him up. Your link was closed, so I figured you were still talking to your sister.”

“I will tell you about all of that later tonight. Now, tell me what you three are planting?”

“All the herbs your mother had in here are great, but there are a few she didn’t have that I used to use often. We are adding them now, so I figured it would do them good to help me.”

“From what I can see, they look happy. They seem to get along very well.”

“Zasha is really blossoming here. She has taken to both Jace and Callie well. I am surprised with that since she has spent all her life in captivity with Vicktor or me as her only companions.”

“When do you think she will be ready to join the kids in school?”

“I talked to Sarah about it, and she thinks it would be good to put her in the class with Jace. She wants to do some tests to see what levels Zasha is at, so I will do that with her before class tomorrow.”

“Sarah is a very excellent teacher. She is still young, fresh, and eager to teach. The class in the attic was her idea to help those kids who have shown signs of learning issues. From what I observed she is exceptionally good at getting them to open up so she can help them.”

“Yes, she has a way with her students that makes me feel confident that I can leave my daughter with her.”

“Her idea for smaller classes for those students who need more one-on-one attention gave me an idea for the older students. I want to create classes for our middle school and high school students. I will need to find teachers who will be able to handle their needs.”

“Can I help with that in any way?”

Inspiration strikes me as she asks me that question. Here is a way I can get her and Arianna together to work on a common goal. Arianna is excellent at finding people to fill the pack’s needs. Irina will one day be my Luna, so if she can help with this task, then that is a step in the right direction.

“Would you be willing to work with Arianna for this?”

Irina hesitates for a moment before she nods. “Are you thinking that this will be an effective way for us to work through our issues?”

I nod my head as she guesses my true intentions. “She expressed wanting to put the past behind her so she can get to know you.”

The look on Irina’s face mirrored what I was thinking earlier. All either of us can do is make the best of what we have now. If Arianna wants to make the effort, then we will meet her halfway. Let’s just hope there is no more drama from my sister or my mate.

*Later that night*

Getting both kids cleaned up for dinner is not a fun experience. Jace somehow got dirt in his ears and refuses to let me get it out. Irina tells him that mushrooms will grow in his ears if he leaves the dirt in there.

He let her clean it out.

Dinner is more entertaining than I expected. Callie grabs Zasha’s the minute we get to the kitchen. The two girls sit at the small table to color while waiting for dinner to be ready. Jace looks like he feels left out but then he demands to help cook dinner.

My little chef.

Flynn puts him up on a step stool so he can watch how he does things. He also lets Jace wash the vegetables for the salad. The constant chatter in the kitchen helps all the tension from earlier fade away.

Arianna sits at the counter with Irina as they chop potatoes. Their conversation is about getting Zasha ready for school. I am surprised they are not talking about getting more teachers like I mentioned to Irina earlier. However, the fact that they are talking calmly and not fighting makes me happy.

Tonight’s dinner preparation became a family affair. Something that hasn’t happened in this house since we were kids. I spent my time at the grill making steaks, chicken, and shrimp skewers. That is the only job Flynn would trust me with.

I am a disaster in the kitchen on most days. The few things I know how to cook are not typical dinner meals. Though the kids would all enjoy my specialty of pancakes for dinner. The syrup that goes with pancakes is a bad idea this late in the evening.

When dinner is served, everyone seems to be more than eager to talk about the events of their day. Jace tells us about the painting he made for his grandmother for her birthday. Callie chimes in about how she made a necklace for her out of felt flowers. Zasha watches them both as she picks at her food.

That part worries me. She is already thin like her mother. I need to get them both healthy. I will talk to Irina later tonight about it to see what she has in mine.

After giving two children baths then getting them ready for bed, I am exhausted. I thought my nightly struggles with Jace were bad. Zasha refused to sleep in her own bed, which after being alone for most of her life, I can understand why she wanted to sleep in Jace’s room.

Six bedtime stories later, both kids have fallen asleep. Irina stays with them for a few more minutes while I head to our room. Our room is a phrase I love saying. While I wait for Irina to join me, I order a bunk-bed or Jace’s room. If Zasha will continue to sleep in Jace’s room, she will need a bed to sleep in rather than on the floor in a gigantic pile of pillows.

“Our children are amazing,” Irina tells me.

She closes the door behind her then walks to the dresser where I told her I put her clothes. After changing into her nightclothes, she joins me in bed. The silk night gown she is wearing makes it hard for me to concentrate.

“What is your favorite color?” I blurt the question out awkwardly as she snuggles with me.

“Blue, but not dark, a pale blue.”

“Like your eyes.” I kiss the top of her head when she lays her head on my chest.

“Yes, like my eye color. That is a random question to ask.”

“Well, it occurred to me when I was talking to my sister earlier that I don’t know the trivial things about you. Favorite colors, food, hobbies, all the little things you like. I know the past and all the major details but all the rest we have not really talked about. Arianna asked what you like, but I had nothing to say.”

“So, you want to know all my likes and dislikes?”

“You share yours and I will share mine. We can play that silly game of twenty questions. Your turn now.”

“We never really had breathing room for this. I like the idea of getting to know each other better.”

Irina gets more comfortable on my chest as she thinks of what question to ask me. “What is your favorite season?”

“Spring and Winter. Winter because it is a beautiful time of year where all of nature hibernates to prepare for the new life of spring. I love spring because of all the new growth, the fresh breath of life that it brings into our lives. What is your favorite season?”

I run my hand down her back, making her shiver. She presses even closer against me before she answers by telling me her favorite season is spring. We continue to go back and forth with questions as the night wears on. My caresses get more intimate as we talk.

Her silk night gown is bunched up around her waist as my hand cups her ass. Soon my lips are locked on hers as our passion for each other becomes all-consuming. Soon our clothes are discarded on the floor as we explore each other’s bodies. The room fills with our quiet moans and sighs as we make love.

Sleep overtakes Irina after our passion is spent. I lay awake, watching her sleep. As I am drifting off to sleep, a sharp stab of pain goes through my neck. It feels like the flesh is on fire. I disengage from my sleeping mate to go to the bathroom to look at my neck.

What I see makes my eyes go wide. Fiona’s mark is still there, but it is shrinking in size. It is like the more Irina asserts her claim on me, the faster Fiona’s mark fades. I need to get to the root cause of how she could mark me in the first place. Why was I pulled to her like that?

Something feels wrong with the mark. Before I can think about it further, darkness creeps in, causing me to pass out.