115
We had set everything up outside at the back of the house and I saw Lucas and Rylee first as he opened the front door and walked into the house. He carried two coolers and Rylee hugged me so tight that I thought she was going to crack my ribs. Melissa walked straight to Chase and hit him on the back of his head.
“Welcome,” I said once Rylee let go of me and Hannah treated me the same. Rev just grunted what I assumed to be a greeting as they placed the coolers next to the empty chairs.
“Megan!” Rylee said happily as she walked out of the kitchen with a platter of snacks in her hands.
“I’ll take that,” I said as Rylee grabbed Megan in a hug.
“I’m so glad you all came!” Megan said excitedly.
“Now where’s that future son in law?” Hannah asked as Rev’s eyes flashed yellow.
“Go easy on him, Emily’s already giving him shit and he’s not a bad guy,” I said.
The front door opened again and Jasper walked in followed closely by Haley, Brandon and Kimberley. Preston and Jennifer were already mingling and Timothy and Nadia were talking sternly to Truman about leaving without saying anything.
“Link, I’d like to introduce you to Rev and Hannah Harris, Emily’s parents,” I said to him.
Link stood up and firmly shook Rev’s hand and lightly shook Hannah’s hand as he offered them something to drink and Rev’s eyes softened when he spotted Emily as she ran up to him and he caught her in mid air and hugged her tightly.
“So Link sit down and tell me what I need to know,” Hannah said as she took a seat and Link swallowed with difficulty.
“My full name is Lincoln Houseman, I’m Ryder’s second in command, my mother died giving birth to me and my father was killed by the previous Sire for speaking up against the harsh treatments lair members were being subjected to,” Linc started.
“How old are you?” Hannah asked as Rev watched him closely.
“I’m nineteen Mrs. Harris,” he said.
“And you bonded with Emily this morning while your girlfriend ran around the house naked?” Hannah asked him and Link started coughing as he just took a swallow from his beer.
“That was an unfortunate circumstance that I would change if I could but she wasn’t my girlfriend and she ran around naked after she got out of the shower with Ryder,” he said and Lucas hit me behind my head.
“What the hell was that for?” I asked him as Rylee glared at me.
“What the fuck is going on in this house?” he asked me.
“That wasn’t Ryder’s fault, she thought she could worm her way to him after realizing that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Link,” Megan said and smiled at me.
“Come,” Rev said and stood up as he looked at Link.
“You’ll be fine,” I said as Link looked at me and then hurried off behind Rev.
They disappeared around the house as I glanced at Megan. She was sitting off to one side with Emily, Rylee, Haley and Melissa. I could only imagine what they were discussing as she glanced over at me every so often.
“Rumor has it that Typhon the great ordered you to remain as Sire here,” Jasper said as he took the seat that Hannah had vacated when she went over to join the other women.
“True,” I said and opened another beer.
“Any news from the Elders about the missing children case?” Lucas asked.
“They have everything they need for their execution and I won’t have to stand trial,” I said with a smile.
“Geez you guys never wait for me!” Cameron said loudly as he took his sunglasses off and kissed his mother hello.
Haley had grabbed Brenda to sit with them and I was almost feeling sorry for her. Cameron grabbed a beer from one of the coolers and sat down next to me and I punched him on his shoulder hard.
“Ouch man what was that for?” he asked me.
“Videotaping my lair meeting for one asshole,” I said as Jasper laughed.
“Don’t they remind you of us?” he asked Lucas.
“We weren’t as bad,” Lucas said as they laughed.
“Bullshit,” Chase said as he dodged Lucas’s slap.
“Do you think your boy’s still alive?” Brandon asked and we all looked to where Rev and Link had gone around the house.
“Emily would’ve screamed by now if he wasn’t,” Chase said lazily.
“Are you and Megan good now?” Lucas asked.
“You could say that,” I said and they all grinned at me thinking the worst.
“That’s my man,” Brady said as I laughed.
“You guys are pigs,” I said as they laughed at me.
“So just to give you a heads up, your mother’s already planning a double ceremony with Haley,” Lucas said.
“Shit,” Cameron said.
“Might be a triple one now,” Jasper said as Rev and Link walked back towards us.
Link was slightly pale and Rev had that scary smile on his face. Link sat down and I looked at him as I handed him a fresh beer. He emptied it in one go and Lucas started laughing as Rev whispered something to him.
“You okay?” I asked him.
“Yes, as long as I keep it in my pants and don’t do anything to upset Emily I might live to see my twentieth birthday,” Link said.
We spent the day drinking and eating and having a great time with our very large extended family. By the time the sun set Hannah brought out Emily’s bag and told me in no uncertain terms that Emily was under my care for the time being and that I would carry the brunt of her rage if anything happened to her daughter.
“You do realize they’re going to end up sharing a room,” I said to her.
“We trust Emily to make her own decisions,” Rev said as he joined us.
“He needs to sweat a bit,” Hannah said with a smile.
“I’m sure Em will have him running in circles,” I said.
The day was drawing to a close and Lucas pulled me aside into the kitchen as everyone else started packing up and getting ready to leave.
“We need to talk about a few things,” he said looking at me seriously.
“I was waiting for this,” I said to him.
“Word will spread about Typhon’s visit to you, watch your back,” he said.
“What’s going on Dad? You look like you know more than what you’re telling me,” I said.
“Hannah saw something about you and Megan. She saw you in a different place surrounded by many false friends, many women seeking your attention, a final wedge between you and Megan, one where you might lose her for good. You need to decide what you want and go for it, whatever your choice is, I’ll respect it, but I believe when you say she’s your bonded half, I can see it in the way you two are with each other, she’s good for you and you’re good for her,” he said.
“It’s not that I don’t want to mark her, the circumstances just weren’t right, Marlo saw her being taken and killed if I announced her too early, that’s why I held back and then all this shit with Albert and Carlson happened,” I said to him.
“Get your house in order, you’re a grown ass man now,” he said to me.
“Don’t tell me what to do in my own house,” I said to him.
“Stop acting like a care-free teenager and I wouldn’t have to,” he said.
“You might be my father but this is my lair and my territory, know your place,” I said to him as my eyes flashed yellow.
“Right… there’s the fighting spirit,” he said and laughed as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen.
“Are you trying to piss me off?” I asked him as I followed him.
“Maybe,” he said as I shook my head.
“You’re an asshole you know,” I said as Rylee joined us in the foyer and looked at me with wide eyes.
“So are you,” he said to me.
“Are you two done bickering?” Rylee asked.
“We’re not bickering,” Lucas said.
“Rather keep Kurt Greer off my back and control your lair members,” I said to him.
“Is he wrong Ryder?” he asked me.
“Are you taking his side?” I asked him.
“No, I’m always on your side but that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you if you’re being an idiot,” he said to me.
“Lucas, leave him alone,” Rylee said.
“Stop coddling him and get your ass in the car,” Lucas said to her.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” I said to him.
“She’s my wife, I’ll talk to her however I want,” Lucas said as he glared at me.
“The last time I didn’t fight back, don’t think that this time I’ll go easy on you,” I said to him as he started laughing.
“Now that you’re all riled up, have a good night and get your shit in order,” he said.
“Drive safe Dad,” I said as we hugged and everyone just stared at us.
“Good times bro, good times,” Chase said as he slapped me on the back.
Megan and I stood on the patio and watched everyone leave as Lucas grinned at me. Link had taken Emily to her room and I didn’t even want to know what they were actually doing in there.
“What was that all about?” Megan asked me as we headed up the stairs.
“That’s just me and Lucas,” I said to her with a smile.
“I’m going to take a shower, why don’t you go make coffee,” she said to me.
“You’re back two days and already giving me orders,” I said as she laughed at me.
“Did you think I was going to grovel the whole time?” she asked me.
“You should do some groveling,” I said.
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