134
“You’re back!” Emily said when I opened the front door and caught her coming down the hall with a bowl of popcorn.
“Is that Ryder?” Link yelled from the living room.
“Hey Ems,” I said and kissed her cheek as we hugged trying not to spill the popcorn.
“Who’s this?” Emily asked as Link joined her. Ava stood slightly behind me, a nervous smile on her face.
“This is Ava, that’s Emily, my cousin, and Link, my second,” I said.
“Nice to meet you,” Ava said as both of them stared at her.
“Come on,” I said to Ava and headed upstairs with the first two suitcases.
I stopped on the second floor and led Ava to the guest room. I placed her suitcases in front of the dressing room and switched the bathroom light on for her.
“For the time being this will be your room until we’ve figured everything out,” I said as she looked around the room.
“You mean until you have proof that you’re the father,” she said.
“I don’t mean it like that,” I said feeling awkward just standing there.
“Thank you,” she said not meaning it.
“How far along are you? Five weeks?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she said as her hand went to her stomach.
“If you need anything, I’m on the top floor at the end of the hall,” I said.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Make yourself at home, breakfast is at seven thirty and if you’re hungry I can get you something,” I said as I stood by the bedroom door.
“I’m fine,” she repeated.
I left her to unpack and settle in and successfully avoided running into Link and Emily. I closed my bedroom door behind me and pulled my phone out of my pocket as it started to ring.
“Grey.”
“Glad to hear you’re still alive,” Basil said.
“Funny,” I said.
“What happened in Chicago? You’re not dead, maybe Daddy beat the shit out of you, must have been important for you to rush home like that,” Basil said.
“Apparently you’re going to be an uncle,” I said.
“Shit, who the fuck did you knock up and when?”
“Ava.” I rubbed a hand over my face as I kicked my shoes off and sat down on my bed.
“Is it yours?” he asked me.
“She says so,” I answered him.
“Shit mate,” he said and started to laugh.
“It’s not that funny.”
“You and Elio were both these self-professed bachelors and now look at both of you, finally I win at something,” he said.
“Selma might call you,” I said and he remained quiet for a while.
“That’s not funny,” he said.
“It would be.”
“Is Lucas very pissed off with you?” he asked changing the subject.
“I’m still alive but I haven’t spoken to Rylee yet,” I said.
“I’ll miss you,” he said as I smiled.
“Yeah you will asshole, I’ll speak to you soon,” I said and we ended the call.
I lay back on my bed when the door was flung open and Emily walked inside followed closely by Link. I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at her standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.
“Megan’s barely been dead for a month and you move another woman into your house?” she asked me angrily.
“Tell me how you really feel,” I said as I sat up straight.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” she asked me.
“She might be your future Drakaina, deal with it,” I said.
“You’re bonding with her?” she practically yelled.
“She’s pregnant.”
“Oh that’s just great, she got her hooks into you and suddenly she’s pregnant, is that baby even yours?” she asked me.
“Emily! Enough!” Link said from behind her. “You don’t know the whole story and Ryder’s your Sire, that makes Ava his equal. I know you mean well but Ryder’s not an idiot.”
“Excuse me?” Emily said through gritted teeth as she glared at Link.
“Shit Emily, do you think this is easy for me? I love Megan … loved Megan. I didn’t plan this shit but it happened and now I have to deal with it, the least you can do is support me and make her feel welcome,” I said.
“How do you know she didn’t plan this whole thing? You’re a young, strong Sire, Ryder. That makes you very eligible for women out there. How well do you even know her?”
“She had no idea who I was Em. There’s no way she could’ve planned this, they live all the way in Los Angeles,” I said to her.
“I’m sorry okay, you’re my family and I have to look out for you,” she said.
“I appreciate that and like Link said I’m not that stupid. Peter will confirm her pregnancy and establish paternity before anything happens and before I introduce her to the lair officially.”
“Fine, I’ll try,” Emily said.
“That’s all I ask.”
Abeloth was still ignoring me and I struggled to fall asleep. I felt like an asshole, a cheater and I knew Megan would be disappointed in me if she could see me now. A lot of emotions went through me as I tried to keep a tight lid on them.
I felt lonely without Abeloth’s voice in my head. He was disappointed in me too but I could feel his emotions, if that baby was ours he expected me to claim both of them. I was never one to run away from my responsibility even if my previous actions made it look like I did.
Ava was in the dining room the following morning when I joined them and she was talking animatedly to Emily. “Morning,” I said as they all turned to look at me.
“Sleep well?” I asked Ava.
“Yes, thank you and you?” she asked me.
“Yeah …”
“Linda’s got a full day planned for you,” Link said half smiling at me.
“We’re meeting with Peter first,” I said and he nodded.
“Who’s Peter?” Ava asked me.
“My lair doctor,” I said.
After breakfast I took Ava to the infirmary where Peter greeted us and did a full check up on Ava and asked her for a urine sample. He did the test in front of us and my heart sank just a little as it showed positive for pregnancy.
“When’s the soonest that we can do a paternity test?” I asked him.
“Miss Ava’s almost six weeks pregnant and I can perform a non-invasive paternity test from week seven onwards,” he said.
“Great, book the appointment,” I said to him as he opened his diary and scheduled us for the test.
“How does this test work?” Ava asked him.
“It’s a simple blood draw Miss,” Peter assured her.
Ava and I left the infirmary together and headed back to the house. I had already spoken to Link and I saw Neil waiting at the front door of the house for us.
“Ava, this is Neil, he’ll be your protective escort for the time being,” I said to her.
“Hi Neil,” she said as he bowed his head a little.
“You’re free to roam my territory as you please as long as Neil goes with you when you step foot outside of this house, his number’s already programmed on this phone,” I said to her and handed her the new phone.
“You make it sound like you have a very dangerous territory,” she said with a smile.
“I didn’t get to where I am now without making my fair share of enemies,” I said.
“Oh, of course, yes,” she said and gripped the phone tightly.
“Sire,” Neil said and bowed his head again as I looked at him.
“Thanks Neil, you’ll be relieved by Scott in six hours, don’t let her leave your sight when you go out,” I said as he nodded.
I left Ava with Neil and headed to my office where I could hear Linda talking on the phone. Link sat behind his desk, lost in concentration as he read through a pile of documents. A fresh cup of coffee stood next to my laptop and Linda smiled when she saw me.
“Sire Ryder, welcome back,” Linda said after five minutes when she put her phone down on my desk.
“Linda seriously, how many times do I have to remind you?” I asked her.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” she said and glanced at Link.
“Yeah keep that bit to yourself please,” I said and glared at Link.
“Am I missing something?”
“Peter confirmed she’s pregnant this morning but I’m not doing or saying anything until the paternity test confirms that I’m the father,” I said.
“Oh I hope it’s yours, babies always bring joy to the world,” she said with a bright smile.
“Uhm …” I was at a loss for words as she started chuckling and placed the first pile of paperwork in front of me.
It was going to be a long ass day especially with her being so chirpy and veering back to baby related topics every other minute. Link just shook his head and smiled as he put his earphones in his ears and in that moment I hated him just a little.
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