Congratulations!

Desmond:

Bouncing back to my office after addressing the kitchen staff to prepare something light for Elicia to help regain her strength that her transformation was depleting from her body. That girl is so special, and our first grandbabies. Clicking my heels together with a shouting ‘whoop’ entering my office, realizing things would need to be baby-proofed more than they already were with the already rambunctious toddlers that roamed the castle when it was our turn to babysit.

“Harrison.” Calling for my right-hand man and best friend, looking up as he slithered into the office adjusting his collar, noticing the smudged lipstick in a deep hue of rosy spice.

“How’s the wife?” Chuckling lightly, sliding into my black leather high-back receiving a curt snarl as he grabbed the daily reports sent over from the council, smiling at his tilted smirk as he thumbed through the grotesque brown folder.

“Veronica is just ‘fine’ as always, now that baby number three has allowed her to eat properly without swift bathroom visits.” Laughing brightly as his eyes flashed a wild hue of crimson, slipping out a report that had him looking vicious.

“I see she’s ‘lively’ now.” Pointing to my collar as he looked down, pulling his collar out with a chesty groan, setting down the brown folder handing me the report that had him less than pleasant. Smiling at him as he snapped his fingers, replacing the soiled shirt with a fresh one, tucking it into his black slacks with a smooth hand.

“I see we have a rogue. Several reports of changelings appearing around London.” Snarling out as my eyes scanned over the report, noticing two locations that worried me deeply.

“How many so far?” Pulling out the whiskey-tonic as he slid into the opposite chair, reaching for his drink with a shift hand.

“According to this, ten.” Pointing to the report with a snarling lip, feeling the beast itching to lash out but I promised Izzy to control my outbursts as much as possible. Leaning back with a long exhale, picturing my grandbabies running around squealing, giggling as they climbed on furniture, asking every known question to man plus more, feeling the swirling rage wash away with the smile that painted across my face.

“You keep smiling like that and we’ll have to cover your face.” Howling out in laughter, sipping on the cool amber liquid with a playful wink over the rim.

“This my friend stays between us at the moment, but I’m going to be grandpa.” Feeling giddy like a little schoolboy receiving his first kiss, shaking my leg in excitement and nervousness as he stopped his drink millimeters from his twitching lip, grinning ear-to-ear with a salute.

“Well shit! Dominic’s going to be dad.” Shaking my head at his assumption of it being Dom and Atlas.

“The Watchmen! When did this happen?” His already extended grin lifting higher into the heavens as we matched each other in elation.

“Since they met their mate, who is a ‘ray of sunshine’ that lights up the room. She’s a special girl with a heart of gold and nerves of steel to handle all of their wildness.” Laughing brightly as Izzy poked her head in, smiling brightly as she placed a kiss to Harrison’s cheek in passing, sliding into my outreached arms.

“Congratulations! She sounds breathtaking and even braver to deal with ‘all that’ family drama and deep-rooted rancor.” Rubbing Izzy’s back, feeling her body erupt in violent shakes reaching for the whiskey, chugging straight from the bottle like it was water.

“Harrison, for my sake, don’t speak about that ‘man’ or his family around me. They hurt my boys, hurt my soon-to-be daughter, causing so much destruction within this family that he’ll wish that he stayed ‘dead’.” Chuckling softly behind her back watching Harrison shrink down in his chair, nodding his head firmly.

“Izzy, honey, don’t death glare him too hard. Veronica can kill him later.” Smiling at the scowl that formed across his smiling lips, pointing at me in warning as he sipped his whiskey.

“So when can we expect the bundles of energy? Veronica will be over the moon to help decorate another nursery.” Harrison quickly recovered from his pending lashing as Izzy looked over her shoulder, nodding to me to fill him in enough.

“Well, that’s a little complicated to decipher but about twelve months from now. I need to do some research because I think the time frame may center around the Egyptian calendar. At this moment in time all we care about is her health and safety, until we can figure out for sure her birthing cycle. These children will possess a special power that must be protected and nurtured at all costs.” Studying his confused expression as Izzy leaned forward pushing her tight little ass into my groin with a hiss, halting her hips as she rocked side-to-side to push my thighs apart.

“Why the Egyptian calendar?” Nodding to his question confirming my faith in my friend and right-hand advisor. Hesitating in answering this next part as his confused expression turned solemn.

“Desmond, I would never betray you and your family. You’re my only family left, and Veronica would gut me like a pig, making sure every drop was drained from my shriveled ass before burning it to a fucking pile of ash. So tell me what’s really up?” Winking at Izzy as she looked over her shoulder nodding to my grin.

“Elicia is the vessel for the Egyptian Goddess Hathor. Her mother was an oracle from an Ancient bloodline, who sacrificed her life to keep her unborn child from ending up in wrong hands. I have a suspicion after the mother’s power transferred to the unborn child, she appeared fully developed and healthy outside of a firehouse in Texas. Like all deities, it’s cryptic riddles, broken language, and different time references, so I have a feeling that her birth cycle is correlated to the Egyptian calendar. Now, figuring out our calendar in reference to that calendar is the key to figuring out her pregnancy.” Silence.

“On the upside, we know they will come in seven-year cycles, two sets of boys then a set of girls, which will carry the abilities of prophecy and insight. The boys are just as special because they will be Phoenix’s like their father’s. My biggest concern in this matter is that someone figure’s out what they are and comes after them for their powers. We’re talking about mass destruction and chaos if that happens.” Lacing my fingers with Izzy’s as she reached back to calm my swirling emotions, kissing her hand softly as Harrison sat stone faced staring off into the ceiling as his eyes swirled wildly with crimson.

“Jesus Christ Desmond! The fucking Phoenix’s are your sons, their mate is a vessel for the Goddess, who I might add was known for a wild temper and had no problem striking down anyone that posed a threat, and your telling me she is pregnant with the next generation of Phoenix’s. What is it with this family dropping ‘bombs’?” Laughing at his shocked state as he stood, pacing erratically, grabbing the bottle from Izzy’s hand as she went to take another swig, hissing at him as he chugged the remaining liquid in one breath.

“Now you understand my hesitation. They may not be our biological sons, but I will do anything within my power to protect them, Elicia, my unborn grandchildren, just like I do for this Kingdom, and anyone allied with us. They deserve normal lives just as much as the next person in this room, out there, and across the globe.” Pointing to him nodding in agreement because he witnessed what my uncle did to this kingdom, along with the innocent lives lost because of that power-hungry maniac.

“Right, what do you want me to do?...What can I say to Veronica?” His pacing stopped abruptly as fear washed over his face, realizing if he lied to Veronica his ass would be grass.

“I’ll talk to Veronica.” Izzy smiled with a playful wink, leaning back into my chest as her hands rubbed along my thighs in a tantalizing rhythm of static shocks and soft fingers.

“If you want, grab all the texts we have on the Egyptian calendar and astrological mapping to figure out what has changed in our calendar. I know for sure, Leap year, daylight savings, and monthly days vary between the two so if we can form some kind of an estimation, we should be able to narrow it down closer to her due date or month. She conceived some time around the Fall Equinox and was informed she would deliver around the Spring Equinox. About fourteen months give or take, again, it comes down to the calendar variation.” Smiling at the fiery glint that laced his swirling orbs of crimson, nodding in retreat as he disappeared from the office with a renewed vigor in his step.

“You know he’s not going to emerge from that library until he’s figured it out, right?” Izzy laughed softly, standing up to lean against the desk with her palms firmly planted at her sides.

That black velvet dress laying flawlessly along her petite frame and curves, licking my lips playful as she placed her foot between my thighs, wiggling her bare toes against my aching groin.

Fuck! I love this woman.