The following chapters are a bonus story called A Mama's Love. I know it's a couple of months early, but the idea came to me and couldn't be helped. So the following short bonus story is a Mother's Day Celebration that takes place the Mother's Day after Clover is born. I hope you enjoy it.
Story Blurb:It’s been nearly thirteen years since Delilah Fayte gave birth for the first time. Now that the Madonie Heirs know the truth, they want to join their half-siblings... er cousins... it isn’t very clear to celebrate the woman so full of boundless love she has brought nine lives into this world. Besides, no one throws a party like a D’Amore.Amaryllis POV I’m not saying we’ve been lied to for our WHOLE lives, but people need to realize we aren’t babies anymore and stop trying to spare our feelings. We are the heirs of Madonie. We shouldn’t be treated with kid gloves. And while nothing would ever change how much I or my siblings love our Papa and Daddy, how could they expect us never to find out? They teach us about the mate bond, females going into heat, and sex at school, for the Goddess’s sake. We were bound to learn that a baby cannot be made without a female. Even if that wasn’t all a factor, Éowyn and I are getting older, and it’s easy to see we don’t look like any of the women in the D’Amore or Delaney women. We have Daddy’s eyes and ears, but that’s like it. If anything, we look more like Nonna Crista and especially Zia Delilah. Maybe if we were naive people, we’d write it off because they are family. But Nonna Crista is Papa’s matrigna, so we aren’t blood-related to the Fayte line. At least not that anyone’s admi
Caspian POVThis wasn’t going the way I thought it would. We’re the ones that are supposed to be guilting Papa into the truth about our Mama. Instead, we are getting a guilt trip about Dad and our guards being worried that we snuck away. Maybe we couldn’t escape them so easily if Filiberto and Dorian were better at their jobs. I know they are good warriors, and given the trauma they went through with Zia Amelia during the war, Papa and Dad are kind to them, but if four twelve-year-olds can escape them, what good are they at protecting us? I do feel bad that we worried Dad and Papa. I won’t feel bad for our guards. They need to be better at their jobs. And maybe we should have more than two guards. There are four of us, after all. This isn’t the first time we’ve duped Filiberto and Dorian. Aragon and I are identical, though we style ourselves differently—the same for our sisters. I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve fooled our guards and the staff at the school into thinking we were
I may only be ten, but I know enough about the world and my future role in it. I’m the Madonie Beta heir, and as much as my parents wanted to shield me from knowing it, I am the Petridis of the Blue Moon prophecy. These roles are my fate. It wasn’t my choice, but it is what the Goddess ordained, and who am I or anyone to argue with her will? The prophecy doesn’t affect my day-to-day life. It just means the only witch I trust is Zia Kat, and I don’t trust angels, period. Being the Beta heir does affect my day-to-day life. It has defined my education and friendships. I don’t want to think the only reason I’m friends with Caspian, Aragon, Amaryllis, and Éowyn is simply because one of them will be my Alpha. They are my cousins, so to speak. Our Papas and Monnos have been best friends for years, so we are like family. Though it’s always felt like there’s more to it than that, when my family link snapped into place when I was nine, I realized I had a link to them. Sure, it could be explain
I’ve felt anxious since André told me that he and Darren told their children I was their surrogate. I knew the day would come. We couldn’t keep it from them forever. It was only natural that they’d be curious. Especially now that Amaryllis and Éowyn were starting to look more like me at their age with hints of Darren. It was easier when they were little and looked more like Darren. Caspian and Aragon still look more like André, but there are moments when they say or do something, especially their smiles, and I can see myself in their faces. Alexander didn’t help my anxious feeling when he told me Chris went to see the quads so he’d know, too. How would he handle that? I wished Alexander hadn’t let him go to André’s villa to hear this from the quads. I was napping and needed the rest since Clover had been teething. She’s been extra fussy because of the teething, and beyond lack of sleep, my breasts are tender from her feedings. It’s not like I haven’t been through this before. Our old
Two Years Ago “I think it’s time you give me a commitment.” Lia pouted as she shut my office door. “Lia, we’ve been over this. We are casual. This is casual sex. I will only commit to my mate.” I reminded her as I shook my head. “I know, but it’s different now. I’m not like those other girls. And we may not be mates, but I love you, and sometimes taking a chosen mate makes sense.” Lia smiled softly as she moved around my desk and pushed my chair back. “What makes you think you are any different? And while I was born at night, it wasn’t last night. You don’t love me. You love sex and that I’m a Beta.” I scoffed. Lia’s smile faltered for a moment, but she remained undeterred. She hopped onto my desk, tight-ass drinking by paperwork. Not the first time she’s been on my desk. Not the first time she has spread her legs either. Her little black dress rode up to show toned thighs and no panties. She came here with a plan to seduce me as if that would change my mind. “There isn’t any r
My heart raced as I heard the bone-chilling cries of a baby. I threw back the covers and rushed out of my room. Where’s the crying coming from? I felt like I was in a haunted house or horror movie as I opened door after door in this endless hallway, only to find a dead end. There was only one door left. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me and threw the door open. I finally reached the crib, but it was a pool of blood as I pulled back the blanket. I sat up with a scream, my hands immediately reaching protectively to my abdomen. What did that dream mean? Are the babies okay? I moved my shirt higher and slowly ran my hands over my stomach, trying to feel each of them. I felt the faint kicks of babies A, B, and C. My heart was in my throat when I couldn’t feel Baby D. ‘Don’t start to panic. The doctor already said we have high blood pressure. Just remember what they said about being patient and doing something that usually stimulates movement.’ Helia reminded me. I nodded and tr
I knew that André and Darren had found a surrogate that met all their requirements in November. By December, she had successfully undergone IVF with an embryo fertilized by André and another by Darren. To the surprise of some, except medical professionals that understand how genetics can behave, both embryos divided, and the surrogate went from carrying two babies to two sets of identical twins. I haven’t kept tabs on the progress beyond what I’ve heard from conversations with André. I trust Annamaria to handle things. She’s an excellent obstetrician. I’d considered telling André to trust Annamaria regarding the surrogate’s care. However, the words died on my tongue when he told me the surrogate had suffered a placental abruption. Medically speaking, there isn’t anything Annamaria could do about it. She could only put the surrogate on bed rest, monitor the babies, and prescribe medicines to help the development of the babies to increase survival chances if it was to get worse and
Why did André call Alexander? Okay, I know why. With Alexander’s gift, there is a high chance he would be able to repair the placenta issue that caused the bleeding and put Baby D in danger. And I wouldn’t dare try to put my comfort over the health and safety of these babies. It’s just, why did it have to be Alexander? It would have been easier on me if he’d asked Alec to recall Damon. It’s been over two years since I’ve seen him. I thought I’d changed. I thought that I’d overcome this crush. Yet the butterflies were back when André called him. And I know these aren’t the butterfly feelings I get when the babies move. Nope, this feeling is reserved only for Alexander Petridis. I both love and hate it. How can he still have such power over me? I may have taken the suggestions of my Bloodmoon friends and gotten Alexander out of my system by dating. It isn’t like there was a lack of cute males between Bloodmoon and Silverclaw. However, many were apprehensive about flirting with me. I