16. Dominic

Chapter 16

Dominic

I ’m not sure what I was expecting, but the tiny human wasn’t exactly it. Dorthea couldn’t have been much taller than five feet. Despite her tiny stature, she had quite a grip on her hugs. Aside from the physical contact that Frederick and I had, I could not recall the last time I had been given a hug by anyone. Even my own parents, it was simply not something that we shared between each other.

“Let me get another look at you,” Dorthea said, as she let go of me. When she took a step back she reached for my hands. Unsure what exactly to do, I let her take them. She held my hands out in front of us, and when she started swinging them back-and-forth. I couldn’t stop my smile.

“I just don’t know what it is about warlocks, but every last one of them is gorgeous,” Dorthea said. She shook her head, and I looked to Frederick for help. “Of course, I am biased, but I’m not sure that anyone could deny it.”

Frederick took my hands from his mother and offered her a smile while doing so. “All right, mother. You are making Dominic uncomfortable with all of your flirting.”

If she wasn’t my mother-in-law, this would certainly be uncomfortable. As it was, it was actually a bit comical.

“I’m all right,” I told Frederick. “You know I don’t mind hugs,” I added. As it was, Frederick had disentangled Dorthea from me and I smiled down at the tiny human. “I appreciate all of the compliments,” I told her. “It is very nice to meet you.” I looked over at Edmund and held out my hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you too, sir.”

“It is nice to meet you as well,” he told me. “But there is no need for such formalities. Edmund is perfectly fine. I wouldn’t expect for you to call me father just yet.” The older warlock winked at me, and that gesture, combined with his words and warm smile erased any lingering traces of unease.

“Please, come in,” I told them as I stepped aside and gestured into the house. It seemed as if we were always standing in the entryway. “Can I get either of you anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something else?”

“Aren’t you just the sweetest,” Dorthea said. “If it isn’t too much trouble I would love some tea.”

“Of course, no trouble at all. Do you have a specific type you prefer? How do you take it? Sugar? Honey? Cream?”

Dorthea smiled up at me as I placed a hand on the top of her back to usher her further into the house. Already, I was feeling very much at ease with her, and I hoped that meant only good things for what I had hoped would be our relationship going forward. I wanted to make a good impression on Frederick’s parents. It felt incredibly important to me.

“I drink it with just a bit of cream and nothing else,” she told me.

“Just cream. We can certainly handle that.” I guided her into the back room and led her over to the sofa. Once she was settled, I held out my hands with what I hoped was an acceptable cup of tea. “Here you are,” I said, offering her the mug.

“Thank you, dear.” Dorthea looked over my shoulder and smiled. When I followed her gaze, I saw that Frederick and his father had been right behind us. “He’s such a gentleman, Frederick. You are very lucky when it comes to who you were gifted as your one.”

Frederick and I shared a look, and you would think that someone my age wouldn’t be able to blush at this point, but I found myself with warming cheeks. The last thing that Frederick would call me most of the time would be a gentleman. I could certainly be one when needed, but he knew a completely different side of me as well. Especially in the bedroom.

“I truly am lucky, Frederick said “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such a man, but I am forever thankful that he was gifted to me.”

“That is usually how it works,” Edmund said. “It seems as if when we least expect it, that is exactly when we will find the one fated to be with them. So, tell us how the two of you met,” Edmund said as he sat down. Frederick reached out to me and placed his hand on my waist. I leaned into him a little while he directed me to one of the chairs that was angled toward the sofa. Once I was settled, Frederick sat on the arm of the chair beside me with his hand gently resting on my shoulder. If we were going to have visitors, perhaps we should get a love seat, or maybe just a second sofa.

“I was at Amherst to ask some follow up questions regarding Dominic’s birth coven,” Frederick told them. “There was a new situation that arose, and we needed to ask those that were placed with Master Arthur if they knew anything regarding them. It really was just as simple as that,” Frederick said.

“Were there sparks between the two of you?” Dorthea asked.

“Not exactly,” I told her while smiling. “At least not in a way that one would think when it comes to fated mates meeting each another for the first time.” There was the expected body’s reaction to him, but I definitely wouldn’t call the moments, and hours after our initial meeting spark inducing.

I felt Frederick’s mood shift to one of sadness, and reached out to rub his thigh. I gazed up at him, hoping that he understood that everything regarding our initial meeting was in the past and it did not bother me.

“It’s all right,” I told him though our bond. “It’s the past. Don’t dwell on it.”

“I only meant that with the reason for him being there on assignment, we couldn’t discuss things of a personal nature until after that was all sorted.” I looked up at Frederick again. “It was frustrating for both of us at first, but in the end, everything obviously worked out for us.” I rubbed his thigh again, making sure I stayed closer to his knee than his hip, trying to reassure him as best as I could.

“Do the two of you have plans to relocate anytime soon?” Edmund asked.

Frederick and I shared a look, because neither of us expected such a question. “What do you mean?” Frederick asked. “You know that I’m an enforcer for the council now. I have no plans to leave my position here in the near future.”

“I just thought that perhaps now that you had found your one you would consider moving back closer to home. Did you not join the council in order to find him?”

“It was obvious hope that being with the council I might have a better chance. But that’s not the only reason I joined, and you know that.”

“Edmund, leave the boys alone. They’re here and your family already. It’s not as if it is difficult for you to simply whoosh us here. Once everything settles out, we can work on figuring out a schedule for when is best for us to visit without interfering with their daily lives too much,” Dorthea told him.

I could sense frustration, and confusion from Frederick through our bond. I had no doubt that his father could see it in his aura.

“Was that your impression? That I was only with the council to find my One? Father, we’re doing good things here. We’re stopping, truly evil people. I’m part of that, and Dominic is supporting me in that. Why would I wish to leave that behind to return to Spain? What would I do there?”

“It was curious question there is no need to be upset about it,” Edmond said.

I gave Frederick’s knee a quick squeeze. “We do plan on traveling when our schedules allow for it,” I told them. “I will be taking at least a few years off from work to spend time with our little one and possibly his sibling if we should be so gifted.” I looked up at Frederick with a hopeful expression. I wanted him to relax and enjoy the visit rather than become frustrated with his parents more so than he already was.

“What is it that you do?” Dorothea asked.

“I used to be in marketing. There’s not a big demand for it here at the council. Although my job can be done completely remote, I don’t want to have to divide my attention between work deadlines and our son. I’ve worked for a very long time, and although I don’t have quite the extensive portfolio that some do, I can certainly not work for a very extended period of time.”

“Marketing, that sounds interesting.”

“It can be,” I told her with a smile on my face. “Depending on the product you are trying to sell, or the company that you are working with, it can be fun. It can also be quite frustrating at times.” When I’d first gotten into marketing, I loved my job and chosen field. Sadly, the coven decided that we all had to work for them and my days of enjoying my job quickly disappeared.

“Will you miss it?” Dorthea asked.

“No. In the last few years, it had become less and less enjoyable because I was working for my birth coven. I’m not saying I won’t ever go back, because at this point I’m not sure. For the time being though, I want to focus on our family that we’re creating.” I looked over at Frederick and offered what I hoped was a loving smile. He reached out and touched my cheek briefly before he looked back to his parents.

“The council is very understanding when it comes to time off when needed,” Frederick told them. “I received a month off when Dominic and I first claimed each other, and I’ll receive another month off once he gives birth.”

Edmund looked as if he was going to say something, but then his expression suddenly changed.

“What is it that you do?” I asked. Frederic and I hadn’t talked about his parents too much beyond the fact that they still lived in Spain and they enjoyed spending time with his brother’s children.

“We’re both what I guess you would consider retired,” Dorthea said. “We spend a lot of time with Emmet and Sofia’s children, helping them out.”

I nodded. I knew that at one point, Edmund had been a dentist, but then changed careers and moved to teaching at the university level. He was able to stick with that for quite some time by moving from in-person classes to teaching online. I also know that he’d gone by many different names when it came to his professional career, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do that. I was rather attached to my name. Despite knowing all of that, he sat there without elaborating.

“Have I done something to upset your father?”

“No. He most likely was expecting us to return to Spain. He and Mother have always had this dream of having all of their children and grandchildren nearby and they could be this weird involved “it takes a village” family.”

Frederick sighed. “We’re not leaving Montana,” he told them. Edmund and Dorthea blinked at us. “I love you, and I promise I’ll visit, but I’m happy here. I understand you’re excited that I’ve finally met my One and we’re having a family. But we’re not going to be part of your plans of having all of the grandbabies running around everywhere.

“It’s taken you so long to find your One,” Dorthea said.

“Yes, but that is not for lack of trying,” Frederick replied.

“But we?—”

“Dorthea, leave it,” Edmund said. “Rainier warned us, and we knew it was a probability that they wouldn’t be ready to return to Spain with us.”

I looked at Frederick, suddenly a bit uncomfortable.

“We’ll visit,” Frederick said again. “I’ve already said we’ll visit, and we will. But we’re happy here and I feel like the council is somewhere I need to be right now. We’re doing so many good things.”

Edmund stared at Frederick for a long moment before nodding. “I understand. I do.” He glanced over at Dorthea and you could see the love they had for one another from that look alone. “We’ve always hoped that you and your brothers would find what your mother and I have and raise a bunch of babies near us so we can spoil them.”

“Not to sound like a broken record, but we’ll visit. I cannot say how often, but at least a few times a year. We have a lot going on at the council at the moment.” Frederick touched the back of my head and gently massaged it. “We’re not sure how much traveling our little guy is going to enjoy.”

Dorthea snorted, which was unexpected from what little I knew of her. She easily became excited, but she didn’t seem as if she was the type to make such a noise.

“You can travel between here and there just as easily as your father. You are giving us excuses.”

“If that is how you take our reasoning, then they’re excuses,” Frederick said. “Look, I love you both, and I enjoy being home with my brothers, and spending time with them. But I’m obviously in love with Dominic and we’re building a family. We’re still strengthening our bond. We don’t want to spend a lot of time with family showing up every day, and butting in all of the time.”

“They do that?” I asked. I was suddenly very happy we lived where they couldn’t easily access us whenever they wished.

“But you’re all?—”

“Dorthea,” Edmund said.

She looked up at her One and after a moment she let out a loud sigh. “Fine.” She set her tea down on the coffee table, and then placed her hands on her lap. “I apologize. You know how I am, Frederick. I love the babies. All of them. I want to be around them as much as I can because I don’t want them to not know who I am.”

“I understand that, Mother, and I can support it as well. We will do video chats so you can talk to him in between visits. But he’s not going to know who anyone is for some time yet.”

“Dorthea, they seem to be happy here. You knew when Frederick followed Sebastian here that he most likely wasn’t going to return. This is exciting, and as he’s said: he’s doing something important.”

“We will visit,” I told them, hoping that it would help calm her. I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted to make her happy. “My parents are both gone, and have been for some time. I would love for the two of you to be involved in our children’s lives.”

Dorthea looked from me to Frederick and then back at me. “Why didn’t you say his parents were gone?”

Frederick sighed. “I’ve been busy with work. And then there’s the whole…I just got mated and we’re still very much in the honeymoon phase of everything. I go to work and come home and spend all of my time with Dominic. I’ve just not thought to mention the fact that his parents are gone.”

“Do you like living in Spain, Dorthea?” I asked, hoping to change the subject a little. “Do you travel a lot? Have hobbies?”

It worked because Dorthea’s face lit up. “We do travel. We have vacation homes in three countries.” Dorthea looked up at Edmund. “It is three, isn’t it?”

“Four. England, Greece, Australia, and then the one in Brazil we just purchased.”

“Oh yes. How could I forget about it?” Dorthea shook her head before looking back toward me and Frederick. “Do you like to travel?” She asked.

“I do. I haven’t had a whole lot of time in recent years, but Frederick and I have plans to visit a few places next summer after the baby is born.”

“Before you ask, yes Spain is one of those places,” Frederick added.

I chuckled while nodding. Dorthea and Edmund seemed to be pleased with that response.

“That will be nice. Sofia will have had her baby by then,” Edmund said.

“Speaking of Sofia. When is she due?” Frederick asked.

“The last week of March,” Dorthea said excitedly. “They’re having a little fox shifter, so there is a chance we will have another baby girl in the family.”

I thought about that for a moment, and then placed a protective hand over my stomach. I would only have little boys. Frederick and I were both warlocks and we would only have warlock babies. Warlocks were only males, so there was no possibility for us to provide a female grandchild to them.

Seeming to sense my thoughts, Frederick placed his hand on the back of my neck and gave it a few gentle squeezes.

“It will be only little warlocks for us,” Frederick said.

“Yes, but they’ll be so handsome and powerful, like the rest of the family.” Dorthea looked directly at me. “There is nothing upsetting about you only having warlock babies.” She told me. “Except for the fact they will be so far away. I’ll have to learn to deal with that.”

Frederick sighed. “Mother, stop. You can’t guilt trip us into moving back.”

Frederick’s body was a bundle of frustration, and I wasn’t sure how I could help him at the moment. We’d told her many times that we were staying here.

“Father.”

Frederick and his father shared a long look before Edmund suddenly decided it was time for them to leave.

“Dorthea, say goodbye for now. We’ll see them several more times before we return to Spain.” Edmund stood as he reached for Dorthea’s hands to help her up.

“But we just got here.”

“Yes, but you’ve annoyed our son. I’ve told you several times to leave it alone. He’s frustrated with us now, and it’s best we give him space.” Edmund pulled Dorthea to her feet. “Dominic, it was nice to meet you and I hope we can get together soon for a family meal at Rainier’s.”

Frederick stood, and I joined him. “That would be lovely, yes. We’ve had one meal already, and it was quite an experience since I’m from such a small family.”

Frederick started walking them toward the front door. “Tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll be sure to see you tomorrow.”

I stopped about five meters from the door, but could still see it clearly. Frederick and his father said something quietly, and after Dorthea gave Frederick a hug, she and Edmund disappeared. Frederick stood there a few seconds and then turned and let out a frustrated breath.

“So that was my parents. They really want all of the kids to live on the same street and give them tons of grandkids. Especially Mother.”

I couldn’t help it, I chuckled. “You don’t say.” I closed the distance between us and without hesitation I wrapped my arms around Frederick’s waist. “I don’t mind visiting. If you want, we can move to Spain when you’re ready,” I told him.

Frederick took a deep breath and let it out. “I was actually thinking about doing just that before I met you. I was considering resigning my position in the council and going home. I was frustrated because I wasn’t finding my One here, and I didn’t know if I ever would.”

I leaned in and kissed him quickly. “I’m glad you didn’t. I might not have met you as soon as I did.”

Frederick kissed me back and then placed his forehead against mine. “Me too. I’m sorry about my parents.”

“Don’t be. She’s harmless. A little push about it, but I can understand she just wants all of her grandbabies nearby. She seems very sweet, and your father is quite nice.”

Frederick nodded his forehead against mine. “They can be a lot.”

“At least they love you and are willing to show it. Just think, if they didn’t care, they wouldn’t want you around.”

Frederick nodded again. We stood there for a few minutes before my stomach announced to us that it was past time for lunch.