Chapter Twenty

Division Eight Headquarters

Wednesday, 10:00 PM

Deven and Zeven entered the house while Tess parked the car. During the mission and the whole drive back, they'd coordinated with Harley and Joseph and had most of a plan in place for a welcome party for Madeline. Now that they were home again, it was time to make it happen.

With their talented team it wasn't a big stretch to have everything set up in time for sundown when they expected Quinn to bring her back downstairs.

But sunset came and went.

"I guess someone should go wake them?"

"Not it." Zeven said.

"Not it." Harley said.

Joseph had disappeared back into the kitchen.

He looked at Tess.

"Oh hell no. I'm still traumatized."

"Me too…" But it looked like he was the last choice. "Fine. But you all owe me big time."

Tess patted his arm in sympathy. "Give it up and go get them."

He trudged back toward the stairs. Pausing at the first step he gave himself a mental slap. This wasn't that big a deal. He was a grown up and it was time to accept that the man who had basically raised him actually did have an interest in the opposite sex.

It was a good thing. True, he didn't want to see any more of that if he could avoid it. But like the proper adult that he was, he'd just have to knock on the fucking door this time.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs he was chuckling over how Quinn's voice had sounded when they'd burst in the last time. He'd never before heard the old man sound like that. Especially never with him. Just remembering it sent a tremor of fear through him. Fear that didn't have any place between them after all these years.

Because no matter the situation, Quinn would never intentionally hurt him.

His knock on Quinn's door was met by a rustle of movement inside and in just a couple seconds the door cracked open.

Maddie stood in the entrance, blocking the partially open door. Thankfully she was fully clothed. "Shh…" She held a finger up to her lips. "He's still sleeping." She slipped out the door to join him in the hall.

Something about her tone set off alarms. "What's wrong?"

She kept her voice low. "I think he's going to be okay. But for now, he might need a little more rest."

About a thousand inappropriate questions crossed his mind and there wasn't a single chance in hell he was going to utter even one of them out loud. Because any explanation about what bedroom activities could be that devastating to an immortal insanely powerful vampire… yeah, that kind of trauma he did not need.

"It's a little complicated but you should probably know what's been going on. I just don't think I'm the one who should tell you."

"It's all good. I'm not asking."

"Just have a little patience."

The door opened and Quinn stepped into the hall looking perfectly fine.

Relief rushed through him. Whatever had been wrong must not be that big a deal. Still… there was something different. Was that the effect of the bond between them?

"Are you okay to be up?" Maddie asked him, while slipping her arm around his waist.

He nodded at her but spoke to Deven. "Did you need me?"

"Everyone is waiting in the den for you two to join us. We threw together a little party to make Maddie feel welcome."

"That's nice of you kids."

He followed them down the stairs. It was strange to be welcoming a new wolf into Division Eight. Strange but not bad. Wait, did that mean she'd be joining the Rattlesnake Clan? They were pretty much the same thing.

There was a scream.

He ran the last few feet to the open doors to the den. The sight inside stopped him in his tracks.

"Why is there a goat on my mantle?" Quinn asked.

Zeven was sitting on his ass in the middle of the room where the coffee table should have been. He had the nanny goat pinned in his arms, but she was still chewing on the silk flowers that had once been part of the centerpiece. Despite Zeven's best efforts, he was losing the battle of controlling her. "Oh yeah, we bought a goat to help feed the babies."

The babies in question were crawling around in half wolf form, chasing the ends of the destroyed décor.

He hurried over to grab the baby goat from the mantle and it jumped to his shoulder. "What the…?" Before he could react, it leapt off his shoulder.

Into Quinn's hands. "What's this little one's name?"

"That's Princess. The nanny there is Queenie."

Tess stepped up beside him and carefully took Princess out of his arms. "I'm sorry about the mess. I thought it would be fun to have them join in the welcome home party for you and Maddie."

Maddie was beside Quinn. She looked mildly annoyed at first but then busted up into giggles. Then she was leaning on Quinn's side. "Oh man, you have a great family here."

"I do, don't I?"

Zeven stepped up beside him. "By the way, I put that kid, Jimmy, in a local hotel for now. We can bring him over to meet Joseph tomorrow night. Seemed like Joseph was a little nervous about meeting his old friend again. I didn't see any point in rushing them."

"Sounds like you made a good call. Joseph's feelings need to come first. Whatever he decides is what we should do."

"I hear we'll be hosting Father Time as a guest. Are you sure that's a good idea?" He could hear all the unspoken worries. Zeven was concerned for his new family and didn't want them endangered by a known killer.

"He will be staying with Bella. Although we will be preparing a safe room for him just in case."

"I see."

"Zeven, I will not allow your family… our family to be endangered no matter what we end up doing about Georgie."

"I know you wouldn't." Zeven visibly relaxed. "But I was wondering about what would happen to him. I'm not judging your opinion on the topic. I don't have that right."

"I've thought about it a lot myself. I don't know if the outcome is what would be considered fair or not. He made a lot of mistakes that resulted in people dying. But he was trying to make it right in his own way."

"Are all of the fledglings accounted for?"

"They are. The last one managed to turn Soldier Boy before Georgie caught him." Don't sound so disappointed. I'm sure we'll still have plenty of work."

Quinn's phone rang. He pulled it out and answered, while walking toward the mansion's entrance where it would be a little quieter. "Hello?"

"It's me. I was just calling with an update."

"Bella, you actually called." He moved out onto the front porch for a little privacy.

"Maddie won't answer. I tried calling her, not you. She's so stubborn. I know she's only doing it to make us talk more."

"You're probably right." Sounded like something Maddie would do. "How's Georgie doing?"

"About that… He asked me to put him to sleep. As soon as Wyllo left he said he didn't want to lose anything else. I don't know if it will help at all, but I tried to teach him how to dream with Wyllo."

"Good." There was a lot more he wanted to say but, in the end, none of it mattered. Everything that did matter was out of their hands. Since Wyllo had promised to come back for Georgie, they would all just have to wait and see if she would. Or perhaps he meant, if she could. And until that happened, Georgie would just have to either learn to wait or sleep through their time apart.

"I'll keep in touch."

"Let me know if you need any help." He turned the phone off and turned back toward the entrance.

Maddie was leaning against the door frame, waiting for him. "Was that Bella?"

"Yes. You should probably call her before she starts accusing me of stealing her best friend."

In two long strides she reached his side and claimed his hand. "Let's stay out here for a few minutes."

"Is it too crowded in there?"

"No, not at all. Pretty calm compared to Bella's place. I just wanted you to myself."

He pulled her into his arms. "I'm all yours."

She held his gaze. "It still feels unreal."

He understood completely. "As if it was all a mistake and could be taken back any second." His arms tightened. Maybe we should take the new rules for a test drive."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Do you think I'd be able to transform into a wolf using Valàfrn magic?"

She looked skeptical.

"Will you help me try?"

"Of course. Just don't be too disappointed if it doesn't work yet." She guided him over to the porch railing to stand in the moonlight. "Have you been able to feel the difference between the vampire and new magic?"

Ever since he'd been brought back from the heart attack, he'd clearly felt the difference. His vampire magic had always been heavy and stagnant. The new power within him was constantly in motion, an active living part of him.

"Once you feel the power, picture the form you want to take and ask it to take shape. Push your will, your command into the power." She released his hands and stepped back. "Give it a try."

He followed the steps and felt the power awaken to his command. But it didn't take form. His own body remained.

"It's okay, just relax and try again."

After three more tries resulting in various levels of success, he had to consider if it might not ever work.

"I know how much you want this to work, but it's not an easy skill to learn even without the complication of your other magic."

All this time he'd been trying to push aside his own magic in order to better connect to the new Valàfrn magic, but maybe that wasn't the best way to think about it. "What if both kinds of magic have to work together for me to be able to shift forms?"

"Could be worth trying."

He stared up at the moon for a moment to help relax his nerves. The moment his focus tightened on the full moon he felt something change within him. The air whooshed out of his lungs. His magic was twisting together in loose coils. He pictured the wolf in his mind and called to the form. The magic reacted at once.

"Oh… how beautiful."

He only caught a glimpse in the window's reflection before the manifestation faded and he was left standing on two legs once more.

"Try that again. This time watch it take place. I think that will help you maintain it."

He followed the same steps once more and when he pictured the wolf form, he made sure to watch the change take place.

Maddie gave a happy yip and bumped her wolf body against him joyfully. "Great job!"

He successfully transformed three more times. And finally, back in human form he sat down on the top step, with Maddie tucked tightly against his side. It was oddly exhausting and exhilarating.

"Are you happy?"

He was but he was also a little embarrassed. "I probably shouldn't have been so stubborn. I could have used my own magic years ago to go running with Deven."

"I'm not sure why it mattered so much to you, but it did and now you'll be able to share something new with your son."

"I suppose he is your son now too."

"I'm satisfied to be accepted into your clan. I've been alone for a very long time. It really is enough for me."

He held her tight and indulged in a few kisses before leading her back inside to rejoin their clan.

Deven was settled on the sofa snuggling with Tess on one side and the nanny goat on the other side. "Welcome back."

From the other sofa, Zeven whispered "Come on in." He had both babies in his arms and Harley leaning against his shoulder.

Maddie stopped him just inside the door. "Do you want to show them what you've been practicing?"

"Now?"

"Yeah. I think it will make them happy. And I know you can't wait to show them."

"Okay then. If you think so."