Lorenzo looked at him with exasperation and placed his small hands on his hips. "Daddy, course I did. Angelo helped me get his stall ready, and we have fresh hay and my saddle is ready. I bet Zeus is worrying about me and wondering how long he has to stay on that boat. How much longer, Daddy? Can't you do something?"
Shade felt as impatient as his son. He hadn’t fed, and it took little to irritate him. Kate was sitting in their bed with the sheet pulled over her mouth, stifling a laugh. He snapped back at the child. “Enough, Lorenzo!”
He rummaged through the armoire, looking for a long sleeved shirt, tossing shirts and jeans to the floor until he found what he was looking for. He pulled the shirt over his head and turned to see Lorenzo and bel staring at him. "What?"
Lorenzo retreated to the bed and climbed up to the safety of his mother's arms. He wasn’t often scolded by his father, but he’d seen his father's temper unleashed on others, and he never wanted to be on the receiving end of that. Kate slid her arms around her son. "Your daddy is just grumpy tonight. Zeus will be here soon, Lorenzo, and you’ll be the first to know." She kissed the top of his head, his hair smelled like sunshine and hay. "Now, go find Enzo, see if there are studies you need to catch up on."
Lorenzo nodded and quietly answered, "Yes, Mommy." He dropped over the side of the bed and left for the door, looking back at his father. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
He closed the door behind him as Kate turned her attention back to Shade. "You haven't fed, have you? You never lose your patience with him. I think it’s time you come back to me. Sophia feeds well from Theresa and Gita now. And I'm not sure this household can tolerate you, otherwise. Besides, I’ve missed you."
He stared at the door. "I hurt his feelings and I didn’t mean to. I never want him to be scared of me, like I was of my father. He’s been attached to my leg lately, and I know he is just excited, but I am the one with no patience."
He sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "I need to fix this. Zeus should arrive tomorrow. I don’t want to tell him, he will drive Angelo out of his mind."
He flopped back on the bed and took a deep breath, inhaling her. "Cazzo, I miss you so much, I feel unable to function without you, mi amore."
Kate climbed on all fours to the foot of the bed and lay across his chest. "Then stop missing me, and feed."
His hands slid across her cheeks and into that mass of crimson, he looked into her eyes and felt the depth of his love for her crushing him. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to be away from you, not feed from you? I am not whole without you."
His growl was low and deep in his chest, his beast rising to the surface, knowing her beast was ready, once again, to take him on. He nuzzled into her neck as his fangs punched, long and sharp, and so in need of her they ached. His eyes lit the room in a ruby color that made her lily white skin glow as if a soft pink. Without a word spoken, he sank his fangs into the soft flesh of her neck as her blood gushed into his mouth, and he almost lost his mind. Luca could temporarily satisfy his hunger, but his bel satisfied his immortal soul. He fed with mouthful after mouthful as his cock became hard and throbbed for release.
Kate felt almost lightheaded when he fed from her. He must abstain from feeding from her while she was pregnant, and for a period after the baby was born, until the newborn was weaned. The baby fed often but took little. Shade drank from her now with a hunger that had built up after months of waiting. She knew he sustained himself with Luca's blood, but it wasn’t the same, for either of them.
The sharp, sweet sting of his teeth into her flesh immediately ignited the fire between her legs as her fingers gripped his shoulders. She rolled over on her back, pulling him with her, so she could feel the weight of him again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, as his cock slid deep inside her, his mouth still sealed to her throat. Her moan was primal as she relaxed her head back, letting him take his fill, and felt him thrusting deep inside her.
Matching the rhythm of her hips, he finally unlatched from her neck, licking the wounds with his hot tongue. "Let go, bel, cum with me."
He felt her nails sink into his broad muscular back. He knew how her body responded. He knew every inch of her, like it was his own. "Now, mi amore."
He felt her hands grab his hair and yank his head down as she sank her fangs into his flesh and his whole body ignited as he felt her cum, and his body followed, filling her with his seed.
His beast roared, echoing loudly off the walls, leaving no question to anyone in this house that the king and queen were, once again, united.
He pulled her close, wrapping the sheet around them as they lay together, hearts beating fast. She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heart and breathing return to normal. She sighed in contentment when she heard a loud wail.
Their daughter wasn’t happy and was demanding attention, and Kate knew Theresa and Gita would respond. They both tried to block out the noise, but the wails continued, getting louder. Kate felt the pull of the blood bond that would keep her tied to these children for eternity and knew the wailing wouldn’t stop until she responded.
Reluctantly, she sat up, breaking free of his warm embrace, and slipped on her robe. "I knew this one would be a handful. I think we better get used to it. Sophia will be nothing like her brother, I'm afraid."
Stepping into a pair of slippers, she scuffed to the nursery that had been set up for the new baby, to find both Theresa and Gita frantically trying to quiet the infant.
"My lady, I'm so sorry. She won't stop crying."
Kate took the baby from Theresa and placed her over her shoulder, where the baby immediately rooted for Kate's neck and fed. Kate shook her head. "A little jealous, are we, Sophia?"
Shade grunted as she rolled out of their bed. He did miss the days when he’d had her all to himself. He slid out of bed and quickly dressed, following her to the nursery to find their daughter suckling from her mother’s neck.
He knelt beside the rocking chair and pulled Kate’s hair back, as huge blue eyes looked up at him. "Si, she gives us life, does she not, little one?"
He kissed the curly mop of red on top of Sophia's head, and rubbed her back softly as she fed. "You can’t sustain us both, Kate. Let her be comforted, but do not let her feed too long. I need to have a word with our little warrior before I go. If you need me, I will be at camp. Ti amo."
Kissing bel on the cheek, he stood and walked to the door, looking back at them before he left. His heart almost leapt from his chest. "You two are so beautiful."
Kate smiled back at him. "We make beautiful babies. Now, go to Lorenzo. Soothe his hurt feelings."
Shade headed down the hallway past the bedrooms to the room that had been set up as a classroom for their children. He entered the room quietly, and stood at the door, leaning against the doorjamb, observing his son.
Enzo never changed. He looked much the way Shade remembered him when he was a boy, sitting in a classroom in Florence. His hair was grey and disheveled, his glasses worn low on his nose, where he looked over them. Enzo exuded an air of authority and had little tolerance for foolishness in his classroom.
Lorenzo sat still as a mouse and appeared totally absorbed by his lessons as Enzo taught him the history of Italy. Shade cleared his throat and chuckled as Enzo raised his head, looking over his glasses at him.