Shade nodded. "Then let me meet the female who has stolen my son's heart, who claims to love him, and then we will decide how the rest of the night is going to go."
Cory stood, looking down at his father seated behind the desk. "She may be mortal, but she’s no ordinary female."
Luca chuckled. "That sounds familiar, a theme that seems to repeat itself in this family quite often."
Shade spoke to Kate telepathically, “Mi amore, tell me how this goes with you and Cory's female.”
***
Kate and Shannon were helping Madison from the sofa. The wine had gone to her head and they walked with her to Cory's bathroom where she could splash some cold water on her face. Shannon asked her if she wanted some coffee, but Madison shook her head.
"I'm fine. I just need to process this."
Kate heard Shade speak to her in her head and reassured him everything was under control. ”I'm bringing her back downstairs. For the love of all that is holy, please don't scare her again!”
Shade heard bel’s response in his head, and he almost chuckled out loud. At least someone still had some humor in the middle of this fiasco. “Meet us in the family room. Let’s see how this goes.” He stood from behind the desk. "Kate is meeting us in the family room, so let us go meet Madison."
As they all walked out together, Shade threw his arm over Cory's shoulder. "Son, I am going to do everything I can to make this work, you need to help me with her as much as possible. This is a team effort here. I love you and I want this to work out. I am not the enemy."
Cory nodded, hoping for the best.
As they started down the stairs, Kate kept talking to Madison. "What you saw earlier was the vampire's beast. The beast rules when a vampire is angry or is in a battle to protect his life or the lives of those he loves. When you meet Shade now, he'll look like any other mortal to you."
Madison shook her head. "Not exactly. He looks mortal, but there's something...I don't know, I can't explain it, but I felt it when I met Luca for the first time too. There’s something in their eyes that can hold you in place."
Kate laughed. "Yeah, there's that. Let's just take it slow, shall we? The most important thing for you to know, right now, is you're safe. No one means you harm here."
She was praying all went well, and her words were the truth. They all knew if Madison rejected them, she couldn’t be allowed to leave. The three of them entered the living room to find the three men standing. They all turned to face them, and Madison was struck by their beauty, all three of them. Cory's androgynous beauty, his features almost delicate, his build slender yet toned. Luca with his bronze skin and pale hazel eyes, standing taller than Cory, broad shouldered and slender through the hips, and between them was Shade Medici. Standing taller than the other two, his coal black hair like that of Lorenzo's, hanging in loose curls framing his face, and touching the tops of his broad shoulders. His muscles defined and visible even through his shirt. His eyes were so blue it made her gasp, remembering how he’d held her immobile with a gaze. She paused in her footsteps and Kate and Shannon stopped with her.
Kate whispered, "It's okay."
Shannon nudged her forward slightly and laughed. "You never get used to it. They’ll always take your breath away."
Madison flashed her a glance, surprised, as if Shannon had read her mind. Shannon smiled at her. "Come on, they don't bite. Well, yeah, they do, but trust me, you won't complain."
Kate gave Shannon a stern look. "You're not helping!"
Leading Madison closer, they stopped before the three men. "Lover, allow me to properly introduce to you, Madison Barnes. Please try a little harder to make her feel welcome this time."
Shade got a look at Madison. She was slender, and quite beautiful. Her style was very different, like the young girls he used to see in San Francisco a few decades ago. He hoped her style reflected the same openness of spirit. He felt her trepidation, but the panic was gone. He smiled at bel and leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. "Si, mi amore."
His eyes turned to Madison and he smiled. Holding out his hand to her, he watched as she carefully placed her hand in his. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it very gently. "Welcome to Bel Rosso, Madison. I am Shade Medici, Master of the Medici Coven and Cory's padre. I apologize our first encounter was not a positive one. You are welcome here, safe here. I protect what is mine with my life. The people in this room are my familia, all that I have. I live and breathe to protect them, provide for them. It is my duty and my honor to protect you as well while in my home. So, please, will you sit with us and talk? I would very much like to talk with you."
Madison nodded. "I'd like that a lot."
She was mesmerized by his deep voice and the Italian accent, and, of course, those blue eyes. She glanced at Cory who nodded slightly to her, encouraging her to accept, as he reached his hand out to her. "Come sit next to me, Madison."
Cory guided her to the sofa and they sat together. Luca took a seat in another chair, and Shannon sat on the floor by his feet, her arm draped casually over his legs. Madison watched as Luca smiled at her and ran his hand through her hair. Shade took a seat in another chair and Kate climbed in his lap. What she saw between them was total love and devotion. These men, who could be very imposing, and she had no doubt, deadly, encircled these women with their protection.
Kate kissed Shade and ran her hand across his cheek. She whispered to him, "Talk to her, lover. Let her know she’s okay."
Shade cleared his throat, a smile on his face, he looked to Madison. “I regret you have discovered the truth of us in this manner. I apologize for what you walked into this night. This is not how it ever should have occurred. But, you are in the company of the people who love Cory, and my understanding is you love him too. So, I know a few details about you that Cory has shared, but tell me about yourself, and why you love my son."
Madison looked at Cory and smiled as he squeezed her hand. She spoke with a slight tremble in her voice. "We're kindred spirits. We both don't quite fit in this world. We’re both artists. We love to create. And Cory has gentleness, a kindness, a compassion that’s rare. He’s told me a little about his life, and how he came to live with you. I know how devoted he is to his family, and I can see how devoted everyone here is to each other. I can't say I completely understand it all, but I trust Cory. I know, now, he’s been protecting me, even when I wasn't aware of it."
Shade watched them together, she was starting to relax a little and he found her intriguing. Her words struck a chord in him. She and Cory were like two odd ships passing in the night that had found each other. He knew how rare that could be. He’d led one lonely life until he met Kate and he knew Cory's would be even lonelier because of being a half-breed.
"Understanding it all takes much time, Madison. I do not expect you to do that immediately. But accepting it is another matter. We live in this mortal world. We have to adapt to it, stay safe in it. We are another culture that thrives amongst you, but our very existence has to be kept secret from the mortal world. If we were exposed, it would mean certain death for us. So, as you can see, I have much to lose if you do not wish to keep our secrets protected from your world. Once inside, you cannot leave our world, but you will be loved by all, respected, honored, and protected by all. Once here, you never leave us. It is a hard decision. I have an offer to make to you. Would you wish to hear it?"