Laughing, both women swatted him.
Then Becca swept them both with a dubious gaze. “You really thought Nick was me?”
“Yes,” Nicole admitted. “He was very convincing.”
Sean nodded. “He even sounded like you.”
A look of consternation crinkled her features. “That’s kinda creepy.”
Nicole watched her carefully. “Are you mad?”
“At you?” Becca replied. “No, of course not. At Mom and Nick? Absolutely.”
A sharp bark split the air. The immortals near the back hallway parted as a cat shot out of it, raced through the living room to the connecting dining room, and disappeared into the kitchen. A beagle followed, ears flapping and nails clicking on the floor as he took a turn too quickly and skidded sideways.
“Jax!” Susan called from somewhere on the other side of the living room. “Leave Slim alone!”
High-pitched giggles filled the room as a beautiful toddler burst out of the hallway. Her orange curls bounced and jounced as she ran after the dog and cat with that adorable run all toddlers seemed to have. The one that made it look as if they were barely in control. A second toddler followed closely on her heels, his short black hair blowing back as his laughter joined hers.
Every immortal present smiled fondly. All adored Marcus and Ami’s daughter Adira and Roland and Sarah’s adopted son Michael, doting on them endlessly… now that the warriors had grown accustomed to holding the little ones. Most of those present had not been around small children since they were children themselves hundreds or thousands of years ago, so they had been amusingly nervous when they’d held the fragile little ones for the first time.
As Nicole, Becca, and Sean made their way farther into the room, Krysta and Étienne joined them.
Krysta gave her brother a discerning look. “Rumor has it you were a hot blond with tattoos last night.”
Sean glanced at Nicole.
She shrugged. “I didn’t tell her that.”
Étienne stepped up behind his wife and rested his hands on her hips. “I told her.”
How had Étienne known? They hadn’t seen him the previous night and—
Nicole scowled at him. “Wait. Did you read my thoughts?” She seriously doubted Sean would’ve described himself as hot in his head.
“Yes,” the French immortal admitted without remorse. “But only because I heard something foul went down last night and was worried.”
Krysta nodded with exaggerated solemnity. “And because he’s nosy.”
Étienne laughed.
Nicole turned to Sean. “Okay. So I did inadvertently tell them. But I did not mentally use the word hot to describe you.”
“Yes, you did,” Étienne corrected her. “Many times.”
“Damn it,” she grumbled.
Sean grinned.
Tracy, Lisette’s Second, joined them. “Did I hear someone say tattoos?” Her gaze roved over Sean. “Where are they, and how much clothing will you have to remove to show me?”
“Dude!” Her boyfriend, Sheldon, called as he worked his way through the crowd. “I’m right here.” The youngest Second present, Sheldon was often treated like the kid brother of the group.
“What?” Tracy asked innocently. “You might want to get a tattoo in the future, so I thought I should research some designs.”
Laughing, Sean shook his head. “They were temporary tattoos and washed off in the shower.”
“Okay, everyone,” Darnell called as he emerged from the back hallway. “Time to get settled.” Tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, he crossed to the dining room. Darnell had no problem issuing orders to the immortals present, despite his being a mortal. He’d served as David’s Second—and Seth’s whenever the need arose—for quite a long time, though he looked like he was the same age as Nicole and Sean. His smooth brown head didn’t appear to hide a receding hairline. Nor did his face bear any wrinkles. Nicole had no idea how old he was, if he’d been a young recruit like her and Sheldon, or if he was two or three decades their senior and aging very well, thanks to Seth.
Either way, Darnell wielded as much authority among the Seconds as Chris Reordon did. He even trained them whenever time allowed it.
“Immortals,” he ordered, “take seats at the table. Seconds, you can hang in the living room and listen in.”
Immortal Guardians flowed into the adjoining dining room like a black tide.
“Nicole,” Darnell added as he caught her gaze, “you, Becca, and Cliff join the immortals.”
She’d figured as much and was glad Cliff would join them. Nicole spent nearly as much time at network headquarters as Sean did, so she’d gotten to know Cliff well. It was wonderful to see him looking so happy after his years of struggling with insanity.
And buff. Cliff had packed on loads of muscle since regaining his mortality.
A table long enough to seat at least thirty graced David’s dining room. The immortal family in North Carolina had grown significantly in recent years, necessitating the addition of multiple leaves.
The chair at the head of the table was reserved for David, and the one at the foot for Seth. Nicole had always believed that the best leaders were those who didn’t feel the need to flaunt their power. And that described Seth to a T. Seth never unseated others in their homes or businesses. Here at David’s house, he always insisted that David sit at the head of the table. And he did the same with Chris Reordon whenever they met at network headquarters.
Conversation resumed as the dining room filled.
Nicole and Sean found seats near the middle of the table with Krysta, Étienne, Richart, and Jenna. Becca sat across from them with Kayla and Nick. Darnell sat on what would be David’s right once the elder arrived. Ami sat where she always did, on the opposite end, catty-corner to Seth, with Marcus at her side. Marcus plunked little Adira down in a booster seat attached to the table at his elbow. Roland settled Michael in a second booster seat next to Adira. Then he and Sarah claimed the chairs beside her.
Roland Warbrook was renowned for being the most antisocial of the Immortal Guardians. But one would never guess that by watching him now. Smiling fondly, he spread construction paper and crayons on the table in front of the children.
Zach and Lisette sat across from them, leaving the seat closest to Seth’s vacant for Leah. In short order, the rest of the immortals found chairs.
Darnell retrieved his cell phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then held it to his ear. “We’re ready.”
David abruptly appeared beside his chair at the head of the table. Seth’s second-in-command was an imposing figure. Six feet seven inches tall, he boasted broad shoulders, thick muscles, skin as dark as night, and masses of thin dreadlocks that were drawn back at the nape of his neck and fell to his hips.
“Abaye!” Adira cried with a big grin.
His striking features softening with a smile, he strolled along the table to drop a kiss atop her head. “Hello, poppet. Are you drawing us another pretty picture?” he asked with an Egyptian accent.
“Uh-huh.”
He gave Michael’s dark hair a gentle pat. “I see you are, too.” As he returned to the head of the table, he murmured, “Jared.”