Quinn
We bade the vampires goodbye and set out on our journey. They were sad to see us leave but they understood us. I watched as Ava and Mia got emotional, waving each other goodbye. I smiled as I tried my best to not roll my eyes. Those women were as dramatic as they could be.
“Promise you will come again to visit?” Ava pouted.
Mia chuckled. “I can’t guarantee that as I don’t know what we are going home for.” She glanced at me, wondering if I had figured it out yet and I shrugged to let her know that I didn’t know much of it myself.
Dad rarely gave emergency calls and I couldn’t imagine what it was about this time. I knew that we would find out once we got home and I was curious to know why he had called which was why we were leaving the very day he called, even though it was late already to travel.
I was sure that nothing could harm us and we didn’t have to worry about late night travel. It wasn’t like any human could jump out of somewhere to rob. The greedy thief would be the one to regret the day he was born.
Mia, alone without the rest of us, was enough to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget in a lifetime. She was getting stronger and I was proud of her.
She turned back to Ava. “I don’t know if we would be back soon but I promise you that I would come one of these days, probably before your baby is three.”
Ava grimaced and shook her head at her. “Three? Come on, girl. That is too far. What would my baby do with himself for so long without seeing his godmother?”
“Herself.” Ethan chipped in and winked at her.
I chuckled. The two of them were still arguing over the gender of the baby. I couldn’t wait for her to go for a scan and confirm the gender of the baby so they could both finally rest.
“You can bring him over.” Mia suggested. “I would be glad to host you.”
“Her.” Ethan corrected Mia with a grin. Both Ava and Mia looked at each other and grinned.
Ava wrapped her hand around his waist and winked at him. “Know when to give up, my dear. It’s a boy.”
“Mia has listened to me. She knows as much as I do that it’s a girl.” He replied.
She snorted. “Mia is more of my friend than she is yours. She knows that it’s a boy. She wouldn’t betray my interest to support you even if you are the king.”
Mia wasn’t interested in their romantic argument. “You can also come with the baby. I would be glad to host you all.”
Ethan sighed. “We would love to but I don’t think your household staff would be happy to see us after the first impression we left on them.”
I sighed. “Maybe, maybe not but impressions can always be changed. You can always make them know that you are better than what they once thought of you.”
He nodded. “That sounds like a good plan but you will have to help as the hosts. You will have to bridge the gap.”
Jack nodded. “That is normal. You only have to tell us when you would like to visit and we would make the magic happen.”
“I don’t think you would have any problem when you come. You will be welcomed with open arms right from where you park your cars and that will help our staff to loosen up around you. They know that you would have to be good friends for us to have invited you over and they trust our decisions that you wouldn’t harm them.” John added.
Ethan smiled. “Thanks for your kind words.”
“You are welcome.” We all nodded.
Ethan cleared his throat and pulled Ava to him. “Now, let go of Mia, darling so they can leave on time. It’s getting dark.”
Ava nodded and did as her mate said, leaning on his chest and smiled at Mia as they pulled apart. “See you soon, sister and safe journey.”
“See you soon too, your highness.” Mia curtsied.
Ava snorted. “Come on. Don’t be like that.”
“I was only kidding, your highness.” Mia chuckled.
“Don’t be ridiculous, your highness.” Ava said to her as well.
“What do you call the Luna of your pack?” Ava asked, turning to me.
“I’m not yet the Luna of the pack but you are the queen already.” Mia countered, before I could tell Ava.
Ava snorted. “But you will be soon, your highness.” She said with a wag of her eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes and glanced at Ethan who was also smirking at the two women. I didn’t think that we were going to leave the place early if we were to allow the two ladies to keep on doing what they were doing.
“Would you like to follow us, your highness?” I asked Ava. “It seems like you are having difficulty leaving your friend.”
She chuckled. “I would love to but I can’t leave Ethan behind.”
I smiled. “I’m sure he would survive without you. Wouldn’t you, your majesty?”
He gave me a dark look and I couldn’t help but smile. “It seems his majesty can’t live without you, your highness.”
She chuckled. “He dares not say that he can.” She moved to embrace Mia. “I miss you already.”
“I promise to call often, girl.” Mia said.
Ava nodded. “You better. I promise you will be the first person I call when I give birth to Nathan as well.”
“Or Natalie.” Ethan added.
I chuckled. Ethan was trying too hard about trying to change the gender of his baby with his insistence. If only I could tell him that the gender had been formed already and he didn’t have to stress himself too much but wait for when he would be able to go with her for a scan.
“Safe journey.” Ethan and Ava wished us finally, after she let go of Mia.
We nodded. “Thank you.”
“Safe delivery, girl.” Mia added.
“Thank you.” Ava smiled.
Finally, we moved and the vampires waved at us till we got to the border and out of the city. We got home and everywhere was dark and silent. I wondered if dad wasn’t around yet. He had called us home and yet, he hadn’t been around to welcome us. I started to wonder what was going on.
He wouldn’t have called us home that there was trouble if he wasn’t home. I couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t around. I had told him on phone that we were coming home when I called him. He would always be here to welcome us whenever we were coming home and I was certain that he wouldn’t have slept yet.
The butler rushed out as we were about to get to the entrance of the room. “Welcome home, young masters and Miss.”
“Where is dad? Is he home?” I asked.
“Yes, he is.” The butler nodded.
“He must be very busy if he didn’t show up when we came.” John sighed.
I thought I was the one who felt that way. I had to remind myself to grow up and that dad could be busy and we weren’t kids anymore that he always had to welcome us home and wave at when we were getting home and leaving.
The butler didn’t say anything. “Let me take you to his bedroom.”
Bedroom? I checked the time on my wristwatch. We had left the land of the vampires late but we weren’t too late. By this time, he should be in his study and not in his bedroom. Dad must have been really tired if he was in the bedroom already.
“Let’s not bother going to his bedroom if he is already in there.” I said to the butler. “He must be tired.” Or with Vanessa, I added, and I didn’t want us to be a disturbance.
The butler shook his head. “Do not worry about that. He insisted that you must come to his room immediately you are around.”
I frowned, wondering what was so urgent that he had to see us immediately we were around, despite how tired he seemed to be.
We nodded and followed him since he was so insistent. We topped in shock as we got to his bedroom. Dad was lying in bed and Vanessa was seated by his side, holding his hand.
Dad looked tired, his face looking sunken and Vanessa looked scared and worried as she held him by the hand. Looking at them reminded me of a picture of a sick person at a hospital and that was a foreign sight to me. I didn’t think that I had ever seen dad that tired ever since I was born.
What happened to him? He looked like had aged for fifteen years in the last few weeks. I thought he had gone on a honeymoon trip and was meant to be having fun. Why had he come home looking dry?
We didn’t have to get closer to him to see that he didn’t look like his usual self. The butler bowed, closed the door behind him and left.
He groaned as soon as he saw us. “You are home.”
“What is wrong with you, dad?” We said, rushing to his side.
“Albert?” Mia groaned and moved to his side the same time we did.
Dad winced and Vanessa hurriedly patted his head, rubbing her hand through his hair.
“Ease.” Vanessa hissed. “Don’t shout. Your dad has been complaining of noise since. Didn’t you notice how everything was silent when you came in?”
I nodded. “The butler almost didn’t know that we were home.” Noise? I wondered what was wrong with him. We had always heard voices and noises more than others could but never had we been really disturbed by it. We had always been able to tone it down. Why was dad finding that hard to do?
Vanessa nodded at my words. “Exactly. I had to tell the staff to retire early and go to bed so he wouldn’t have to be disturbed. He seems to complain more of it now than he had in the day.”
I nodded. Of course, he would feel it more in the night than in the day. We were nocturnal creatures. I wondered why he was acting strange. I guess I wouldn’t stop wondering about that until I found out the answer and yet, he didn’t say anything and neither did Vanessa.
“Dad?” I moved closer to him and whispered.
He winced as he turned to me. I scowled as I looked at him. Was it that bad? Didn’t he want to hear anyone talk at all? He had to be really weak and sensitive if he couldn’t control the pitch at which he heard voices. That was a whisper. He didn’t have to be affected by it. He had been and that made me worried.
“What happened?” I lowered my voice more, wondering if that was okay with him. I didn’t know how low my voice could be again.
“I…” He was about to talk when Vanessa beat him to it. “He fainted.”
“He fainted?” We all shouted in surprise at the same time, looking at her. We all didn’t realize how hard dad winced until he let out a groan.