Page 85 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

“I think it’s all the excitement.”

“If only she were bigger,” Faye joked, “then she could hold Sierra for a while.”

Cliff grinned while waving his sister away. “I’ll get her and change her. You make sure my kid isn’t ruining your kitchen.”

Faye gave her brother finger guns and then headed downstairs. Pots and pans clattered from across the house. Something hit the ground. I tried not to think about what kind of mess my daughter was making down there.

And we still had the rest of the day to survive our visit.Yikes.

“Point Pleasant better wake me up,” I warned, “or I might ruin the ritual.”

Cliff chuckled while lifting his niece from her crib. She fidgeted when he carried her over to the changing station. “Don’t do that. Hector is my best friend.”

“As long as you’re asking nicely, I won’t.”

“Please?”

I batted my eyelids at him while he did the same to me. Several seconds of dramatic and theatrical attention later, we were snickering ourselves to stitches. Sierra wiggled on the changing station, popped her legs into the air, and nearly took out Cliff’s nose when he tried to fix her onesie. Several minutes after that, the three of us joined Faye in the kitchen.

Sydney kicked her feet in a big chair at the table while shimmying her shoulders. “Mommy, are we going to a party?”

“Yes, a big party,” I replied while cradling Sierra, “and then it’s straight to bed because we have to drive back to Bangor in the morning.”

“Can’t I stay with my baby, Sierra?”

Chuckles echoed around me. I shook my head, kissed Sierra, and sat her in the playpen near the window. “Maybe when we don’t have ashadowproblem.”

Sydney nodded with a knowing look. “I gotta protect baby Sierra from the mean shadows.”

I smiled. “You’re so sweet to your cousin.”

Sydney folded her arms over her chest. “She’s ababy.”

“Yes, I know that.”

Faye guffawed while setting up the highchair and getting the rest of lunch ready. I managed to eat a few bites of a sandwich at the behest of both my child and my sister-in-law. Once everyone had a piece of something and hydrated, we headed out into the yard to the clear space right next door.

Hector and a few men hauled a cauldron to the middle of the clear area. Grass grew in random patches, revealing reddish soil that clung to my tennis shoes. Sydney stomped alongside me with a basket on one arm and Mr. Charles in the other. That poor bunny had seen better days.

Chatter floated up from the streets beyond. People came in groups of three and four, filling out the amorphous space around the cauldron. Hector hoisted a bucket and the contents into the cauldron—water. Lots of water. It flowed out of that one bucket until the cauldron was full, and then Faye casually wandered up to the kindling beneath and tapped it.

Whoosh.

Flames engulfed the bottom of the cauldron, inviting light applause from the attending audience. After handing Sierra to Hector, she greeted a couple of the other men who were setting things up for her. A giant tome with a rose next to it and ink pens occupied the only table next to the cauldron. Everything appeared structured and precise, the kind of ritual that got passed down through the centuries from witch to witch.

Cliff scooped up Sydney and propped her on his shoulders. She hugged his head with a giggle. “Pretty Horsey Dad.”

“I thought I was free of that title,” Cliff jabbed gently. “I guess I have to live up to my name now.”

I patted his shoulder. “Please, don’t start neighing here.”

“Why? Would that be embarrassing for you?” He whinnied briefly. “Wouldn’t want to attract attention to aprincess. That would be terrible.” He blew his lips together and whinnied a little louder, trotting in place.

Sydney was having a blast.

I was mortified.

Faye chuckled while she added turmeric, rosemary, and lemon balm to the cauldron. Along with the herbs went with a basket of parchment squares with names written on them. Like the cherry on top of a delicious sundae, Faye added two petals to the mix and stepped back.

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